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Keeping an Downsizing Journal

3/15/2021

10 Comments

 
A journal is a great place to write down goals, record experiences, reflect on progress, and keep track of information. Personally, I have kept (and continue to keep) journals for a variety of purposes. Examples include a prayer journal, a devotional journal, a gratitude journal, a diet and exercise journal, and an experience journal (which is what most people think of when they hear the word journal). Indeed, journals can be dedicated to any purpose that meets a need. 
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Recently, as I have begun to work virtually with clients, I have encouraged them to keep a downsizing journal. ​

Why Keep a Downsizing Journal?


A downsizing journal is exactly what it sounds like: a journal dedicated to the process of downsizing. Downsizing is a major undertaking that involves a great deal of physical, mental, and emotional effort. At times, it can be overwhelming, frustrating, and/or exhausting. Staying on track and maintaining your motivation for such an undertaking can be challenging. Writing about the experience can help you appreciate your purpose, examine your feelings, vent your frustrations, and record your progress. 

What to Include in Your Journal


You can obviously include anything you like in your downsizing journal. That's the beauty of journals; they're personal. That said, I do have a few recommendations for how to utilize a downsizing journal effectively. Consider including the following:
Define Your "Why"
Your "why" is your purpose for downsizing. I enthusiastically encourage you to start your journal off by creating your persoanl list of reasons for embarking on the downsizing journey. Take your time producing this list. Ponder. Ask yourself questions such as:
  • "Why do I want to downsize?"
  • "What do I hope to achieve?"
  • "What positive outcomes do I anticipate from this process?"

​Record your answers. You can create a simple bullet list or write detailed paragraphs explaining each of your reasons. However you choose to record the information, it's important that you look at it frequently throughout the process. Use it as a reminder of why you started the downsizing process and a source of motivation to keep you focused and moving forward.
Describe Your End State
Your end state is closely related to your "why" but different enough to merit a page or two of its own. Your end state is what allows you both to visualize and to recognize success. How will you know when you have successfully downsized if you don't have a picture in your mind of what that will look like? 

​Again, it's helpful to ask yourself a few questions and record your answers. Some questions to ponder include: 
  • What are my goals?
  • How will I know when I have met them?
  • How do I want my space to look, feel, and function when I am done?

Again, it's important to revisit your answers periodically in order to evaluate your progress and be reminded of what you are working toward. 
Outline an Action Plan
If you are working with a professional organizer, he/she can assist you in creating an overarching plan for achieving your downsizing goals. Downsizing is a comprehensive process that typically involves editing all of your possessions, at least to a certain degree. As such, it is best to break it down. I recommend taking one of the following approaches:
  • Downsize by Room - If downsizing by room, create a separate goal or set of goals for each space. Then break the process for achieving each goal down into manageable tasks. For instance, if you are downsizing your kitchen, you could break it down by space or item (i.e. upper cabinets, lower cabinets, and drawers versus small appliances, utensils, dishes, etc.). 
  • Downsizing by Category - If you are downsizing by category, you will want to create goals for each type of item you'll be dealing with such as books, clothing, kitchen items, sports equipment, and so forth. Your goals might be centered on the amount of space you have - such as pairing books down to fit on a single bookcase - or what you anticipate needing - such as so many pairs of slacks, so many dressy tops, so many pairs of leggings, etc. 

