I’m in the process of moving. Again.  Its easy to get stressed out when your home is in boxes, and having moved my fair share of times throughout the years (twice since I’ve been authoring this blog alone), I’m more than willing to admit it does not get any easier. 

It may be getting harder in fact, as I find I’m accumulating more and more stuff.  I was lucky enough to have friends to recruit to help me face the daunting task of getting my drawers and closets and bookshelves into boxes.  Sometimes you need an outsider’s opinion to help you through the purging process, so you don’t convince yourself everything you own has sentimental value and is worth keeping (my preferred approach). 

Practice Purging

Photo Credit: OneClick

Since I find myself too close to the situation, often without even realizing it, an impartial observer can be crucial to help you evaluate what is junk and what is not. After all, who wants to waste time and energy moving junk from place to place?  The Unclutterer suggests that moving is a great opportunity to prioritize your belongings and get organized. 

Organization is not my strong suit, but using some simple guidelines, I was able to feel a little bit like I could take control of the situation.  Unclutterers suggest asking yourself simple questions like:

• Have I used or worn this in the past year?
• Do I absolutely need this item in my new home?
• Do I really like this item?
• Does this item work as intended?

(If the answer is no, that’s your cue to junk it.) 

Take Things One Step at a Time

I’m proud to report I purged a lot over the eventful moving weekend.  And I’m not ashamed to admit it felt good. Really good.  Make it feel even better by taking advantage of craigslist: list items on there and you might even find you make some extra spending cash.  And if you’ve got the time and the ambition, a yard sale is an equally feel good approach. 

Moving your home can be stressful, but it dosen’t have be if you invest the time to get yourself organized, get some unbiased help, make a plan, and stick to the plan.  Deep breaths can do wonders too.

Helpful Resources If You’re Moving

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Resources to help homeowners avoid problems, such as fraud, during the moving process.
MyMovingQuote.com: Website that offers free estimates from movers in your area.
American Moving and Storage Association: Helpful resources on planning your move.

It seems in this country, we like our houses big.  The bigger the better.  Bigness seems almost inextricably linked to our very happiness. But what does the size of our places really mean to us?  How much of that size is complicating our lives rather than enhancing them? Is bigger really the answer we need? 

In response this question, I thought about the concept of ‘bigness’ and our attitudes towards it: what it means and weather or not we can feel trapped by the big things in our lives.

If you’re feeling like your life might be getting a little too big, there are a lot of ways to go bigger by getting smaller.  Smaller houses.  Take a look at some of the new mini-homes we found:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2006/01/20/prefab-fridays-the-clever-mini-home/

Small Makes a Comeback

The best part about mini homes is that creative design and innovations have made them just as comfortable, and in some cases even more luxurious than their much bigger counterparts.

Photo Credit: Clever Homes

The added bonus? Imagine living without the clutter, the hassle, the ‘bigness!’ Part of me can’t help but think how incredibly liberating that would be.  Maybe we need to get away from big and rediscover simple, small, happy. 

What do you really need to be happy?  Sure we all have basic, universal needs, but what do you personally need to be happy?  When was the last time you thought about it?  I know it’s been a while so I sat down and made a list to help me:

• Family
• Friends
• Food
• Shelter
• Water
• Coffee
• A new pair of Asics every 4-6 months and a trail for running
• Free time
• Tunes
• Books
• My bicycle
• A comfy bed
• A laptop with internet access
• Paper and pencils
• My cell phone
• Meaningful work
• Balance
• To go camping every once in a while
• Train tickets to Seattle every couple months
• Frozen yogurt
• A sustainable schedule

My first thought was that this list could be longer, but I’m not sure that it can.  Maybe it’s not what’s on the list that we need to think about, but what’s not.