1. Start with the easy stuff.
Eliminate anything thats broken, damaged, or no longer wanted. Then, go to the out-of-the-way spaces like attics, crawlspaces, and garages. Progress in these easier parts of your home will help you build momentum and tackle the harder-to-decide areas.
2. Ask yourself, If this disappeared tomorrow, would I run out and replace it?
If you wouldnt miss it or need to replace it, its probably not worth keeping.
3. Dont be a storage unit for others.
If friends or relatives have left things for you to store, its time to ask them to pick up their possessionsor arrange to have them shipped. You may need to be tough and set a firm deadline, after which you will donate the items.
4. Ask for help.
Although you can do much of this work on your own, a family member, a good friend, or even a professional organizer can help make the job more manageable.
5. Decide whats important.
Pretend you are moving overseas, but you can only take a severely limited number of items because it costs a small fortune to ship them. What items belong on your list? These are the things that matter most to you!
6. Is this something from a lifestyle I no longer have or want?
For example, if you have three cabinets full of plastic containers, but only cook for one or two people, its reasonable to eliminate a few plastic setsand dishes, pots, and pans.
7. Schedule a regular time each weekor several days a weekto work on rightsizing.
Realize that rightsizing is a life-changing marathon, not a sprint. You didnt accumulate everything overnight, and you wont sort it all out overnight, either.
8. Value what you keep.
The fewer things you keep, the more you will treasure and enjoy what you have, instead of tucking items away in a closet or stacked among dozens of other things. These are the select, meaningful items worth having in your personal space.
9. Prevent new collections from forming.
Instead of material gifts, ask people to spoil you by sharing time, enjoying new experiences, and helping you indulge in luxuries (spa certificates, imported chocolate, a musical or other theatre production, gift certificates for dinner out, etc.). In other words, ask for special treats that you love and want, but dont always buy for yourself.
10. Use age to your advantage.
Now is a great time to give items to family members that you eventually want them to have. Take a photo (preferably a digital one) of your recipients holding their treasured gifts and create a scrapbook of next generation memories. These images can serve as powerful reminders of your most cherished items moving forward into posterity with the most special people in your life.
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