We’ve all heard the phrase “less is more”, but modern living would have you believe quite the opposite is true. Constantly being told to buy more, desire better, upgrade and accumulate objects to prove we have somehow succeeded at the game of life.

Thankfully more and more people are realising that owning “stuff” isn’t a sign of success, it’s a sign of escapism.!Image

“I’ve worked hard, I deserve to buy myself something” is a thought process I’m sure you’ve experienced yourself.

After a particularly tough project or series of work tasks, it’s all too easy to treat yourself to something shiny and new.

The truth is the more you buy the more chains you have tying you to one location.

You can’t take all this stuff with you on an extended trip, you have to store it somewhere.

That “somewhere” often has to be an ever increasingly big house with more rooms, more storage, and more space to fit your accumulating collection of stuff!

Yet the life we all dream of is having freedom to move, to explore the world, to live an easier life.

I’ve got news for you, all that stuff you bought isn’t going to give you that.

In this guide to downsizing and freeing yourself from the chains of possessions, we’ll explore many of the aspects you’ll be confronted with.

Going against the grain and selling rather than buying

Let’s face it, the world we live in is geared towards us consuming things at an ever increasing rate. We used to own objects for 5-10 years and now we’re being told to upgrade every year or we’ll be missing out.

There’s a constant message of “buy the latest!” And “Follow this trend” that we’re all expected to take part in, and for the most part societies all over the world submit to this notion and play along.

While the world has become more accepting of alternative lifestyles, people still turn their noses up at ideas like downsizing.

No doubt most of your friends and family have moved into increasingly larger houses or bought more expensive cars. They’ve accumulated shinier smart phones and snazzier new home decor that’s “in fashion” right now. They long to build an extension on their house for a bigger kitchen or extra bedroom.!Why downsizing is better than a dream house

Let me be clear, I’m not knocking this lifestyle. If it’s all you desire then more power to you. I have a feeling that the reason you may be reading this article though is because you’re starting to realise this lifestyle isn’t for you.

And that’s great! Also don’t worry, downsizing isn’t anywhere near as scary as you’d think.

But rest assured, while 99% of the world appears to be buying and consuming, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb when you’re the one selling and downsizing your life.

We’ll touch more on this later, but just know that downsizing will feel weird for a while, but it gets easier (more on that later too!).

I’d also like you to note that downsizing isn’t some hippy notion of a life free of stuff. You’ll still need stuff to survive, you just won’t need an entire house full of it.

Start a spreadsheet

You may have gathered from my experience that my spreadsheet was ultimately pointless, but you’d be wrong. It gave me a starting point, something to methodically work through and add to.

So take a walk around your home. Some items will jump out as obvious candidates.

Add those to your sheet and give yourself somewhere to start. If you just tried to sell everything, you’d soon feel overwhelmed at the prospect and potentially get overly sentimental about things as a coping mechanism.

Just be aware that after a while you’ll soon be selling much more than you initially listed.

You may not even have time to keep the sheet up to date as the selling increases, but at least it got you started on the road to downsizing.

I’m sure you’ve got plenty of items in your home that you are attached to in some way. That’s often the reason we buy things, filling our home with stuff we like.

Because of this, it’s all too easy to apply a financial value to an object you’ve loved for years.

This however is not how the world works. Everything has a market value and depending on its age, condition and current trends, that value will fluctuate.

What you think something is worth is not what others will be expecting to pay.

In order to keep selling your items at a regular pace you’ll need to research current market values and be prepared to accept less than what you expect for some items.

Don’t worry, along the way you’ll be equally surprised to find how much more something is worth than you originally thought.

Downsizing is not just a case of just picking random stuff and selling it on Facebook Marketplace and eBay.

There is an important order to the items you sell, as you still need to live in your home for the time-being.

Here’s an interesting concept that will help you sort your items and sell them at the right time.

Items with the most utility should be sold last Items with the least beauty can be sold first

This may sound odd, but let’s walk you through it.!What order to downsize in?

If you’re currently using an item or can remember a time in the last month or two that you used it, then you probably still need that item until close to the date you plan to move out.

