Rita Wilkins's Blog, page 32

How To Combat Clutter and Become Your Own Clutter Boss

By Rita Wilkins
The Downsizing Designer

If you look around your house right now, is it filled with clutter?

Clutter is that daily reminder that you probably own too much stuff and that slowly but surely, it is overtaking your house…and your life.

There’s the obvious clutter…

The dirty dishes on the kitchen table or in the sink.The toys and video games left sitting on the floor.The clothes still sitting on your chair from last week.

Then, there’s the clutter that is not so obvious…

It lurks behind cabinet doors.It’s hidden away in plastic storage bins.It sits in file boxes on the floor of your basement.

Regardless of whether your clutter is obvious and in plain sight or whether it is hidden and you’ve become blind to it even being there…

Clutter is clutter!

Too much stuff is too much stuff!

 

One way or another, clutter is impacting your life. Here’s how…1.   Clutter steals your time

It takes time from things you’d rather be doing. Every time you have to spend a few minutes looking for your keys, your phone, your glasses, or the remote, not being able to find what you want when you need it is stealing time from your life.

Clutter is the boss of you.

2.    Clutter impacts your well-being and your relationships

Too much clutter is stressful, it’s overwhelming, and it’s exhausting.

If you keep apologizing for the way your house looks.If you are too embarrassed to invite people over for dinner.If clutter is causing arguments in your household, clutter is the boss of you.

Clutter is the boss of you.

3.    Clutter affects productivity

Clutter has a sneaky way of preventing you from thinking clearly. It disrupts your ability to focus and work efficiently.

If you are wondering why you’re having difficulty getting stuff done

or

If clutter has finally gotten to you because of the amount of stuff you own, it’s probably time for you to become the boss of your clutter… not the other way around.

Did You Know, Decluttering is a Form of Self-Care?Give a Gift To Yourself or a Friend, BUY Rita’s HOLIDAY BUNDLE NOW!Here are 4 ways to combat clutter so you can become your own “clutter boss”1.   Confront your clutter

Ask these questions:

When was the last time you used it?

When will you use it again?

If you got rid of it, could you borrow it or buy it again?

If you do decide to keep it, make sure you find a proper home for it or you know exactly where it is the next time you need it.

Deal with it immediately.

Dispose of it or donate it, but most importantly, get it out of your house because it’s stealing your valuable time, it’s taking up space in your home, and it’s impacting your peace of mind.

2.   Don’t resist letting it go or getting rid of it

If clutter is nagging you and if you want to get your house and your life back, stop resisting! Let it go so you can spend more time with family and friends doing with important to you and so you can spend less time looking for stuff.

3.   Make decluttering part of your daily routine15 minutes in the morning, and 15 minutes before bedtime.Pick one drawer, one shelf, or one cabinet each day to declutter.Choose 3 things each day to dispose of a donation.4.    Get excited about living a simpler life with less

What you will begin to experience is a new life where you’ll have more time, money, freedom, and energy to do what matters most to you.

Become the boss of your clutter. Don’t let it be the boss of you!

 

Please feel free to share this blog with a friend or anyone who you think would find it useful and benefit from it.

Follow me on social media for more updates:FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | TWITTER

The post How To Combat Clutter and Become Your Own Clutter Boss first appeared on Design Services LTD.

Holiday Decluttering Bundle Available Now

Are You Ready To Give The Gift Of Decluttering? 

No one likes to live in a cluttered space. However, sometimes we find ourselves at a loss for how to successfully declutter our lives. Do you or does someone you know need help decluttering? Are you eager to feel at home in your space rather than stressed out by the clutter? If so, you’re in the right space. 

Hi, I’m Rita Wilkins. Many know me as the Downsizing Designer. This is because while I once lived with too much clutter, once I got rid of 90% of what I once owned I learned I had more money, time, and freedom to do what I wanted. Now, as the Downsizing Designer, I seek to help people like you on their decluttering and downsizing journeys. 

