‘You should get rid of that’. In the case of downsizing and decluttering, how do we get out of the way of what we should keep or get rid of? Applying the principles of preference, passion, and priority can help. It’s another tool in the decluttering and downsizing toolbox that helps steer our decision-making toward solutions that are meaningful and intentional.

When the calendar turns the page into September, summer vacations become precious memories, and the school year begins anew. The lazy, hazy days of summer with their rising temperatures are behind us, and we begin to feel the crisp air of fall taking their place. It’s sweater weather.

Sweater Weather, SNL

Books are a precious commodity for many reasons. It is said that to look at the books in a person’s home is to look into a person’s soul. Maybe so. The titles on our bookshelves show us and others what it is we’re interested in, for learning and for fun. Books connect us with the world, opening our minds to possibilities we may not have known existed.

Another year of learning and growing is in the rear-view mirror. The kiddos have been bringing home worksheets, reports, artwork, event flyers and more all year long, evidence of a jam-packed academic year. But wait there’s more!

As I snipped and chopped my way from one shrub and plant to the next, I continued to feel a sense of freedom and relief. I felt the plants were breathing better now that space was created around them.

I know. The title does not invoke a positive vibe. Hang in there. There’s a way out.

The day was mine! A whole day (as much as six or so hours can be counted as a whole day) stretched out in front of me. I could do whatever I wanted. Now what?

They grew up with stories of prior generations, family members who had little, worked hard and risked much to create better lives for themselves and more importantly their families. Those stories are imbedded into their beings and influence their beliefs and practices about the stuff they own.

Marie, now the mother to three children, has come to the realization that it takes more energy than it used to, and she is OK with the fact that not everything (tidying) will get done each day. She has decided to give herself the grace to embrace this chapter of her life even when it means she lives amidst a messy house.

Clutter comes in so many different packages. What one person perceives as clutter, another does not. We all define it differently. We have our own tolerance of it, and so the volume of clutter is also different for each person.