The 20-minute closet edit

Most people put off their closet because they think it's a full weekend project. It isn't — not if you're editing rather than overhauling. Set a timer for twenty minutes and work in this order.

Minutes 1-7: hangers. Pull anything on a mismatched, broken, or dry-cleaner wire hanger. Nine times out of ten, those pieces are also the ones you haven't worn. Make a keep pile and a go pile, and rehang the keepers facing the same direction.

Minutes 8-14: shoes. Match every pair. Anything unmatched, worn through, or painful goes. Line the remaining pairs up on the floor or shelf facing forward so you can see them all at once.

Minutes 15-20: the shelf you avoid. Everyone has one — the shelf of bags, hats, gift boxes, and things without a home. Don't organize it yet. Just pull out what obviously doesn't belong in a closet and relocate it.

Stop when the timer goes off. A twenty-minute edit done monthly beats a six-hour overhaul done once a year, and it makes a professional session far more productive when you're ready for one.