Downsizing for Life Afloat

A step by step process for downsizing to move onto a boat

or 2 payments of $67

Go from a house full of stuff to a life full of adventure

You close your eyes and daydream of being barefoot at the helm, sailing off into the sunset… bound for new horizons, without a care in the world. Ahhh…

Then you open your eyes, take a look around your home, and have a come-to-Jesus moment with yourself as you realize that you have A. LOT. OF. STUFF.

So if you’re ever going to live that sail life, you have two choices: ditch the stuff or get a bigger boat.

Maybe you’ve already busted out the trash bags and plastic bins, only to get totally overwhelmed.

You know you can’t take it all with you, but where do you even start? After all, you have a lifetime of memories in your stuff!

How do you decide what stays and what goes? And what exactly do you do with it all once you decide? Trust me, we get it. We’ve been there, too.

When we decided to move onto a sailboat and go cruising, we couldn’t wait to sell the house and start our new life.

We knew we needed to be ruthless with our decluttering. We were moving onto a 35′ boat, after all. But it proved to be much harder than we ever imagined. 

I mean, the excess junk was fairly simple. But what about the rest?

What would we do with all that memorabilia from our careers in music? Where would we put our original artwork? What about all the stuff we spent so much money on… stuff that we loved?

Soon, that stuff we loved became our biggest source of stress. And we realized it was keeping us from sailing away.

So it had to go.

When we decided to move onto a sailboat and go cruising, we couldn’t wait to sell the house and start our new life.

We knew we needed to be ruthless with our decluttering. We were moving onto a 35′ boat, after all. But it proved to be much harder than we ever imagined. 

I mean, the excess junk was fairly simple. But what about the rest?

What would we do with all that memorabilia from our careers in music? Where would we put our original artwork? What about all the stuff we spent so much money on… stuff that we loved?

Soon, that stuff we loved became our biggest source of stress. And we realized it was keeping us from sailing away.

So it had to go.

“When everything is precious, nothing is precious.”

– Andrew Mellen

We created a process for downsizing that was both ruthless and realistic.

This process taught us how to “let go” of our emotional attachment to things.

We also learned how to honestly determine if something just didn’t fit in our new life.

(R.I.P. to our fancy shoe and record collections… )

In the end, we were left with two groups of items:

Things we needed on the boat and things we truly and totally cherished (that we had room for).

What we didn’t keep were things that were replaceable.

And here’s a secret…

Almost everything is replaceable.

Introducing…
Downsizing For A Life Afloat

This online course will walk you step-by-step through the process of downsizing your entire home (whether you live in 600 sf or 6,000 sf) saving you time, money, and your sanity.

Imagine what it would feel like if…

  • You’re that much closer to your dream of living on a boat and experiencing a new way of life
  • You’ve changed your relationship with stuff, so you’re no longer held captive by the things you own
  • You have the satisfaction of knowing that what remains are the things you use or absolutely love
  • You have more money to save or invest
  • You’re surrounded by like-minded people who understand what it’s like to live simply
  • You have the freedom to go where you want, when you want because you don’t have excess material posessions weighing you down
  • You wake up each morning… on the water… and pinch yourself because you can’t believe this is your life

Less stuff. More life.

Downsizing For Life Afloat teaches you…

  • How to immediately identify what can be thrown away without guesswork or thought — just toss it!
  • How to change your “attachment” mindset so you can confidently assess what items no longer fit into your life, and how to respectfully (and willingly) let them go
  • What to do with the big-ticket items that you spent so much money on
  • How to avoid the trap of putting your things in a storage unit (and why you shouldn’t… this tip alone could save you over $1,000 per year!)
  • The secrets to successfully selling your stuff and making way more than you would have without them
  • How to manage your digital assets (just because they aren’t taking up physical room doesn’t mean they’re not taking up mental energy)

This course pays for itself in 1 month, just based on what you’ll save on a storage unit alone!

Go from this…

To this…

The less you own, the less that owns you.

What You’ll Learn

Module 0: First Things First

In this module, you’ll learn the psychology around our attachment to stuff and how to change your relationship with the things you own. Once you understand these principles, it will be much easier to let go of what’s holding you back from your dream life, both physically and emotionally.

