Downsize After 50: What's Standing In Your Way?

"You wouldn't do that," he said.

When I first suggested letting go of my husband's family sofa, a Victorian beauty brought to Canada in 1890, my father-in-law was horrified. He looked at me as if I’d suggested selling the family dog.

I understood why. It wasn't just a sofa. It was history, sentiment, and maybe even a little family identity wrapped in carved mahogany and horsehair-stuffed upholstery.

So I tried to make it work.

For over thirty years, that sofa followed us from room to room, from one house to another, never quite fitting in but always too 'special' to part with. It wasn't comfortable to sit on. It left marks on the wall. And every time we had to rearrange the furniture to make it fit.

Four rooms later, it ended up in our dining room, blocking traffic and making entertaining awkward.

That's when I finally asked myself, "What is this sofa costing me?"

Is there a metaphorical sofa blocking your path?

What's blocking your path? Standing in your way?

Not just taking up space. I mean standing in your way to:

• More room to move and breathe

• More fun when friends come over

• More possibilities for how you want to live

• More of the life you want

Maybe it's a sofa. Maybe it's a table, a dresser, a hope chest, a collection, an entire room you've built your life around.

Sometimes it’s not even about the object; it’s about what it represents: guilt, obligation,

fear of forgetting.

Whatever it is. It's blocking you from something.

What happens when you clear the clutter?

My brother-in-law took the sofa off our hands. By the weekend, it was gone.

When I walked back into the dining room, it felt different. I looked lighter. Airier. As if the room had loosened its belt and could breathe.

I spent time playing. Rearranging furniture. Shifting pieces until the room felt balanced again.

Suddenly, I could see it: there was enough space to host my book club. (Everyone took turns except me because I couldn't figure-out, space-wise, how it would ever work.)

Now, fifteen people can get to the buffet comfortably in that room. There's space to move, and serve the food without bumping into a sofa arm.

Once the sofa was moved out. Everything changed.

Your Turn: One Practical Step to Downsize After 50

Before the holidays are upon us, this is the time to look around and ask yourself:

What's the one thing you could remove to make more room, not just in your home, but in your life:

The CLEAR Path Method™: Our Compassionate Approach to Downsize

At In and Out Organizing, we guide you through our signature CLEAR Path Method, a compassionate, step-by-step approach to moving your boulders with confidence and calm.

It's practical, sustainable, and grounded in care, whether you're decluttering, downsizing, or navigating a major life transition.

About In and Out Organizing and the Writer

Cathy Borg is a partner at In and Out Organizing, serving the Greater Toronto Area. She specializes in helping adults 50+ and their families declutter, downsize, and navigate life transitions with clarity and calm. Through compassionate guidance and practical systems, Cathy helps clients make space for what truly matters in their homes and in their lives.

Ready for Your Stress-Free Toronto Downsizing Consultation?

We help families across the Greater Toronto Area with compassionate, practical support for:

• Decluttering & organizing

• Downsizing & moving

• Estate clearing

Whether you’re preparing for a move, simplifying your home, or helping a loved one, our CLEAR Path Method™ makes the process calm, confident, and sustainable.

📞 Call Brad at 416-859-0518

📧 info@inandoutorganizing.ca

🌐 https://www.inandoutorganizing.ca/contact

💛 Making Space for Your Life™