Do I have to be ready to retire in order to downsize?
Absolutely not. If you’re ready to simplify your life, you’re ready to RIGHT-size. I am completely on board with this new term that’s emerged recently. Words really do have the power to shift our perspective. The process of simplifying isn’t about losing what we love, it’s about keeping what serves us and brings us to life.
Since every person has unique values and life-experiences, simplifying our home and our belongings is going to be a very individualistic process. Rightsizing for one person may mean gathering like-things into one location and storing them neatly for easy access, while rightsizing for another person may mean getting rid of unnecessary furniture to make room in a smaller home.
Folks approaching retirement age are considering rightsizing because they are tired of cleaning a large place, doing yard work, and tending to the growing list of repairs on a home that’s aging with them. Some are tired of paying property tax or shelling out money to heat or cool a large home that isn’t fully utilized. The kids’ bedrooms may be acting as a storage unit and the dining room just isn’t big enough to host everyone and their children at the same time. Some are fed up with paying over a thousand dollars annually to keep their storage units functioning. And finally, the Norweigen born idea of death cleaning (decluttering before our children have to do it for us) is beginning to catch on in the West.
Younger generations are reading Magnolia, following The Minimalists, and binging on Mari Kondo’s Netflix special “Tidying Up”. They are letting go of the things that are no longer serving them, and choosing to be more intentional about their purchases and what they bring into their homes. There is a refreshing wave of simplicity and style that is beginning to take over and I’m excited to watch the trend grow.
Less stuff often means less stress and overwhelm. It also means you are spending less money and spending more time doing the things you love with the people you love. And while there are many more benefits to simplifying your home and your belongings, I also understand that the process of going through years of memories and items we’ve attached meaning to can feel overwhelming in and of itself.
Next week we’ll talk about where
and how to start the process of rightsizing and I’ll break it down in steps to make it more feel more manageable (and even exciting!). Stay tuned and check us out on Instagram @moresapce_organizing in the meantime, or online at www.MoreSpaceOrganizing.com.