Are You Ready?

We often hear about a company downsizing but a more recent phenomenon is downsizing your personal life. With the recent Garbage Strike in Toronto, global recession and substantial talk about climate change it is clearly time to think about simplifying. Downsizing your possessions will help bring about a clarity in your life.

We All Have Choices

When a company is downsizing, the reasons are often motivated by lack of sales or a change in  markets. The downsizing often comes fast and hard. It hurts. Many people are devastated when cutbacks happen and there is a negative ripple effect on the people that depend on them. But when an individual decides to downsize it is clearly because change is happening. And change is good. Right! When you make a choice to downsize it is a choice to save money, simplify your stuff (and hence your time), create a lighter footprint and learn to grow as a person.

Enjoy the Process

Downsizing is a difficult thing. It takes time to build up the courage. It is something that I would encourage everyone to do. It is much easier if you do it in baby steps. And it is much easier to do this voluntarily then to be forced to downsize because your situation has changed. If you learn to make it an active part of your life it is actually something that you can enjoy.

When I first started downsizing almost 15 years ago, it was because I was moving out of country. Initially, I got rid of some stuff, maybe 10% and stored the rest in my parents basement or with friends. When I returned, I discovered that most of the stuff was not missed. I had not been using it and it served no purpose. Packing and shipping it was costly, items could get damaged and the space needed to maintain all the stuff was also a factor (not to mention a burden on finance).

Light Bulb!

If only I had the stuff I used, loved and needed; life would be so much easier. And it is. One can make a little bit of money selling the things. Costs are cut dramatically. Moving is a much less involved process. One can enjoy the things they have more. Cupboards have space. Life has less clutter and it takes less time to maintain everything. It also changes  personal spending habits – stuff doesn’t make you happy. An abundant life can be spent doing things instead of acquiring things. Reduced income to maintain a lifestyle is a catalyst for freedom.

Some Lessons and Habits

I learned how to set up a new place quickly with all the things I needed. Furniture is the easiest thing to part with and replace. I have some basic items but I know how to find quality or purpose filled furniture, wherever I go and often for free. I can feel good about donating it when I move on. Just like spring cleaning, I make a regular habit of getting rid of stuff. It’s easier now so I can do it ruthlessly. I don’t suggest a beginner take this approach unless drastic measures are called for. Take your transition slowly over time.

I also learned the true value of my time and the things that I wanted (or should I say wanted to be doing). I kept my guitar, it offers me hours of pleasure and serenity. I kept a few memories, including photos and childhood mementos. I removed old equipment, stopped buying gadgets, simplified to a laptop (though I’m back to a desktop & laptop for other reasons). I reduced massive amounts of paper, magazine and books (hint these are bulky, hard to move, get damaged easily and can always be replaced). I changed my wardrobe to the bare essentials.

Where do I start?

The hardest items are the sentimental ones which often include books or music. For real pack rats things that they perceive as having value are also hard to let go. These things represent us. Instead of removing them, perhaps rethink it’s cost and usage.

Are you ready to just have one big MP3 portable jukebox for all of your music? If you could sell your 5 stereos and only use MP3′s would the sale buy you a single, perhaps portable player that you could use anywhere and meets your needs. Think of the space, the money and the payback.

Books can actually be a little harder. Start with the books that you know you won’t read again and treat yourself to a new book purchase by trading them in at a used bookstore for credit. You get something for nothing. Text books are often hard for some people…you are finished school now, they can go. In a previous post How to Simplify your Bookshelf I concentrated on this because it is challenging to reduce your bookshelf but is a prime example of how you can downsize in steps.

Clothes can be slowly eliminated and gives those that love clothing a chance to get a new wardrobe every once in a while by getting rid of the old and in with the new. Photos can be scanned and saved, duplicates thrown away and those fuzzy pictures…guess what, you don’t need them. There are so many ways to downsize. Start now and take it in little chunks at a time. You would be amazed at the free space, time and abundance of living you create and will find that you can save costs by not having to maintain certain things.

So give your items a rethink. Talk it out with friends. Hire an organizer. Donate. Free up the money and space. Downsizing your personal life will offer you a giant reward, unlike the punishment of being downsized.

if you liked this post, take a gander at these ones!

• getting rid of your stuff – 3 fundamentals to simplify
• How to Simplify Your Bookshelf
• 8 reminders to help simplify your life
• first steps to a life of voluntary simplicity
• Living a Simple Life