Got Clutter?
Five Easy Steps to De-Clutter
by Jean Goldman
Whether you are an empty nester moving from a house into a condo, or downsizing and moving into a retirement community, or just plain tired
of having too much stuff, it is time to begin to say goodbye to some of your possessions.
Moving is stressful, especially as you get older. Most older people who are moving are downsizing, and that means paring down and parting with possessions they have accumulated over the years.
To reduce the stress and make the move easier, Jean Goldman and Jean Hoehn, two Ashby Village volunteers, developed the De-Clutter Workshop: Five Easy Steps to De-clutter. It is offered throughout the Bay Area. This two-hour workshop provides the tools and the resources participants need to begin to de-clutter their homes and clear out many of the things that have accumulated over the years and that they no longer want or need.
Here are the five steps they have learned about making it work, which they offer in the workshop.
1. Decide which room or area you will start with. Start with one to begin
with, and then move on to other rooms. One of the things that overwhelms people and keeps them from tackling the problem is seeing the whole house and not knowing where to begin. The place to begin is in one room – pick one and stay there until you are done.
2. Sort and organize your possessions into TWO groups – Keep or Get Rid Of.
As we say in the workshop – there are ONLY two groups. There is not a maybe group. Sort through all your things in that room or area and place them in the appropriate pile. Don’t worry if you choose a pile and want to change your mind later. You will have the opportunity to go through each group later.
3. Go through the KEEP group to decide what you really want to keep.
Determine why you are keeping each item. Do you need to keep it for legal reasons (tax returns) or are you keeping it to give to your children (who, by the way, probably do not want your stuff – but that is for another time)? Did it belong to your mother and you cannot part with it?
Do you have a GOOD reason to keep it? If not, it should be given away.
4. Go through the GET RID OF group and decide what to do with each item you no longer want or need. Is the item valuable? Do you want to sell it? Donate it to a local charity or organization? Or should it simply be recycled? Determine what you need to do with each item and put it into a pile or box – sell, consign, donate, recycle. (Color dots are very useful).
5. Create a timeline and a plan (including who can help you) to sort or dispose of things you no longer want or need. It is very helpful to have someone work with you, since it is overwhelming to try to do this on your own.
This is where the Ashby Village de-cluttering buddies come in. They will work with you to sort and organize your things into groups and help you determine what to do with them.
If this all seems overwhelming, you can get support from a senior move manager. Senior move managers specialize in the delicate business of helping seniors downsize, sell, donate, or simply de-clutter the home for safety’s sake. They will work with you to coordinate a move into a new home, hire movers, and provide other resources as needed.
The time to begin to de-clutter is now! Do not wait until you are ready to move. The process takes longer than you think it will, and you do not want to be rushed. You want to take the time to go through your things and make the right choices. Keep what you really love and use and get rid of things you no longer need.
Good luck with your de-cluttering!
Jean Hoehn is the coordinator of the De-Cluttering Buddy’s team for Ashby Village, providing members with support to de-clutter in their homes.
Jean Goldman is the principal of GOLDMAN TRANSITIONS, a senior move management company that provides downsizing, organizing, and move management services to seniors and their families. For more information about Goldman Transitions: www.goldmantransitions.com.