I recently watched the PBS show Legacy List with Matt Paxton and participated in an AARP video session that featured him along with another professional organizer.
I love the concept of a legacy list which is a limited list of items that are important to tell your story, or the story of your family. The book, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff, as well as the show has the person(s) identify a list of legacy items that they want to preserve. Legacy items “will enhance your life today and best relay who you are to the next generation.”
This is an excellent way of curating your stuff to downsize and let go of items that no longer serve you. And I am currently developing a legacy list for myself and my husband. This concept also speaks to the idea of setting limits on the stuff we keep.
As you begin to identify a legacy list, it is important to note that things are not memories. The memories are in our hearts and minds. Yet many of us have difficulty letting go of items because of the memories or people we associate with them. We may never look at them, yet we still want to know we have them.
So as your what are the items that are key pieces to your legacy to pass on to the next generation?