The Downsizing Roadmap Podcast
Welcome to The Downsizing Roadmap Podcast, your go-to resource for navigating the emotional and practical challenges of downsizing. Whether you’re helping a senior loved one transition to a smaller space, embracing minimalism, or simply looking to simplify your life, this podcast offers expert tips, heartwarming stories, and actionable advice to guide you every step of the way.
Join us as we share insights, interview trusted vendors, and explore real-life journeys of letting go and moving forward. Tune in to find inspiration, solutions, and support for creating a lighter, brighter future.
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Meet Your Hosts:
Jodi Rosko and Heather Fisher
Realtors and Downsizing Specialists
The Rosko Group
Keller Williams Community Partners
https://downsizingroadmap.com/
The Downsizing Roadmap Podcast
52. Your New Year Downsizing Reset (Part 2)
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In Part 1 of this New Year series, we talked about temporal landmarks—why moments like the start of a new year naturally create momentum and make change feel easier to begin.
Part 2 is about using that momentum while it’s here.
This episode lays out a 12-month downsizing roadmap designed to help you channel the motivation that shows up in January into steady progress that lasts all year. Instead of trying to declutter everything at once, we walk through a clear, month-by-month approach that gives each part of your home its own focus.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why New Year momentum fades—and how to work with it instead of against it
- A month-by-month downsizing plan that spreads decisions out over the year
- What to tackle when: paper, safety, storage, sentimental items, and more
- The “One Bag a Month” approach and why consistency matters more than intensity
- Four questions you can use all year to guide downsizing decisions
- How to keep moving forward when life gets busy and motivation dips
If the new year has you feeling ready to start—but unsure where to begin—this episode gives you a way to turn that natural momentum into progress you can actually sustain.
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Let’s simplify, declutter, and create space for your next chapter—together!
Welcome back to another episode of the Downsizing Roadmap Podcast with your hosts Jody Roscoe and Heather Fisher. We're talking about all things downsizing, from our own experiences with clients to guest experts. Let's make downsizing easier, one conversation at a time.
Heather FisherHi, welcome to Downsizing Roadmap Podcast. We are here for part two of our New Year's episodes, talking all about a fresh start and a downsizing reset for the new year.
Jodi RoskoYeah.
Heather FisherI'm Heather Fisher.
Jodi RoskoI'm Jody Roscoe.
Heather FisherAnd we're gonna get into some action items today.
Jodi RoskoYeah, so last podcast we talked um all about mindset and about temporal landmarks, which um is a lot of big words to say that the reason that we get at the beginning of the year and we kind of get this momentum to um change everything is because it's scientific. And so um when there are landmarks in our life, our brain wants that. They want it wants to have a new beginning, new page. Yeah, and have a have a place where it feels like it's the old time and the new time. Um and so the change of the year is perfect for that. And so um we talked a lot about mindset on um how we can take that momentum and use it. And so if you haven't listened to that one, go listen to that one first. Yeah. And come back. Then come back to us because um that one kind of gets us to where our future um this year is gonna look like and what it's gonna look like. Um and then this one is gonna be more um actual tactics on on making it happen so that we don't fall into that gap of um you know getting super excited about something and making goals and then um you know falling down and not being able to do it.
Heather FisherSo yeah, most people want uh deeply want a fresh start, but they just don't know how to get started. Uh so we'll talk about that and some strategies for that. Um, you know, you may have come out of last year just feeling like you were tired of always feeling behind at home and and not on top of of things, um, maybe feeling like you couldn't find things, or you know, your home just felt too full and and too overloaded for you, and and you're looking for that way to jump into the new year and lighten that load a little bit.
Jodi RoskoYeah, so um that is definitely me. I do this every year as soon as, you know, uh by by right after New Year's, I'm ready for Christmas to come down, and then I'm ready to clean out all the closets, and I'm ready to just get rid of all the stuff, and um that is definitely how I feel. Um and so the so the reason that we don't end up doing that like continually, if if you're one of those people who doesn't end up continually doing that, is because you haven't really changed your identity around who you think you are. So um if if it's all the stuff that just continually accumulates in your house, um you're not somebody who tells themselves that you're you know living.organized person that lives simply to you know, say that to yourself on repeat until you believe it. Right. So think about things like what drained you in your home last year, you know, what felt too cluttered or chaotic, and um, you know, what would freedom feel like? And so we're gonna take all of that um from last episode and we're gonna start in on some areas that we can work on.
