The decision to downsize – or not – is on the minds of many Americans, especially Baby Boomers who have become or who will soon become emptynesters. With fewer day-to-day parenting responsibilities, they suddenly discover more time and freedom to pursue interests that had been on the back burner. They begin to prioritize their time differently and often question whether their home is “too big” for the new lifestyle that they want now that the kids are on their own.
It is a time when Baby Boomers begin to ask:
- Should we downsize to a smaller more manageable house?
- What are the benefits of downsizing?
- How do we know when it is the right time to downsize?
But, what if you are not ready to make such a dramatic lifestyle decision?
And, what if you need more time to explore more lifestyle options?
Baby Boomers are asking: “Is there a way to downsize your life, to live a simpler less cluttered life without having to actually move?” The simple answer is “Yes.” You can “Downsize” by Decluttering.
The more complicated answer is, if you want a simpler lifestyle so you can have more time and freedom to pursue what matters most to you in this next phase of your life, you will need to give up wanting and needing more. As Baby Boomers, we have accumulated a lot of stuff during our lifetime. Our houses, attics, garages, basements and even storage units are overflowing with so much stuff, complicating our lives and preventing us from living the life we really want. According to a study at The University of California, the average American home has over 300,000 items in it. All of this “stuff” contributes to more stress, more anxiety and more overwhelm and less time and less energy for what matters most to us.
The Good News…
You don’t have to move to reap the benefits of downsizing that contribute to a simpler, richer life with less. These are a few steps you can immediately take to “Downsize” by Decluttering your home, your car, your office, and even your life so that you can begin to move toward a less cluttered, more intentional life – one where you will experience more peace of mind, more time to enjoy what matters most to you and more freedom to experience the lifestyle you really want.
5 Steps to “Downsize” by Decluttering
- Start the editing process today.
Don’t wait. Look around your house. Walk through each room. What do you no longer want, need or use? Immediately begin removing them from your house by disposing, donating or selling them. Get rid of any duplicates or triplicates (pantry items, kitchen utensils, cleaning products). Begin noticing how much excess you have accumulated. As you begin to see progress, build on the momentum of “Downsizing” by Decluttering. Involve your family and friends in the process. Most of all, try to make it fun!
- Start paying attention to how much you already have.
Take time to notice how much you currently own. Also, observe how much you have that you don’t actually use (i.e. clothing, shoes, pantry items, small kitchen appliances).
- Practice discerning what you need versus what you want.
Ask yourself, will one more pair of awesome boots add to the quality of your simpler less cluttered life or will they detract from it? Then, when you are tempted to buy something new, simply ask yourself if you actually need it and how it will add value to your simpler lifestyle.
- Make a habit of using what you have and buying only what you need.
Try getting creative with what you can make for dinner using what you have or try accessorizing clothes that you already own. Challenge yourself to “make do.” Surprise yourself with how much time and money you can save.
- Stop buying more.
As obvious at this might seem, if you want to live a simpler, less cluttered life, you need to first stop buying more. You sabotage your own efforts to have a less cluttered life when you continue to add more to your life.
These are just a few of the actions that you can immediately take to “Downsize” by Decluttering so you have more time, money and freedom to focus on the life that you really want.