Minimalist Decluttering Tips To Help You This Holiday Season 

Did you know that decluttering your home can be a form of self-care? It’s true! Decluttering your space helps you reduce stress, become more productive, and teaches you to live more with less. If you’re interested in decluttering your space through the use of helpful minimalist decluttering tips, try my Holiday Decluttering Bundle! 

My Holiday Decluttering Quick-Start Bundle includes all of the following: 

1 complete online course 2 minimalist decluttering workbooks 1 e-book 2 minimalist checklists to help you declutter 

Don’t wait – this Holiday Decluttering Quick-Start Bundle is the total package when it comes to helping you get started and stay motivated on your decluttering journey. 

Rita Wilkins Offers Lifestyle Design And Interior Design Services  

Do you want to learn more about downsizing and decluttering? Call Design Services LTD at 302-475-5663 to discuss your design needs. You can also connect with me by following me on Facebook and LinkedIn. Would you like complimentary advice from the downsizing designer? You can schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with me today. My book Downsize Your Life, Upgrade Your Lifestyle: Secrets to More Time, Money, and Freedom is now available in paperback, audio, and on Kindle! Get your copy soon. 

The post Holiday Decluttering Bundle Available Now  first appeared on Design Services LTD.

Top 5 Decluttering Tips for Retirement

By Rita Wilkins
The Downsizing Designer

If you are starting to prepare for retirement, chances are you’re also thinking about how to get rid of a lot of excess stuff in your home so you can make room for that new stage of life filled with more freedom and a lot less stuff.

It’s actually an opportune time to assess what you need, don’t need, want, and don’t want since at some point you might even want to downsize, live in a smaller more efficient home perhaps one that is closer to your kids and grandkids.

And once you start the decluttering process, you’ll likely begin to realize that many of the things you’ve held onto have just been taking up space and they’re just not adding value to your life anymore.

Shedding all of the excess clutter that no longer fits your simpler lifestyle is cathartic. It gives you an opportunity to revisit memories from your past while also helping you envision your new life with more time, energy, and freedom in the future with less stuff, less stress, more fun and more life!

At this moment as you look around your attic, basement, and garage you might see boxes piled on top of other boxes, and containers piled on top of other containers filled with stuff you have no idea what’s even in them.

You might be thinking this task ahead of you is impossible, but these top-5 decluttering tips will help you get the job done more efficiently and effectively so that in 3 months, 6 months or a year from now…

you’re living in the perfect smaller home near your kids and grandkids.you’re loving your new simpler life with less.you’re living the life you dreamed of in retirement.

 

Top 5 decluttering tips to prepare your home for retirement1.    Focus on your new life ahead of you, not the one behind you

Create a vision for your new lifestyle that you want in retirement.

Where you’ll be livingWhat you’ll be doing each dayWho you’ll be spending time with

This vision will inspire you on your decluttering journey. It will help keep you motivated and stay motivated when the going gets tough

2.    Get your partner on board with your vision. Better yet, create that vision together

This step will help prevent dueling downsizers or dueling decluttering arguments if you both have a common vision for a simpler, less cluttered life after downsizing and decluttering.

It will, of course, require each of you to make compromises along the way but it will also ease the decision-making process.

3.    Commit to keeping only what you need, will use, and what’s most important to you

This is an amazingly powerful tool that will help you make decisions about what you want to keep and want to let go of. It will help you decide more quickly and efficiently even the tough, more emotional choices.

4.    Notify your kids about your decision to declutter and downsize

Don’t wait for them to decide when they will remove their things from your house or you might be waiting a very long time.

Be proactive. Give them a deadline to come, get their stuff, and bring a truck if they need to.

This can be a difficult conversation for some of you but in the long run, you’ll be glad you did… and likely so with your kids.

Get this online on-demand decluttering video course that helps you navigate the decluttering process from start to finish.BUY HERE5.    Experiment with various decluttering methods, then pick one or two that work best for you and your schedule

Successful decluttering takes time, effort, and focus. Knowing which decluttering method works best for you will reduce stress, and help you stay motivated longer.

Regardless of the decluttering method you choose:

Burst methodRoom-by-room methodCategory method

Each is intended to help make your decluttering easier, faster, and more efficient.

