Downsizing - Why, How and ...HELP!

Have you considered down-sizing?  We are constantly stressed by the to-do list of cleaning and constant clutter in our homes.  The thought of down-sizing to simplify life may have occurred to you, but just as quickly left do to the overwhelming thought of... BUT HOW!?

How do I decide what to keep?

How will I store the things I can't part with?

How do I live in a smaller space?

Many of us grew up in large families with sharing rooms, no air conditioning and very little common space.  Now we live in spacious homes that we can't seem to keep up with, thinking that we've made it!

I'm not trying to strike a nerve.  This is how I feel about my own space!  It's great that all my children have their own rooms, but it may be costing me my sanity!  More room also means more stuff.  Our homes can fill up so quickly, we are buried in clutter before we realize what happened.

So now what?

How do we go about paring down and thinking smaller?

Rule 1.  Do not let guilt dictate your decision.  If you want to live smaller and with less stuff, don't let kids/husband/wife/friend/dog tell you they NEED the stuff, they NEED multiple devices in multiple places, the NEED whatever you are thinking of doing without.  They will be fine.  They will adjust.  They will also be able to think clearly without all the STUFF.

Rule 2.  Discover your WHY...  Are you doing this to save money for traveling? Are you doing this to save time on cleaning? Are you doing this to get rid of junk and keep it from piling up again? When things get tough, think back on your WHY.  You will find moments of panic or frustration as you determine what to get rid of.  Go back to your WHY and remember the goal.

Rule 3.  Label your MUST-HAVES first.  What can you absolutely NOT do without? Bed, chair, lamp, desk... Get the big stuff under control.  If you aren't sure of your time-line for moving or if you're ready to take the leap, start removing the larger things from your current house.  If you are confident it's not needed, go ahead and donate it now.  If you aren't sure... Use a spare bedroom to pack and store pieces you are hesitant about.

Rule 4.  Get rid of the multiples. Going smaller most likely means less storage space.  This means you don't want to use up space by keeping 12 half used lotion bottles or the 6 raggedy towels you've been holding onto since college.  Get rid of the excess first! The tougher decisions will become a little easier now that you've started the process.

Rule 5.  Maybe the hardest! DO NOT BUY ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL YOU ARE IN YOUR NEW SPACE.  It can be exciting to see some curtains and think they'd be perfect.  BUT WAIT.  Trust me.  You don't want to have to pack more, or realize they don't actually match the stuff you have left!

Rule 6.  De-clutter one room at a time.  As Marie Kondo suggests, TOUCH EVERYTHING.  And then decide... Keep, Donate, Sell or Trash.  You may have to go through your keep pile a few times.  If you get emotional, STOP.  Take a walk, drink some water and then head back in.

Rule 7.  Realize this will be emotional.  We all have things we've developed emotional connections and memories with.  It's okay to cry.  It's okay to put things in a pile to tackle later.  It's not okay to give up on your WHY.  Go back to your WHY and remember... this will be a good transition.

Rule 8. Storage in the new place may be tricky.  If you have de-cluttered and still find yourself with too much, do not worry!  There are great hacks for storage!  Look for my next blog post on how to make the most of small spaces and storage hacks for the home!