Blog #decluttering

2018 was a slower downsizing year than normal, but I did develop some new habits of mind that I hope I will carry forward into 2019.

It's good to take advantage of the opportunity to downsize and organize that occur in the course of change. We recently did this as we shrunk our living space in preparation for a tenant.

In addition to our grander downsizing goals, we must deal with the daily influx of new clutter into our lives.

I was surrounded by books, many of them in boxes stashed away. It was time to consider how I could make decisions about which ones would go and which would stay.

Some tips for downsizing the shopping habit while downsizing one's possessions.

I review the challenges, potential points of interest, and key takeaways of Marie Kondo's, best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and determine whether it "sparks joy."

Laura Moore of Clutter Clarity gives us four criteria for considering what is clutter in our lives.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson is a charming, folksy read about a practical process--downsizing in anticipation of our eventual death.

Here are six things I've learned so far in my journey re the value of things and time, goal-setting, documentation, going public, and the uniqueness of each person's experience.

In 2017, I, the Slow Downsizer, accomplished more than I thought in my efforts to simplify my life.

When downsizing, you have basically seven options: sell, gift, donate, recycle, toss, re-purpose, and keep. I briefly explore each of these options.

How strong is your tendency to save things, whether useful or not? How sentimental are you about possessions? Savers and sentimentalists face different challenges in downsizing.