The idea of preparing for a move halfway across the country seemed like a daunting, almost impossible task! Where do we even start? Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed, I remind myself of the old Chinese proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I find that just taking that first step, however big or small, can curtail the feeling of helplessness that comes with overwhelm. Taking action always makes you feel more in control.

In order to get ready for our long-distance move, my wife and I knew that it would be best to downsize as much as possible. We understood that the process of deciding what to keep, throw out, or give away was going to be difficult — though it was a hundred times more challenging than we ever thought! (more…)

It’s amazing how much you can accumulate in thirty three years! My wife and I are collectors of many different types of items, and we hate throwing things out. We assign sentimental value, assume rarity, ponder some possible future use, or find just about any excuse to keep an item. Can any of you relate to this? As HSPs, it doesn’t take much for us to form emotional attachments, even to inanimate objects!

To further illustrate this point, I’ll admit that we still had my daughter’s baby clothes, crib, and the many projects that she had from all of her school years. She’s currently thirty-seven! A word of warning to parents of all ages… Your kids don’t want anything that you’re saving! (more…)

Once we finished clearing the excess clutter out of our home, the next step was to determine how to maximize the value of our home. We felt that our house needed some updating in order to get the best possible price. In true HSP fashion, I spent a lot of time researching which improvements would give us the best return. We decided to update the kitchen and carpeting, paint all of the rooms, and hire a handyman for general repairs.

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