by Joshua Becker, author of The Minimalist Home
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
—Hans Hofmann
Have incredible stories to tell by the end of 2021, not incredible clutter stuffed in your closets. I sincerely wish this for my family, and yours, in the year ahead.
So, let me start off here by asking you…
- Does your home serve you—or do you serve your home?
- Will your home afford you the necessary space to create happy, healthy memories and stories in the year ahead?
These are not questions most of us ask ourselves, but we should. After all, our homes are meant to serve a distinct purpose in our lives—to be both the space we come back to, and the space we go out from each day. Our homes are, in essence, the foundation of our daily lives. This has been especially true over the past year, while we’ve lived through COVID-19.
And as we enter the New Year, it’s a great time to check in with yourself…
If your home is serving you well, it is a safe harbor from the storms of life—a space to relax, rest, and connect in meaningful ways with loved ones and friends. And it’s a secure port of departure when you’re ready to brave the choppy seas of life again. A home serves you best when it provides both of these benefits.
A home doesn’t serve you when it complicates your life and takes more than it gives. When possessing your home (and maintaining the possessions within it) becomes your focus, you end up spending your limited and valuable resources (time, energy, money) taking care of it. That’s when you know you’re serving your home. You’re spending less time living the life you want, because you’re spending more time cleaning, maintaining, and repairing—and perhaps also paying a hefty mortgage or rent for the privilege.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s possible to live more by owning less. And that’s the premise of my writing in The Minimalist Home. It’s a purpose-based guide to a simpler, decluttered, refocused life—one that makes sure your home is serving you, and not the other way around. It recognizes that each of us can love the house—the home—we live in.
Here are 21 changes I offer in the book to help create a home that better serves you:
- Get your head straight about what matters, and what in your home is distracting you from what matters. For most of us, our excessive physical possessions are not making us happy. Even worse, they are taking us away from the things that do. Once we let go of the things that don’t matter, we are free to pursue all the things that really do matter. And sometimes, minimizing physical possessions means an old dream must die. But this is not always a bad thing. Because sometimes, it takes (mentally and emotionally) giving up the person we wanted to be in order to fully appreciate the person we can actually become.
- Remove decorations that no longer inspire you. Just because something made you happy in the past doesn’t mean you have to keep it forever. Your life has moved on—maybe it’s time for the decoration to do the same. Remove the knickknacks and pictures that no longer inspire you. Or the decoration you bought that one time because it was on clearance. Keeping just the items that mean the most to you will help them to shine.
- Reject the convenience fallacy. There are certain places in our homes we tend to leave items out for convenience—a stack of favorite DVDs in the corner, appliances on the counters in the kitchen, toiletries beside the bathroom sink. By leaving these things out, we think we’re saving time and simplifying our lives. That’s the convenience fallacy. Sure, we might save a couple of seconds, but the other 99.9 percent of the time, those items just sit there creating a visual distraction. If you’re not using your convenience items at least 50 percent of the time they’re out, keep them in a cabinet or drawer and out of sight.
- Distinguish between simplifying (or minimizing) and tidying up. Just because a room is tidy doesn’t necessarily mean it’s uncluttered or serves its purpose. Well-organized clutter is still clutter. Never organize what you don’t even use and can easily donate to someone who will.
- Count the “clutter cost.” It can be hard to get rid of things you spent a lot of money on. But keeping things you no longer wear, use, or love also has a cost—every object carries a burden as well as a benefit. The burden or “clutter cost” is the money, time, energy, and space an object demands of you. If you’re having trouble letting go of a pricey item you don’t use—or any item for that matter—remember to consider the benefit-to-burden ratio before you decide to keep it.
- Free up closet space. One of the biggest complaints people have about their homes is that the closets are too small. If you’ve been thinking that you need bigger closets, maybe all you need to do is right-size your wardrobe—and your closet will feel bigger overnight.
- Donate clothes you don’t love. After decluttering your closet, you’ll find more space and peace each morning when you get ready, rather than facing stress and indecision. Plus, donating unused clothing to a local charity is a simple but meaningful way to help others.
- Declutter duplicates. I call this a minimizing accelerator because it’s one of the easiest things you can do to make quick progress. Open your linen closet, for example. How many extra pillows, sheets, and towels do you really need? Other good candidates for eliminating duplicates include cleaning supplies, gardening tools, fashion accessories, home office supplies, toys, books, and kitchen items. Keep your favorite in each category—the ones you actually use—and get rid of the rest.
- Clear your dining room table. Is your dining room table a depository for mail, backpacks, keys, and other things that are in the process of going from one place to another? If so, chances are that using it for a meal may seem like more work than it’s worth. Put the items away where they belong. Make your tabletop a clean, open and inviting space.
