The Art of Downsizing

I received an email from Michelle Munson entitled “The Art of Downsizing”.  Michelle does professional organizing services, and estate sales.  I thought her email was very appropriate for this time of year, as we are all formulating our New Year’s Resolutions.  With Michelle’s permission, I am forwarding her informative email below.  You can contact Michelle at 828-772-5951 or on the web at https://downsizewnc.com.  Her office is located at 1465 Sand Hill Road, Suite 2005, Candler, NC, 28715.

Start the New Year Right by Letting Go of Old Stuff

Around this time of year, it’s impossible not to be bombarded with talk of New Year’s resolutions. Going to the gym three days a week, eating healthier and yes, even cleaning out your home are all common goals people set as January rolls around. Whether you’re a believer or not, New Year’s resolutions can be a great way to get motivated and make even small improvements in your life.

As the saying goes: a cluttered room or cluttered desk is indicative of a cluttered mind. With this in mind, you can only imagine what that means for a cluttered home! You simply can’t expect any of your other resolutions to stick without first decluttering your home. It can be a long process, but you’re not alone in starting the journey at the beginning of the year.

Plan It Out

Knock out two birds with one stone by staying organized in the New Year and keeping it clean once you’re done. When decluttering your home, have a plan about which rooms to tackle first. This way, it’s far less daunting of a task and you’ll finish even before you realize it.

Writing things down keeps you accountable and less likely to divert from your goals. Making to-do lists and putting helpful reminders up around your home are proven to aid your productivity. Since you’re now deep into the technology age, you can use one of many reminder apps (with alarm and notification if you like) on your handy dandy smartphone to tell you to go to the gym and streamline your DVD collection at the same time! Of course you can also use it to remind you to tackle organizational tasks too!

Sweat the Small Stuff

When decluttering your home, it’s best to start small and work your way up. Knocking out your linen closet or that one pesky drawer that seems to have accumulated a whole bunch of nothing can feel better than you’d even imagined. As with anything, baby steps are a great way to ease yourself into a task and decluttering your home is no different. Don’t be afraid to get rid of or throw away perfectly good items you never use if they just cause clutter.

The small things are what often make the biggest difference. What can seem insignificant when you’re cleaning and sorting can add up to the largest amount of clutter. It may be more annoying to clear out your junk drawer or expired makeup, but when it’s over and done with, your entire life feels more organized — and you may even find that you can think a little more clearly.

Decluttering Your Home Down Memory Lane

We acknowledge that letting go is difficult. Decluttering your home can turn into a truly emotional experience, in both good and bad ways. Instead of feeling like you have to become an emotionless robot with no material attachments, let the decluttering process take you on that emotional journey of unearthing old memories. Let your feelings paint a beautiful portrait of pain and joy — instead of avoiding them or letting them own you.

While you want to keep the items with the most sentimental value, treating other pieces with respect and then letting them go to other people who can get joy from them can be a truly enriching experience. No matter what people say, your material items mean a lot to you, and letting them go in your own special way is important. The team at Art of Downsizing would be honored to come help too, especially if decluttering your home is just too rife with memories. We’ll respect your space and your feelings while giving you the tools to move forward.

Happy New Year!