We had another productive Saturday work session with Steve’s cousins on their parents’ (who passed away in September and December) home today. However, the realization is that there is so much more to do. We feel a sense of accomplishment in what we’ve done, but the reality is that there is so much more to address. Their approach to setting aside a concrete time-frame together on a Saturday morning, every 4-6 weeks, is a great way to tackle it, for upon entering the home and seeing all of the “stuff” can immediately feel overwhelming.
If you have “stuff” that you never use anymore, please do not save it for your family to deal with later, unless you think it has sentimental value or monetary value. If you think it has monetary value, do the legwork for them and substantiate the value by getting the item appraised or providing a receipt. If you have an item of sentimental value, please write down the sentimental story. Why? It could easily be considered just another item in the plethora of items in your household.
Another way to look at the “stuff” in life, is that it’s not necessarily the “stuff” in life that we should cling to, but rather the relationships or having more free time for yourself. Freeing yourself or your descendants to enjoy the relationships or extra time may be one of the biggest gifts you can provide yourself or them one day! Each item that you possess takes some time from you. For example, when you dust your house, how many objects do you have to lift or shift to dust your furniture? The time it takes to lift or shift, is time away from a relationship or your doing something you really want to do. Consider all of the time that would eventually accumulate? Or, how many times have you moved, only to pack, load, move, unload, and unpack? Why not invest your time with your family or friends?
What techniques do you have for getting rid of stuff? I’d love to have you share your ideas.
Happy Saturday!
Diane