Do you stand in front of your closet most mornings, scratching your head, thinking of what to wear?

That was me a while back, a cup of coffee in one hand, staring into the depths of my wardrobe waiting for fashion inspiration to hit. That rarely happened, so I would end up wearing the same things over and over again. Meanwhile some lovely sweater I splurged on would lie unworn and unloved at the bottom of my cupboard.

If this sounds familiar, chances are it's also why you turn up late at work occasionally. But there’s more that suffers here.

It is your ability to make better decisions later in the day, because you have used up mental energy contemplating less important choices earlier on. There’s a name for it, decision fatigue.

[caption id="attachment_14376" align="aligncenter" width="517"] My daughter's take on my battle with the decision fatigue monster. Don't let the smile fool you, it can suck away your time and energy.[/caption]

After a point, I couldn’t take it anymore and came up with a quick solution. I now have pictures of all of my outfits on my phone, sorted by where I need to be that day. There are folders for work, formal events, casual days, evenings out, interviews and more. Each photo details everything it takes to pull the look together.

It is said Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wears the same outfit every day to combat decision fatigue. Doing that would drive me batty; this tactic is my happy middle ground.

It also means I use everything in my closet and don’t come upon some lost piece thinking, “Oh, I forgot I had this.” I shop with the idea of curating together a whole look – as opposed to buying individual pieces that may gather dust in the corners of my closet.

[caption id="attachment_14375" align="aligncenter" width="497"] A photograph of a sample work outfit, one I quickly took on my phone after I wore it that day.[/caption]

There are apps out there to help you do the same thing with impressive features that note what you wore to certain events, calculate cost per wear and more. I did try one but find my system is all I need for now.

Last fall, I realized I was in good company. While speaking at the #whatsherstory event run by Ideal Incubator and TamilCulture, I mentioned this tactic as one of the many things I do to find more time in my day. After the panel, I received quite a few inquiries on this topic. It should come as no surprise that busy women and men are looking for ways to carve a few more minutes out of their day for what matters.

[caption id="attachment_14373" align="aligncenter" width="554"] The panel at #whatsherstory Photo credit: EXSO Photography[/caption]

Here is that advice again: If you find yourself in front of your closet tomorrow thinking “what am I going to wear today?” and it hurts, you need this system. Start curating your closet on your phone, day by day or put aside half of a quiet Sunday to catalogue your closet.

Take it from someone who has saved time and money with this, it will be worth your while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjqNXfdsSM0