Starting to Downsize

Downsizing doesn't have to mean moving into a smaller space, it can mean just eliminating the stuff that is taking up space in your home that no longer serves a purpose or as Marie Kondo would say "brings you joy". Either way, reducing the stuff or clutter in our lives is a good move to prepare for the future in a lot of ways. There is the mindset that some may have in thinking, I might need that one day, with no limitation put on how far out that one day may be. This thinking can lead to holding onto things that are just taking up space, it can lead to excessive collections of things, and ultimately can lead to hoarding. When I say reducing the stuff in our lives is a good move for our future, I mean we need to be thinking about what we are holding onto in our homes and why, because in the end someone - you, your spouse, your children, relatives, friends - someone, will have to get rid of it. So why not start thinking about it now? The sooner you start eliminating what is not necessary, the easier it will be in the long run and could diminish the cost and the difficult task of having to do it in a rushed short period of time during economic stress, illness, or even death. You will be doing yourself and your loved ones a favor by taking responsibility and getting rid of what you brought in.

Take some time to think about everything you own. Mentally go around your house and think about everything in your closets, under the bed, in the drawers and cabinets, in your garage/basement/attic, and in your storage unit if you have one. Visualize the time and effort it would take to get rid of it all at once, then visualize just taking small amounts and going through them to purge/donate/sell/toss just a little bit at a time? Now is a good time to be thinking about some downsizing, the longer you have junk the more expensive it gets to store it. I can tell you with experience from myself and my clients that once you get that ball rolling of getting rid of things that no longer serve you, it becomes easier and more exciting to free yourself of these material things you are paying to store not only in your home but also in your mind. Another thing that comes from purging items from your home, is a mental shift in deciding what comes back into your house. You start to rethink whether buying that piece of decoration is worth the money, you start thinking about when you are going to have to eventually get rid of that item in the future, where you are going to store it, if it will be a good hand-me-down to your kids and whether or not they would even want it. Really in the end starting this process can save you money in many ways in the long run.

More to come!