By Rita Wilkins
The Downsizing Designer

If you are reading this blog, you are likely interested in how to successfully Declutter or Downsize and perhaps both.

I’m sharing 3 of the must-have mindsets if you want to be successful on your decluttering and downsizing journey.

Just like any other big project you have taken on in your life, it takes much more than you might think to accomplish those lofty goals. But in the end, it is worth it.

I think it’s important to have a reality check before you dive in so that you can prepare yourself both mentally and physically for the work ahead. And also, when you are midway through the process and when you might want to give up, you can remind yourself that if you want to succeed at downsizing and decluttering, you must be…

1. Fearless

2. Ruthless

3. Tireless

These 3 powerful words and mindsets will help you…

Get started
Stay focused
Cross the finish line

You’ll be able to start experiencing the many benefits of living a simpler life with less.

Why FEARLESS?

Think about the fears you have about selling the family homestead after 30 years or your children grew up, where your neighbors and friends are, where everything is so familiar.

Yes, you have to be fearless to let go of the mindset that you can’t establish new routines, new friends in a new location or in a smaller home… Perhaps closer to your children and grandchildren.

Think about the fears you have about decluttering, and letting go of those sentimental items that you know will trigger strong emotions.

Yes, you will have to be fearless when you’re going through boxes and boxes of family photos or through your deceased spouses’ closets of clothing or your mother’s treasured china that you may not like or rarely use.

When you take on the mindset of being fearless, you will be able to push through these obstacles and barriers, freeing yourself up from what has previously prevented you from living a simpler life with less stuff so you can have more time and freedom to create that new life you’ve been winning.

Why RUTHLESS?

How many times have you tried to declutter your closet only to find yourself justifying why you can’t? You might find yourself saying:

“It will fit when you lose 10 pounds.”
“It was so expensive that you just can’t let it go even though you never wear it.”

How often have you reminded your adult children that you are downsizing and decluttering and that they need to go through their stuff from their childhood bedroom or their stuff in your basement? Being ruthless is not being unkind, it’s being practical because you can’t downsize unless they cooperate.

It helps to take on the mindset of being ruthless because if you want to declutter if you want to downsize to a smaller space, the reality is you will not have sufficient space for those clothes that don’t fit, or those clothes that you spent “good money” on. And likely, you will not have the kind of storage that you currently have that is currently being used to store other people’s stuff.

Being ruthless, yet kind will give you the strength you need to address what you know when your head and heart need to happen… no excuses.

Why TIRELESS?

God knows decluttering and downsizing can be exhausting both physically and emotionally.

You’re just human so you’re bound to have moments, days, or even weeks where you just don’t seem to have the stamina to show up every day, to focus, and to stay motivated to downsize and declutter.

But if you take on the mindset of being tireless, you will get that boost of energy that you need to keep moving.

You will push through those moments and find inspiration in even the smallest successes.
You will remind yourself of just how far you’ve come by revisiting before pictures. This will help you regain focus and momentum.