Let It Go - Peter Walsh Page 0,48

decide their fate: What do I keep? What do I let go? If a disruptive emotion flares up, you’ll deal with it, let it go, and move on. Before you joined me, this downsizing might have felt like a final exam that you weren’t prepared to take.

But now, it’ll hopefully feel like a pop quiz on a familiar topic. Actually, you already have a lot of the answers!

At times, I’ll ask you to go back and gather your responses that you jotted down in the exercises in the first half of the book. These will help you make your decisions more quickly and efficiently.

The flowchart here will direct the actions you’ll take. In the first step, you’ll pick out the most important possessions that you’ll take with you on your journey: the items I call your treasures. Next, you’ll choose a sensible number of “worthy” items to bring with you because you still need and use them, and they fit well in your new space. That’s all you’ll be keeping—treasures and worthy items. But your important decisions aren’t finished.

You’ll then figure out what to do with the stuff that you’re leaving behind. Do you sell it, give it away, or throw it away? The right choices can add to your happiness and maybe your bank account. The flowchart will walk you through your options so that each step is as efficient and rewarding as possible.

The downsizing experience that begins today is just going to be a little blip on your timeline, and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying the next stage of your life.

You’re now a downsizing machine! You’re built to succeed, you’re fueled up, and you’re ready to begin.

So push the start button, and let’s go!

STEPS 1 AND 2: DEFINE YOUR TREASURES AND GIVE THEM THE DINING ROOM TABLE TEST

You’ll be sorting through:

MEMORY ITEMS

Treasures

Forgotten items

Trinkets

Malignant items

Your first step is to set aside the treasures you need to bring. Note that I say need rather than want. These are the must-have items that mark the highlights of your life or your family’s life and deserve to be remembered. If you could read your story like a tree’s, these would be the rings that mark the best, most important, and greatest moments.

So identify them now. Once these are accounted for, I guarantee that you’ll feel less stressed about your downsizing. As a result, the rest of the process will probably go even more easily.

Did you complete the “Making My Treasure Map” exercise on here? If so, pull out this list and collect the items on it. These will probably make up a lot of the treasures you’ll take. If you haven’t done this exercise, please do so now.

Another place where you’ll find possible treasures is from the “The Objects That Identify Me” exercise you did here. Some of the best moments in your life may have been linked to an activity or role that was important to your identity, such as working professional, mom, or amateur bobsledding champion. Go back and look at that list or complete it if you skipped over it the first time. If any of these items rank among your “mosts, bests, and greatests,” pull them out and set them aside.

As you go around the house retrieving treasures, place them on your dining room table. As I mentioned earlier, the Dining Room Table Test determines how many treasures you can take. When your table is full, you’ve maxed out your quota of treasures!

If you have too many items for your table to hold, ask yourself if you have defined your treasures too broadly. If you don’t make the effort to find the true, streamlined “best-of” treasures at this stage, you’ll be sabotaging yourself and the whole downsizing process.

I understand that there are some variables in these steps that may require some explanation or beg some further questions.

Q. How many leaves can I put into my table to give myself more room?

Nice try. If you are looking for this type of leeway, I’m inclined to ask how seriously you are taking this process! While the Dining Room Table Test is completely arbitrary—I’m the first to admit that—you have to set a limit, or you’ll be in trouble fast. In my experience, the size of this table is proportional to the size of the rooms in your home. Don’t look for ways to cheat—look for ways to find only the best treasures!

Q. Does everyone in the home have to fit their treasures onto one table?

That’s up to you