Heather FisherSo yeah, I think really identifying those hurdles will will let um different areas of what we're talking about today let you know what resonates with you the most. Was it getting ready for the holidays? Was it um you know dealing with a specific chore in the kitchen? You know, where is your stuff being that obstacle for you?
Jodi RoskoYeah, and then always remember we're gonna have no guilt around it, right? So release all your guilt. You know, you're you are allowing yourself to move forward in a way that doesn't hold you back from your old with your old self with you know in any kind of guilty sort of way, right? Um day. So um so starting with reset and awareness, um, you know, don't it can be a slow walk into it, right? It can be just a thought process first, notebook, um, you know, make make notes of how you're feeling, what was bugging you, all of that stuff, right? So just just you can start with literally jotting things down. We've we had an episode where we talked about doing that kind of room by room. You can go back and um check out that one. But um just kind of track what it is that was bothering you. Vid visual clutter, are there maintenance things?
Heather FisherUm Yeah, where are the places that you look at, you feel frustrated, and then you end with, I'll deal with this later.
Jodi RoskoI find that anything that I have like this in my house, I usually the the time that it takes me to fix it is like 15 minutes or maybe half an hour. After seven years. Correct. Correct. And so usually it's like uh why didn't I do that? Like you would walk either you walk by something, you know, either it's a shelf that bothers you, or um I've told this before, I'm sure, but like um Mark fixed our shower um head, and so it was like he had drywall to repair, and then so there was just kind of like the white drywall um paste or whatever that is, and um it was like that for seven years. Um I didn't repaint it, which would have literally taken. Yes, I was calling you out last 15 minutes for sure. And I stopped looking at it. We stopped looking at things, but it really did in the back of my mind, I'm sure it bugged me, right? So it bugged you. Um and then when I finally went to sell the house, I fixed it, which we do a lot of that. So um fix it now, enjoy it, stop letting it, you know, irritate you. So what things are you walking by and it feels too cluttered or chaotic, or what needs to be repaired, or you know, just make a list, make a list of those things, and then you know you can tackle them one thing at a time.
Heather FisherYeah, I had an invitation I'd received just like sitting in my way, and I'd probably moved it 20 times, and I'm like, just need to RSVP and put it in my calendar and throw this away. And I I finally did it, but that was after, you know, two weeks of moving the same thing around.
Jodi RoskoAnd how much like mental time did you spend on it versus physical time that you spent to actually RSVP or not? Sorry, we can't make it. Or yay, I can't wait to come. And that took literally like two minutes, maybe less. Yeah. But you probably spent half an hour, honestly, if you add it all up, looking at it, moving around, telling yourself you need to do that, oh yeah, but I'll get that to that later, and you know, all of those things.
Heather FisherSo Correct. And all those, I mean, those are examples um of things that we've avoided, but we're all doing that all day, every day on little um, you know, less than one minute tasks where we just push and shove and shuffle instead of just taking action and doing. Um, it can really change your life.
Jodi RoskoYeah, so on this one, just pick one tiny space, like a little, you know, little area, might be your bedside drawer or you know, something really little and just do it and kind of just start to get that momentum going.
Heather FisherYeah.
Jodi RoskoMight even just be um something that's piled up in the corner or on the counter, or you know, just small, small, small thing.
Heather FisherYeah. So um once you have that awareness, then we're gonna move into starting to set some easy routines over an overwhelming resolution that um, you know, you're setting yourself up for failure potentially. Um, just what little routines can you start to um stack into your day to make the everything a little bit easier? This might be, you know, a 15-minute reset on Fridays, or it might be a daily five-minute, you know, resetting the living room before you move to the bedroom, you know, folding blankets or straightening pillows. All of those things make the next thing, the next morning, the next day, you make it that fresh page again when you're doing those those resets, um, you know, putting dishes away um instead of leaving them on the drying rack. Folding laundry, putting laundry away. Yeah. Um, you take out that need to shuffle it the next time you're using that space because it's already clear and waiting for the next the next project, the next load, um, whatever that might be.
