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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
My downsizing project has more or less sputtered out and if I want to be finished with the whole ordeal by the time all this social distancing comes to a close I'd better kick it up a notch. I read this mainly for motivation because by now I've read so many of these kind of books, there's not a lot of new information. What I took from this book was that when we come across something that triggers SAG emotions (sadness, anxiety, guilt) we have the option to reframe those feelings. This is different from avoiding them.You can acknowledge that looking at them makes you sad (and you don't keep stuff that makes you sad!), but you reframe the item for what it brought you and relive happy memories. So, seeing my husband's bowling ball bag in the closet does make me sad, but rather than avoid the closet, I take out the bag, remember the fun he had with his bowling team, his fruitless efforts at making me a better bowler, the good friends he made along the way - feel the gratitude for those experiences - and then put that puppy in the goodwill pile. Admittedly, it's much harder to do when he left so many things undone/works in progress. But the principle is the same, so I keep plugging away.
Walsh has written several books on decluttering. I've found his style helpful, in large part because he addresses the emotional aspects of decluttering - that not only does getting rid of stuff feel like a loss, but also that the need to declutter is often triggered by some other loss. In this book he addresses downsizing, and points out that the need to downsize is often because we've reached the end of a stage in our life and have to transition to another one, so we are grieving over the "loss" of the life we used to have.
Useful to Gen X or Boomer generations, (40+) not so much to younger generations.
The information contained in several chapters is redundant, but the book's content overall is very helpful. Especially recommended for anyone facing the task of emptying a parent's home, either with that parent's involvement or after he or she has died. It can be a terribly complex, emotional, and exhausting thing to do, and Walsh provides many valuable suggestions to ease the pain.
A book that everyone needs to read.
At some point in our lives, we all need to downsize. This book gives you the tools to get through this process efficiently and as painlessly as possible.
Peter divides downsizing into two categories: downsizing your own possessions and downsizing someone else's possessions. My favorite aspect of the book is that it explains the psychology associated with letting go of material possessions. I have always been reluctant to let go because I have been afraid that I will need those items later. After reading this book, I understand that this is a form of anxiety.
I love that Peter advocates downsizing your own possessions while you still have the capacity to do so. As he stated in the book, that is really gift to your survivors. I have already had to participate in cleaning and distributing one relative's household. It was a stressful and draining process. I wish that I had read this book prior to that process. Peter lays out how to navigate the personalities that can be involved.
Our lives are more than the stuff that we have accumulated along the way. This book is a good step toward realizing this and focusing on what truly matters.
At some point in our lives, we all need to downsize. This book gives you the tools to get through this process efficiently and as painlessly as possible.
Peter divides downsizing into two categories: downsizing your own possessions and downsizing someone else's possessions. My favorite aspect of the book is that it explains the psychology associated with letting go of material possessions. I have always been reluctant to let go because I have been afraid that I will need those items later. After reading this book, I understand that this is a form of anxiety.
I love that Peter advocates downsizing your own possessions while you still have the capacity to do so. As he stated in the book, that is really gift to your survivors. I have already had to participate in cleaning and distributing one relative's household. It was a stressful and draining process. I wish that I had read this book prior to that process. Peter lays out how to navigate the personalities that can be involved.
Our lives are more than the stuff that we have accumulated along the way. This book is a good step toward realizing this and focusing on what truly matters.
The gender equality of this book is honestly amazing - Peter does a great job of pointing out that a lot of organization and downsizing falls on the shoulders of women and wives, with men usually cleaning out the garage or loading the trucks. I think this is a really well-done section and I appreciate his attention to the discrepancy and his suggestions for avoiding it.
Helpful advice if you are moving (especially if you are older/downsizing your space).
informative
fast-paced