If you are excited about your upcoming retirement and the new lifestyle ahead of you, and if you are just now starting the process of decluttering, I encourage you to embrace these decluttering tips.

They are intended to make your decluttering journey as easy as possible. But most of all, take time to enjoy the process of transitioning from one chapter to the next to make your life your best life now.

If you enjoy reading my blogs and listening to my weekly Facebook lives , and if you have family and friends who would benefit from them, please share my videos and blogs. Invite them to join us every Tuesday evening at 7 PM Eastern standard time.

Please feel free to share this blog with a friend or anyone who you think would find it useful and benefit from it.

Follow me on social media for more updates:FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | TWITTER

The post Top 5 Decluttering Tips for Retirement first appeared on Design Services LTD.

Learn Decluttering Tips And Tricks Today

Where Can I Find Decluttering Checklists? 

Learning any new skill can seem intimidating at first, especially if you’re not quite sure where to start. Learning about decluttering, however, doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, learning about decluttering and minimalism can be easy when you have the right tools, such as decluttering checklists, workbooks, and more. 

Hi, I’m Rita Wilkins. Once, there was too much clutter in my life. Then I decided to get rid of that clutter. In fact, I got rid of 90% of what I once owned. Now, I live with more time, money, and freedom to do what I want. As the Downsizing Designer, I’ve made it my goal to help others accomplish their decluttering goals as well. How? With my easy-to-follow decluttering checklists and other materials. 

Get These Handy Decluttering Bundles Today 

Whether you want a quick read like a decluttering checklist or something that goes a little more in-depth about decluttering – like a workbook or a book – I’m here to help you learn about decluttering in a way that’s easy for you. Try my decluttering bundles today! 

Rita’s Checklist Bundle – These two decluttering checklists teach you how to declutter and how to find the “right size” home when you’re considering downsizing. Get your copies of the Rightsize Checklist for Downsizing and the Quickstart Guide to Decluttering checklist today. Quick Start Decluttering Bundle – This bundle includes material that goes more in-depth about decluttering. In addition to the Home Decluttering Checklist, it also includes a Downsizing and Decluttering Workbook, as well as my best-selling book, Downsize Your Life Upgrade Your Lifestyle. 

Get your copies of these bundles soon! 

Rita Wilkins Offers Lifestyle Design And Interior Design Services  

Do you want to learn more about downsizing and decluttering? Call Design Services LTD at 302-475-5663 to discuss your design needs. You can also connect with me by following me on Facebook and LinkedIn. Would you like complimentary advice from the downsizing designer? You can schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with me today. My book Downsize Your Life, Upgrade Your Lifestyle: Secrets to More Time, Money, and Freedom is now available in paperback, audio, and on Kindle! Get your copy soon. 

The post Learn Decluttering Tips And Tricks Today  first appeared on Design Services LTD.

5 Years Later: What I Discovered When I Decluttered and Downsized

By Rita Wilkins
The Downsizing Designer

It was a little over 5 years ago when I downsized from my 5000-square-foot home in the country and move to an 867-square-foot condo in Philadelphia. I gave away 95% of my belongings. I can honestly say I have no regrets and I’ve never been happier.

In the process, I discovered many things during that journey of decluttering and downsizing. The intention of this blog is to inspire you, motivate you, and let you know it is possible even when you look at all of the boxes in the basement, garage, and attic you might be saying “no way” or “impossible!”

But if you are committed to decluttering, getting organized, and possibly downsizing you are in for the ride of your life… One that you, a few years from now will say, “I’m so glad I did it!” or you might even say, “I wish I had done it sooner!”

Learning to let go is a life-altering process. It changes you. You no longer cling to possessions for all the wrong reasons.

“I spent good money on it”

“I might need it someday”

“My kids might want it.”

The process of decluttering and letting go is physical, emotional, and even spiritual. It allows you to make room for people and experiences that matter most to you.

And face it! None of us is getting any younger, so if you have been thinking about decluttering, getting organized, or downsizing for a while now and if it has been at the top of your New Year’s resolutions again this year, if you don’t declutter and downsize now, when will you?

