Last week I wrote to you about making that move to a (hopefully)
smaller house and to the idea of rightsizing (a.k.a. downsizing) your possessions. As we get older having fewer possessions around us is a natural progression. The challenge is that once you have gone to all the work of getting rid of things before the move you have to work to keep it that way after the move!
The book “Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash” by Vickie Dellaquila, that I mentioned last week, also talks about “after the move”. After the move you have to think about everything that comes in the house and begin to implement a policy of “One in, One Out”. Otherwise your smaller living space begins to close in on you.
Just a little thing like keeping a handle on the paper that comes into your house is important.
Ms. Dellaquila recommends:
- Ask companies to not send mail or catalogs by going to www.dmaconsumers.org/offmailinglist for ways to remove your name from mailing lists.
- Sort your mail immediately and keep a recycle bin handy to immediately get rid of junk mail. I keep a shredder handy as well, to shred anything with my personal information on it.
- Share newspapers and magazines. Here at Stillwaters Gathering Place we already do one thing she suggests. We share papers and magazines so they don’t clutter up everyone’s home.
- Create a filing system for the paper you do keep and handle papers just once. Having a filing system set up helps to keep the clutter at a minimum. Open your mail and have only three piles – recycle, file or “For Action”. Keep it simple and organized.
Do you have additional ideas for staying organized and right-sized? Send me an email at [email protected] and I will share.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you. – Walt Whitman
WEATHER: Heads up! Hot weather coming your way.
Temperature Forecasts –
Saturday – 92 degrees
Sunday – 93 degrees
Monday – 95 degrees
Tuesday- 101 degrees
Wednesday – 95 degrees
Stay Cool and drink plenty of water!
