| The size of your home can greatly alter your | | | | happy about the house, or not?" |
| everyday mood; the difficult thing is to determine how | | | | Rightsizing may not just be about what size house you |
| to find the right size home so that your mood is | | | | need in terms of square footage. You also need to |
| positive. | | | | calculate various activities or necessary amenities you |
| If your home is too big because children or other family | | | | need such as an office or being close to water for |
| members have left the house or it is too small | | | | easy accessibility to fishing. |
| because you are expecting additional family members | | | | "One couple Ware interviewed moved to their |
| or pets, you may be left with the feeling that the home | | | | vacation home in Wyoming. When they discovered |
| you are stuck with is inadequate. | | | | there was no place for their grandchildren to visit, they |
| But before your make any rash decisions you should | | | | built a bunk house for them. That's rightsizing." |
| evaluate a few things currently and prospectively in | | | | The bulk of the book is based on Ware's personal |
| your life. | | | | experiences. The term "rightsizing" took hold after |
| The article, "How to find the right size for the life you | | | | Ware was living in a 4,000 square foot home and then |
| live now," written by Jane Adler and published in the | | | | was forced to move to a 500 square foot sublet in |
| February 25, 2007 edition of the Chicago Tribune | | | | downtown San Francisco. After keeping the majority |
| provides a few areas to evaluate in order to "rightsize" | | | | of their belongings in storage for three years, Ware's |
| your home. | | | | employer was no longer willing to pay the $1,200 |
| A midlife housing crisis can make you feel like you are | | | | monthly storage bill. Ware and her husband had to |
| living in the wrong place and make your home feel | | | | discard many of their belongings. |
| uncomfortable. But then what kind of house and | | | | "They started the winnowing process but found it slow |
| where is really right for you. | | | | going at first. Ware started to cry when she put the |
| "So maybe it's time to rightsize. That's the advice of | | | | tiny rocker with petit-point feet she had done for her |
| California-based broadcaster and novelist Ciji Ware. | | | | son in the garbage." |
| Her just-published book 'Rightsizing Your Life' offers | | | | Ware then discovered that you need to only keep the |
| insights into how to create the environment that's right | | | | things that you love and need. |
| for you at this stage of life." | | | | "Ask yourself whether the object is beautiful, valuable, |
| Rightsizing is not necessarily downsizing, although can | | | | sentimental or useful right now. If you can say yes to |
| end up being the outcome. Rather, Ware defines | | | | two of those questions it's probably worth keeping." |
| rightsizing as "a conscious, practical and psychological | | | | Rightsizing is an emotional process even if you |
| evolution in the way one lives one's life--a process that | | | | determine you have to move to a bigger house. To |
| enables people to create new surroundings." | | | | curb this, consider an addition to the existing home |
| Rightsizing is looking at what the right situation is for | | | | instead. |
| you depending on your age and current living situation, | | | | Rightsizing is so emotional because you are usually |
| and begins with examining where you are in life. | | | | forced to move from your home due to uncontrollable |
| "Are you newly retired? Sick of putting up storm | | | | circumstances rather than you deciding to move on |
| windows? Recently lost a spouse? Is your spouse | | | | your own. |