Personal Downsizing

With the economic picture still continuing to present challenges to many of us, I began thinking about the idea of downsizing and how it relates to me personally. Downsizing is often used when the circumstances have forced it, like a company that must lay off employees to avoid going out of business or a couple that must move from their home to avoid foreclosure. The idea of downsizing always seems to have a negative connotation to it and I started thinking about how that could change if we started proactively downsizing, starting with our personal lives. Do I really need three TVs in the house? What about two cars to drive? Could Christy and I manage our lives with one car to share? Would we be able to handle the planning and and forethought that might have to occur, no more jumping in a car at a moment's notice to run to the store or grab a bite to eat? I started a mental inventory of all the places where personal downsizing could happen in my life and what the net impact would be. I started thinking about how much nicer it might be to open a closet or drawer and not feel it precariously stuffed and filled, with a single wrong move possibly bringing the whole thing down. Would it really bother me to wear the same several tops to work meetings? Would anyone I work with even notice? (Disclaimer: I do work with mostly men on a regular basis! So, I began the process of assessing what we could downsize.

Decision One: company car. I am no longer driving enough miles to warrant a company car, which meant we would have to buy another car or live with one?

Decision: downsize, one car.

Decision Two: what can we live without? This is a longer process, going through closets, noticing items that have not been used in months, streamlining our home life. We did accomplish a big part of this when we moved, but the accumulation seemed to start all over in the new house. Do we need all this stuff? I took a first step in this area when I chose to check out the public library and discovered that it is a great resource for books (and much easier on the budget too!) but now it is time to go to the next level with it.

Decision: room to streamline, finding motivation to do it.

Decision Three: keep chaos at bay. I find that when organization fails, accumulation starts. So, the motivation will have to reach beyond cleaning and purging and lead all the way to implementing a new process for organization.

Decision: organization at home is coming...

So, that is the start of my personal downsizing - it also includes some lifestyle downsizing, trimming the excess and finding the fun and value in simplicity. I think that this idea of personal downsizing is going to be an adventure, challenging me to think about my choices and to keep asking myself, need or want? And, while there will still be some indulging the wants, I think that being thoughtful about them will make me appreciate them even more. Now, off to work on organizing and cleaning (and hopefully purging!) in the house...