Decluttering for Peace of Mind: An Earth Day and Estate Planning Perspective
By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
April 22, 2025
Once again a gentle Spring rain greeted my teenagers as they silenced the alarms on their phones and started their day - Earth Day 2025. Year round they bike to school; studded tires make a Wisconsin winter bike commute a possibility. Now that the snow is behind us (we hope) its the wet days that spur them to ask for a ride instead. I said no, not today, and sent them on their way. And then I zipped up my rain coat, laced up my tennis shoes, and walked to the office in the rain.
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| Morning walk - the sun arrives |
My 30 minute walk gave me time to think about all the clients I have helped over nearly 20 years of practicing estate planning and probate. Many put a huge amount of energy in writing documents, making sure they are stored correctly, and leaving written instructions. The one area that seems to be neglected by many is the art of decluttering. Having an estate plan on paper is a great thing; only 32 percent of Americans have a will. But, if you really want to make your passing as easy as possible on the loved ones you leave behind, I suggest decluttering now. It will be a gift to your loved ones, and to Mother Earth.
When you take the time to declutter now you can rehome items efficiently, minimizing what gets tossed into a dumpster. You can also save loved ones hours and hours of time sorting through your possessions, trying to decide what to keep and what to toss, make all the more difficult because they are operating in a cloud of grief.
This is not a new topic for those who follow my writing. Here are 2 different book reviews I’ve written that might motivate you to tackle the clutter yourself, and not leave it up to your heirs:
- The Art of Swedish Death Cleaning -- click here for the review.
- Inheriting Clutter -- click here for the review.
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