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From A Woman's Perspective: A Decision Deferred is a Decision Made

Friday Dec 15th, 2023

A Decision deferred is a decision made…

Have you ever heard the saying, “A decision deferred is a decision made?” No? That’s because I may have made it up. (Just joking)

Regardless of its origins,psychologists recognize that deferring, or delaying, important decisions is an innate human tendency. Experts tell us that when we push off decision-making - even when making a decision would benefit us - it’s likely because we are actually hoping to avoid action altogether. Human beings seem to be programmed to stick with the status quo, even if that’s not really in our best interest. In fact, the more we delay making decisions, the fewer options we end up having.

This saying, “A decision deferred is a decision made” really holds true when it comes to downsizing! Even though rational thinking tells us that holding onto an over-sized home makes less and less sense as we age, the less-rational, survival part of our brains tell us to avoid change at all costs. We defer, delay, avoid…and then one day, bam! Some kind of crisis hits us and the choice to downsize is no longer ours.

My experience with downsizing Zoomers has taught me that there are two main reasons why people defer the decision to downsize:

They can’t picture the “what” of a new downsized home.

What kind of property options should I consider?
What stuff should I bring, or not bring?
What will my new lifestyle look like?

They don’t know the “how” of downsizing.

How will I ever deal with all the extra stuff?
How will I find a new place to live?
How will I manage a move at my age?

What downsizers who delay might not realize is that the “what” and the “how” can all be handled with the right “who”!

Without a straightforward plan, complete with an outcome, timeline, and people to help along the way, seniors stagnate and procrastinate in choosing a better future for themselves.

It’s the seniors service providers, like me and Marilyn’s other partners, who can offer four key components to overcome the overwhelm of downsizing:

We bring simplicity by streamlining processes, using proven systems
We take responsibility for task management, lessening both your workload and stress
We offer empowerment for your decision-making, providing options and information,
We foster optimism for your future, knowing that you are in the driver’s seat, creating a better future for yourself.

Let us partner with you to bring the strategy, resources and team to create the ideal downsizing experience for you. If you’d like to learn more, visit our website smartrealtysolution.com and request, “Get Ready to Downsize” or any of our other downsizing resources. They are absolutely free for the asking. Or call me at 416-460-5636