Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life

by Matt Paxton

This is one benefit of cleaning out an estate, and it’s often overlooked. Spending time with loved ones’ possessions is a way to connect with them, even after they’re gone.

a Legacy List is a method of narrowing down the essential items in your life. Whether you’re trying to declutter, downsize, or move, putting together a Legacy List can help you make the most difficult choices about what to do with objects that you feel overwhelmed by—and that are important enough to keep.

Uncover the stories behind the clutter.

You will learn how to identify—or help someone else identify—what you want your life to look like after you declutter, whether it’s moving across the country, downsizing to a senior living community next door, or simply paring down the items in your existing home.

Take the first baby steps.

Sort through pictures and documents. Newspapers, magazines, books, and junk mail often contribute to clutter, and I help you quickly go through them. Photos and files of papers can be the most emotionally significant items in your home. You will learn how to scrutinize every paper and scrapbook without losing your patience—or losing that one valuable document in a stack of stuff!

Decide what to keep and build your Legacy List. Choosing what to hold on to and what to get rid of

Decide what to give away.

Clean up.

Move forward.

If we don’t know the stories behind the stuff, we will never be able to freely let go of it.

If you are in the process of decluttering, downsizing, or moving, telling your stories to an interested audience is the magic key. And if you’re helping someone else, it’s your responsibility to listen.