More Freedom by Downsizing After 50

INTRO

Do you wish you had less stuff? Less clutter? Less to deal with? More time to spend on what you really want? Many people would love to lead a clearer, simpler life in their middle age and beyond. In this episode, we talk about how you can achieve that, but warning: It will require some work. But the payoff is fantastic. 

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

• The common garage scene
• Moving is a great opportunity to downsize your stuff
• Story: The infernal knitting machine I couldn’t shake
• How we accumulate
• Why we keep stuff we no longer use
• Wanting less as you get older
• Wanting life to be simpler in midlife
• Website: The Senior Nomads - https://seniornomads.com
• Website: Allan Karl: www.allankarl.com
• Quietly wishing you were more free
• Lightening your physical load
• Saying: “Have fewer possession-commitments.”
• Paperwork - you don’t need most of it
  • Digitising your paper
  • Stopping paper mail coming in
  • Creating a naming taxonomy
• Clothes - you don’t need as many as you think
  • Unnecessarily high-priced clothes
  • The economics of having a few good things vs many average things
  • Freeing up your money
• Stuff in cupboards - Freeing up your space, time and energy
  • Keeping too many items = more to deal with
  • Using the three-box system
  • How to deal with too many books
• Gaining a sense of lightness and freedom
• Website: www.TheMinimalists.com - keep what you truly enjoy, ditch the rest
• The psychology trick to getting on top of things - blocks, not whole categories.

HOW TO WORK THIS INTO YOUR LIFE

Paperwork

• Get a scanner to digitise your paper
• Use a consistent naming format
• Put aside a block of time to scan, save and toss each week

Clothing

• Choose some cheaper clothes for mucking around in
• Decide on ‘If I buy one thing in, I take one thing out’
• Doesn’t fit, no longer wanted or no good anymore, take.it.out

Stuff in cupboards

• Choose one cupboard to sort, and sort it until it’s finished.
• Don’t try to take on a whole room, garage, or very large category like ‘all my clothes.’
• Spend one block of time, do the job, then stop and treat yourself. 

Use the power of imagination: Picture the end goal often - your paperless office or kitchen bench, your tidier wardrobe, and your clearer cupboards and garage. Imagine also, how that feels. This will engage more of your sense which makes achieving the outcome more likely. No woo-woo here, just science.

SHARE & CONNECT

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And do leave a comment, send me a message, or email me with anything you'd like to share, or any question you'd like an opinion on.

Love to hear from you and am always happy to help.

Regards

Rob

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