Is your closet a reflection of who you are as a person? Is it organized in a way that helps you start each day with a positive mindset? If you are like most people, walking into your closet each morning can feel overwhelming and messy. Composed Living, a Los Angeles-based professional organization company, is here to help you focus on “bringing order and beauty into every aspect of your life”. We have been fortunate to work with Elsa Elbert, the founder of Composed Living, to be educated on four simple steps towards how to declutter your closet.

Elsa has a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership and over 20 years of experience in her field. She has beautifully transformed numerous homes and designed efficient workflows and spaces. She helps her clients streamline their everyday lives and guides them on their path towards personal growth.

“Getting dressed in the morning has such a huge impact on your day,” said Elsa. “By creating an organized, streamlined closet, you allow yourself to start each morning feeling incredible – and what could be better than that?”

Elsa has shared with us her expertise and passion for creating sustainable organization systems. She has shared the following steps with us, to help save time and money while decluttering your closet:

• Take everything out

Yes, everything! Create piles of similar items (tees, pants, dresses, sweaters). Don’t forget to take out shoes and accessories too! Once your piles are ready, go through them section by section – this helps to keep you from feeling overwhelmed by the entirety of your closet. Look at each item and decide: if it fits and you like it, it’s a keeper! If it needs repair, set it aside to be fixed; designer duds can be sold in consignment boutiques or on The Real Real, and otherwise good-condition items that don’t suit you can be sold on Poshmark or Thredup. You can also donate items to your favorite charity.

• Only keep what fits you, both physically and stylistically

We’ve worked with so many clients who are short on closet space, but are holding on to clothes that no longer fit their needs. Keeping clothes that don’t fit you physically serves as a daily reminder of what you “used to be” and that creates a lot of pressure emotionally. The same goes for clothes that are out of date – don’t let the ugly sweater your friend gave you take up expensive real estate in your closet. Getting dressed in the morning should leave you feeling inspired.

• Create a boutique

Don’t just throw everything back in – take time to put like items together. We like sorting each category by color, from dark to light. Piles of clothes shouldn’t be taller than six items to prevent them from toppling over. Acrylic shelf dividers are great for keeping things in place. Try to create space on shelves to style your favorite handbags or show off your favorite shoes. When you see the items you own and love, you’ll feel so much happier every time you open your closet!

• Use identical hangers

They do’t need to be expensive, but they should be identical. This is such a space saver, and reduces unnecessary visual clutter. Pro tip: create space for empty hangers (not too many, just enough for all your clothes). When you take something off a hanger, immediately put the hanger in it’s dedicated spot. You’ll always know where to find them!

Elsa wants everyone to remember that, it is possible to feel good about your closet! She believes that, “Everyone deserves to feel great about the way they look, and setting up your closet in a way that reflects who you are today, really helps you start each day with a positive mindset.”

For more inspiration on how to bring order and beauty into every aspect of your life, follow @composed_living on Instagram and check out their website, Composed Living.