- Invite the right people to gather at your dining room table, often. These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways. They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be. The bottom line is that your decluttering efforts have given you more space to share stories, experiences, hugs and laughs with family, good friends, and close neighbors. Don’t forget to make it count.
- Practice gratitude, in your home, daily. At least once a day, it’s good to pause in your pursuit of a simpler and more organized life, look around, and simply appreciate the life you’re presently living. As Marc and Angel have shared in their inspiring bestseller, 1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently: “Look around, and be thankful right now. For your health, your family, your friends, and your home. Nothing lasts forever.”
- Take down signs that don’t sincerely vibe with your present values. I know a woman with a sign in her laundry room that says, “It’s tough living in the fast lane when you’re married to a speed bump.” I get the humor, but I wonder how reading that sign every day might affect her approach to her marriage, even in small ways. If you’re going to put words up on your walls, don’t you want them to inspire you and call you higher instead?
- Calm a space for reading and being at peace. Even if you aren’t up for decluttering an entire room, you can “calm” a space. You calm a space when you minimize distractions. Choose a favorite chair and declutter everything around it. Remove anything from the floor that isn’t furniture. Clear the surface of side tables or a coffee table by removing or storing remotes, pet toys, kid toys, hobby items, old newspapers/magazines, mail, books, etc.
- Clean out your entertainment center. These large pieces of furniture often harbor lots of small items we no longer need. Take out old electronic components, cords you don’t need, and discs and games nobody uses. Get rid of them by recycling responsibly, arrange the devices you do use in an eye-pleasing display, and hide their cords as much as possible.
- Pare down your beauty and grooming supplies. I don’t know how big your bathroom is, but get rid of the clutter and I guarantee it will seem more spacious and peaceful to be in. Empty out the cabinets and drawers. Separate beauty tools (hair dryer, styling iron, savers, etc.) from beauty supplies (make-up, lotion, aftershave, etc.). Eliminate duplicates, throw out anything that’s broken or old, and get rid of items you no longer use. Then wash your storage containers and organize what you’re going to keep.
- Tackle a junk drawer. Most of us have one. It’s the default resting place for small items that have no better place to be. Or for things we think might have some use but we can no longer remember what it is. Chances are good you can toss out most of what’s in there and never miss it.
- Clear space for your car in the garage. A garage is not serving you well if it’s not serving its purpose, which is to house your car. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with using a garage for storage, but it’s possible to go too far with it—and a lot of us do. Get rid of all the obvious candidates for decluttering—odds and ends and leftovers, kids’ unused playthings and sporting equipment, duplicate tools, spare parts, etc.
- Set physical boundaries for your kids. Give your kids a certain amount of space and allow them to manage it how they want. For example, in our garage, my wife and I keep one shelving unit and one plastic bin. The kids store their outdoor toys on the shelves and keep balls in the bin. When things begin to overflow, we ask them to make decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of. The same principle applies to a bedroom or a toy basket.
- Leave space between everything you do in your home, too. Clear a little extra space between your personal tasks and obligations. Take a break to stretch, take a short walk outside, drink a glass of water, perhaps do some simple deep breathing exercises. Enjoy the (emotional and physical) space you’ve created for yourself in your home, and breathe. Remember, your overarching goal is living a life uncluttered by most of the things people fill their lives with, leaving you with space for what truly matters. A life that isn’t constant busyness, rushing and stress, but instead deliberate contemplation, creation and connection with people and activities you love.
- Let go of mental clutter too. Life is just too darn short. Do your best to let go of all the purposeless drama, aimless time-wasters and mental clutter that keeps getting in your way. Again, it’s time to focus more on what matters in the year ahead, and let go of what does NOT.
- Be less “busy” and more purposeful in 2021. As Marc and Angel said in one of their recent email newsletters, “There’s a big difference between being busy and being effective. Don’t confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but never makes any forward progress. So, try not to be the rocking horse in your personal life in 2021.” 😉
Obviously, you may not be able to tackle all 21, but how about two or three as you begin 2021? A home that serves you well in the year ahead is a beautiful thing. It’s less distracting and more calming, which makes it both a joy to come back to and an inspiring place to go out from. Don’t wait any longer to have a home that gives more than it takes.
Now, it’s YOUR turn…
I would love to hear from YOU in the comments section.
What part of your home needs a little simplifying in 2021?
Anything else to share?
Please leave me a comment below.
Author Bio: Joshua Becker is the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist, a website that reaches more than 1 million readers each month inspiring people to live more by owning less. He is a national bestselling author and his new book, The Minimalist Home: A Room-By-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life, is available now.
