“Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers.” – Charles Dickens
A few years back, I experimented with reducing my wardrobe by joining Project 333.
The idea behind Project 333 is simple: Wear only 33 articles of clothing for the next 3 months. All clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes count towards your number. Exceptions include wedding rings, underwear, sleepwear, in-home loungewear, and workout clothing. Clothing that no longer fits or becomes in poor condition may be replaced during the time period.
Originally, I decided to try it for a number of reasons:
- I needed an extra push to reduce the clutter in my closet.
- I find boundaries to be helpful in minimizing.
- The project sounded both challenging and reasonable.
- The Project 333 community seemed encouraging.
The project began on October 1 and concluded on December 31. And other than a few minor exceptions (think Ugly Sweater Christmas Party), I was able to stick to the rules of 33 articles of clothing with only minimal adjustments to my weekly routine.
It became an experiment that I valued and often recommended to others. I learned some valuable lessons about boundaries over those three months.
Consider the benefits of living life within boundaries:
1. Boundaries keep us restrained.
Artificial boundaries can keep us in check when our natural self-control does not. Over the years, I had amassed a closet full of clothes—far more than I truly need. Looking back, I am embarrassed at the amount of time, money, energy, and attention devoted to my clothes.
In similar ways, the average American carries $7,200 in credit card debt and watches over 32 hours of television per week. We are in need of boundaries. Good parents set boundaries for their children… and good adults should set boundaries for themselves.
2. Boundaries force our values.
When you are challenged to pare down your clothing to 33 items, you are forced to identify which items are absolutely necessary. You are forced to single out the most important, most versatile, and most loved items. You are required to identify the most valuable things in your closet.
Similarly, boundaries in life help to force this exact same thought process. Boundaries force us to identify the difference between “really important” and only “somewhat important”—just ask anyone who has ever been given a limited amount of time left to live.
3. Boundaries promote creativity.
Orson Welles said, “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” Limiting your clothing items to 33 items for 3 months forces art. Limiting your wardrobe to a capsule wardrobe does not rob you of personal style…it causes you to truly find it. For help getting started, try this: A Practical Guide to Owning Fewer Clothes.
4. Boundaries bring freedom.
This may sound contradictory…and depending on the exact boundaries, it may be. But in the example of clothing, I found great freedom in the project. It is a refreshing feeling to look inside a closet and see only clothes that you love. Getting ready in the morning is less time-consuming. Laundry is easier. And I saved a few dollars over the 3 months as well. The experiment granted me more time, energy, and money—the very things I was losing without it.
For me, Project 333 became something far greater than wearing fewer articles of clothing. It became about recognizing the value of boundaries. And the value of boundaries reaches far beyond our closets. It begins to spill into how we decorate our homes, the toys we buy for our children, our yarn supplies, and even how we choose to spend our time, money, and energy.
Why don’t you try giving it a shot?
You’ll enjoy the challenge. And you’ve got nothing to lose but the clutter in your closet.
Becky says
I’m confused about the number 333 and 33. I love the idea of a challenge like this, just not sure what I’m committing to, though. Thanks.
joshua becker says
Project 333 comes from 33 articles of clothing for 3 months.
If 33 seems too difficult, try 40. The goal is to choose a number that would be challenging, but not impossibly frustrating.
Teresa Forrester says
I have been cleaning the house out for the past year. I found that ‘redumping’ an item in another area does NOT solve the problem. Yes the closet is cleaner, but the garage where I dumped the stuff is not. Please don’t fall into the pit I did. When you clean it out, out means out of the house PERIOD. Today I am facing the giant mess in the garage. If I had done this right the first time, I could be doing something else with my time today. God Bless
Bryanna says
Teresa, I couldn’t agree more. I have been in the same boat and know exactly how you feel (and are feeling)! Good luck!
Fiona Cee says
at least you HAVE a garage and can deal with it in one place!
robinG says
Limiting the things we own is what gives us the FREEDOM to enjoy life. Is is not fun washing all those clothes, putting them away, sifting thru them to find what you are looking for. Stop focusing on the semantics, and you don’t look at it as being fenced in! Having all those clothes is what fences you in to keeping you away from what is important! Freedom to do what you enjoy is what is important!
Tori says
it keeps me having the freedom to not do laundry every three days….. I can’t imagine living with three pairs of jeans!