Module 2: Categorize & Sort

In this module, things get a little more serious. We help you as you go through the items that aren’t so easy to part with. This is where you choose what will go with you into the next phase of your life, and what you need to learn to live without.

Module 4: Let's Get Digital

Clutter is clutter, no matter if it’s in your garage or on your computer desktop. In this module, we walk you through managing and organizing your digital documents. You’ll also learn ways to maximize your time and reduce distractions as you head into your less-cluttered life.

Module 1: All About That Junk

This module is where we go after the low-hanging fruit — the obvious junk. There should be little or no pain here as we take you room by room, telling you exactly what to get rid of. We’re talking instant, mega progress here. You’ll be amazed at how light you feel after just this module!

Module 3: Sell, Baby, Sell

This is where all of your hard work starts to literally pay off. Learn the secrets to getting more money for your items, plus our secret for clearing lots of stuff out quickly without short-changing yourself or sacrificing your soul.

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Resource Library

Our resource library contains checklists, cheatsheets, docs for keeping track of important information, and more!

Module 0: First Things First

In this module, you’ll learn the psychology around our attachment to stuff and how to change your relationship with the things you own. Once you understand these principles, it will be much easier to let go of what’s holding you back from your dream life, both physically and emotionally.

Module 1: All About That Junk

This module is where we go after the low-hanging fruit — the obvious junk. There should be little or no pain here as we take you room by room, telling you exactly what to get rid of. We’re talking instant, mega progress here. You’ll be amazed at how light you feel after just this module!

Module 2: Categorize & Sort

In this module, things get a little more serious. We help you as you go through the items that aren’t so easy to part with. This is where you choose what will go with you into the next phase of your life, and what you need to learn to live without.

Module 3: Sell, Baby, Sell

This is where all of your hard work starts to literally pay off. Learn the secrets to getting more money for your items, plus our secret for clearing lots of stuff out quickly without short-changing yourself or sacrificing your soul.

Module 4: Let's Get Digital

Clutter is clutter, no matter if it’s in your garage or on your computer desktop. In this module, we walk you through managing and organizing your digital documents. You’ll also learn ways to maximize your time and reduce distractions as you head into your less-cluttered life.
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Resource Library

Our resource library contains checklists, cheatsheets, docs for keeping track of important information, and more!

Get Support Inside Our Facebook Community

Downsizing can be tough, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Our student-only community is where you can ask questions and get help from your peers and from us directly. We’ll cheer you on as you go through this process!

What People are Saying About the Course

Kathryn L.

Kathryn L.

s/v Carrie Trade

“This course is in a fun and easy style… Downsizing ain’t fun, and having what feels like a friend to cheer you on and joke around with you makes it much easier!”
Jill Wylly

Jill Wylly

Homeowner

“Great job in putting together suggestions, cohesive lists, plans of actions and other ideas to help us through this time after years of antiquing/collecting and holding on to all those tchotchkes we hold near & dear! Sure did put me in a “detached” state of mind and made 30+ years of downsizing easier than I ever thought possible. Much thanks & highly recommend!”

Cheryl Fuhs

Cheryl Fuhs

s/v Eclipse

“I took this course and loved it! Chris’ witty humor and writing style helps take you step by step through what is otherwise a painful process and makes it simple and effective. I’m going to be going through it again in a month as I downsize (for the 2nd time) as I prepare to move aboard my sailboat! Thanks for a great tool!”

Your Investment

This course is for you if…

  • You know you need to downsize, but don’t know where to start
  • You feel overwhelmed when you look at all of your stuff
  • You have sentimental items you don’t think you can part with
  • You have valuable items you don’t know what to do with
  • You have a storage unit full of stuff

This course is not for you if…

  • You’re not willing to be open-minded and try new things
  • You’re not willing to change your mindset around material things
  • You’re not willing to take action and do the work
  • You’ve already downsized and are on a boat. You’re just here because you’re curious about what we’re doing 🙂 In that case, Congratulations, you don’t need this course! Now get off this page and go adventuring!