Vanijoy says
am familiar with this even when my daughter left home and had her own home after getting married I still had her books and various possessions. Make a list and try to decide if you can get rid of three items over three month selling unwanted household items was our first step then sorting and donating books. There are many things we still cannot let go of emotionally – Barbie dolls and some other loved toys. I was told there were things of value in my loft but when I cleared it out to make way for insulation, I could not really tell what was valuable so if you are the same contact an auction house to find out. Ebay is a great place to sell of unwanted items.
Sarah says
I asked my kids to make a pile of things they no longer needed. The first items my young daughter placed there was a needlepoint pillow I had made for her!
Jasmine says
That hurts!! My 13 year old recently got rid of a bag of clothes that I had purchased for her over the past year. I was so sad, but now I know not to buy her clothes without her input.
William Moore says
Wow, did this hit home and for some reason it hit at the right time, the beginning of a new year. There’s no better time for major life changes than the beginning of a new year. The suggestions given are all feasible and workable for most of us. Yes it’s difficult to get rid of things, especially stuff with sentimental value or things you spent good money on and even the gifts you got for Christmas that somehow aren’t your style or you’d never use or work for you that ends up in a closet or drawer taking up valuable space.. True fact: as we go through life and move into our 30’s, 40’s’, 50’s, 60’s 70’s, and beyond we somehow accumulate a lot of ‘stuff’ that more often than not ends up being clutter in the long run. To avoid this at Christmas, I have a simple wish ‘if I can’t drink it or eat it, I’m not interested. I don’t need any nicknacks, or clothes, I’m an adult and can buy my own clothes, After all, food and drink gifts will always be used, and in the end you have the memories of the thoughtfulness of the giver.
Oanh says
I really like what you said William. A lot of times we get gifts from people that are really thoughtful but it’s not our style or will just be a part of the clutter in our lives. I love “if I can’t drink it or eat it, I’m not interested.” LOL… I would like to add “if it’s not green and I can’t spend it then I don’t want it.” LOL
Valerie Rogers says
I like food and drink gifts also (I often buy them for myself!) ?
Diane says
I am just starting this Minimalist journey, and one thing that trips me up is living with people with ADD. So if I only have one item of something, someone is very likely to pick it up, lose it, and then I don’t have it anymore. Memory issues make the matter worse: no matter how many times I show the person where something is supposed to be, it won’t be put back. I’m struggling how to put some of these suggestions to use in the face of this.
Sandra McCauley says
Please check out this valuable resource called ADDitude Magazine. You can subscribe online. It has fantastic articles and offers tips and strategies for those of us living with ADD or living with someone diagnosed with ADD—many of the articles are focused on time management and organization, memory recall etc.
PJ says
Diane, I am in the same boat, but we end up with doubles and triples. I keep trying to implement ‘my way’ of no duplicates, but…ADD. I wonder what we can do when one of us is a minimalist and the other isn’t, and when we have to help organize all that stuff because ADD makes it tough for them to organize :/
Ann says
I have ADD. It’s very hard to be organized. I try so hard but can’t remember either. Very difficult being the home leader. Mom. With ADD
Rachel says
I have ADD, and I’ve found minimizing to be the exact tool I needed – I only frantically tear through everything searching for something if I’m in a huge hurry AND my place is a mess (that pretty much only happens, and even then only rarely, when I get back from a long road trip and haven’t finished putting things away yet, since that’s pretty much the only time that there is a lot of stuff out that isn’t normally out at all), because everything now has a home, and when everything is in its home, there is no clutter. I used to be horrible at putting things back where they belong when I was done using them, even as an adult – I think the prospect was always so overwhelming for me because there was so much stuff/it was hard to squeeze them back into their spot – and I’ve noticed that simply the fact of there being less stuff makes it easier for my ADD brain to be willing to put things back every time, because my drawers, shelves, cupboards, and closet aren’t already jam packed with stuff: everything has a home, it is easy to put everything back in its home (okay, so the top shelves can be a little tricky because I’m short, but I keep the rarely-used things on the top for that reason), and the space isn’t packed with stuff, so all around it’s a heck of a lot easier, and thus more likely to happen. It also makes things easier to find if they do get misplaced, because there is less stuff for it to hide amongst. I honestly wish I had known about decluttering/minimizing all the way back when I was in high school, because it would have made my life a lot easier – for almost a decade, I was in the position of wanting (and needing) to go through my stuff and get rid of the unnecessary things, but I never knew how to do it, so it didn’t happen until a few years ago when I finally located directions that spelled out exactly how to do it. Decluttering is a perpetually ongoing process, but I’m definitely to the point where I can come home and feel calm, instead of overwhelmed by there being too much stuff in my room (unlike when I’m visiting my parents: my old room there is the only place at their house where I can even somewhat find that peace, because they’ve just barely begun the decluttering journey). One of my favorite benefits of decluttering is that I can walk all the way from one end of my apartment to the other – in the dark – and never have to worry about tripping over anything (the week following road trips and when I have company are the only exceptions).
