OTHER HINTS

It is important not to take it personally if your children do not want your items or collections.  Even if you have spent years collecting those special possessions and they have given you joy, they do not have the same meaning or sentimental value to others.  Take a few with you and ask family and friends to take a favorite item or two from the collection.  Again in the age of eBay you might find that a certain person one thousand miles away appreciates and wants your collection. Find ways to make the process fun.  Consider a “Housecooling” Party. At housewarming parties, friends generally come over with a “gift for the house”. Reverse the process and throw a party where everyone has to leave with a “gift from the house”. You’d be surprised at how much fun people have and how quickly your “junk” becomes someone’s prized “treasure”.  Clothing items are a big item to rightsize. American closets are oversized and as a result we have too many clothes.  Especially with all the imported goods, clothing has become quite inexpensive.  Remember most homes in Europe do not even have closets and one must purchase wardrobes to keep their clothes in. For starters, pick twelve outfits that can be mixed and matched. Next, put the clothing on. If it doesn’t fit, it goes.  Don’t keep something around because you’re really going to lose that extra twenty pounds. If that happens, reward yourself with something new. Remember you must get rid of the larger outfit. Ask yourself when was the last time you wore an outfit when going through your closet.  If it has been a year, it goes. Chances are that the clothing items you own are not classics and will never really come back into fashion. Few of us have Armani or Dior in our closets. Also, if one is rightsizing, the clothing you wore to the office may not be appropriate in your new life chapter. If you truly can’t let go of particular clothing items ask a friend who is your size if they want the items on loan. In all likelihood once it’s gone you won’t miss it and remember this is not a trading session.

Many boomers and frail elder’s households have also become holding tanks for their children’s stuff. Unless they are in school or the military, you have launched them.  A student at age thirty needs to accept some responsibility for their own stuff. It’s time they learned to address their own cluttering issues. Provide them with a time frame to make plans for their stuff that has been stashed at your home.  If you have more than one child perhaps they can pool their resources and rent a storage container or pod. It is no longer your responsibility or your job.

CONCLUSION

Rightsizing is a way of life. It is not easy.  It is asking ourselves daily what matters. Nothing remains the same.  Every day we’re a day older and we must begin and continue to adapt ourselves, our homes, and their contents to the various stages and needs of our lives. It is always helpful to remember (and remind the “movee”) that when one door closes, another opens. Some doors are better than others, but they’re all opportunities for learning and growth. Often they help teach others. Whether by choice or unforeseen circumstances, you now have to open the door to a new life and hopefully a new rightsized environment. There are no excuses for bring unnecessary baggage from your old life with you. It is a time to remember the Greek philosopher Hericulon’s words that “nothing endures but change”.  

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