Hi, we’re Chris & Melody.

We believe you need less stuff than you think to be happy.

How do we know? Because we’ve done it.

In 2012, we went from our house in Nashville (with a guest house + storage building) to a 35-foot sailboat.

We spent 10 years cruising throughout the US East Coast and Western Caribbean comfortably… not wanting for more stuff or a bigger boat.

And we did it all without resorting to extreme minimalism or sacrificing the things we really loved.

Now we want to share our system with you – to help you take action on this giant leap toward your dream of a life afloat.

Hi, we’re Chris & Melody.

We believe you need less stuff than you think to be happy.

How do we know? Because we’ve done it.

In 2012, we went from our house in Nashville (with a guest house + storage building) to a 35-foot sailboat.

We spent 10 years cruising throughout the US East Coast and Western Caribbean comfortably… not wanting for more stuff or a bigger boat.

And we did it all without resorting to extreme minimalism or sacrificing the things we really loved.

Now we want to share our system with you – to help you take action on this giant leap toward your dream of a life afloat.

Have Questions?

When does the course start?

You get access to the full course and resource library right away so you can get started immediately. 

When should I start downsizing?

It’s just like reefing on a boat. If you’re thinking about downsizing, it’s time to start. Don’t wait until the house sells to get started or you’ll be up against a wall (with all kinds of other things to be thinking about). 

Another reason it’s important to start sooner than later is because we have some specific exercises in the course that are best done in “normal, everyday life” scenarios versus “time-crunch” scenarios. These exercises are designed to keep you from getting rid of things you might actually need later, or keeping things you don’t need. 

This is a very personal process, and it takes time both physically and emotionally, so enrolling in the course and getting started NOW gives you more time and space to lovingly part with your belongings. 

 

Is this course only for people moving on a boat?

No way! We are liveaboard sailors and wanted to provide a course for other soon-to-be liveaboard sailors to help them learn from our mistakes and downsize more easily and quickly, but the principles in this course apply no matter what your downsizing goals are. We’ve had students who are moving into an RV, a tiny house, and several, like Jill Wylly (whose testimonial is on this page) who just wanted to downsize before moving into a smaller house. 

How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling, you have lifetime access to this course for as long as you like – across any and all devices you own.
Is there a guarantee?

We believe whole-heartedly in the Downsizing for a Life Afloat system. But it only works if you do the work.

Because this process can take time, and because you get full access to the course upon purchase, we do not offer refunds.

How long will this course take?

We know that some people like to dive right in, while others may want to take their time. So this can take as little or as long as you want, and since you get LIFETIME ACCESS, you can set your own pace. 

The great thing about this course is that it tracks your course progress as you complete the lessons. So if you pause for awhile and come back, you’ll be able to see and pick up right where you left off.

The main thing is to focus on making progress with each task, because each task will bring you that much closer to your goal.

You can even revisit the course later to “re-downsize” as needed! 

What if I can't get started right away?

No problem, amigo! Many people go ahead and purchase the course now so they have it when they are ready to start. And you’d be surprised at how motivated you might feel to get started once you actually have the course!

How are the lessons delivered?

Great question!

Once you join, you’ll get an email with the course website and your login information. 

The lessons are all in written format (versus video). We found (and confirmed with our beta students) that this was the best way for you to consume the information and take action as quickly as possible. 

How do I know this course will work for me?

This course gives you a clear plan for your downsizing journey, because what we hear most from people is that they feel overwhelmed, don’t know where to start, or what to do next when it comes to downsizing.

And while we can’t absolutely guarantee that this will work for you, (because that depends on you and your effort), we can confidently say that out of any course you could possibly take, this is the one that’s most likely to help you get the results you want.

And it’s the ONLY course we know of that was created with boaters in mind.

We show you how to identify low-hanging fruit — i.e. the easy stuff to get rid of, as well as help you with the more sentimental items that are harder to let go.

We also have a Facebook community that will be cheering you on. So we’re giving you generous support to make it easier than ever to downsize and declutter, so you get closer to the simple life you dream of.

Take the first step towards your life afloat today!

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