How to Let Go of Clothes

Lately, I've been on a kick of getting rid of stuff. I'm not sure if its the whole, "Out with the old, it's a new year," thing or what. Anyway, I decided to do a major closet purge. I did a little bit of research, but then I just made up my own rules about what would stay and what would go.

Rule #1 - If I haven't worn it in a year, it goes. Now this can be a problem for me, but probably not in the way that one might think. Most people have not worn a lot of their clothes, and then they forget about those clothes they haven't worn and so they don't wear them, and then they keep forgetting, and the cycle continues. My problem is almost the opposite.

Let me explain with a short story about myself. When I was in the 9th or 10th grade, I had an old computer in my room. It didn't have the internet, but I could type and play solitaire. Around this time I decided to see how long I could go without wearing the same shirt (at this point, I wore t-shirts everyday). I would literally us an excel spreadsheet to record what I wore every single day, to see my progress. Yes, I know this is crazy and unnecessary, but its the truth, just ask my best friend, Maegan... 

All that to ensure that all of my shirts got equal attention.

Nowadays, I don't quite record it the same way, but I do have a specific clothes system. I organize my clothes based on type of clothing (i.e. sweaters, button up shirts, cardigans, etc.). Once I have cleaned a load of laundry, I put each item on the right side of their respective sections. In this way, I can literally see which pieces I have been neglecting. So, in short, I always make sure and wear all my clothes. 

Anyway, even with my system, I was able to discard some pieces of clothing, but only about 5! BUT, this rule did help me get rid of many of my scarves.

Rule #2 - If its damaged or ripped, it goes. Several weeks ago, I spent some time repairing about 3 shirts, so the obvious ones that would have been discarded avoided their fate. But I did find several shirts and a pair of pants which had stains that I just couldn't get out. I also had a few with small holes, which were probably from getting snagged throughout the years.

Even though sometimes I still wear clothing with a small stain, I decided to discard these to avoid feeling self-conscious when I want to wear them. I also included shirts that had uncontrollable pilling going on. All-in-all, I gathered about 10 shirts, and 1 pair of pants with holes, rips, stains, or pilling.

Rule #3 - If it's not modest, it goes. When I was younger I didn't care about how lock-cut my shirts were, or how short my dresses were. But now I do. So essentially I discarded any normal clothing that I would be embarrassed to wear to church. This got rid of about 5 party shirts and 5 dresses. I kept some of my party shirts for the beach or a date night. 

Rule #4 - If its so uncomfortable that I dread wearing it, it goes. I have this one shirt that looks great on me, it fits my personality, and it has all of the colors that look great on me. Even through all the good qualities, I avoid wearing it because it has this weird elastic thing in the sleeve that annoys me all day! I was keeping the shirt because it looks so great. But its not comfortable and I hate wearing it. 

In this rule, I included clothes that were to tight, shirts that were itchy, and button up work shirts that don't stay tucked in because they're too short. This helped me get rid of maybe 15 or 20 shirts and maybe 2 pairs of pants.

Rule #5 - If the only reason to keep something is for sentimental value, it goes. "Oh, I bought this for high school homecoming court." and "Wow! I bought this shirt for my trip to Greece" and "Gosh, this is what I bought to wear our wedding shower!" are all bad excuses to keep something. If these are your only reason to keep a piece of clothing, get rid of it! There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as a wedding dress.

Rule #6 - If something is not your style anymore, it goes. I remember in college, my wardrobe was essentially thermal shirts. Although thermals are great, its not really my style anymore. Its one thing if I was going to class every day, but these days I don't need 15 thermals! It just doesn't fit my lifestyle anymore. I need professional clothing, dresses for church, cute clothes for date night, and PJs! 

As rule #1 states, if you haven't worn it in year, it goes, but because I'm obsessive, I was wearing everything. Rule #6 really helped me with getting rid of stuff that should have been gone from rule #1. Basically, if its something I should have not worn in the past year, it goes. hahahaha

I got rid of 3 huge bags of clothes and am still left with plenty of things to wear! I have been working to sell my stuff because most of it is still in great condition! So far I have made $52.22! Not bad! I also decided to reorganize my closet to try and kick the obsessiveness noted in rule #1. I'm not sure if I like it or not though.

