Embracing the Benefits of Downsizing
Whether for a move, retirement, or something else, downsizing offers great benefits.
My love of the rain has been impacted by our basement that has a history of flooding. When I say flooding I don’t mean like up to my knees, but its enough that we could never leave it be - it had to be mopped up, things had to be moved, and it was just plain annoying. Well, we had basement specialists over this past week to fix it - adding a sump pump among many other things - and in preparation for that, my husband and I had to move everything that is down there at least three feet from the exterior wall. While we’ve been on a decluttering journey for years (newsflash: it never stops unless you stop things coming IN your house), we still had work to do. The lingering deadline gave us a great push to not only move things out of the way, but to ruthlessly declutter.
As we were going through everything, I realized we were making decisions much faster than we ever have and therefore making a bigger impact than in the past. When we moved back to Vermont from Arizona ten years ago, we didn’t consider the cost of moving the clutter. We were new-ish parents and I packed for the move mostly on my own as Jay was overseas. In retrospect, we probably should have left half of what we had in Arizona. We were in more of an accumulation phase of life with a new child and a new home. But now we are older and wiser. We weren’t moving, but we had the moving mindset and we reduced the weight of the clutter in our basement significantly. As we put things back into place over the coming weeks, we will do another round because we will likely find even more things that can go.
We aren’t the only ones in this phase of life. Generations before us held onto things a lot more - perhaps influenced by the scarcity mindset of their parents’ generation (WWII era). But times have changed. The global impact of stuff is more evident, we are not home as much and we are starting to not only see the value of simplicity, but to feel it as well. This can be seen in the popularity of tiny homes and Van Life, for example. While generations ago the ideal life included the biggest house, now it’s about the biggest life.
Why Downsize
So let’s break it down a little. Why would anyone want to downsize? One of the usual reasons is due to the empty nest. Families growing up and moving out. When the kids are gone, you don’t need all those rooms and beds to manage anymore. Other reasons that are becoming more widespread include financial freedom, environmental impact, enhanced mobility, and a simple lifestyle. Less stuff = less maintenance = less spending. Less stuff = less waste = happy planet. Less stuff = easier to move/travel = freedom. Less stuff = less clutter = less stress. When it comes down to it, it’s just math. Another equation could be this: Stuff = Time = Money.
Downsizing is Answering Questions
So what is downsizing and how do we do it? While I see decluttering as a collection of smaller projects, downsizing feels really big. What downsizing is is making decisions - and a lot of them. It’s decluttering on caffeine, usually with a specific goal in mind. The first step is to decide why you want to downsize and what is important to you. What do you need versus what do you want. What is more important to you - the goal (perhaps a move) or your things? If it’s the things, then you might need to think back to the original goal. Can you move with everything in your house? Do you want to pay for the bigger truck and the extra hours it will take to pack? Will it fit into your new space? Do you want to continue to manage this current life inventory?
What is essential to you will change over time. You needed a crib when you had babies but now that your kids are older, you do not. If you are leaning sentimental and are considering saving the crib for your future grandchildren, this is when you ask yourself if you need the crib or if you want the crib. If you are decluttering and not ready to make that decision, this is when I’d say to put it aside and try again later. But if you are downsizing - big project energy - you really need to ask yourself that question and be honest with yourself. Sentimental items are hard no matter what. Sometimes it takes several rounds to get to where you feel like you are “done”. Downsizing requires asking yourself more questions like the crib example in order to ensure you only keep what is most important to you and your goal. Consider how you will feel when that goal is reached and use that to help put things into perspective.
Other questions that may help you downsize include:
Will I use this regularly in my next chapter?
If it’s very important to me, is there a way I can honor that rather than keep it buried in a box? For example: use it, frame it, display it…
Can I easily replace this item if I decide I want it down the road?
Do I have duplicates of this item or can it be easily borrowed if I rarely use it?
Does this item honor my goal (of moving/traveling/simplifying, etc.)?
How many times have I used/enjoyed this item in the last year?
Your Home is your Haven
Whether you are in a decluttering or downsizing time of your life, or somewhere completely different, we all can benefit from asking ourselves the above questions. Because when it comes down to it, your home should be your haven - a place that brings you joy, invites you to unwind, and feels undeniably YOU.
I’d love to hear your downsizing stories. Do you have a family member you’ve helped move into a smaller home? Or perhaps you have kids moving off to college and you are looking forward to pivoting in a new direction? Shoot me an email or DM or text message and tell me about it!
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