It’s now mid-August. Most summer vacations are over, or are just about to end, and everyone is mentally gearing up for the fall and all that comes with it: school, colder weather, cute boots, football… But wait, is something drawing you back to that vacation you took earlier in the summer? It’s not the pictures on your phone, the amazing tan you got, the great souvenirs you purchased (which, by the way, did you REALLY need to buy them?) or even the wonderful memories you made… No, what’s drawing you back to that vacation is the unpacked piece of luggage that’s sitting in your closet. It’s drawing you back along with giving you a sense of guilt every time you look at it. Maybe it’s wide open with clothes spilling out, or perhaps it’s still closed and you don’t even remember what all is in there, but there it sits… for weeks… And the more you look at it the more you think, “I really don’t want to empty you”, so you don’t. Instead you just ignore it and wear whatever clothes are available.
So, here is this week’s tip: DON’T let your suitcase sit unpacked for more than 12 hours after returning from your trip. If you get home and simply can’t get to it right away because of work or it’s late at night and you want to sleep I completely understand. But if you arrive home from your trip and have time to unpack, then just do it. The most it’ll take is 10 minutes, and that’s assuming the clothes are clean and you’re putting them away. It will take less time than that if you just dump everything into your laundry hamper. Once it’s done you can sit and relax without it hanging over your head. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Yes! It does! You can’t deny it!
So the next time you get back from a trip, however long it lasted, give this tip a try just to see how quickly unpacking takes. I promise you, you’ll reap the benefits of having all of those clothes out of the suitcase and you won’t have to suffer the guilt of looking at the unpacked luggage for weeks on end or the disappointment of throwing something away that was wrecked because it was packed away too long (hello moldy, musty smelling, stinky clothes).

Do you agree with this post? Or do you have a very good reason for keeping your clothes trapped in your suitcase? Let me know in the comments below!