Granted, I’m now an adult and live alone, but I still have overnight company at least once a year, and the “declutter duplicates” suggestion seems to be more of a spectrum rather than a hard and fast number – it appears to me that it’s more of a “don’t keep any unnecessary duplicates” rather than “keep only one no matter what”, so I think the spirit behind it is if you need to keep multiples of certain things, then by all means keep as many as you believe to be necessary for your situation, but not more than that. I keep some silverware/additional dishes in a drawer and one bed’s worth of cot/bedding in a box for when I have company (my parents always drive if they’re visiting me, so they bring the other bed’s worth with them, and towels are provided by the house for anyone who needs them), but those things never come out except when I have company, allowing me to keep my cupboards, drawers, floor, and closet as uncluttered as possible, and allowing my ADD brain to relax and be able to put everything away in its home pretty much every time I use it.
T says
Start by claiming one room and/or one space for yourself. I would suggest one of the guest rooms; clear everything out and only allow what you want in there. Don’t allow others to store any items, you be the gate keeper. At least you will have a room to retreat to. Once others see the peace a decluttered room brings, they may want help with the rest of the house.
Leslie says
Dear T,
I really like your suggestion!
Leslie
Judy Whitnable says
Then don’t click on the link
Elizabeth says
Great point, Judy.
Wendy Dufkin says
Unclutter your mind. If the add doesn’t serve you don’t entertain it and move forward.
Lesli says
Agreed- I also found the political ad off putting.
Eileen says
Harold, so understand as I have very similar situation. I have been able to keep small kitchen countertop area (only area I can prepare food) clean. Have tried multiple ideas but only stays in place for short amount of time.
So, I continue to keep my bathroom & clothing storage areas clear & simple.
When he can’t find something I just nod my head towards his piles of debris. I do make sure to keep my materials etc separate from his including mail. Find that very important issue in minimizing organizational priorities.
Good luck!!
Elizabeth says
Oanh,
My four children are grown now but when they were young, we had the same issue-lots of stuff and limited space. We found a couple of great ways to combat this, while at the same time teaching great life lessons and compassion. First, we explained that there were many children in our country/state/city/neighborhood and even at their schools who did not have any toys, puzzles, games, DVDs, books, etc., and that by donating some of theirs, they could help other children who otherwise would not have any. This worked wonderfully for my children-so well that they practically cleaned out their entire playroom. It almost became somewhat of a competition between them to donate the most. This is a habit that is much easier to implement with young children rather than trying to explain it to a teenager.
The second thing we did was to limit their storage of certain items. As an example, we would only allow as many stuffed animals as would fit into a particular container, or limit the number of a certain type of item they could keep. For each new one they acquired, they had to donate one from their collection. This really made them think long and hard about whether they were willing to give up a treasured toy to get a new one.
Ultimately, I wanted my children to learn the value of giving and to understand that there are many less fortunate people that we come in contact with every day and we often become so focused on ourselves, that we don’t even realize the hardships that others are dealing with.
I didn’t do the work for them or make decisions about which items they should get rid of-I wanted them to learn how to do that for themselves, as they would need the ability to do that for themselves, for the rest of their lives.
When they were pre-teens and teenagers, I implemented an annual family volunteering event around the holidays–and yes, it was mandatory. We would take a few hours to volunteer as a family at various homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, churches, or wherever we could find people in need. I cannot tell you how this changed my childrens’ perspectives from the very first year. Witnessing for themselves those who had very little or nothing at all, and experiencing the joy that serving others brings to each of our hearts, is something that is not easily taught with just words. They would talk about it throughout the year and would start planning and researching what we could do that year as the holidays approached. They not only looked forward to it every year, they even recruited some of their friends to come along. Before we knew it, there were other families implementing the same tradition. It became one of our favorite family traditions.
I know there are lots of other ideas and these may not work for you, but these worked well for us and afforded us the ability to teach some of the life lessons that were so important to us to pass down to our kids.
Elizabeth says
Sorry, I meant to address this to Heather. 🙂
Laura says
I’m not sure about these other replies, surely if you get paid for the advertising on your site you should have control/choice over what is advertised?
Suzanne says
Really got a buzz collecting things for 20 years at auctions, but now concentrating more on health issues, etc.
Our ‘collectibles’ are not valuable at this time, and going through the process of elimination to charity shops and other resources.
Great article and tips!
laura ann says
Suzanne We recently moved into a retirement community. I still have too many house plants, got rid of some. Got to focus on getting rid of several more. Decluttered kitchen items and donated to group home. Also linens, throw rugs, some went to animal shelter.
