When my friend and fellow blogger, Michelle Oram and I had breakfast a few months ago, I was excited to hear about her upcoming project — a book from the Retirement Coaches Association, of which, Michelle is a member.
Let’s just say she had me with the title: “Retirement Voices – Stories of Reinvention, Purpose, and Possibilities“. I love those three words – reinvention, purpose, possibilities. So empowering, right?
When Michelle said the book would include chapters written by herself and fellow retirement coaches, I knew the content would be meaningful, heartfelt and hopeful. Guess what? That’s exactly what it is!
Of course I enjoyed Michelle’s chapter most of all (my bias will always be obvious…I mean…the girl you share waffles with will always have the edge!).
“Make Space for the New You! Clear the Clutter Before Your Retire” reads like an invitation, providing readers with a helpful dose of reality based on Michelle’s personal experiences and her training as a retirement coach.
Accumulating material wealth is a go-to goal for many during their work lives, but when is too much stuff simply too much stuff?
Michelle says:
…”material possessions consume mental energy in addition to physical space. In my work as a retirement coach, decluttering comes up often as clients seek to simplify, let go of the past, and create the life they want.”
By sharing her own decluttering story, Michelle provides encouragement to the reader. Even better? For those who need to begin a large-scale project by taking small bites, Michelle lays out six actionable steps to get the job done.
I love that Michelle leans into the work of Barbara Hemphill who frames clutter as “postponed decision-making”, citing the Zeigarnik Effect, challenges related to unfinished business.
We live in a world of constant interruptions and routine decision-making can become sidelined, leading to clutter in one’s space. Objects DO carry emotional weight, especially ‘en masse’, when the visuals can be overwhelming and potentially dangerous to physically navigate.
Framing clutter, one item (or mound or stack or pile) as a problem of delayed decision-making puts folks on solid ground, better equipped to take action with less shame and guilt. And gentle nudges from someone who knows the turf – a retirement coach like Michelle who understands the time-of-life need to simplify? A perfect combination.
I’m grateful to Michelle and her colleagues for writing this book. It’s a welcome addition to my professional library of resources and one that I’ll heartily recommend to those on the runway to retirement.
Cheers to you, Michelle, and your colleagues in the Retirement Coaches Association!
Vicki 💝
Michelle Oram, BoomerEcoCrusader blog
Michelle’s new book and her blog post about it: Book launch: Retirement Voices is here! – Boomer Eco Crusader
Victoria Ponders 
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