On January 1, 2014, I started the Project 333 challenge. The challenge is to only have 33 items in your closet that that you wear for 3 months. I thought the challenge would be damn near impossible but I picked 33 items and shoved everything to the other side of closet. For 3 months (1 quarter), I wore the same 33 items, mixing and matching pieces, and as the months progressed, removing items I didn’t touch into the “do not touch side” and replacing it with something I thought I might eventually wear, but often never did.

Doing this was very much like what I call “Weeding My Garden of Friends.” You know the friends that are Negative Nancy and Pissy Paul. The old saying goes “surround yourself with those that will lift you up, not bring you down” and just like Project 333, I cull my friendships. Keeping those that are nothing short of amazing close to my heart and nurturing them and those that are weeds and bringing my garden down, I either end or let fall by the way side, letting them die naturally.

Project 333 has seeped into other areas of my life, making me clean up relationships with friends/family, clean up that pile of knick knacks, and so on. I enjoyed the challenge so much that I gutted my closet last weekend. Removing items I hadn’t touched in months or probably wear again and clothes that no longer fit due to weight lost. It was cathartic. I plan on continuing the Project 333 way of living but with a little more than 33 items. I have about 40 to 50 items. 15 of those items are summer items and since the Frozen Tundra that is Detroit seems like it will never thaw from Mother Nature’s Wintery grasp, they may never see the light of day.