Dottie says
I moved from a 4 bedroom house to an 800 square foot retirement apartment, so I get it.
How did you handle the furniture situation? Would also like to scale down and simplify, but furniture is very expensive.
Lots of wonderful ideas.
Haley says
Perfect timing for this wonderful article! Covid has been about decluttering for me. I’m also moving in a few weeks and have been struggling to get things pared down, despite how difficult it will be to move these unnecessary items. I will definitely be using some of these ideas!
Alicja says
I moved 8 times during 4 years. Each time I reduced my belongings. Moreover, I’ve learned that I could live without many boxes I did not unpack due to small space of the apartment. Now I have my own apartment and each room looks fresh and clean. I got rid of things I don’t need and I don’t buy new ones. Although there are not many items in each room it is very cosy.
Shelly says
Luv article! I do them all and it’s an ongoing priority for me todo these items!! My house is definitely a representation of “me” … at times I feel Im serving my home and at these moments I take stock as to why this has been allowed to happen and I go back to the basics (which is this list) and I change it up so that the majority of the time my house serves me! Perfect article and sooo soo accurate! Thanks (as Im heading out for a walk because I can! & its a perfect day and moment to do it! Grabbing my water !
Cheers
Chrissy Carter says
I currently live in a 24 hour house but I’ve read this decluttering article and I think my room can definitely be made over. I’m kind of practical but I’m also kind of a hoarder too. So far, I’ve cleaned out my wardrobe and been kind of practical on that. I also have a collection of ribbon and pop tops because I like to make usually anything out of pretty much anything.
Dolores Steiner says
Excellent article!!! I’ve achieved most rooms in the house over covid quarantine, except the bedroom. This will be tackled today. I love how it explains how you achieve so much more than just a decluttered house but a decluttered mind. Great read to keep and take into 2021. Happy New Year to you all.
Alicja says
My aunts says: when you tidy your private space, your life ll be in order, too.
Ramona says
Ya, The bedroom is one of the most important places to declutter, so that it is peacefull and cozy. 🙂
cjvalentine says
I recently moved to a new, smaller home, but the yard is much larger (which is what I wanted in the move … less house, more yard). The yard needs some reorganization and clean-up, which tops my list of 2020 to-dos. Afterwards, I’ll be able to plant a container garden 🙂
Teresa Brown says
I love your articles! They always seem to resonate with me when I need to read them! I have been de-cluttering for a couple of months. It is a process and I feel I have to be in the mood to do it!
But I will persevere though!!!! Hope to be clutter free torally by Spring!! (Selling the house then)
Sherry Y Smith says
This article was a great reminder to remember to continue decluttering my space. I especially liked #20 (Be less “busy” and more purposeful in 2020) which talked about not being a rocking horse, i.e., continually moving but going nowhere. I intend to be more laser focused and less “busy” in the upcoming year.
Lynne Stalbaum says
This article says all the things I intend to do in 2021! My New Years Resolution!! Thank You! Happy new year !!!
Carol Taylor says
Hey Lynne . Good to see your comment! I’m in the same predicament trying to de-clutter. I decided to attack things from the 90’s first. Getting rid of paperwork and old files. I’m having difficulty w special items and memories of my travels.
I was in a grocery store last week and a nice lady admired my red Christmas scarf.
So I took it off and gave it to her- told her it was time for her to enjoy a few Christmases and then pass it on to someone else.
Meg says
What a great ( and generous) idea!
Patricia A Shark says
Once I got rid of the clutter, I felt a release of memories that I no longer cared about, old furniture, clothes I no longer wear, it rejuvenated me, it was let go and move on. I live the new look, and couldn’t be happier. The past is just that the past.
Rhonda says
Your comment about memories hit me square on. Why hang on to things that evokes bad, sad memories. This cleared the way to remove those things. Thanks!
Marcia says
You may be like me, you begin and your spaces become messier rather than cleared and simplified?. Decades of stuff, even when well organized, takes time to remove! In my house, once I began to declutter my stuff was like yeast— I was so good at packing it in with totes and organizers, when I began what a nightmare with stress and frustration??. BUT, my intentions kept me moving forward AND it has been almost 2 years now and I’m almost done! For example, I will not be able to complete the garage and shed until the snow melts?.
My life is busy and it was tough to get time to “do” the declutter. However, I never dropped my intention to be “present” during the process and as I finished 1 drawer, 1 tote, or 1 closet… WOWZERS, my life became easier and more enjoyable- fueling my energy to keep going when I had the opportunity.
Also, removing is only half the battle ?. My habits needed to change to keep my space clear. So for me, these habit changes were easier over the longer declutter process.
