Raise your hand if you have plenty of time to do all you’d like to each day. No? Me neither. I’m always struggling to fit more of what I enjoy into each day. One place I spend too much time in is the bursting-closet-can’t-figure-out-what-to-wear area of life. If I could simplify getting dressed, shopping for clothes, and care of clothes, I would have more precious time to do things I really want to do.

Recently I discovered an ebook that’s really helped me. It’s The No Brainer Wardrobe, written by Hayley Morgan, a mother of youngsters who wants exactly what I’m after — more time to devote to what we’re passionate about, streamlining the parts of life that don’t move us toward that goal. Like pondering too long in front of the closet each morning.

“How many items do you own? Is your closet so stuffed you can’t even see the whole garment without taking it out? Is it so disorganized that you can’t find the shirt you’re thinking of ? Is it full of clothes that you never wear and doubtfully will again? (Now I’m raising my hand high.) If so, you are like many women.”

In simple steps, The No Brainer Wardrobe helps you pare down your closet to a more manageable level. The book is chock full of practical ideas. We’ll be looking at three steps I’ve followed so far. Try them and see if these will help you slash those “What should I wear today?” moments. I’m seeing an improvement already.

Step One: “Identify 10 pieces you love and wear often. Think about why these are your go-to clothes. Color, fit, fabric, style, a combination of these?”

I approached this step as “What would I take to a desert island if I could grab only 10 items from my closet?” Well, at least a desert island where I still do go to my office job. Surprisingly, this list came quickly. Here are my top 10:

“Then look for 10 items in your closet that you just don’t feel comfortable wearing. Why? Color, fit, fabric, style, a combination?”

Color is something I have down. My closet is red, pink, purple and blue with basics of black and gray. I own nothing green, yellow, orange, or brown. Your closet may be the opposite. You may own every color of the rainbow. These colors may all be found in just one dress. You may love to experiment with color.

This exercise made me realize I struggle more with choosing styles and fit. Here my success rate is not always great. Focusing on the items I love and those that I avoid showed me that sometimes I go for a trend that just isn’t “me,” wear the cute-on-the-hanger item once, and then pass it by forever after.

When you’ve figured out what works best in your choices, then you can more efficiently plan your future shopping. If one of your favorites is wearing out, keep an eye out to replace it. My flared black skirt is so old it’s literally falling apart; I can’t include it in my top 10 because it should be retired; so if I’m in a store, I’ll be looking for a replacement. Collect styles you like on Pinterest and figure out what it is you like about them.

Meanwhile, you can place your core items front and center to grab on those mornings when the coffee hasn’t quite kicked in and you need to dress in a hurry.

So, your turn!

Take a few minutes and jot down or mentally list your top 10 clothing items.

Bonus step: Add a second-tier 10 to get an even better idea of what pieces are your go-to clothes. This helped me see more clearly what to keep, what to purge, and what to add.

Then think about 5 items of clothing that hang in your closet that you continually pass over. Figure out why — color, fit, style, all of these? Give them to someone who will enjoy wearing them.

A few sessions of analyzing what you have now, what is only confusing you by hanging in your closet, and what you want to add someday will truly give you more time to enjoy life! Tell us in the comments how it goes!

Coming up:

Step Two: Purging Your Closet — the Clothes

Step Three: Purging Your Closet — the Shoes

To order Hayley’s book, just click the cover image. Note: This book has been such a help to me, so I signed up to be an affiliate. First time I’m trying this because I believe Hayley’s suggestions will help you, too!