Start your decluttering journey with this Holiday Decluttering Quick-Start Bundle! BUY NOW! The top things I discovered and learned when I decluttered and downsized my home and my life:1. Don’t let fear stand in the way of a new lifestyle that you really want

I had had it with the big house, big yard, all the maintenance, and expense.

I literally had no time, money, or freedom to do anything other than take care of the big house.

I knew I wanted a simpler life with less and if I was going to make that happen, I realized that I had to declutter and downsize.

I was motivated by my vision to live a simpler life with less. Nothing was going to stop me but I had to get over the fear of how and where to get started.

 

2. Declutter first, then downsize

Decluttering or learning to let go is by far the most important part of the entire process. It takes time. It takes a tremendous effort. And it takes discipline and focus. You have to want it; you have to create schedules to make sure that you work on it each week or it will never happen.

Remember: one shelf, one drawer, one closet at a time. The more you declutter the more the momentum builds.

Before you know it, you will start to see progress and you’ll become unstoppable.

 

3. If you lose momentum and motivation give yourself a break and slow down for a while

Give yourself some grace. You will get tired, you will get decision fatigue

You will get overwhelmed and frustrated. You’re human, it’s a huge undertaking.

Slow down. Hit the reset button after you’ve given yourself a little break.

 

4. You might second-guess yourself and your decision to downsize

That’s OK. You might find yourself saying, “What if it doesn’t work? What if I don’t like it?” That’s why I recommend renting versus buying so you can put your toe in the water, try on a new lifestyle for a period of time so you have more flexibility and mobility.

Change can be scary, especially when you might have grown up thinking bigger is better, but once you downsize and declutter, you will likely realize that you didn’t need all of the stuff in the first place.

 

5. Downsizing does require some adjustments.

Moving from 5000 ft.² to 867 ft.² was rather radical, but it was also exciting. It was like an adventure. I had never lived in a city before, so the idea of having so little to care for was very appealing. And the idea that I could walk rather than drive was a relief.

But it did take some adapting. I had no guestroom or a dedicated dining room. So after four years in the city, I made a lifestyle decision to right-size to a beautiful historic village to a 1780s home that is 1700 ft.². It has a full-time and well-used guestroom and dining room.

 

7. I found my passion and my purpose

When I decluttered and downsized, I had no idea that my story and experience would inspire and motivate others to consider living with less so they, too, could live more.

I had no idea I would be writing a best-selling book on downsizing and decluttering. Nor did I know that I would be asked to do a Ted talk on why less is more. And for sure I had no idea that I would become known as the “downsizing designer,” speak around the country about living with less, write weekly blogs, and be interviewed on national TV and radio.

All of this happened because I had the vision to live more with less… A vision inspired by my trip to a Third World country. I followed that vision, decided to downsize, and then allowed myself to be vulnerable and share my story with audiences across the country… A story that was not always pretty, not always easy, but one I will never regret.

I do hope you make a decision to declutter and downsize your life so you can experience the power of living with less!

Please feel free to share this blog with a friend or anyone who you think would find it useful and benefit from it.

Follow me on social media for more updates:FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | TWITTER

The post 5 Years Later: What I Discovered When I Decluttered and Downsized first appeared on Design Services LTD.

These Decluttering Bundles Make Great Gifts

Learn Decluttering Through Decluttering Checklists 

Starting your decluttering journey may seem difficult when you don’t know where to start. You may want to live a more minimalist lifestyle, but find you don’t know how to achieve such a goal. Don’t worry – if you want to learn about decluttering, I can help. 

My name is Rita Wilkins. After getting rid of 90% of what I once owned, I became known as the Downsizing Designer. Decluttering helped me have more money, time, and freedom to live my life as I chose – and now you can do the same. 

Learn About Decluttering Through Minimalist Checklists And More 

Do you have a loved one who has taken interest in decluttering but can’t seem to get started? Do you want to help them learn what they need to know about decluttering and minimalism so they can start their decluttering journey? 

You can help them by gifting them these decluttering bundles, just in time for the holidays. 

