I (Nancy) have Power of Attorney for two elderly sisters who recently moved from a 3-bedroom home with a 3-car garage into a retirement home setting. This entailed significant downsizing, emptying the house of generations of possessions, and resettling them in their new spaces. One now lives in a single Personal Care room and the other occupies a small studio apartment. As you are picturing this scenario, let me add that one was a hoarder; the other, a collector.
Whatever YOUR situation, you can do this! And the results of your work can yield peace and comfort for years to come. Here are some things that might help you.
Find a helper. Few people are wired with a natural knack for decluttering. If you are not one of these, ask around and find someone capable whom you can trust and get along with. They might be your cheerleader, prayer partner, accountability buddy, helper, organizer… Carefully choose someone you feel you can trust and who will respect you and your desires.
Prepare yourself mentally. Before my husband and I could move in with my parents, we wanted to remove most of the stuff in their basement and create an “apartment” for ourselves—and they were in full agreement. THAT was a job! The morning of the day I was to begin “de-stuffing” the basement (filling the dumpster that had been delivered and placed alongside the garage), my daily Bible reading included the account of Noah and the flood. God impressed upon me that there are times to throw away things that have marginal value – just as He did in the flood. He did not repurpose, reuse, or recycle the good parts of the earth – he destroyed everything but Noah’s family and the animals inside the ark! Do you feel bad about throwing things away? Sit with God about this concern…maybe even get biblical counseling…so you are ready to make a new, clean, peaceful environment for yourself. It is also beneficial to create a set of parameters that will help you decide what should go in the trash (ie. it can’t be fixed, it’s too worn/out of date, the re-use-it shop won’t take it, you can’t sell it for more than a couple bucks).
Write down your goal. What do you want to accomplish? Can you envision what your living environment will look like when you’re done? Sit down and think about—even write down—the answers to these questions. Boil down your goal to one sentence: “I am…” Write this on a slip of paper and keep it in front of your face (maybe on your fridge) where it can remind you of your focus.
Chunk your goal into smaller doable parts. If your goal is your whole house (like the house I had to sell for my POA ladies), the project can feel overwhelming! You need mini goals to accomplish on your way to the final goal. The accomplishment of each smaller projects can keep you motivated…all the way to the finish line. A house can be divided by rooms, a room can be divided by sections (closet, desk, etc.) – or you can divide by whatever system works for you. (Putting deadlines on your mini goals can also keep you going.)
Take before and after pictures. Pictures can remind you of how much you’ve accomplished and keep you motivated all the way to the project’s completion. Before and after pictures taken from the same location and compared can give you a great feeling of accomplishment. You may also enjoy sharing them with others.
Be well prepared before you start. Make sure you have boxes, tape, markers, trash bags, and cleaning supplies. (I get mine at Home Depot or Lowes, but there are many places to pick up such things; you can also request empty boxes from most supermarkets for free!) The other thing to prepare is a workspace (for example: your guest bedroom, dining room table, or space in the garage) in which you can set up the boxes, sort and clean items, and store things until they can be picked up or taken away.
These tips should help you get ready for your downsizing adventure! For a list of actual steps you can take to accomplish your project, read 10 Steps for Decluttering.