Why New Year's Resolutions Don't Work

On one hand, I think New Year's Resolutions are dumb. What is stopping people from starting new things at any point, regardless of the month or time of year? For example, we made some resolutions in November, but you can't really call them New Year's Resolutions....So instead we started calling them initiatives, which just cracks me up because it always reminds me of the Dharma Initiative from LOST.

On the other hand, I always make New Year's Resolutions, even if I don't voice them out loud. So that's the situation. 

Anyway, instead of telling you my New Year's Resolutions, I'm going to tell you My Initiatives, which I made at the start of the beginning of 2017. Trust me, resolutions and initiatives are not the same thing.

My Initiatives

Initiative #1: Read the Bible from cover to cover. Several years ago, my parents gave me a chronological Bible. I've attempted doing this before, but sadly, unsuccessful. I think 2017 is the year to start doing this every year. I'm pretty resolute on achieving this, and continuing it every year.

Initiative #2: Stay on top of the laundry. I hate laundry. Its not that I hate washing, drying, or folding. It's that I hate the actual putting up of the clothes. I don't know what it is about this specific chore, but I will put it off for weeks until there is nowhere for us to sit in the living room. It's terrible.

Initiative #3: Become less attached to my phone. This has bothered me for quite some time, but I didn't have the willpower to make it happen yet. Now, though, I have decided to follow through. Step one is not having the first thing I do in the mornings and the last thing I do at night be looking at social media. Its crazy how dependent people are on their phones and they don't even realize it! 

Initiative #4: Read more. I made a personal goal to read two books per month. Reading is a strange thing for me.... I truly like to read, but honestly, I FORGET that I like to read. So then, I don't read. I guess there are just too many distractions to remember that I like to do this (see Initiative #3).

Initiative #5: Watch less Netflix. I always pride myself that we don't have cable and that the only show that I religiously watch is Survivor. But who am I kidding, I binge watch on Netflix and sometimes it gets way out of hand. In 2016 alone, I watched the complete series of Parks & Recreation, Friends, LOST, and Gilmore Girls. Add in multiple seasons of Survivor, House of Cards, Fuller House (don't judge me), The Walking Dead, Grey's Anatomy, and Veronica Mars. So, my initiative is to only watch one episode at a time, unless Nathan and I are watching it together.

So, the problem with New Year's Resolutions, at least for me, is that a plan isn't made. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the definitions.

Resolution: a firm decision to do or not do something

Initiative: an act of strategy intended to resolve a difficulty or improve a situation, a fresh approach to something.

A resolution is a decision. An initiative is a strategy. So what are my strategies?

My Strategies

Strategy #1: Get an actual alarm clock. I'm terrible (and I mean terrible) at waking up when my alarm goes off. I blame this, in part, because my phone alarm clock is not annoying enough and too easily accessible. So, I moved my phone charger on the other side of the bedroom and found an old alarm clock to put on my bedside table. I still use my phone alarm clock, but I use the more annoying normal alarm clock as sort of a "pre-alarm," as if to say, "ok, your phone alarm is about to go off in 2 minutes so get ready to get out of the bed." 

Not only is this great for actually waking up fast instead of pushing snooze 7 times (sorry Nathan), but it also helps with many of my initiatives. Waking up early (2 hours before I wake up), gives me plenty of time to spend time in the word (initiative #1) and do some chores (initiative #2). It also gives me plenty of time to walk Justice before work, make lunches for us, and eat breakfast. Additionally this helps with getting less reliant on my phone (initiative #3). As a side note, I have a rule with myself to not check my phone until right before I head out the door (and only for the purpose of checking texts or reminders). That gives me 2 hours of phone-free time!