Rita’s Checklist Bundle – This bundle includes PDF copies of two decluttering checklists that are the perfect start for someone who wants a quick and easy-to-follow read on decluttering and minimalism. Quick Start Decluttering Bundle – This bundle includes PDF copies of the Decluttering Checklist, the Downsizing Decluttering Workbook, and my best-selling book Downsize Your Life Upgrade Your Lifestyle. 

Don’t wait – help the people you love to learn about decluttering this holiday season. If you’re interested in learning, too, consider getting a bundle for yourself, too. You deserve it! 

Rita Wilkins Offers Lifestyle Design And Interior Design Services  

Do you want to learn more about downsizing and decluttering? Call Design Services LTD at 302-475-5663 to discuss your design needs. You can also connect with me by following me on Facebook and LinkedIn. Would you like complimentary advice from the downsizing designer? You can schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with me today. My book Downsize Your Life, Upgrade Your Lifestyle: Secrets to More Time, Money, and Freedom is now available in paperback, audio, and on Kindle! Get your copy soon. 

The post These Decluttering Bundles Make Great Gifts first appeared on Design Services LTD.

A Minimalist Home: 6 Minimalist Decluttering Tips for Curating Your Home

By Rita Wilkins
The Downsizing Designer

Perhaps you are one of the lucky ones.

You’ve already downsized to a smaller, more manageable home and in the process, you got rid of a lot of the things that you no longer wanted, needed, or used. Like all of those boxes in the basement or attic that had been sitting there since your last move.You’ve even continued your decluttering journey once you moved to your smaller home because you have less space and you don’t want it to look cluttered.Your home feels organized, comfortable, and peaceful. You like how the uncluttered space makes you feel.

But now you’re wondering… What else can you edit from your home and your life to make your life even simpler?

First, I want to congratulate you if you’ve come this far. I know you put a lot of work into it, many hours, and perhaps a few tears along the way.

But for those of you who have not yet accomplished your downsizing and decluttering goals, please don’t get discouraged. Rather, be inspired by this message and these minimalist decluttering because you, too, can learn how to declutter and live happily with much less.

Just remember that the clutter didn’t appear overnight, nor will it disappear overnight. It will take time, energy, and focus on one drawer, one shelf, and one closet at a time.

Downsizing and decluttering is a process. It’s ongoing. It’s a work in progress. 

There’s always the next step, a next level that you can achieve especially when you understand how living with less improves not only your home, but also your family life, your finances, and your stress level.

Bottom line: Living with less makes room for you to live more!

These 6 tips that I am sharing will help you edit or curate your home and your life so you can begin to experience the joy and richness of a minimalist lifestyle.

What does it mean to curate your home and your life?

It’s about being intentional, mindful, and purposeful. It’s about using what you have and having only what you need and love.

Get your HOLIDAY QUICK START BUNDLE now!

6 Tips to Curate Your Home So You Can Have a Simpler Easier Life:1. Develop a minimalist mindset

The less you have, the more you will value what you do have. It allows you to make room for what matters most. More time with loved ones more experiences and more memories.

2. Use less and reuse more

The less you have, the easier your life becomes.

Less to cleanLess to organizeLess to manageLess expense

Making do, repurposing, and reusing what you already have is being intentional. It saves time, money, energy, and resources.

3. Create positive habits

Everything you own should have its own “home” so you can find it when you need it. Putting it back where it belongs each time saves time, energy, and frustration.

These purposeful habits make life easier.

4. Develop regular maintenance routines and schedules

Spend 15 to 30 minutes each week decluttering things that found their way into your home (i.e., junk mail)

Each night before you go to bed make sure the counters are cleaned off, dishes are done, and clothes put away.

This intentional practice gives you peace of mind as you go to bed at night and as you wake up in the morning.

5. Keep an “outbox” near the door

This box will serve as a visual reminder to regularly declutter what you no longer want, need, or use.

When you give these items to people who want, need, and will appreciate them it is a purposeful form of recycling.

6. Enjoy the seasonal changes

When you change out clothing seasonally, it’s an opportunity to go through closets and remove what no longer fits or items you do not wear.

When you donate these items to people who want or need them, like winter coats, you are being intentional, mindful, and purposeful.

