“The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
— Socrates
While in Rome, Italy for New Year’s, I found myself contemplating a stone sculpture of the Roman god Janus, from whom we derive the name of the first month of the year, January. Janus is a two faced god, one face looking forward to the future, the other looking back to the past. Americans love to look forward and make resolutions — large and small — to correct the bad habits and behaviors of the past.
I advocate a different approach. Rather than make resolutions to change past behavior to start on January 1st, I prefer to reflect on the year just past. I like to first identify the accomplishments and behaviors that yielded success in the last year. It’s a positive approach that recognizes and rewards past efforts and indicates areas to build upon for further achievement in the future. It also has the advantage of removing the pressure to immediately makes changes as the holiday hangover and cleanup must be dealt with along with the return to the usual routine (and all those bad habits that attach to the usual routine).
If one of your resolutions is to start in and tame the closet, purge the excess items, and buy only the “right clothes from now on,” I suggest you try using the “Janus” approach. Reflect on the clothes in your wardrobe that feel right, that express who you are now and how you might build on those items to further develop your style.
Contact Purely Personal for a complimentary consultation. Schedule a personalized wardrobe edit that will make organizing your wardrobe efficient, effective and pleasurable. Working with a professional and taking the time to look back on successes, definitely helps build your Purely Personal style for the New Year.
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