YOU CAN DO THIS, we can CELEBRATE the journey together??
joan mckniff says
Yep. I’m there with ya.
Emma says
I have 3rooms in my home that need total de-cluttering! Don’t know where to start!
Tan Ming Lock says
Start with the one with least work so you will reap the benefits quickly and motivated enough to continue
Tracy Krueger says
Try one small surface or drawer at a time. Put things you remove roughly where they will belong from now on, if they are staying. I sometimes have to handle an item twice because it moved to another area that I had yet to declutter. But I don’t mind. Maybe the second time I consider it, I will decide to let it go.
Also, I have allowed myself 3 projects for later, after my declutter is done. Photos, recipes, and sheet music.
This means I will collect these items in separate boxes as I go through the house, and when I’m done, I will enjoy going through them and thoughtfully purging, and finding the best way to organize/store/use them. There’s just too much of those things to deal with now, while I want to move on with my overall declutter. I am also looking forward to those projects, as those are the things I enjoy most. Other hobby supplies are probably going to get donated, since there just isn’t time for everything. Best of luck.
Tina says
I am not a true minimalist. But I do think cutting back is important and good. Think about what you would take with you if you take a long vacation. Those are the things you cannot live without. If you want to be a true Mentalist get rid of everything else.
Idgy says
Choose the area that bothers you the most. Making a dent in that area will help motivate you tackle the rest. One drawer, cupboard, shelf at a time. I found taking a before picture helped to show me I am making progress.
Beej says
That’s a great idea! I’ve done that and find it so rewarding. We’ve moved 4 times in 2-1/:2 yrs and I am almost in good shape here. We’re finishing the garage this weekend and photos are my final project.
Linda Sand says
When you can’t function among family’s clutter, don’t. Kitchen a mess? Take only ourself out for a meal. Living room a mess? Retreat to your personal space. Too much noise? Go for a drive alone. Asked to find something for someone else? Say you have no idea where it is. Someone’s clothes all dirty? Show them the washing machine. You take care of you and let them deal with their own choices. They will either learn or they won’t but it can stop being your problem.
Tan Ming Lock says
Books and a former hobby that I put off are the last challenges I am still struggling with in this journey.
Momma Bock says
When I moved and downsized I donated every book I owned. I use an iPad for reading, but felt if I wanted a physical book I could go to the library. It was a very freeing decision.
Now if I could do that with all my pics & photo albums.
Sandra Carroll says
Oh do I hear you! I love traveling but find it so difficult to part with brochures, city maps, receipts of where I’ve been, overflowing files, boxes of stuff!
Not to mention the albums I intended to put together. Hundreds of pictures of memories…..
Not sure where even to begin this journey! Suggestions?
Eve says
I realized that most of the craft supplies I would never use and books I would never read is what was cluttering up too much. You have to get serious and be tough, I knew in my heart it was time to admit it and I’ve never missed anything I let go. That includes a sewing machine I never used. Just do it. You will be glad you did. Pick one craft and finish it before you do another. Read your kindle.
Dottie says
A friend sorted through her boxes, chose what she valued most and created a book with photos and written memories. She also created family books for her daughters, with stories and photos. Relatively inexpensive to do.
Laura says
I need to work on my Bedroom and family room. Through covid19 they have gotten out of control.
Bhavendra Bohara says
Hello I am from Nepal I am trying to donate my clothes to needed persons and But I could not save my time for family and money.
Debby says
Goals for this month: Extra bedroom and garage! But first must tackle China cabinet! Love your articles and practical insight! Thx for making my world a better place! Blessings!
Lynn Fabia says
I enjoyed this article, anytime of the year is a good time to declutter such as spring cleaning, however, with a New Year it’s refreshing to set goals. My goal for 2021 is “expansion”. Expansion always leads to evolvement. Always. Decluttering is expansion, it gives us space not only physically, but mentally and spiritually. Think about how good it feels after you do deep cleaning. It’s so meditative. You do actually rest better when you free up space. I have been decluttering my closet, but then a friend gives me a gift that I know I’m not going to use. I will have to give it up for my well being. I have paper work that I have been saving for years and now I am shredding them. I have tons of emails and texts to delete and I do them. I began redesigning my bathroom and clearing off the counters because of the so-called visual distractions. It changed the vibration of the room. It has a serene feel to it now. I do one room at a time. It doesn’t mean it has a bare look, it has a vibration of serenity.
Thank you for sharing this article and I will share it to others.
Lynn Fabia
Teacher, Speaker, Author for Enlightenment
Liselotte Kristensen says
As EVERYTHING in my home is one hot mess, I’ve found it difficult to even get started.