When you learn to declutter like a minimalist, these 6 simple tips, used regularly will help you achieve that simpler more abundant life that you are seeking.

You will save time, money, and energy that can be used on things that matter most to you. Once you start implementing these tips you will quickly realize how living with less improves not only your home life, but also your family life, your finances, and your stress level.

Please feel free to share this blog with a friend or anyone who you think would find it useful and benefit from it.

Follow me on social media for more updates:FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | TWITTER

The post A Minimalist Home: 6 Minimalist Decluttering Tips for Curating Your Home first appeared on Design Services LTD.

Get A Quick Start On Decluttering Toda

Decluttering Can Help You Achieve A Minimalist Lifestyle 

Are you surrounded by clutter? Do you find yourself at a loss for what to do with said clutter? Do you dream of living in a more minimalist home with a minimalist sense of style? Do you wish you could learn about minimalism and decluttering through an easy-to-follow minimalist checklist or workbook? You can! 

Hi, I’m Rita Wilkins. Many know me as the Downsizing Designer. Like many of you, I once had too much clutter in my life. After getting rid of 90% of what I once owned and finding I then had more time, money, and freedom to do as I pleased, I decided I wanted to help others achieve the same thing. 

How You Can Get A Quick Start On Decluttering Today 

You don’t have to wish for simple, easy-to-follow minimalism checklists or workbooks anymore because I have provided them. In fact, I now offer a bundle of my minimalism and decluttering content that is the perfect way to get a quick start on decluttering! 

The Quick Start Decluttering Bundle includes all of the following: 

An easy-to-read decluttering checklist My decluttering workbook A copy of my best-selling book Downsize Your Life Upgrade Your Lifestyle.– all in a PDF format! Know Someone Who Is Interested In Decluttering? 

Is there someone in your life who has expressed an interest in learning about decluttering? If so, consider purchasing this bundle as a gift for the upcoming holiday season. Help a loved one start their decluttering journey. 

Rita Wilkins Offers Lifestyle Design And Interior Design Services  

Do you want to learn more about downsizing and decluttering? Call Design Services LTD at 302-475-5663 to discuss your design needs. You can also connect with me by following me on Facebook and LinkedIn. Would you like complimentary advice from the downsizing designer? You can schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with me today. My book Downsize Your Life, Upgrade Your Lifestyle: Secrets to More Time, Money, and Freedom is now available in paperback, audio, and on Kindle! Get your copy soon. 

The post Get A Quick Start On Decluttering Toda first appeared on Design Services LTD.

Declutter This Holiday Season

How Can I Learn How To Declutter? 

Are you living with too much clutter? Do you want to learn how to declutter and downsize your life but find you don’t know where to start? Do you wish you could find an easy guide such as a decluttering checklist to help you out? 

Hi, I’m Rita Wilkins, the Downsizing Designer. While I once lived with too much clutter, I chose to get rid of 90% of what I once owned. Now, I have more money, time, and freedom to do what I want – and I can help you do the same. 

Learn How To Declutter This Holiday Season With Decluttering Checklists And More 

The winter holiday season is coming up soon – which means it’s a perfect time to look into decluttering your home. Perhaps you want to make your house less crowded and cluttered so you can have company over for the holidays. Maybe there are old gifts from holidays long past that sit unused in your home. With my decluttering checklists, you can learn how to make your house feel like home again by figuring out what you really need and want in your home. 

Checklist Bundles Available This Holiday Season 

In addition to offering a selection of decluttering checklists, workbooks, and courses to help you learn about decluttering at your own pace, I also offer helpful bundles of my decluttering guides. Try the Quick Start Decluttering Bundle or Rita’s Checklist Bundle today! 

Rita Wilkins Offers Lifestyle Design And Interior Design Services  

Do you want to learn more about downsizing and decluttering? Call Design Services LTD at 302-475-5663 to discuss your design needs. You can also connect with me by following me on Facebook and LinkedIn. Would you like complimentary advice from the downsizing designer? You can schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with me today. My book Downsize Your Life, Upgrade Your Lifestyle: Secrets to More Time, Money, and Freedom is now available in paperback, audio, and on Kindle! Get your copy soon. 

