It is fascinating to look up unusual words we don’t often use in the dictionary. Take the word ‘minimalism’, for example. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines minimalism as:
“a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme sparseness and simplicity.”
That definition lends itself very well to things like art and music. Minimalist art is simple in both form and presentation, while minimalist music is uncomplicated in terms of melody, instrumentation, and so on. As a personal concierge company, however, we can also see minimalism in what we do. We can see clearly that downsizing and minimalism go hand-in-hand, to the point of creating a simpler lifestyle.
Downsizing Reveals the Truth
Over the years of helping clients downsize, we have learned several fundamental truths, not the least of which is the reality that many people have no idea of the volume of the possessions they own. If we had a nickel for every surprised look or statement of exasperation related to the sheer amount of stuff client have to get rid of, we would no longer need to work.
We live in a consumer-driven world in which the accumulation of stuff seems like a natural part of our existence. How many of us have possessions we are not even aware of? How many of us buy simply to buy, then quickly forget about our purchases when the next one comes along?
Part of downsizing is coming to terms with the volume of stuff in the house. As a homeowner starts going through things, he or she quickly comes to the realization that there is probably too much. And that’s good, at least to a certain extent. Downsizing can be an opportunity to minimize the amount possessions one is holding onto and, as a result, simplify life by getting rid of excess.
Minimalism Reduces Stress
We’ve also discovered that embracing minimalism within the downsizing process reduces a lot of stress. Once a homeowner comes to the realization that he or she doesn’t need so much stuff, and is willing to let that stuff go, a lot of the pressure of downsizing simply evaporates. The individual doesn’t worry about how all of the stuff will fit into smaller spaces; there are fewer worries about storage; there is less dread of moving day because there is less to be moved.
Once in their new space, the downsized homeowners suddenly experience a brand-new freedom that comes with having less to maintain. They have more time to enjoy the things they really like to do; they spend less time cleaning, organizing, and moving things from one space to the next.
Downsizing and minimalism go hand-in-hand – like peanut butter and jelly or baseball and hot dogs. Downsizing is not always easy to do, nor is adopting a minimalist mindset, which is why My Divine Concierge offers the services we do. We want to help those struggling with downsizing do the job efficiently and with as little stress as possible.
If you’re getting ready to downsize, please contact us. We can help you reduce your possessions as needed, pack up your house, move your possessions to your new home, and then unpack everything on the other end. We offer a complete, hands-off downsizing package so that you don’t have to do anything but show up to your new home.