TRENDING for 2022: Right Size Your Home
Perhaps you've noticed it's hard to find a place for the new stuff you acquired during the holidays? Recently, there has been a growing trend to examine our homes and the stuff we put in them. While it does feel good to organize and streamline our belongings, we may be missing an opportunity to consider the place where we put our stuff, namely our homes. Our homes are our most important space, and the New Year is a good time to ask ourselves if our homes support the life and lifestyle we want to live.
Currently, there is a growing trend, called "right sizing" which asks us to challenge the ideas we have held about our homes. This trend asks us to consider what we really want in life, and in doing so, we must consider whether our dwelling contributes to our joy or has us chasing the dream of happiness. These considerations have led many of us to wonder about the amount of money and resources needed to live in the big houses necessary to store the things we acquire.
Let's be clear, most of us struggle with our consumer culture. Maintaining the mindfulness necessary to avoid impulse purchasing and "keeping up with the Joneses" can be really tricky. Here's the good news: people are starting to understand that considering the space we live in can be an exciting a rewarding way to move forward in a more joyful way.
What is this Right-sizing anyway?
Right-sizing is not necessarily down-sizing. The right size may be smaller for some, and it may be more space for others. Finding the amount of space that leads to feeling joyful and peaceful in our homes without feeling financial pressure is what right-sizing is all about. To find the right size, we must as ourselves a few questions:
- Would it be possible to live in a smaller space and be happier? What would that look like?
- What are your needs now? What would be the best space for us in the next few years? (Don't try to find a place that is perfect forever. The idea of the "forever home" is out!)
- What is important about square footage? Could we find a home with less square footage that might have more of the features that bring us happiness?
- How much do we really want to spend on a home? What are the three to five most important elements of a home? Can we find them in the area where we want to live in the price range we feel comfortable with? If not, would we consider a local move? Would we consider a move to another town or city? Another state?
Let's keep this conversation going! Regardless of how we make it happen, let's find a way to ensure that every space in our home brings us joy and helps us to be our best selves. If you are paying for a space that doesn't bring you joy, call me! Let's consider the right size of home for you!