Jodi RoskoSo if you're introducing consistency, you can do it in a lot of different ways and just whatever one seems to resonate with you. You know, maybe you set a timer um for 15 minutes once a week and you know, just kind of go you know, go around and do you know, deal with whatever. Maybe it's you tell yourself you're gonna let go of 10 items a week. You know, maybe you have a bag that sits somewhere and that bag needs to be full by the end of the week for donation or whatever it is, just trick you know, make a little game of whatever it is to kind of trick yourself to get consistency, but the consistency part is the part that matters the most, and it's that you're continually doing it either um you know, five minutes a day or 15 minutes a week or whatever that is. You once you build that consistency, then you will just start to automatically do it and it'll just start to happen. You'll just be like, Oh, I don't want that surface um with that stuff on it. That on you know, that goes to donation there, or that goes to the trash, or that, you know, like and you'll just start keeping those spaces clean.
Heather FisherYeah, and as you're building those new routines, um sometimes we find that you avoided a routine around it in the first place because there was some small hurdle. Right. So it'd say, you know, how can you um remove that hurdle? Uh, for us, I know um, you know, I'm more of a casual folder, you know, hold a shirt up and just fold it and it's good enough for me. And, you know, my husband is more, he wants the full flat surface to, you know, like department store fold with with much better creases than mine. And but but then he would avoid doing it until we had a specific um, you know, bigger folding spot. And it wasn't that he didn't want it folded or that he just um you know wasn't doing it. It was there was a little hurdle for him that he didn't have that surface. So really evaluate as you go through your day, are you avoiding something that could give you progress just because you don't have the right space cleared or the the right home for something? Do you not put something away because it doesn't have a home? How can you figure out those little tools uh to take those small hurdles away to make the routine easier?
Jodi RoskoRight. I think that just eliminates your frustration and you know you get small little wins uh by being consistent, and so that is the routines are gonna keep you moving along in the right direction. And what you were just saying about um about what uh uh uh hurdles or whatever that you have, um for us it used to be um uh it used to be mail, and so our next topic is paper and digital clearing, so that rolls right into mail. And um number one, d we didn't have a good place for it, so it would end up on the counter, which drove me crazy. And number two, like there's just so much junk mail, you know, that happens um that you bring in that you don't need. So um we changed our routine around it, and so if you go and get the mail, um all of you well, as you walk back up the driveway, all of the junk mail goes into, you know, one hand and right into the garbage before you even bring it in the house, right? Um, and then the the the bills and the important things, you know, whatever is still coming, um, although we have so much online now, so you can let go of a lot of that mail actually too. Um, but that just goes straight into a specific place to be dealt with, right? So, um, and so it doesn't go on the counter anymore, which makes me very, very happy.
Heather FisherYeah, I mean it's funny, I mean, uh households all over the world have that landing spot of the kitchen, the kitchen counters for things that are not kitchen related at all. Um, and just finding building a a little routine that's different than that can free up your kitchen to serve its purpose and you just feel so much lighter about it. I love that.
Jodi RoskoYeah. So if paper is something that's really um w what's cluttering up your life and you it's feeling crazy, um there's a data point on it. The average American has 10,000 pieces of paper in their house.
Heather FisherWell, I guess if we have 300,000 items total, right?
Jodi RoskoWe can chalk up 10,000 of them are pieces of paper, but I mean probably a lot of that's in boxes or filing cabinets, and it's probably a lot of that is paper you don't even need. Um, but it does cause a constant low grade stress for us. So um you can create an importance documents binder or folder where you put all of the important stuff together, maybe in a fireproof box. Um you ha have a one landing spot for incoming mail, which was what I was talking about, that made a huge difference for us. Um, you know, one folder, a digital folder for items that are scanned if there's something that needs to be kept for whatever reason, um everyone knows where to find it. Um and this also counts as pictures and you know, mail and there's digital stuff too. And I won't even get into my my mail, guys. It's bad. I have lots and lots of mail in my inbox.
Heather FisherSo I've been since we last talked about digital digital clutter, I have been working very hard on my email boxes and keeping them, the the numbers in there uh organized and lots to the trash. It is a losing battle, I tell you, because now we just went through the Christmas season where you order things online and so suddenly you're on um, you know, 20 more email lists for the random gift you bought someone. But I'm trying really hard and and getting some success because I made a routine of like zero inbox every day on uh my personal email addresses to just get that junk out, but we'll see how it goes in in 2026.
Jodi RoskoThat's awesome. So, yeah, so I think a quick win on paper would be to just get all of your important documents together in one place. That would be the the first thing that I would do if paper was my my biggie. And you I'm sure have filing cabinets full of papers you haven't looked at in a really, really long time. Um probably most of the filing cabinet papers could go. Um, but I would start with finding all the important stuff and putting that together and and using that as a win for paper.