But using your inspirational list, I’ll pick one small area at a time and fight the battle from drawer to drawer.:) Happy New year
Doug says
Marc and Angel, I loved your two books when I read them this past year. We’ve been trying and making progress but the biggest hurdle is the home thing – we love our location and bought as small as we could here but it’s still more than we need. The gains from moving would be offset by the pains of not being near the people we like and the things we want to do. There are still plenty of other things on the list that need to be completed so we have that going for us.
It looks like you may have left out the biggest benefit I’ve received from learning about minimalism and that is NOT BUYING MORE STUFF. I haven’t been able to get rid of as much as I’d like yet, that’s very hard to do. I have found it much easier to not go shopping for “something to do” and then finding something and buying it. I avoid that and it has saved me a ton.
Bernice Markham says
Our basement is very large. When we sold my husband’s family’s home he brought everything from that home to our basement and says he will go through it one by one but it has now been 20 years and nothing done. What do I do? I know, I know…
Cori says
Married to a collector….I don’t know what to do with all the stuff he collects. I have de cluttered my belongs but can’t seem to get the husband motivated, any suggestions?
Epp says
I suffered nearly 30 years. When he finally passed away my sons ordered a container to throw away the shit from our garage, a lot of furniture and his stuff. I took me 4 months to go through or sell his belongigs. I think I got cancer of his shitt, I was drained. But now I am liberated and look 20 years younger! So if you still like him but don’t want to see his stuff you could live in semi detached house or accommodation with clearly devided to your side and his. Or just leave him
Rita M MacKinnon says
I too, lived with collectors (2 actually). Now I live alone with only things that belong to me and that I chose. I constantly eliminate things in my home and currently I am choosing wisely what now comes into my home.
D'Ann says
I have been working on ridding my house of clutter for awhile. I’ve cleared closets and kitchen cabinets. I’m having trouble with only furniture on the floor. I tend to have baskets or stacks of things on the floor. So getting rid of those stacks will be my goal for 2021.
Judy Avalos says
I accidentally ran into this site and feel it’s a gift to read the tips. Being home with covid restrictions has really had me looking at how much clutter I have. I’m been making progress, but have a way to go yet. Cheers.
Gina says
I used to just focus on my bed room or even just one small space I can clean and excape the rest of the house to. Sorry for your situation, I feel you!
Julie Mossberg-Kinsley says
One of my biggest problems is not actually a room, but rather paperwork which can be in any room or multiple rooms! My husband and I are both bad about what I call “paperwork-procrastination”, so we end up with piles of it. Luckily I’m good about pulling the bills out, but the rest of it makes my skin crawl. Now and then I’m motivated to deal with the paperwork, but before I know it I’m overwhelmed and start to ignore it, though deep down it stresses me out. I love your ideas, especially about creating a calm space! I’m challenging myself to clean up the paperwork in 2020.
Sandra Carroll says
I’m in the same boat as you are when it comes to paperwork. but also includes magazines and catalogs that I tend to save. I tried tearing out the articles that I wanted to keep but that only created another piles of loose paper. lol
Every now and then I close my eyes and make a big sweep of them to toss out. But others remain as a continuous battle for me to contend with.
Harlean Oswell says
Just toss all the mags and catalogs. Believe me you won’t miss them. You can find anything you want to know on the Internet.
Kathy Manikowski says
Me too – sometimes feel like I’m swamped with paper!
Lisa says
I have 15 or so large bins of stuff from my Mom’s house after she passed away…I’ve had it now over 4 years! Already sold or gave away most of it, but these are “treasures”/sentimental items that have a heavy emotional attachment. So heavy though I literally feel weighted down. I have no siblings and my two daughters don’t want or need any more stuff.
LH says
One of the things that helped me the most with this was to ask myself a few questions.
1. Where will these things end up when I am gone?
2. Will going through all of these things be a burden for my children? 3. Would my mother really want me to hold on to all of these things forever, or would she want these things to go to someone who might actually need them?
Then I picked two bins, specifying one per child, and I divided the extra-special sentimental things into the two bins, including a note about item and why it was special to our family. I decided to store only these two bins so that someday when I am gone (hopefully many years from now), this will be a manageable task for my children. With some maturity and context, they may even choose to hang on to one or two special things to pass on to their children. I realized that the memories were really what I was hanging on to and that I could keep these wonderful memories without the “things” attached and weighing me down. Best wishes to you…
Rita M MacKinnon says
Take pictures of everything then rid yourself of the items. I did this with the comfort of having the photos if I needed to see them…and guess what? Don’t give them a second thought, but only take up space on a thumb drive now.
