Back To Basics: Why Starting Over Is A Good Thing

As far back as I can remember I’ve always had a thing against starting over. Once I get going on something, anything really, stopping me is like stopping a freight train. And when I stop it’s only because I’m finished. When I was a kid, I HATED when my parents would check my homework or read a report before turning it in; that meant if there were any edits I’d have to “start over” and do it again. Maybe it’s an obsession with being right or maybe it’s because doing something again feels like a waste of time. Whatever it is, that mentality was programmed into me at a young age.

That program remained intact until I was about 28 years old. At 28, I had to go back to basics and started my entire life over again. Perhaps you’ve heard a version of my story before the in-a-sentence version is this: I “lost it all” and started over with a new apartment, a new career, an empty wallet, and a new way to look at life.

The transition wasn’t easy, but I had to clear the decks and do things the “right” way by laying down a foundation that would set me up for success. Fast forward to seven years later, at 35, I’m so glad I started over because the life I have today looks nothing like the life I had before.

So what the heck does this have to do with fashion?

When I hit the reset button at 28 years old, one of the things that also changed for me was my style. My wardrobe very much reflected my inner life – chaotic! I didn’t have one stable looking garment in my closet. It was all flash, it was all show, it was all just too damn much.  I needed pieces that could work with my life, pieces that could carry me towards the woman that I so desperately wanted to be.

The pieces I am talking about are the basics, aka the wardrobe essentials.

When I work with women on their personal style, one of the first things I have them do is fill out my Ultimate Wardrobe Checklist. The majority of them don’t have the basics down at all. I totally get it, just like anything else in life, when you don’t have a plan in place, the foundation never gets built, and you never reach your full potential.

Here is a great example, grocery shopping. When I pre-plan my meals, write a list, and have my cabinets stocked with the basics (olive oil, butter, eggs, etc.) – I am well on my way to having healthy meals all week and getting the most value out of what I spend at the store that week. When I don’t plan and when I don’t have the basics, I end up spending a lot more money on flashy stuff like precooked meals, snacks, and ingredients that can’t come together to make a tasty meal because I lack the basics.

Does that crazy analogy make sense? I sure hope so.

The point is if you want your wardrobe to work FOR you and not against you. If you want to get dressed each morning and walk out the door looking great every day (yes that is possible) – then you need to get back to basics and stock your closet with the essentials.

Find out if you have everything you need with my Ultimate Wardrobe Checklist. It’s free, and it’s something that I use with ALL of my clients. Download yourself a copy right here and let me know how that exercise worked out for you in the comments section.