Heather FisherYeah, gathering uh gives you that um first step in a big project. I mean, paper, if you're overloaded with it, it can be a big project to go through, but it's so important. So don't just bury your head in the sand and um but before you start organizing, you really want to start at that gather and then sorting it to what each, you know, the different categories of paper or the different um, you know, institutions they came from or whatnot, and then choosing what is necessary out of each of those categories to keep. Don't just get more file cabinets and feel like, well, if it's filed, I've succeeded because it's just kind of hiding that behind the drawers.
Jodi RoskoRight. Nobody will be able to find it in the file cabinets either. Right, right. Right. So um we do have a podcast on paper too. So um go back and take a look at that one. That was a great episode. Yeah, that was a good episode on what to keep and all of those things. So if paper's what's really um causing you some pain, um go listen to that one and that should help you out. So um next up would be like um safety and maintenance checks. So um around the house, I think that's more like uh things that need to be repaired or you know, uh things that are bothering you. Is there a rug you trip on all the time? Yeah. You know, what can we do to fix that? Um I actually found um on Amazon they have these um squares that are sticky on both sides, and you stick it to like if it's an area rug, you stick it to the bottom of the rug and the bottom of and the floor, and it they work really great. And so that's a like literally like a five-minute fix to if if something's sliding around or you feel like you're tripping on it or something like that.
Heather FisherYeah, I think looking at um the house with these eyes really gives you some clarity around um that bigger plan. Um you know, you make it safe and and keep up with the maintenance for now, but it gives you um a a good look at how big is that list, how many safety concerns are there that are facing us? Are these easy fixes with the rug corners, or is it a bigger problem where we need to be looking at different options sooner rather than later?
Jodi RoskoYeah, like are the just stairs like gonna be a big obstacle, and that's that's not an easy fix, that's a move.
Heather FisherYeah, yeah. So um going through uh this category of um just looking at each room from safety and maintenance, um, you know, are the repairs that might be necessary to do? Are those something that we can handle financially and and capability-wise to make sure we keep maintaining this asset? Or is it just too much to maintain and we need to think about something more manageable? Um, all of that, um, and and while you're making that list, what are the the easy items for now that you can check off? Not having extension cords that you're going to trip over or um you know, clutter on the steps where you pile things up that need to go up later but never seem to make it you know cabinets that don't function well because they're overstuffed or something might fall from a closet shelf or something if it's too stuffed, and that can be a safety issue.
Jodi RoskoYeah, so yeah, pay attention to just kind of did are there do you have carbon monoxide um uh detectors? Have you replaced the smoke detector batteries, you know, the dryer vents, you know, all just that kind of maintenance um stuff. So that's a that's an area that you can um work on, and you know, quick win on that one would be to just to make a list of it and then do three of them, you know, just get three of them, whatever the easiest three are, get those done and kind of get yourself some cement going on there.
Heather FisherYeah, absolutely. Um next category is always a fun one, said sarcastically, be garage or storage area. Sometimes that looks like attics or basements, um, wherever in your house is the place where things go to never be seen again. Garage. The garage. Sounds like garbage, as our friend Jerry Seinfeld would say. Right. Um But you know, if it's a if it's a time of year where the weather's a little warmer and you can get out and tackle um this, um, you know, do it now so the next time the seasons change, uh, you know, we're in the Midwest, so we get that definite cycle. Um, and you don't want to be approaching this category as the winter weather is coming and not be able to park your car in the garage or um, you know, be able to use that safe that space for safety to not be walking on the snow and ice, um, you know, get it cleaned out uh in there and and you know, things you aren't using are usually just unresolved decisions, old tools, um, things that may have been broken and got shifted out of the main house to like, oh, I'll deal with that later. Um, maybe too many holiday items, old paint cans. Um, if they're not gonna be revisited, um, you know, how do how do we get those taken care of? Where can we take them and just get them out of your property?
Jodi RoskoYeah. I think in the garage it it tends to be a grounds of yeah, a dumping ground, really. Like I haven't, I'm not gonna make a decision whether I'm gonna keep this or not, but I'm just gonna stick it out here on the shelf and you know, see later I'll deal with that. And so um, so that's an identity thing again, right? So that's just um if you're somebody that just likes to live simply and that's who you tell yourself, um, then you would let that go, right? Yeah, yeah.
