Lightening the Load

JANUARY 2018

“Small strokes fell big oaks.”

–Grandmother Bernstein (original saying came from Poor Richard’s Almanac by Benjamin Franklin)

This short sentence, spoken by my husband’s grandmother, certainly made a lasting impression on him. It’s a great strategy to embrace when dealing with clutter. Just a little bit a day can make a huge impact in a short period of time. Give it a try.

Lightening the Load

Today I heard from a new person who found me on the internet. When I asked her what was going on in her home, here’s what she said:

“I am 69 years old and I live with my husband. My house feels very full and I’ve accumulated too much stuff and don’t know where to begin. We’re not moving anytime soon, but I feel overwhelmed at how to figure out what to get rid of and what to keep. I’m very disorganized, too so I have kitchen stuff in the mudroom, My house might look neat but my closets and drawers are a disaster. My papers are a mess and I can’t find anything. I need help with organization.”

Be still my heart – not only does she sound like the nicest person EVER, she is very ready to get started right away. She knows that when her home is in better order, she will:

Have a renewed sense of freedom and peace
Fnd things more quickly
Have less stuff
Have a system in place for every room in the house
Hopefully sell some of her items to help cover my costs

If you feel like you can downsize on your own, then more power to you. Try these steps and if you have success, then keep going. If you stumble or fall, please give me a call and it will be a pleasure to assist you in your quest to feel and be more organized.

Easy to follow steps to Downsize Your Home

1. Go TRASH shopping in your house – select anything that is broken or yicky and toss it in a trash bag for trash day. If you have LARGE items that need hauling, enlist help from friends and family or ask me for some hauling contacts.

2. Go DONATION shopping in your house – select anything that you no longer use or like and if you’re comfortable giving it away to a charity, place it in a bag or box and label it donation. There are numerous places that will pick up your donations at your door and here are a few: PURPLE HEART, NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CENTER, and VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA. There are also wonderful organizations, like SECOND CHANCE, that you can call and they’ll pick up larger items if you send pictures ahead of time.

3. Go VALUABLE ITEM shopping in your house – select anything that you deem ‘too good’ to just give away… and bring them together in one area.

Jewelry – there are places who will buy your jewelry (broken or in good shape) and even places that buy costume jewelry. Ebay 4 Less Clutter (see ad below) is especially good with selling watches. Your big job is to decide what you can let go of.
Antiques – there are places who will take a look to help you decide if it’s worth selling. Again, it’s your job to decide what you can part with.
Furniture – yes, there are places that will buy your furniture… although it’s not always worth as much as you may think. There are exceptions to every rule!

Even if you don’t need Aim 4 Order’s organizing services, we can help with selling anything you may have so feel free to email for more information or to send photos.

4. Once you are left with the items that you really use, think about what you need close by and place those items in the best locations for easy access. The things that you don’t use daily can go in less convenient places.

5. Remember that your home is a work in progress. You didn’t fill it up overnight (unless you just moved in and didn’t downsize beforehand) so it will take some time to downsize … but it can be done!

Good luck as you go forth – remember that I’m an email or phone call away. Let me know how you’re doing and make 2018 your best year ever. Less is more!

“Helping Baby Boomers and their Parents Lighten their Loads.”

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home, contact me. Together, we can transform your home into a happy, tidy place where you can feel at peace. We can also get you ready for your next move… more enjoyable, faster and easier!