The post Declutter This Holiday Season  first appeared on Design Services LTD.

How To Start Over in Your 60s: A New Minimalist Lifestyle

By Rita Wilkins
The Downsizing Designer

Are you at a new stage of your life and you want or need to start all over?

If you’re in your 60s, you might be an empty nester. Your house feels empty (although a little less cluttered.) You might be wondering “what’s next?”If you’re retired or pre-retired, you might have more time on your hands and you’re looking for more fun, adventure, and fulfillment.If you are a new widow or divorcee you might be in a state of overwhelm at the thought of starting over.

What each of these scenarios has in common is a period of transition, a new stage of life, and the beginning of a new chapter.

These transitions can be unsettling, overwhelming, and even scary! But this time of your life can also be viewed as an opportunity…

To try something newTo get out of a rut that you’ve been in for a whileTo live a simpler, less stressful life

You’ve been curious about these things for a very long time, but you’ve been too busy, too tired, too overwhelmed or you’ve been afraid to step out of your comfort zone. So you stay exactly where you are and nothing changes.

Which is “okay”, but the reality is at this stage of life you want so much more… more time, freedom, and peace of mind. And you also want less stuff and less stress.

If you’ve been reading my blogs or tuning into my weekly Facebook lives, you’ve heard me talk a lot about the simpler more abundant life I discovered when I decluttered and downsized my home and my life.

With less stuff and less clutter, I discovered I had more time, money, and freedom to pursue things that mattered most to me.

My Holiday Decluttering Bundle.TWO PACKS TO CHOOSE FROM, CLICK HERE

 

I would never have had time to prepare and deliver Facebook lives every week or write blogs every week if I still had my big house full of stuff. I would never have had enough energy to write a best-selling book, Downsize Your Life, Upgrade Your Lifestyle: Secrets to More Time, Money, and Freedom, and speak all over the country about the impact of living with less because I downsize from my big house to a much more affordable and manageable house…

Because I decluttered my home and my life, letting go of all the stuff that held me back and had me stuck…

Living with less has allowed me to travel more, to spend more time with family and friends and my new loving relationship. It has also allowed me to develop the “Downsizing Designer” brand which is now a national brand.

Because I learned to live a simpler life like a minimalist, I was able to make room for the life I really wanted.

So, if you are curious about how to start over in your 60s or whatever life stage you are in, I’m going to challenge you to an exercise that will allow you to put your toe in the water… To try on what it feels like to live a more minimalist lifestyle… A simpler life with less stuff, less stress, and more peace of mind.

 

11 Steps to Live a Minimalist Lifestyle1.    Pick one room in your house that you really like, but rarely use i.e., a small den or guestroom.2.    Completely empty that room of everything… furniture, area rugs, artwork, etc.3.    Paint that room a color you love that makes you feel peaceful and calm.4.    Choose how you want that room to function i.e., a getaway or sanctuary.5.    Determine what you want to feel like when you are in that room.6.    Selectively put very few pieces of furniture back into that room. Only furniture that works for the intended function and only furniture that is very comfortable and inviting.7.    Put in only the very few things you love i.e., artwork, area rugs, accessories.8.    Light the room well. i.e., lamps for reading, working, and accent lamps.9.    Make sure you have plenty of natural light.10. Use accents of live green plants to bring the outside in.11. Turn on your favorite music and light a candle.

 

When your room is complete, close the door, sit in your new minimalist surroundings, ask yourself…

How does it make you feel?·        Peaceful?·        Energized?·        Focused?·        Creative?·        Does it make you want to spend time there?

This is just a small sampling of what it’s like to live in a clutter-free minimalist space. Think of what it would be like, how it could change your life if other rooms in your home could make you feel this way.

I do hope you accept my challenge to create at least one room in your home as a minimalist area. If you wish, please send me your before photo and after photo, as well as how this room makes you feel and how it’s changed your life.

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The post How To Start Over in Your 60s: A New Minimalist Lifestyle first appeared on Design Services LTD.