Heather FisherWe had uh when we moved, you know, we had quite a few paint cans in the garage that um, you know, even as we got the house ready to sell, we didn't go to that as our option for touch-up or um, you know, repainting anything. We it was probably all separated and dried in. Yeah, have no idea because we didn't open the cans, and I know some of it by looking at, you know, what drips on the outside were several colors ago. Um but that definitely is something with that one in, one out rule. Um likely you're never going to go back to it for touch-ups. Um but even if you are, once you repaint something, what are the old colors from 20 years ago? Um you know, handle those and and get them moved out. Um, or if they're just old or something. Yeah, the color's not even in the house anymore. Yeah, yeah, but there's a can in case you want one two by two square painted somewhere.
Jodi RoskoRight.
Heather FisherYeah, but I I don't think we're um abnormal for that. I think many households all over have those random paint cans.
Jodi RoskoOh, for sure. So if you're in the garage, just pick you know one wall or one shelf and just again, just start getting memorized. Momentum around that. Another category is social spaces. So you know, if you have people over, are the kitchen counters clean? Is the dining room table clean? My dining room table ends up being like whatever project I'm working on is on the dining room table. And it rotates a lot. So it's not like the same things have sat sat there forever, but there's often something sitting there that is on whatever my next project is that I am working on. And so, you know, work on cleaning those surfaces so when you walk by it's not looking all junky. Um again, that visual clear splear space is better for your mind than having things like really cluttered, the visual clutter does cause you to have mental clutter.
Heather FisherYeah, I think that's a great just hypothetical question to ask yourself as you're thinking about this category. Like, what would it take for me to have company over for dinner tonight?
Jodi RoskoYeah, I was thinking that same thing. It's like, what if somebody stopped by? Would it be all right? Like, do you feel like your house looks like it's in a place where it would be like or or are you the one who's like running around before people come and like tidying everything up, right? So what if we just lived in that way where it it would be okay if they just stopped by? And I do know some people who live like that. And uh we had um we had a neighbor and um they were gone and uh it started to rain and they called us and they said, Hey, we we're out, can you go over and shut my shut our windows? And their house was like immaculate, and we were like, wow.
Heather FisherYeah. Yeah. I I mean it just frees your mind and takes that that burden. And I I firmly believe that when you make room for things, uh, they show up in unexpected ways. So if you make room for uh those social aspects in your life and you live a life where um it could happen at any moment, then I think um you know fate has a way of then bringing those opportunities to you and and you grab them and so you can really fill your life with people uh that you love um because you're ready for it. Um I just believe when you make room for something, it it appears and shines that space. So that's a great way to just bring some more social into your life is being ready for it.
Jodi RoskoI totally agree with that. So quick win on this one would be to choose one surface to keep clear um all month, whether that's the kitchen counter or for me that would be the dining room table, you know, whatever that looks like. Maybe it's outside porches or patios or you know, whatever that looks like. Um pick an area and just that would be in a social space where if people came to your house, um they would be looking at it and just keep that clean.
Heather FisherYeah. Okay, next category. Um this is uh sentimental lightening. So starting to move into a category that's a little more challenging sometimes, but um, you know, you've done all this work so far on some of the easier categories. This would be things like kids' items that you still have, old hobbies, photos, um, cards, uh things like that, um, those sentimental items that might be taking up a lot of physical space. How can you manage those? Uh, release some of it, honor some of it.
Jodi RoskoLighten the load.
Heather FisherYeah, lighten that load. Um, so you know what you have, you know that what you have you love and enjoy, um, and and you get to see uh it's not just deteriorating in the the basement or the attic. Um so make- It's not hobbies that you're not going back to. Yeah, you've been thoughtful about what that is. Um so a quick win in this category would be to just choose ten sentimental items and think about which two you would be the most uh you know wanting to keep and be thoughtful about the why and and you know where you're going to keep it and display it and enjoy it.
Jodi RoskoYep. So yeah, it's the two it's the ten two of ten rule, right? So lay out ten, pick your favorite two.
Heather FisherYeah.