Creating a detailed plan for downsizing will take some time and thought, but it will make the actual process much simpler because you will know when you have met your goal. Decision making will be less stressful if you have a clear set of guidelines in place to help you determine what you want/need to keep. 
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Record Your Progress
A journal is a great place to insert before and after photographs to document your progress. You might also use your journal to make to do lists. Personally I find crossing items off a list extremely satisfying. You can also just write about your progress in typical journal format by describing what you accomplish each day or week. 
Vent Your Frustrations
As with any major undertaking you will encounter challenges throughout the downsizing process. Things will not always go according to plan. Venting your frustrations on paper can be wonderfully theraputic. It's a way of purging your soul while purging your belongings!
Work Through the Decision Making Process
If you're having trouble determining what to part with or struggling to let go of things, write about it. Make a list of pros and cons for keeping or getting rid of a particular item that's causing your stress. Seeing it all laid out in black and white often yields an obvious solution.  
Record Your Feelings
When you're feeling overwhelmed by the sheer scope and scale of the process, write it out. When you're feeling proud of what you've accomplished, record those emotions. Writing down your feelings can be an effective way of processing them. The simple act of writing it down can help you to make sense of what you're feeling and deal productively with those emotions.  
Write About Your Stuff
Do you have fond memories of a particular item? Whether or not you are keeping the item in question, I recommend writing about it. Describe the circumstances that led you to acquire the item, who gave it to you, what you love about it, why it has value to you, and where it came from. You might even experiment with writing to the item itself. Pretend you are transcribing a letter to the beloved item. Reminisce about how you "met", who "introduced you", what kinds of experiences you enjoyed together, and so forth. Be sure to include a photograph of the item as well. 
Keep Track of Things
We downsized as part of a recent move. For us the process involved giving away many items to friends and family, donating items to charity, and selling some items. Because I was giving away a lot of things to a lot of different people, I kept an ever-evolving list of the items I had offered up, who had claimed them, and when/where the items would be handed off to their new owners. A downsizing journal is the perfect place to keep track of such information. If you're selling a lot of things,  you can also use your journal to list each item, your asking price, your rock-bottom price, and other pertinent information. 

Summing Up


If you are embarking on the downsizing journey, I hope you will consider keeping  a downsizing journal. Doing so can help you manage, process, record, and preserve the process. Your downsizing journal can be private, or you can share it with a family member or trusted friend. If you are working with an organizer, I recommend you share portions of your journal with him/her as you deem appropriate.  ​
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10 Comments
LISA GESSERT link
3/15/2021 01:48:52 pm

This was a very much needed blog....the only thing I would add is if it meant a lot to the person, take a photo of the item you are getting rid of...just in case you want to "see it"again! You did mention photographing the process/progress which is a great idea too....Great blog!!

Reply
Sheri Steed link
3/15/2021 02:54:56 pm

I agree that a photo of the beloved item is an important addition. Thanks for commenting!

Reply
Seana Turner link
3/15/2021 02:11:19 pm

I think we all process difficult things in our own way, and I can see that having a journal would be a very useful tool during the stress of downsizing. As you outline, it has both practical and emotional benefits, as you need it. Also, it allows you to keep everything in one place, which is always a good idea during chaotic times!

Reply
Sheri Steed link
3/15/2021 02:57:49 pm

It’s so true that we all process things differently. I know that this method won’t work for everyone, but hopefully some people will find it useful. I used a modified version during our move, and it was super helpful to have all the information in one place.

Reply
Margarita Ibbott link
3/15/2021 02:39:44 pm

There is much value to keeping a journal. I specifically like your suggestion to write down why you are downsizing. I am currently working on a workbook which helps with the downsizing process. Not so much a journal as a guide.

Great inspiration for those that need to keep track of their progress.

Reply
Sheri Steed link
3/15/2021 03:00:10 pm

Thanks so much for your comment. Your workbook sounds brilliant. I would love to see it when it’s done.

Reply
Linda Samuels link
3/15/2021 06:10:48 pm

As a longtime journal keeper, I love your idea of creating a downsizing journal. Several years ago, I cleared out and sold my parents' home, and then moved my mom into a memory care unit in an assisted living facility. Talk about downsizing! She went from a large house to being in a single room. It's amazing what she didn't need any longer. Because of her dementia, she wasn't aware of the moving and clearing out process. I was, and it was emotional. I didn't have a downsizing journal, but I did a lot of journaling and blogging about the process during that time. It was so valuable in helping me to work through emotions, celebrate, share, remember, and let go.

Reply
Sheri Steed link
3/16/2021 08:50:58 am

Wow, Linda! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Yours is exactly the kind of downsizing project I had in mind when I came up with the idea of a journal. I’m so glad to hear of a situation in which such a thing was/would have been helpful. There is so much emotion associated with this process, I really believe writing is an excellent way, at least for some, to work through a lot of the feelings and problem solve.

