 I was part of the moving crew to help my daughter move last week...Part way through the unloading, she turned to me and asked, "Do you think we have too much stuff? You'd tell me, right?"
Here's how you know if you have too much stuff:
Here's what to do about it: Plan ahead! Start at least 6 months ahead of your move to downsize your items. For some people it's easiest to work on one room at a time. Other people like to choose a category, like books, and go through the whole house plucking out books that they no longer read or that no longer delight them. Give yourself time to sort through and edit everything before you even think about packing. It's way too much to do all at the same time. Ask yourself the hard questions, and EDIT ruthlessly! "Do I want to carry it?" (Even if you're not actually going to carry the boxes yourself, use that as a measuring tool and figuratively ask, "Do I want to carry this ______ with me into my new life?") "Does it serve the future me?" "Do I get excited at the thought of unpacking it?" "Do I Love it? Need it?" "Will I ever miss it if it's gone, or does it thrill me that someone else will love it?" Give back! Many of us are keeping items for others, and this is often well intentioned, done out of a spirit of helping, love and kindness. What I often see, however, is that these items become a burden. They are items that belong to our children, our parents, or our long-gone relatives. We are the ones that keep this stuff because we have a basement, an attic, a storage locker. I am here to tell you that the time is now! If you are contemplating a move...send out the word to the relatives: YOU HAVE 3 MONTHS, (UNTIL {3 months from date...}) TO CLAIM YOUR ITEMS! AFTER SUCH TIME, THEY WILL BE DONATED AND SENT BACK OUT INTO THE WORLD TO ENCHANT SOMEONE ELSE. I WILL NOT DRAG THEM WITH ME INTO MY NEW LIFE! (or something like that...) Blame me, Blame the blog, Feel the pinch and do it anyway. (If you must, try a nicer approach first...nice does not usually convey a sense of urgency.) A move is such a big transition and if you happen to also be downsizing, this is a crucial step. Now, unpack, enjoy, CELEBRATE! You did all of the hard work, enjoy the beginning of your new life feeling lighter, sparkly, and spacious. If you are NOT moving, apply the above principles to your current location and have the sparkly and spacious feeling right now! If you are headed for a move, let me know how I can support you, I have helped dozens of people get real about what to pack and move. I would love to help you, too! Lots of love, Jane
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 So, you’ve decided to tackle your clothes, huh? Would you like a few tips? Here’s the exact process I use when working with clients and their clothes.
And by the way, this is how we tackled a client’s closet last Friday. We go through her closet yearly so now it’s a breeze...so easy, in fact, that we had time to GO SHOPPING! First, start with the dresser. I would recommend going one drawer at a time so that the job does not become overwhelming! Or pick a category like shoes, sweaters, workout gear. Remember start small and manageable, build your editing muscle without overwhelming yourself. Take everything out (of the drawer, shelf, or section of closet) and give the drawer or shelf a cleaning. (I LOVE Thieves Cleaner, smells like cinnamon and cloves. I’m looking forward to a scratch/sniff app someday, then you can smell for yourself). Then the FUN begins...EDITING! This is where you sort out what to keep, donate, or mend. Some things to keep in mind when working on EDITING For each item:
Be RUTHLESS!!! Someone would LOVE to find this stuff at the Goodwill OR take it to a consignment shop (if you have time) and get back some cash $$$ for your cast-offs. During this process, it can be helpful to make a list of items to buy…Do you need to replace the jeans, sweaters, or shoes you just bagged up for donation? Are you starting a new phase of life, do you need a wardrobe upgrade? What staples are missing from your closet? Are you in need of neutrals? Color? Texture? Lots to consider! Psssst...you might even want new hangers, all the same, beautiful, luxurious! Putting things away should be no sweat now that there’s plenty of space! Ahhhhhh, space for a couple of new things maybe, but just SPACE so that the drawer shuts and the clothes aren’t jammed into the closet and feels really, really good! It makes getting dressed and finding outfits a cinch! Maybe in the try-on phase, you have even discovered a few NEW combinations! Now, CELEBRATE! Sit down with a cup of tea, a piece of dark chocolate, talk a walk in the sun, or (my favorite) do a happy dance...enjoy your success and PLEEEEEEEASE send me a picture or video… (I am starting a collection of happy dance videos. Wouldn’t you love to share?) Good luck and let me know how it goes for you in the comments section below! XOXO Jane 
Louis XV Candelabra Pair, Treasure or Trouble?