Jodi RoskoYep. Okay. So um next category, um systems. So um uh it's just kind of a prep, like where you kind of make a list of of for your systems of of your things. So where do your donations go? Where do you like to get to keep them? Where does the paper go? Because we already talked about is there a landing space for that? Like, where do your keys go? So we created um like a little uh area where all of our keys go all the time. Um and it does, it's it it I don't always put them there. I'm always the problem. Just gonna be honest with you all. Um, but most of the time we do, and um, if they are there, um it's very easy, like it's very simple to get so so it takes no brain power, I guess. This systems make cre really gives you a place where you don't have to use as much brain power because there's a system around it, and so you just the donations go here. We have a bag, and if we you're gonna donate something, that bag gets filled up, and when it's full, it goes we take it out the house and go to the donation place. Yeah. Right?
Heather FisherWe talked at the beginning of the episode about routines and starting to um build some small routines weekly or daily to support that, and this is like revisiting that and revisiting m the routines you built then or other routines you have, and how do you make them easier, most efficient, doable? It's like you've been doing them for a little bit. How do you improve that? And just this is how we we do fill in the blank, whatever, to make life easier. Um, you know, we talked uh on one of the episodes a little bit about uh habit stacking, and that's kind of what a system is, is a stack of habits that make something go from one point to the next most smoothly. And so talking about like where donations go, what's the system that makes it most efficient and most likely to be done would be stacking that on a donation drop-off place close in location to somewhere you already go routinely. And then it's like every you know, week when I go to church, I take one bag to the donation drop-off down the street. Or, you know, every time I go to, you know, Sam's Club or Costco once a month, I take a donation box to that. So it's looking at that system that makes it the least likely for you to fail at it because it's so easy and it's stacked with things that you're naturally going to do. It follows your natural schedule or your natural tendencies to make things more likely to be accomplished.
Jodi RoskoYes. Yeah. Yeah, habit stacking is super smart. Really, really is. So you're doing something already so easy for yourself, then you stick it on there and it just turns into something easy too.
Heather FisherYeah, it turns into your whole system around whatever. Um, you know, saying I keep a donation box in the front hall closet or in the back of my car so you don't have to lift it when it's heavy. And and here's where I take it, and here's what time frame, all of those small choices together are a system versus, oh, I should gather up some donations. Right. That's a thought. And so this is um just looking at some of the the things you've been doing already and how to to make them continue.
Jodi RoskoYep. Okay, so um next one is uh pre-holiday simplification. So um when the holidays come around, um what are what are the kind of things we're gonna need to do? So clear guest spaces, maybe. Maybe you're gonna have people come and visit or um simplify your kitchen, you know. Maybe there's you've got t your cabinets are falling out of things, right? Things are falling out of the cabinets, and you need to, you know, simplify that. Maybe it's declutter your old decor so that when you go to put up the holiday decor, you don't have a whole bunch of stuff to try to let go, you know, move around and pack or whatever you're trying to decor over decor, right? Like so you wanna maybe you need to declutter all of that before you start to to do the holiday stuff.
Heather FisherYeah, absolutely. I know when we were growing up, uh before any, you know, we'd get excited as kids to help put the the Christmas tree up and hang the the ornaments, but my mom had a a system around it, like nope, first we pull all the furniture out and we wash all the baseboards and we you know vacuum and you know, because she had to rearrange things a little bit to make room for the tree. And it was always like, oh yeah, let me know when you're done with that part. Because I want to deck it because I just want to hang, you know, like ten ornaments and then run away run away. But it was, you know, that whole system of okay, but we're gonna get ready for this tree. We're not just gonna put it on top of clutter or a crowded room. Right. We're gonna deep clean the room because of that preparation for guests coming over for those activities, and we're gonna, you know, put the boxes back, and and it was all um just intentional instead of haphazard. Smart. Yeah. Yeah.
Jodi RoskoMaybe maybe you need to, you know, clean out the linen closet because you ha you know, get you wash some linens, change the beds for guests, you know, do all of that. But you know, you could simplify that area. So what areas do you need to simplify for um you know before the holidays?
Heather FisherYeah, absolutely.
Jodi RoskoUm okay, the next one is um let go with gratitude. So um sometimes uh you know your kids may or may not want things that you have. Um, so you're gonna let it go and you're not gonna feel guilty about it. So that's why you're gonna do it with gratitude. Um and your kids may want it and they may not want it, and that's okay. Um so guilt isn't good for you for keeping things because you feel like you should, and it's not good for your kids for making them take them when you don't want to keep them. Um so um but there are some things kids want and they really want them, and um your kids want some things that you're not ready to keep.
