Isn’t Autumn a glorious season of change?
Whenever the seasons make an abrupt shift, don’t you feel a certain energy in the air and a sense of urgency to make something happen, to stop waiting and start acting, to change?
The air is crisp and even the light has a different tone. In the turning of the year, from Autumn to Winter, you know that the days will be shorter soon, and outside it will change from cool to cold.
There are seasons in life as well.
Spring & Summer Are Growth & Maturation
In the Springtime of life, you build, you grow, and you watch the fruits of our labors bud and begin. Our lives are busy with nurturing, encouraging, providing and establishing.
In the Summer, you move into the season of maturing and polishing. The fruit finds its place, matures and comes into its own. You are there to help it fall gently and in the right place.
Autumn Is Harvest
As Summer turns to Autumn, you find that you are left with many things that were necessary for growth and change that are not needed anymore, like the leaves on the trees and the stalks in the cornfields.
There is still a lot of time, and much to do, but this season is exciting in a different way. It is energizing because it’s a time of discovery. You get to revisit those things that you had put off during the Spring and Summer years. Now you can think about travel, volunteering, or even reading all the books that you haven’t time for. You can go back to school, teach someone you love, or take up a hobby you haven’t had time for through the Spring and Summer season.
Winter Is Reflection
But what about all the stuff that was collected over the previous seasons? What of the heavy attic and bursting basement? The papers, clothing, toys, books, unfinished crafts and unneeded supplies? Why is it still weighing us down? It’s probably just been a task that has been waiting for the push of a new season. You are still mowing a huge lawn, painting unused rooms, and maintaining a home and belongings that you realize you don’t need anymore.
Change Can Be Hard
Some of you will decide to downsize completely. Selling your home and many possessions that you don’t need, and moving to a place with less to maintain. Maybe you want to re-purpose our space, wanting to stay where you are, but you need to remove much of what you have collected to use your space appropriately for its new purpose.
You might get stuck. You might look around and realize that the season is changing, but you are too tired, too overwhelmed, or too sick to make the changes. Illness, age, or changes in mental health can make the task of moving on almost unthinkable, so it gets put off. If you feel stuck, for whatever reason, know that you are not alone!
Downsizing Help
You don’t have to tackle this project tomorrow or on your own. There are so many people and resources out there to help you get started and walk you through each step of the project. You may have friends help you visualize what needs to be done and then help you do the actual work. You may have family nearby that would love to help and are excited about the next phase of your life. If you don’t feel comfortable asking friends or family to help, for whatever reason, there are other resources out there.
If you are ready to take on downsizing by yourself, a great book to help start the process is “Moving On”, by Janet Hulstrand and Linda Hetzer. It provides a step-by-step approach that takes you through all the important parts of the process and is excellent for a self-motivated person, or a family working together. However, if you need more one-on-one guidance, there are professionals, like Sappari Solutions, that can help you prioritize, plan, and execute the process.
Change Is Rewarding
Getting from one season of life to the next may sometimes feel like a very long process indeed, but it can also be very rewarding. There is joy in the journey if you can find what you need to get through the shedding of the extra and the unneeded to step forward into a lighter and more streamlined life.
You can achieve peace and calm
It’s time to get out from underneath the clutter. And it is not just physical clutter that is holding you back from living the life of your dreams but the clutter in your schedule and your mind. The focus for you right now needs to be on identifying the issues, finding their source, letting go of that stuff that is holding you back. You need to set goals and prioritize around what it is you are trying to achieve and why that is important to you.
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