Strategy #2: Read instead of watch Netflix. This is pretty cut and dry. When I have the urge to reach for the remote, instead I have made an effort to reach for a novel instead. This helps me achieve reading 24 books throughout the year (initiative #4) AND watching less Netflix (initiative #5). Additionally, this helps out with being less attached to my phone (initiative #3). When you're watching TV or a movie, its so easy to text or be on social media at the same time. But it is impossible to be looking at your phone and reading a book simultaneously.

Strategy #3: Leave my phone facedown. This is sort of a generic way of me saying forget about my phone and focus on what I am actually DOING. So if i'm at work, there is no reason for me to check my phone every 15 minutes. I'm not that popular to be getting texts all the time. I've also started leaving my phone when I am planning to have social interactions. Whether its having dinner with Nathan, or attending a meeting at work, it is not unacceptable to let myself have my phone out and on the table. For one, it's rude, and for two (again) I'm not that popular.

Note: I would just turn my phone completely off during the day, but if you'll recall, I AM a safety person, so it is hard-wired for me to be prepared both at work and at home, in the case of an emergency, or if my sister is going into labor.

My Progress

So far, the waking up early strategy has been extremely helpful. Waking up and having plenty of time to do exactly what I need to do is great. Normally, I'm against getting places super early (unless its the airport) because, I mean, why? Why get to a college class to just sit there and wait for 15 minutes when you could have had 15 minutes more of sleeping. Why get to a doctor's appointment early just to wait until you're actual appointment time? There's a reason business schedule people for specific times; and its because they are busy during the other times. So my philosophy has been (and still is) "get where you're going a few minutes early, just so that you're not late." BUT, I will say waking up early has helped me be productive, not only in the 2 hours before I leave for work, but also throughout my day. When I'm productive in the morning, I'm more productive at work, and when I get home. It's a cycle of productiveness. 

As of today, I have completed 2 books and am 2/3 finished with a 3rd. The trick for me at this point is to read 3 completely different books simultaneously. So, I've got one fiction, one fantasy, and one inspirational. Additionally, I'm still on track in my Bible.

I have only watched a few things on Netflix. Doing good so far.

The phone issue is a work in progress. I feel that not sleeping with it beside me is a HUGE help. But I'm also trying to teach myself to just be aware of the times when it creeps back in front of my face. It's a struggle, but I'm working on it. 

Hopefully, at the end of 2017, I will have a good report to write about. Hopefully I'll have different resolutions/initiatives for 2018 because I've already conquered my 2017 ones. We'll see. At least I know I have a strategy.

Surviving an Emergency

I'm not a worrier. Plain and simple, I just don't worry. I know that what is going to happen in this world, will happen. Some things, you just can't change. If I am at work, and an armed gunman comes in my office, and fires shots at me before I can even look up from my computer, what would I do? What would you do?

The thing is, is that there is nothing you could do. You'd be bleeding out before you can dial 911 or reach for your (legally) concealed weapon.

One huge reason that I don't worry is because I understand that my life is in God's hands and that what is His Will, will happen. Matthew 6:33-34 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own." But that's not the only reason I don't worry. 

I don't worry about things that are out of control because I've made sure to control what I can control. 

I've always been a detail-oriented person, pretty much since birth. But if there's one thing that working in the safety profession has taught me, it's to always be aware. At work, I preach to people to be aware of their surroundings while they do their daily tasks. Watch out for things you could trip over; think about how lifting this heavy bag is going to affect your back; understand that using a weed-eater without earplugs increases your hearing loss, etc. There are so many things that we can do to protect ourselves, simply by being aware.

This is also applicable to emergencies. When you think about the word emergency, what comes to mind? You might think of a house fire, or a tornado touchdown, or a gunman at work. 

The definition of emergency is, "a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action." Ok, the first part is pretty much a no-brainier. It's the "...requiring immediate action" part that I want to focus on.... 