Heather FisherYeah, they were teasing me about some of the kitchen items they they want. Um, but also in the same conversation with my son, he, you know, he's got a son of his own right now, my grandson, and and he was starting to revisit some of the the things and he texted me about a puzzle uh that we used to do when he was little and he was asking, you know, if we still had that um for my grandson and my granddaughter to do, and you know, was excited for that to come back out next time they're over. And um, you know, so they but I wouldn't have had in my head like, oh, you know, Steven wants this puzzle. I'm at, you know, right. It was just, you know, random that I still still had it for them. And um so definitely those conversations are important as to what their memories are around and what they loved. Um and then if it's not for them, if you have things that you're ready to give away, but it's not the things your kids want, there are so many places to give um, you know, that there you will receive that gratitude or know that that gratitude is out there for the people receiving it. There's a lot of people in need and um you can really give with a with a big heart um for sure of stuff and and know that someone's putting it to good use.
Jodi RoskoAnd when you're looking at the stuff, um look at it through a lens of like what your legacy is, like what you're known for, you know, what you want you know to keep to to remind yourself of what that looks like. Um and the rest of it, if it's not fitting into those categories, that's the stuff that you can bless others with.
Heather FisherYeah, yeah. And just being thankful for the part that it was in your life, but not needing to hold it forever.
Jodi RoskoYou don't need to keep it to to be thankful or remember.
Heather FisherYeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So as we cycle back around um you know, to get through kind of all of these main categories, um, as always, at the end, you want to look at your progress and celebrate your wins if you've been uh going through these categories over the course of a few weeks or a year or whatever that looks like uh time frame-wise. Um, at the end, make sure, or or multiple times through the process, make sure you're celebrating your wins, you're enjoying a space you may have uh freshened up and cleaned out, and just you know, sit in that and think about what feels easier in your day because of what, and how can you multiply that? What's the next hurdle you can ease up on yourself? Um, you know, notice what happens to your emotions when you walk into a room that you've um you know cleaned out a lot, or how do you feel when you open a closet door and it's fresh and clean? Um was dinner easier to make because your drawers aren't stuffed to capacity with utensils you don't use?
Jodi RoskoUm Yeah, ask yourself, you know, what worked while you were doing this, what didn't work? You know, what what felt easier than you thought it was gonna be? And w have you put systems in place and how are they working? And what other systems could you put in place, you know, to make life easier? Yeah. So what kind of you know, rhythm do you want to keep? Do you like the five minutes a day? Do you like the 15 minutes a week? You know, what what is it that works for you? You know, is is it that you need more landing places for all the things or everything has to have its place? And if it doesn't have a place, you have to find the place, you know. What is it that that you're feeling like really would make a difference as you keep moving through it?
Heather FisherYeah, are there still any daily frustrations that should be the next logical thing to address? Um just evaluating and celebrating and uh just you know resting for a moment and then as always, you know, rinse and repeat. It's always time to just kind of go back through the process and and do that. So, you know, as you go through all of these categories, um we've given episodes on different challenges that can help you through them, um, episodes on specific categories like the photos or the the garage or um heirlooms, things like that. So seek those out. Um and then in general, there's four questions that can guide every decision you're making on downsizing you know as you're going through your stuff, so you can apply these um in different ways. But uh number one, do I use it? Number two, do I love it? Number three, would I buy it again? And number four, does it support the life I want to live this year? Um so if you're feeling stuck on anything, those are the go-to questions.
Jodi RoskoLove those. Love those. So yeah, so you know, work your way through this stuff and um hopefully that will give you some um some incentive. Use use that uh original uh old year, new year temporal landmark to find your motivation on it and then start taking action on some of these different areas.
Heather FisherYeah, absolutely. Okay, well, I think that's it for this episode. If you need any resources, our website, uh downsizingroadmap.com, please reach out to us. We'd love your reviews for you to listen to some of those past episodes on some of these categories and or reach out to us uh through the contact us on our website if there's anything you have questions on or you need any resources, we would love to hear from you.
Jodi RoskoYeah, if there's an episode that you want to hear more about, if there's a topic you want to hear more about, let us know and we'll we'll do some research and you know to share it with you.
Heather FisherYeah, awesome. See you next time. See you next time. Thanks for joining us on the Downsizing Roadmap Podcast. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with someone who might need a little downsizing inspiration. Have questions or ideas for future episodes, reach out to us on our website, www.downsizingroadmap.com. Until next time, let's keep simplifying and moving forward.
