Recycling my closet

You've heard about the saying "Reduce, reuse, and recycle;" especially when referring to trash, but how about your closet?  Being under the age of 16, I can't get a job and my parents don't constantly give me money to spend for shopping. To save, I like to recycle my clothes. I collect the items that I haven't worn in awhile, I go down to a second-hand store, and give them what I have. They go through the items one by one,  picking out the items that want. For some stores, I'm able to take cash while in others I'm allowed to "trade" for items in their store. This opens up a great opportunity for me to put a little cash in pocket or save immensely. During one of my recent trips, I was able to save over $60 on a brand new Topshop dress!

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While I love to go from store to store trying to find new treasures, others don't find this activity to be quite appealing. The idea of going through second hand items don't sound exciting to people nor does the time it can take. From experience, sometimes it takes a while to find great pieces. I've come to appreciate the moment when I come upon an item that I actually really like and am able to where over and over again. Sometimes, it's not even the time that causes people to turn away when they hear or see the word "thrift", but the smell of the store. Something about second-hand stores that give it that musky smell of an old person. At first, the smell bothered me a little, but with time my nose has become accustomed.
Whether it's a brand new piece or completely vintage, I can find a wide range of new items that bring life to my closet. It allows for a vast variety of clothing without having to spend hundreds of dollars (even better trading it for free)! What's better than a fresh closet? For a girl who loves clothes but doesn't have the deep pockets for it, this is one of the best substitutions. This summer, I've made it one of my goals to go outside of San Diego and in to Los Angeles to scout the thrift stores there.
           

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 If you decide to try out thrifting, here's some tips:
1. Great second-stores to try is Buffalo Exchange and thrift trader in Pacific Beach.
2. Don't give up too soon (Go through a majority and if it feels dead, then know you gave it a try).
3. Be creative about the items you pick up.
4.  Look, don't scan because you could past a really awesome item.

It's that time a year again. January 1st, or the day that the majority of people decide it's time to reinvent themselves. The new year creates an aspiration within people to set new goals for themselves. They ask...

1) How can I be better?

2) What are my goals for this year?

3) How can I reach these goals?

               

The basic mindset after setting their new aspirations: "Give it my all. 100%. Nothing less." The idea of the difficulty and struggles that are strung on to these goals are masked by their hope, excitement, and desire to become the 2.0 version of themselves. Hope gives people a sense of power that motivates them to try and fulfill what they're hoping for. When they start to see that the road to improvement is not a walk in the park, they begin to lose hope.  With each failed attempt, these goals begin to look unrealistic and unreachable. Eventually, they just let go and turn back to their lifestyle before the new year even began. They set these goals on a shelf in hopes that the next year will be different. What people need to see is that a goal can't reached by going cold-turkey. It's like a quitting a habit. It won't happen over the course of a day or so.

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The new big question: How can I give myself the best chance at reaching the goals I have set up?

At first, people tend to set these gigantic goals that's a far leap from where they're starting. Whether you're trying to lose weight or stop being a procrastinator, it's about setting smaller goals that eventually lead to the big goal you first started off with. Don't expect everything to happen extremely quickly because by doing so, you're probably setting yourself up for failure. You need to reward yourself when reaching your "mini-goals". If it's trying to lose weight, after you reach a certain amount of weight, reward yourself with an indulgence. It shouldn't be a major indulgence that sets you back in your tracks; nor should it be an indulgence too small to feel like a reward. The most important thing to learn is to not quit. Your desire to quit is your enemy. When you take a step back, don't let it stop you. It's like losing a battle. You can lose a few, but win many. You may find yourself low on hope and on the verge of surrendering to your enemy, but take a look at the bigger picture; what's in store for the future once you've reached your goal. You keep going and when you do, you find yourself to be the winner of the war. (I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true) Like many others, I find that completing a task that I struggled with and believed I couldn't achieve is one of the biggest rewards itself.

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Other tips for achieving your goal:

1) Find a way to remind you of the significance of your goal

2) Get others with similar goals involved

3) Don't set up too many major goals (It's hard to juggle everything at once; esp. if it involves changing)