Downsizing Your Life

How would you feel if a relative or friend died, leaving a house full of clutter behind them, and it fell to you to sort it all out? Unfortunately, this situation is very common. I often meet people who have toiled for months, or even years…

I love the change of seasons because it gives me an opportunity to do one of my favorite things: purge my closet. The good thing about purging one’s closet at the beginning of the season is that the things you get rid of are still wearable by someone else…

Lonesome? Well, join the club. More than one in three adults over 45 is lonely, according to a survey by AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons. Are you one of them? As people retire and spouses, significant others…

Simplifying, downsizing, decluttering… these topics seem to be very popular. Why is this such an issue for so many people? When I went through a major downsizing last year, one of the things I learned was that I needed a very small percentage…

Maybe you’re still living in the house where you raised the children: Bedrooms remain unused. Closets are full of things accumulated over decades. Memories are in every corner. The garage is stuffed with who knows what…

No matter how often I clean out my closet, I always seem to accumulate more clothes than I ever need. Some old, some new, and most that I know I will never wear. Every time the season changes, I set a new goal of clearing out the excess…

I’m 72. I’ve moved seven times in the last 20 years, and I pear down with each move. I still feel like I have too much stuff! When I talk to my friends, especially ones that are around my age, we eventually get to the subject of downsizing, moving…

Your home is intended to be your friend and safe place – comfortable and easy to be around, as well as a support to face the stress and tension beyond the front door. It is meant to be a personal, nourishing space where you…

I’m not talking about secrets that are hidden away in your closet. Also not talking about coming out of the closet with your sexual orientation. This topic is about stuff. Chances are, you don’t really know what’s in some of your closets anymore…

The question I hear most often when I’m talking with people who are in the middle of a major downsizing or are getting ready to downsize is, “How can I get rid of things that are very, very important to me?”