Leave A Legacy, Not Clutter

On the left, a woman organizes items on a shelf. On the right, she sorts through old family recipes. She is working to declutter and highlight what's important.

What do you want to pass down to your loved ones? As you age, it’s natural to start thinking about what you do or don’t want to keep for your children and grandchildren, and Swedish Death Cleaning is a fantastic decluttering method that can help ensure you leave behind a legacy instead of just clutter.

There are plenty of merits to paring down and organizing your belongings before you die, both for you and your loved ones. Dave and I both lost our mothers within the past couple of years and sorting through their belongings inspired us to begin taking steps that will make that work more manageable for our kids one day (though hopefully in the distant future!)

By streamlining and curating our possessions as we age, we can leave behind a meaningful legacy for our children instead of mountains of stuff. This post is packed with tips to help you get started!

A woman sorting through old family recipes, organizing them in a binder

What’s Worth Keeping?

Many aging adults struggle to decide what to keep for their kids and grandkids because everyone’s situation and story is unique. One question that might help to ask yourself about your possessions is: “Will this add meaning or become a burden?”

Focus on quality over quantity and keeping the treasures that truly tell your story. Here are some examples of things you may want to keep as part of a meaningful legacy:

Consider Keeping…

Handwritten Letters and Journals. Your thoughts, memories, and even handwriting are irreplaceable treasures sure to be treasured by your family.
Select Photographs. Boxes of unorganized photos are better than no photos at all, but you’ll be doing everyone a favor if you weed out blurry and unidentifiable shots and label the good ones with names and dates. A service like Legacybox can digitize your photos so they’re easy to share.
Sentimental Items and Heirloom Jewelry. Hang onto emotionally significant items and heirlooms. (Not all your jewelry or tchotchkes will fall into this category, so be selective!)
Family Traditions and Recipes. Cookbooks of family recipes and records of family traditions or memories make great legacy keepsakes. You can create custom books like these through Shutterfly and similar services, then pay to have them printed or save digital versions.
Stories and Wisdom. You can use websites and apps like ForKeeps to create audio or video messages of your life lessons or memories to leave for your loved ones. If you’re more comfortable writing than speaking, write your stories in a journal or type them up on your computer.

A woman deciding which papers and stationery she should get rid of.

Consider Letting Go Of…

Bulky Furniture. Unless it’s meaningful in some way, it may not be practical to keep.
Collectibles. Collectors, you don’t need to get rid of all your collectibles now, but you should begin paring down large collections (especially if the items won’t mean much to your loved ones.)
Old Paperwork. Organize important documents and get rid of the rest. If you have more paperwork to shred than your home shredder can handle, contact your local office supply stores — many offer shredding services.
Stuff in Storage. Clear out storage units, the attic, and other cluttered spaces over time, especially if the contents are more practical than meaningful. Remember, you don’t have to do it all at once!

BONUS: Tips For Giving Things To Specific People

Have things you’d like to leave to specific people, even if they aren’t family members? Here are a few ways to make sure things go where you want them to:

Give the item to the intended recipient now or in the near future. (If your youngest granddaughter always compliments your ruby earrings, you could give them to her now and make some happy memories!)
Add a list of the items and the intended recipients to your will.
Write the person’s name you want the item to go to on a piece of painter’s tape and stick it to the back or bottom of the item.

Conclusion

Your legacy is about more than your stuff — it’s a collection of memories, values, and love. Making mindful choices about what you keep as you declutter will clarify your legacy, so try to resist the temptation to be a sentimental hoarder!

Why not start putting together a Legacy Box today? It could be as simple as making a video of yourself walking through your home, pointing out items you value, and explaining why. There are lots of ways to leave a legacy of love, and there’s no time like the present to get started!

What’s one item you hope to pass down and why?