by Emily Moore
Austin American-Statesman
October 21, 2017
Moving to a smaller home is something that a lot of people look forward to. The kids are out of the house and your space is becoming your own. But there is much to handle first. So much. Looking at your belongings, it can seem overwhelming. After all, you have probably spent years making memories in your home. How can you possibly throw away the first art project your child made in Kindergarten or the ticket stub from your first date with your significant other?
Barry Izsak, founder of PackingMovingUnpacking.com said that the major challenge that people have when sorting through their belongings is letting go of items that have a lifetime of memories associated with them. “Whether they are family heirlooms or items that you ‘might need someday,’ one needs to detach themselves from the memory that the item holds and let it go if it no longer fits in one's home or lifestyle,” he said.
Izsak formerly owned an accredited move management company and is also a certified relocation and transition specialist. He said instead of referring as it to downsizing to instead think of it as “rightsizing.” “Rightsizing doesn't mean you can't own what you love, it just means owning less of it. It means focusing on what's important and what really matters to you and letting go of the rest,” he explained. Using a method of eliminating anything that is not useful, beautiful or something you love is a good measure to decide what will stay and what will go.
A common objection Izsak hears is “I might need it someday.” But he counsels that if you haven’t needed it by now, chances are you won’t. “It cost a lot of money” marks another objection that is often heard. “Yes, it did. But if you have used that living room furniture for 25 years, haven't you gotten your money out of it?” asks Izsak. Additional objections include “it was a gift” or “it has been in our family for decades.” Izsak makes a good point and asks, “if no one else in your family wants it now, what makes you think they will want it later?” So, how does one get started with the “rightsizing” process?
Breaking the task into smaller manageable pieces can make the process much less overwhelming. “Make the easy, unemotional decisions first and start with things that you can easily and obviously get rid of,” advises Izsak. “It's not realistic to think that you can tackle a lifetime of possessions in a day, a week or a month. Do it in stages and allow yourself enough time.”