While organizing my notes for my book on small home living, I kept running up against a word that bothered me—downsizing.
I have pages of notes about downsizing. 13 pages—and I haven’t even explored the topic as much as I would like. It’s an important chapter because if you’re moving from a large home into a smaller one, you can’t take all your stuff with you. Or, if your home is crammed full of stuff, “cozy” can quickly become “cluttered.”
But, the word “downsizing” is so demotivating. The word conjures up, for me anyways, feelings of loss. Reluctant relinquishment. Forced decisions.
I tried on “rightsizing” to see if that would be any better, but it reminded me of “rightsizing a workforce”—a euphemism for laying people off. A poor substitute, although at least the intent was getting better. It’s not about having less stuff, but the right stuff.
Now that’s a goal I can get behind. It resonates with a book I’m reading, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. He writes, “Think of this book doing for your life and career what a professional organizer can do for your closet.” But, the essentialist mindset he writes about also applies to that closet and the home it’s in.
Essentialism is about living by design, not default. Look around the room you’re in right now, how much is really there “by design, not default?” The stuff of life accumulates around us. I know, I’ve moved stuff across the country twice. Yes, both times I donated carloads full of clothing, books and kitchen stuff. And this last time I donated a truckload of furniture too. But still, I have a lot of stuff.
It’s time to edit.
I’m a writer. Editing makes writing stronger. Editing clears away the lazy words used as crutches. When you edit, you have to let go of words, phrases and ideas your ego is attached to knowing they aren’t serving the goals of the piece. Editing eliminates redundancy and clutter. Editing provides clarity.
Editing is about making purposeful choices and changes that will improve your life. Edit your stuff, your schedule, your news stream, your to-do list, heck, edit your friends. Keep what enhances your life, let go of anything that doesn’t.
Start gently. Later today, I’ll begin my editing with something easy—a file box full of “important” papers that hasn’t been opened in five years. Where will your editing begin?
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(Creative Commons licensed photo by LadyDragonflyCC. This post includes an Amazon affiliate link. I receive a small commission when you purchase the recommended product.)
April 11, 2015 at 6:11 pm
[…] I wrote a post today on my other blog that will be helpful to anyone who has too much stuff, especially those of you who live in a small home or plan to move into a smaller home — Finding the Right Language (and Mindset) for Dealing with Our Stuff. […]
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April 12, 2015 at 7:16 am
I like to call it “enlivening” as in bringing energy back to a space, which is one of the benefits of getting out from under “stuff” but also comes from a conscious appreciation of the things we truly value. You are welcome to use it!
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April 12, 2015 at 9:04 am
That’s a really positive approach to your home, and a really motivating word, thanks so much for sharing it. Isn’t it amazing how the words we choose to use can affect our mindset?
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April 13, 2015 at 9:03 am
I think we tend to need confirmation always and when we find there is a word for something we might have experienced we feel more certain about it. The easiest activities to engage in and therefore the most likely to succeed over time, are the ones that satisfy a need. This is the best motivation.
To really be rich, if one is fortunate, is not about how much one owns, but how much one appreciates. I used to remind my kids, “If you can share something you will never be poor.”
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April 13, 2015 at 11:09 am
I really like “editing”! I so need to do this throughout my house, but am horrible about actually doing it. A book I love that goes with this theme is Your Money or Your Life. The focus of that book is finances, obviously, but the larger theme is making a life that matters rather than just working to earn money to buy stuff that just causes more stress and clutter.
I’ve started editing my closet using ThredUp–they’ll send you a huge bag with prepaid postage so all you have to do is fill and send and you might make some money in the bargain. If only all de-cluttering was that easy!
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April 13, 2015 at 11:21 am
Thank you for those two resources — Your Money or Your Life and ThredUp. I always have good intentions about editing and donating but it’s that step out of the closet, into the car, finding a place, and dropping it off — okay, that’s at least four steps — that stops me in my tracks. I guess before we edit, we have to prepare and know where and how we’ll get rid of stuff.
And I love that message about money. What is money for anyways? Keeping up with the proverbial Joneses or creating experiences? It’s easier to have a healthier relationship with money when you don’t work in an office in a go-go city with all its opportunities to compare and contrast–I’m noting that about myself these past few years.
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