Downsizing can be an appealing concept, but can be a difficult step to take. Perhaps you have a house, or a car, or a wardrobe, and there are times where the thought of simplifying and going smaller seems like a good idea. I know it has to me, and yet I find that there’s still a hesitation to follow through.
Usually the goal of downsizing is to free up resources, like time or money, so that they can be used elsewhere. And that sounds great. But the flip-side is that there can be potentially tough decisions about what we’ll do without, because by definition, not everything can stay. Sometimes the hesitation isn’t even because we think we need something now, but because we fear we may need need it later. This isn’t to say that this reason is good or bad, but simply that there can be a lot of factors involved in the decision.
Over time, we get used to what we have—even attached to it—and it can be difficult to let go. Maybe not a specific thing, per se, but just how much we have. We may even have a sense that we ‘need’ more than we actually do because we’ve grown so accustomed to having it around.
In the end, to choose to downsize usually comes about when we’re thoroughly convinced that the benefits are worth the cost—because there is a cost—which is why it’s often easier said than done.