People ask us that all the time. And we always give the same answer: Now!
If you’re thinking about it, start doing it.
People know that. Then they put it off anyway.
“I know I should, but I don’t have the energy to do it now,” they say.
Unfortunately, waiting makes it a lot harder.
People don’t realize that it’s the mental energy and acuity — the ability to make decisions easily — that makes downsizing a challenging task.
And for the majority, that ability drops off significantly with age.
When a parent leaves downsizing to their children, they make it even harder. Without direct knowledge of what may be valuable, the kids are left to make arbitrary decisions about what stays and what goes. And that can leave them with a heavy burden of guilt long after the work is done.
Like so many things, the best time to start downsizing is before you have to.
It’s not only easier that way, it’s probably a lot faster, too.