LaTonya Wilkins says
“Boundaries Promote Creativity” and “Boundaries Bring Freedom” are counter intuitive assertions but I see how it works. There is a whole ecosystem of thinking and removing extraneous items will help you reinforce your values and declutter your mind as well. It’s also the freedom of genuinely knowing that when you do buy something, you really love or need it. It’s easy to spend so much time on figuring out where to store or how to organize things. Basically, it feels like you are continuously moving the same things around. That takes so much time!
Lorilee says
I started doing this last spring and I love it! I thought our closets were pretty simple but having the limits helped me move things out of the closet that I thought I should wear… but really didn’t. We did it as a whole family and even though I don’t count my cloths anymore it got us in the habit and we stay right around that number.
Once you get used to seeing and using the 33 items, when you get more in your closet it starts looking and feeling crowded and cluttered :)
Linda says
I really chafe at the words “boundaries and limitations.” The motivation in life, for me, is for more freedom, more space, more peace, more opportunities, more joy, more more more! I find that abundance comes with living life simply. The thoughts of “limitations and boundaries” do not bring me closer to simplicity, they create fences. Just an interesting reaction to your words today.
Paula says
Linda – I understand your reaction to the words “boundaries and limitation.” I have strived for simplicity and not yet achieved it. But I realize that I can only have freedom within cerain limits. It is like crossing a bridge over a deep chasm. If the bridge has side rails, I am free to wander to the edge and peer over. But without rails, I stay to the center. with side rails I am still free to wander to the edge, but without them fear overtakes me and keeps to where it is safe.
rbhafemann says
Paula, your bridge metaphor resonates with me completely. Thank you for sharing it.
Rob Young says
I like the idea Joshua, I’m moving house in a month and will be in a temporary rented place for 3 months, so this sounds like an ideal way to have to move less!
Would you be willing to share your list of 33 to help people get started?
joshua becker says
Sure Rob. It looks like something like this:
7 v-neck t-shirts (black, grey, white). *7 for my wife’s laundry schedule.
3 pairs of jeans.
3 pairs of shoes (sandals, dress/casual, sneakers).
2 pairs of shorts.
2 short-sleeve polo shirts (black, grey).
2 long-sleeve button-up shirts (black, grey).
2 long-sleeve sweatshirts (Phoenix outerwear).
2 articles of workwear around the house (t-shirt/shorts).
1 black belt.
I ended with 24 items. Last time I conducted the experiment, I was living in Vermont. Needless to say, I have found the 33 limit to be much easier during the Phoenix winter.
Rob Young says
Thanks Joshua, I only just saw your reply.
I’ve been giving this a go for a couple of weeks now, and whilst I haven’t stuck rigidly to 33 yet, I’v got rid of a lot of things I previously tired to keep just in case.
The thing that this showed me was the value in approaching things from the opposite angle. My previous decluttering attempts have been about throwing things out, not actively choosing what to keep. It’s amazing how a subtle shift can have such a significant impact.
Thanks for letting us know about the project.
Anne Stockwell says
So among your sweatshirts & “workwear” do you have anything bright or colorful? Not criticizing, just curious. I’m making a conscious effort to get more color into my clothes.
Lauren says
I’d like to comment again, sorry.
People are different, AlexM. See, I used to have a lot of jewelry. But I don’t think I have near 33 pieces now. I wear 3 rings each day all with significance. I have a few body modifications that have their own jewelry – also which I’m not counting because those are, you know, basically a part of me now. But as far as jewelry goes… I have a few necklaces and a couple sets of earrings that I have kept. I haven’t worn but a necklace or two and will probably purge the rest during this project. I enjoy jewelry sometimes but I really do not feel like it’s a necessity. But everyone is different. :)
Lauren says
I think my husband, son and I will all participate in this.
(And by my son, I mean that he’s almost 3 and he has more clothes than my husband and I together. I, personally, need to do it FOR him but yes, still do it.)
I don’t think my husband even owns 33 pieces of clothing but I own mannnnny more.
We’re moving soon and need to purge anyway. Perfect challenge!
AlexM says
I can see doing this with clothing articles, but I could never part with my jewelry. After 25 years of marriage, I have well over 33 pieces of things I treasure. IMO, jewelry is a fine way to express yourself but not take up a lot of space! It’s fun to make too…..
lin says
I agree. my husband gets me a small gemstone every year for my anniversary. <3 I'd like to keep it and pass it down to my daughter.