Reply
Julie Bestry link
3/17/2021 02:14:03 am

I have never been able to keep a journal for more than a week (though I use daily emails with a friend such that the correspondence serves a similar purpose); however, I have recently started having my virtual clients keep track of their organizing and productivity progress through journaling. I think this post will really help them!

Reply
Sheri Steed link
3/17/2021 09:11:20 am

Consistency is definitely a challenge when it comes to journaling. I thought it was interesting that you mentioned your emails with your friend as a substitute because that is something I have done as well. When my husband has been deployed, I have saved our messages in a sort of back and forth journal format to serve the same purpose because it felt like a waste of time to write much of the same information twice. I’m so glad you found this post helpful. I wish you luck with your virtual clients. I would love to hear how it goes.

Reply



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  • Home
  • About Sheri
    • Contact
    • Services >
      • FAQ
      • The Organization Process
      • Packages & Plans
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      • Why Hire an Organizer?
  • Organization Basics
    • Declutter Your Home >
      • Basics of Home Organization
      • Household Cleaning Schedule
      • Tips for a Quick Declutter
    • Basics of Decluttering >
      • 4 T's of Decluttering
      • Clutter vs Decor
      • Coming to Terms with Your Clutter Personality
      • Conquer Clutter
      • Principles of Organization
      • The Proven Process for Organizing Everything
      • Purge Like a Pro
      • Rules for Decluttering
      • Steps to Declutter
      • Systems for Decluttering
    • Organizing by Room >
      • Bathroom >
        • Bathroom Storage Solutions
        • DIY Bathroom Wall Storage
        • Declutter Hair Accessories
        • Declutter Your Makeup
        • Declutter Your Medicine Cabinet
      • Bedroom >
        • Bedroom Storage Solutions
        • How to Declutter Clothing
        • How to Organize Your Closet
      • Entry
      • Home Office >
        • Declutter Your Files
      • Kids' Rooms >
        • Toy Storage Tips
        • Toy Storage Options
        • Maintaining Kids' Rooms
      • Kitchen >
        • Primary Kitchen Work Zones
        • Secondary Kitchen Work Zones
        • Movable Kitchen Storage
        • How to Declutter Kitchen Cabinets
        • How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets
        • Kitchen Cabinet Space Savers
        • How to Declutter a Refrigerator
        • Tips for Organizing a Refrigerator
        • Meal Planning
        • How to Organize Recipes
      • Pantry >
        • Pantry Inspiration
    • Storage Solutions >
      • Assessing Your Storage Needs
      • How to Create a Whole House Storage Plan
      • Storage Kits
      • Storage Unit Dos and Don'ts: An Organizer's Perspective
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      • How to Establish an Information Management System
      • Declutter Papers
      • How to Organize with Lists
      • Deciding What Paperwork to Keep
    • Family >
      • How to Raise an Organized Child
      • Teaching Kids to Work
    • Productivity >
      • Stop Procrastinating and Declutter
      • The Myths of Multitasking
      • 7 Strategies for Single Tasking
    • Lifestyle >
      • College Prep >
        • College Packing List
        • Dorm Room Essentials
        • What Not to Take to College
      • Holiday Planning >
        • Declutter Your Holidays
        • Clutter-free Gift Giving
        • Give the Best Gifts
        • Organize Your Gift Giving
      • Preparing for Transition >
        • Aging with Grace and Purpose >
          • Estate Planning
          • Organizing for Alzheimer's Disease
        • Adult Children
      • Travel Planning >
        • Air Travel with Kids
        • Sightseeing with Kids
        • Tips for Care-free Travel
        • Traveling with Kids
    • Moving >
      • Creating a Household Inventory
      • Organize Your Move
      • Planning for a Move
      • Moving Options
      • Prepare for Movers
      • Working with Movers
      • Tips for Packing
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  • Resources
    • Books >
      • Moving Made Easy
    • Free Organization Printables
    • Challenges >
      • Get Rid of 100 Things in 100 Days
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      • Organization Gems Every Girl Needs
      • 12 Amazing Organization Products for Men
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      • Donate Sports Equipment
      • Donate Used Toys
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