Are you living in the right space for your life right now?
As people age and their lives change (retirement, becoming empty-nesters), the space they are currently living in may not work for them anymore. Much of this has to do with the items and belongings in this space, how it is organized, and how big it is. As people transition into different stages in their life, it may be time for them to re-think their current situation and start making plans for the future.
Earlier in life (ages 20-40), people tend to accumulate a lot of “stuff.” Often, these are items that people eventually grow out of or no longer need – especially when it comes to children’s items, old sporting equipment, out-of-date clothing and accessories. While many people convince themselves they need to hang on to it “just in case” for many years, the reality is that you probably won’t be needing them anytime soon.
This is especially important to consider as people age and think about changing their space and down-sizing into a smaller home. Before reaching this stage, it is a good idea to start going through all the “stuff” that has been accumulated while people have the time, energy, and ability to dedicate to the task.
A good way for people to start this process is to ask themselves why they have been hanging on to all these belongings for so long – is it because of sentimental reasons, or a sense of obligation? Only keep items that are useful, and evoke feelings of love and value. If an item is no longer useful and isn’t bringing any joy or value into your life, then it isn’t worth hanging onto.
If people are supporting someone else in this process, whether it is aging parents, relatives or friends, it is important to try and complete this process with them sooner rather than later. Often, many of the items keep for sentimental reasons have interesting stories and history that can be forgotten or lost as they are stored with an assortment of other items and belongings. Taking the time to organize and declutter their belongings together can bring a greater understanding of their purpose and how they may be given a new life or purpose instead of being regulated to a storage room or garbage bin.
It may seem premature to undertake this process earlier in life, but why keep holding on to these items and pay for them to be packed up and moved or disposed of when they were never needed to begin with? Delaying the process with only make for a bigger headache later on – it is never to early to be prepared.
This process can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to say goodbye to items that have been accumulated over a lifetime. The team at Calm Order can help individuals struggling with finding the right space and preparing for their changes in life through the entire organization process and beyond. Large projects like this don’t have to be undertaken alone – Calm Order is here to help!
