Let It Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Richer, Happier Life

Summary

Sorting through a lifetime's worth of accumulated possessions can be a daunting and stressful process that millions of Americans confront every year. The need to downsize often arises at a momentous life change, whether you're an empty nester or retiree selling your family home, a newlywed blending your households, or you're cleaning out your parents' property after they've moved into assisted living or passed away.

Decluttering guru Peter Walsh knows the difficulty of downsizing firsthand. Along with six of his siblings, he went through the process of downsizing his family home and dividing his late parents' possessions. He realized that making these decisions about mementos and heirlooms creates strong emotions and sometimes sibling rivalries. After this experience, he downsized his own home. Peter doesn't see downsizing as a difficult chore—rather, it's a freeing, rejuvenating process. Now, in Let It Go, you'll access Peter's many tips and practical takeaways, such as how to:

• Understand the emotional challenges that accompany downsizing
• Create strategies for working with your spouse, adult kids, or siblings without drama
• Identify the objects that will bring you real happiness