I spent the weekend in Los Angeles with my sister, my long-lost cousin and her family (we hadn’t seen each other since we were kids). The experience gave me an intriguing perspective on the past and my own relationship with it. It was interesting to fill in details of my Grandparents, Parents, Aunt, Uncle and cousins (we all three had different versions of some of the same stories). We patted a few details into place and then focused most of our energy and excitement on what our lives were like right now and how we saw our futures.
It really got me thinking about the idea of saving and preserving the past. (FYI: My cousin DID NOT run to the attic to dig out Grandma’s candlesticks to show us, if she has any THINGS from those days, it did not come up at all.) We were connecting, and enjoying each other and the “stuff” of it was completely irrelevant. I realize everyone has their own relationship to the past involving memories and stories that they deem “good” or “bad”. But what about the THINGS from the past? How does this fit into our lives as we move forward? Do these THINGS also represent our future selves? I am going to go WAY out on a limb and theorize that if we really, really sat with the things that we consider mementos from the past that very few of them would be treasures. And what we treasure are the moments of connection and the moments of love. Try this experiment for yourself: Go find one of these items, oh yes, I know you have them somewhere, a tray from Grandma, an old set of china from your Mother, jewelry passed down from your ancestors. Just pick one thing. Hold it in your hands, close your eyes and breathe. Does this item lift your energy or does it take you down? Do you smile? Does it lift your spirits? Or do you take a dive, feel uncomfortable, burdened, or weighed down in some way? Does your brain start making up stories to trick you into keeping it, such as, “It was a gift...I inherited it... I should keep it…” When our brain starts telling us reasons like these it is a good indication that we are not really happy about hanging on. Listen to your gut and your heart instead. Everything in our possession matters (every lace tablecloth, every relish tray and every single photo.) And everything either lifts our spirits or it doesn’t. If you can’t decide, leave this item out for a week and notice what happens to you every time you pass it. Keeping only the real treasures from the past, the ones that lift our chi and warm our hearts are the ones worth keeping. We do NOT have to keep everything! The practice of editing possessions based on how they make us feel will yield amazing results. Watch for it to affect your health, wealth and relationships! If you’d like some support editing your items so that you can step more lightly and assuredly into your future, I would LOVE to guide you through the process. Looking forward to hearing how this goes for you…leave your comments on the blog (below), that’s where the fun is! Until next week, Love, Jane
Last week, I worked with one of my favorite families to create a fully functioning recreation section of their basement. As you can see from the picture, there were many categories of sports stuff (and a few non-related items :)) tangled up in this area of the basement. This family is busy! Sporty! Active! They love to travel and even go for months at a time on sabbatical. So, time is valuable to them, as it is to all of us! The whole family knew that if they needed ski, soccer, tennis, football, picnic, basketball, biking, or skating gear that they came to this area to look for it. And, as you can see, it had POTENTIAL to really get better and make their lives easier saving them some precious time in the process! We built wire shelving, and labeled clear tubs with categories for easy access. the tops are OFF the tubs and they pull out like drawers so that finding and putting away items is very easy for everyone. Not only is the non-related stuff gone, but the storage looks beautiful and most importantly, it will save this family tons of time locating and then returning their items to their respective spots. Now, imagine applying this idea to your home office, your attic, your garage, and closets. What if organizing and creating accessible storage saved you 15 or even 30 minutes a day? Wouldn’t you LOVE that? What would YOU do with extra time? Please leave me a comment below and let me know... Until next week! Love, Jane |
Jane Antonovich
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