Knowledge is Power

Just like every job having its own set of safety issues, every area has its own set of emergencies. Florida has a much higher chance of a hurricane than Wyoming. New York has a much higher chance of a snow storm than Nevada. For me and Nathan specifically, we live in Memphis, Tennessee. We've taken the time to ponder and analyze what emergencies are the most likely to happen.

• Tornado
• House fires
• Zombie apocalypse
• Earthquake
• Terrorist Attack
• Flash flood
• Snow / Ice storm
• Biological disease release
• Atomic bomb

YOUR TURN. Think about different scenarios that could occur where you live. Be realistic. Obviously, a terrorist attack could happen anywhere, but its more likely to happen in a bigger city. A tornado can happen anytime, but it is more likely to happen during certain times of the year.

Severity and Frequency

Severity and Frequency are 2 words that are used often to evaluate occupational safety risks. The same principles can be applied in your own personal emergency plan. Determine the most "dangerous" emergency that could happen by analyzing the severity and frequency.

	Severity	Frequency
Tornado	2	5
House fires	2	2
Zombie Takeover	5	1
Earthquake	5	2
Terrorist Attack	4	2
Flash flood	1	5
Snow / Ice storm	1	3
Biological disease	4	1
Atomic bomb	5	1

YOUR TURN. Use your list you created from your research and try to determine which type of emergency should take priority. To be clear, when I talk about "severity" please don't misunderstand me. I realize that all of these situations would be severe, however, there are some situations that it is likely for you to survive. 

Additionally, realize that technology allows us to be aware of certain emergencies, which somewhat lowers the severity. Due to advances in the weather industry, we are able to predict and be alerted of many weather emergencies. But remember, every situation is different, so the more prepared you are, the better.

Ranking Priorities

Based on my own personal analysis, The two most significant emergencies for Memphis are Tornadoes and Earthquake. Tornadoes mainly because of the frequency, and Earthquakes because of the potential severity. Essentially, I just added the values of severity and frequency to determine overall significance.

Photo retrieved from geiologyinmotion.com

You're thinking, "Earthquake, you say? Hmmm...." This is where the importance of research comes into play. Many people know of the San Andreas Fault and the whole California-is-going-to-break-off theory. Similarly, Memphis is supposedly due for a huge earthquake because of the New Madrid Fault. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has filed reports stating that an earthquake in this zone could result in "damage to structures affecting water distribution, transportation systems, and other vital infrastructure. The earthquake is expected to also result in thousands of fatalities, with more than 4,000 of the fatalities expected in Memphis alone."

YOUR TURN. What is the most significant emergency risk where you live?

Prepare for the Worst

If a catastrophic earthquake were to occur (and our house was still in tact) and we were safe, it doesn't necessarily mean we're out of the woods, yet. When a massive earthquake happens, it would affect the power lines, telephone lines, road systems, water systems, etc. 

So, the real question is, how do you prepare for that? Here are some things to think about:

• If there are no telephone lines and no cellular lines, how will I communicate with my family or friends to let them know the plan?
• If there are broken roads or bridges, how will I leave the city if I need to?
• If there is no electricity, how will I use my debit card to buy fuel or food?
• If roads are blocked (due to earthquake flooding), how will I know where to go without my GPS? 

YOUR TURN. Think about issues that would arise if just one emergency happened in your city. What are all of the dominoes that would fall? So much is connected these days due to technology. This is convenient now, but it is training us to become VERY reliant on it. What would happen if you had to learn to survive? Are you ready?

Get Ready

Ok, so you have all this knowledge of all these situations that would devastate your life. Now what?.... 

Nathan always says, "I can't control what other people do. I can only control how I react to what they do." We can use this same principle in preparing for emergencies. You can't control if an earthquake occurs, or if zombies start taking over, or if an active shooter is in Kroger. But you CAN control how you react.

