Change is Still Coming....

Most of us know change is inevitably coming into our life. The current COVID issues have made that clear and it is not over yet. Regardless of what change is coming, there are a few things that can be done to prepare and to ease the stress.

Any number of things may cause a change, like: children moving out, the death of a spouse, health challenges, simple aging, or a desire to live elsewhere. For some, the desire to capture the equity in the home is primary and prompts a change. Those are the realities of many of the people who seek out the services of How2GetOrganized.

What can help you when facing any move? The simple act of editing down the contents of your home or apartment or condo is key to every move. When was the last time you took a deep sweep throughout the entire home to look at everything - and I mean everything - that is no longer needed or used? If it is more than six months, I suggest that action be repeated. Keep asking yourself if you really need and use each item as you lay eyes on it.

Play a game with yourself and think about moving to less square footage - possibly half of your current square footage - then what would have to be kept?

If you put on a generous heart and want to bless someone with things you no longer use, it gets much easier to let go of those items that have been sitting around on shelves or in cupboards and drawers. If those things are placed in a thrift store with a mission that aligns with your values, then it is even more rewarding.

The hardest part of editing comes to items received from a family member living or deceased. It takes putting on a hat, name it ‘RUTHLESS’, and ask yourself if that item is still something you want, or has it been a habit just keeping it on a shelf. Then ask yourself: “Who would be blessed to have that item?” I have given my grandmother’s jewelry to a niece because I thought she would be blessed, and she was! A younger sister also received a baby picture of our grandmother that I have had for over forty years. (I am also in the process of thoroughly editing my home.) She received it with joy and appreciation. She had a new treasure, and it meant a lot to me to share it.

I am currently treating myself like a client and ‘we’ do have funny conversations. ‘We’ go back and forth as to why an item should be saved or gifted somewhere or to someone. Usually, the more ‘RUTHLESS’ me wins.

The most recent gifting of items took on COVID guidelines. I went to a social gathering of friends with proper distancing and masks. I invited them to gather around the trunk of my car where I had many household items; some practical and some decorative. They reached in and selected items they wanted. What was not selected went to my favorite thrift store. It felt so good to share stories of items as they were given away.

Should you desire strategizing support for your organizing efforts, please contact me for a complimentary 30-minute phone chat.

Elisa (Lisa) Hawkinson
206.915.9911
www.How2GetOrgnanized.com  
elisa@how2getorganized.com 

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