If you currently enjoy the look of an item, be it a cushion, painting, picture or lamp, then this item brings you joy and plays a small part in your mental health. Don’t sell those first, pick the unloved, unused and odd items first.

You know the ones…

• The objects gathering dust that you keep in the spare room.
• The ridiculous number of books you keep on shelves but haven’t read in years.
• The collection of devices and cables in drawers that you never use.
• The weird looking set of shot glasses you bought in Majorca in 1996.

Make a start with those items first, begin small and work your way up to the bigger items. Your goal is to move out with the big things being sold on your last day if possible so you can still enjoy your home and traverse the downsizing process with ease.!Image

The bell curve of your downsizing experience

If we were to draw a chart of your downsizing experience, the X axis being time and the Y axis being items currently on sale, you’d see something of a bell curve. Peaking roughly half way through and potentially turning your house into what appears like a bunch of stock rooms for a home decor store.

I feel it’s important we acknowledge the process and just how intense it can become, because it’s all too easy to panic and freak out when you’re in the thick of it selling your things.

Part of the reason for that panic is that this is in all likelihood a new experience for you and a surreal one at that. While your friends and family continue to buy more stuff, you’re putting it all up for sale and downsizing massively.

I want you to expect this bell curve rather than fear it, as I believe it’s important to see it coming and enjoy the feeling. It may be the only time in your life you experience this, so embrace it.

The admin of downsizing can often be so intense that you forget to enjoy the bigger picture. So it’s important to take stock and reflect on just what it is you’re doing.

With every item that you give away, sell or recycle, you’re creating a lighter, leaner future for yourself and your family.

Not only that but you’re also learning a valuable lesson, one that is so profound you’ll want to teach it to others.

You’re learning that you don’t need all this stuff to be happy. In fact, you feel happier without it.

Not only that, but something even more impressive!

It actually stops you wanting to buy stuff!

This diet actually works! You’ve reduced the excess fat from your lifestyle and found a way to stay lean and flexible.

Now how awesome does that sound?!!The Digital Nomad Lifestyle

With a leaner mindset that requires less things in your life, you can travel more easily and more regularly without the need to constantly accumulate.

For me, this was one of the driving forces of my downsizing experience. Not only did I want less stuff to worry about and pay to store somewhere, but I wanted to release myself from the cycle of always buying more.

Travel is vitally important for me, as my worldly adventures are where I really come alive.

My movement doesn’t restrict my buying, it was my buying that used to restrict my movement.

This is an important lesson and if travel is part of your bliss then downsizing will have a greater impact on your mindset and your future life than you could possibly imagine.

What to say to Friends and Family

An inevitable part of downsizing is that you can never hide what you’re doing from your friends and family. It’s pretty obvious when your life becomes an endless selling of items from your increasingly scarce looking home.

Let’s face it, how many years did it take for you to reach that lightbulb moment when you knew downsizing was the right thing for you? Do you really expect your loved ones to understand overnight just why you’re selling everything?

It’s important to know that awkward conversations and many looks of concern will come your way as you downsize your life.

There’s a few important points to raise here so that you’re well prepared for these occurrences.!What to tell family about downsizing?

Don’t try and educate them

Your downsizing experience is your own and your end goals are personal to you. You will at times feel a desperate desire to make people understand why you’re doing this seemingly abnormal thing.

You will seem crazy to some people, even family members, and no amount of explaining will ever convince them otherwise.

So save your breath and go about your downsizing tasks with a quiet confidence. Stick to the plan and see it through.

Consistency and conviction will show everyone that you know exactly what you’re doing.!Stick to the downsizing plan

Ultimately, downsizing is just one of the steps on the way to achieving your bliss. Whether that’s living a simpler existence or embarking on a nomadic adventure. Your biggest goal is your driving force, with downsizing just a process you must undertake to achieve your bliss.

So share your bliss with friends and family. Tell them all about what you’re working towards. People love to know what the end goal is, even if achieving your Bliss Investor lifestyle is often just the beginning of a new adventure!

But that conversation is for a whole other article.