YOUR TURN. Hopefully, this post has helped to get your wheels turning on how you can get ready. Here are some specific things you can do in the near future to make sure you are ready:

• Gather your "Emergency Kit" supplies
• Determine your "Escape Plan." Think about where you and your family will go if you need to leave your home or city.
• Agree on a "Communication Plan." Figure out how you are going to communicate if there are no power lines, or no telephone lines, or no cell phone lines. This might just mean, "Ok, if we are separated when disaster strikes, we will meet *here*"
• Make sure everyone in your household knows this plan. When panic sets in, you want to have the least variables as possible.
• If you own a gun, make sure every adult in the house is knowledgeable about how to shoot it. Even if everyone doesn't carry, its a good idea for everyone to know HOW to use it.
• If you have young kids, make sure they understand about gun safety

Thinking about emergencies is sometimes scary, because it forces you to think about things that could change your life forever. But I find, as you hopefully will too, that being prepared gives me peace of mind that I've done all I could do. And that's why I don't worry.

Photo courtesy of flickr

Using Spreadsheets to Calculate

Let me just say, there are MILLIONS of formulas you can use in Excel Spreadsheet. Ok... not millions.... but there are a lot. This post is going to discuss just a few ways common to calculate using a spreadsheet. So, lets get started!

First off, when you're using formulas in spreadsheets, you will have to either type the formula, or click on the formula button. I don't really want to get into the specific details of each formula and how they work, but if you have a question about a specific one, leave a comment below, and i will try to help.

Adding using a Spreadsheet. Lets just go ahead and throw in all of the basic math functions.... so addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. When you're wanting a specific cell to contain the complete formula solution, click on THAT CELL. Once the specific cell is selected either click the formula button (at the top), or type "=" and then the formula. 

I realize this is sort of confusing, but just bear with me. Take a look at this screenshot. Lets say you are planning a trip and you are trying to estimate exactly how much money you will need. You have typed your categories, and your amounts, and now you just need the total. So you would click into the blank cell, type "=SUM(" and then click and drag all the cells that you wish to add. Once you press enter, the sum of the cells will automatically appear. 

NOW for the beauty of calculating in spreadsheets. Lets say you realize halfway through your planning that your hotel will be $18 more than what you had originally thought. All you have to do is change the Hotel amount NOT the Total amount. The spreadsheet will automatically update based on what you type. As with most spreadsheet applications, there is more work at the beginning, but the result is that you have to do very minimal after the beginning.

Lets go on using the same example.... You decide to add 2 more nights to your trip. When you are doing calculations in spreadsheets, you do not have always use numbers that are in a cell. In this situation, instead of paying for 1 night at the hotel, you will be paying for 3 nights at the hotel. So you can simply click on the blank cell, type "=", select the hotel price, then type "*3". In this example you would do the same thing for food and fun (most likely...) and fuel would be the same as just staying for 1 night.

Right before you are leaving for your trip, you are doing some last minute research and you find out that food cost is quite a bit more than what you're used to. You decide to update your spreadsheet. When you change amounts in one cell, all other cells that are linked to that cell update as well! The box highlighted in yellow is the one you changed; the boxes highlighted in green are the ones that automatically updated. Pretty neat, eh?

These types of calculations are very helpful to me when I am planning vacations, reviewing our household budget, keeping up with amount paid on bills, and making general calculations that may or may not need to be updated as time goes on. 

Counting Using a Spreadsheet. "One. Ah-Ah. Two. Ah-Ah. Three. Ah-Ah-Ah." Ok, so counting isn't really that hard, right. But depending on the size of your spreadsheet, it could get difficult to keep your eyes on track and easy to get confused by all of the gridlines.

This is where the count function comes in. In a cell, you can type "=COUNTA(" then click and drag on cells on which you want it to count a text presence. In the screenshot below you can see how the bottom cells count the number of Xs in each column. This creates an easy viewing for many situations. In this example, I wanted to keep a live count on Predators games we would be attending.

There are SO many different calculations you can. As to not bore you in this post, I am going to stop here. If you have a question about a calculation I mentioned, or another calculation that I didn't mention, please feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for sticking with me throughout this series. This was experimental to test viewership on "an informational topic." Now back to our regularly scheduled program. :)

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