Rightsizing Done Right

Let me first say this post begins with a somewhat shameless plug. Rightsize Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow, by Marni Jameson recently came out, and I am in it. I met Marni a few years back when she contacted me as a professional resource while working on another piece of writing. The subject matter could not have been timelier for me, as my personal and professional lives collided. A piece of that conversation found its way into one of Marni’s articles and now in the pages of her newest book that serves as a guide to help those seeking their ideal home later in life.

It used to be that when we heard the word downsize it was in reference to corporations making staffing cuts and reducing expenses to find better financial footing. Today it is a commonplace term that typically results in baby boomers and seniors moving from large homes to smaller ones. With that often comes lots of decluttering, giving belongings away to family, friends, and charity, and selling off items that won’t physically fit the new environment. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, and yet it can somehow feel like a lifestyle downgrade. The reasons people downsize are many and varied. Circumstances that impact health, career and relationships can all be cited as legitimate reasons that support the change. Some of these decisions are made by choice, but not always.  The most intense situations are those where a health crisis or loss of a loved one forces change. Depending on the circumstances, it can feel like a demotion to a way of life.

Enter rightsizing.

Downsizing. and certainly rightsizing. is not a demotion. Nor is it living a smaller life. It’s living in just the right fit for you. Rightsizing is about making intentional choices while you are able-minded and bodied about the items you own and the spaces you live in as well as other aspects of life. It’s about creating that sweet spot, a convergence of physical, emotional, social, and financial fitness. That’s why we often hear about baby boomers and seniors taking off for warmer climates, lively social scenes or a slower-pace, and to be closer to family. While it often does include paring down belongings and living in a smaller space, that is not always the case. Rightsizing is not one size fits all. Sometimes it means downsizing and sometimes it means upsizing. Wherever that place is, it contains only those things that you need, use and love - in many categories of life. It’s kind of like finally fulfilling the answer to the question, what do I want to be when I grow up?

Getting to the Right Size

Rightsizing and downsizing share lots of common benefits like living in a more streamlined home free of the physical bane of clutter. You are no longer living in a self-inflicted storage unit. When it’s time to sell, your home will be ready to show because the lion’s share of work will be done. And importantly, a future burden is lifted from your children’s, or other loved one’s shoulders who will have the ultimate responsibility of clearing out the home.

While rightsizing is a holistic approach to live in a certain mindset, it does have a lot to do with how much stuff you own. There are lots of questions to ask about what needs to be done to arrive at the right quantity of possessions to support your desired right-sized lifestyle, Let’s start with the big picture questions like why rightsize? What do you hope to achieve? What does that look like and how would it make you feel? These questions are often the starting point of any decluttering and organizing project, so they certainly have a place in your rightsizing project, too.

Now visualize your ideal, rightsized home.

1.       What does it look like in terms of size? A small space comfortable for one or two, or one with multiple bedrooms to accommodate lots of sleepovers?

2.       Does the property include a yard large enough to let the dogs run free, a small patch of green, or no green at all? A pool? A patio?

3.       Where is your ideal home in terms of proximity to family/friends, social activities and healthcare?

4.       Which belongings will earn their rightful place in your home?

5.       How much house can you afford? Downsizing to a smaller home than what you’re used to does not always translate into downsizing financially. Rightsizing takes the finances into consideration.

6.       How does all of this feed your vision?

These questions are meant to be thought-provoking and to produce meaningful results, so don’t expect immediate answers. Just as it took as many years as it did to fill your house with all its belongings, it will take time to sort through not only the stuff, but the lifestyle values that will make your rightsized home right for you.