Claudia says
Since we’re staying at home anyway, me & my husband are doing these things together, this week between Christmas & New year’s: cleaning out blankets, we have so many! A local women’s home needs blankets. Feels good to give! Also going thru CDs and DVDs. How do we get so many of these things?! Thank you for the ideas & inspiration!
Leesa says
Wow this is just what I needed right now. My daughter just came for 3 days and helped me and my family declutter my house. It feels so good to have a clean open space and to know where everything is. We took 3 car loads to Goodwill and have 10 giant garbage bags to take to the dump. I live with someone who has ADD but won’t acknowledge it and it is very difficult to keep things organized. He had a very difficult time parting ways with alot of things but did it! It’s only been 2 days but I feel like a mountain has been lifted off my shoulders.
Tami says
I made it my goal in 2020 to donate 100 items every month. I am happy to say that I have actually completed my “New Years resolution.” Over 1,500 items donated to charity. What a wonderful feeling! 2021 resolution…limit purchases and continue to downsize my belongings.
Red says
Greatest tip for me is allowing space between commitments to live. It can be easy to overlook. I purged more books but still have shelves of unread books. I’m trying to tackle it a bit at a time. Each pass I can release more … and not allow myself to visit any book sales! Meanwhile, I have some undone financial papers all over my office and dining room table that I procrastinate starting on. This is the month (January) I am committing to getting it done. Enough. I want my house!
Sandra Carroll says
I can relate. Even my email has created madness. First there were those I flagged to go back to, then I tried creating folders for particular articles, just in case, to refer back to. As bad as all the junk mail and unsolicited catalogs that come almost daily! Yikes!
Brenda says
Great timing, a new year with opportunity to begin new habits! Something we all need after covid.
Jacqueline Church says
When buying new clothes, I try to follow the one in/one out rule. We have two adults no kids, small loft. There is no “other” space (garage or storage or closet or cabinet) so it’s hard; the stand mixer stays on the counter as there is literally NO other place for it to go, e.g.. Paper is my nemesis du jour. Itching to get rid of folders from old projects, research for articles I once wrote or planned to write. When it becomes too hard to find something, paper or other items, that’s usually when I get motivated to declutter.
Marjory says
My husband & I have gotten rid of one thing each every day for the past 26 months. I use a calendar and write down the item. We can “pay” ahead but if we fall behind (it doesn’t happen) we can choose one of the other’s belongings. We are both working on the 3rd week of January. The best thing about it is that we almost always find something we can use or have been looking for or really like. It’s almost like a surprise present. We live near the Mexican border and a friend takes items over to a small village every month. Things we think we’d toss, she says they are thrilled with.
Olivia Mae says
The inside and outside of the refrigerator!!! Keep the front of the fridge clean from magnets, photos, and lists. If you need to, put them on the side that isn’t in clear sight when entering the kitchen. Clean out that refrigerator! Seeing a cluttered fridge can spark immediate anxiety. Throw out all those expired items, the little this or thats, along with all the condiments you no longer use. Organize the rest using a few clear acrylic bins and maybe a clear turntable for a far corner. You’ll be surprised how much “free space” there can actually be for fresh and healthy food to nourish yourself and your family.
Doroth Galvan says
I have a large attic where three adult children are storing old possessions mainly from their HS years, Iraq war and acting forays. Last year I started to take one box with me when I visit each one, which is often, with the advice of just to go through it and toss or recycle the contents and do not store it.
I also found that I have a large collection of pet cages, tanks, and equipment since all kinds of pet orphans found their way to my house over the years. I have decided that I need to get rid of these since if that does occur, and I accept the commitment of caring for another pet, I will buy a new home. I currently have 2 dogs, a blue tongued skink and a Koi pond.
Tracie says
I have really been trying to weed out unwanted and unused items all over my house for the past 30 days. It’s so freeing! Great article!
Christy says
Only room that is not completely minimized is my twin 17yr old boys room. They don’t want to get rid of anything. It drives me nuts. Then they come into my room and say how nice it is and peaceful. I tell them, well, if we go through your stuff and get rid of what you don’t really use, want, or need yours can be peaceful too. Still not ready thought and I’m not going to throw away anything without their okay. So for now, the rest of the place is great and then there is their room ?
C says
Close the door of that room and stay out. It will give you peace
Beth says
I moved several months ago. I currently have about 45 boxes that have not been unpacked. Granted, many of them are small because I didn’t have any larger boxes to use. I was in a two bedroom two bathroom 1800 square-foot apartment. I’m single and I have two cats. I finally realize there was no reason to be spending the amount of money I was spending on rent and be only one person living in a two bedroom two bathroom apartment. I moved to a one bedroom, One bathroom, 840 square-foot apartment. I feel comfortable here in the sense that this is the amount of space I feel that I need at this time in my life. However, I am totally overwhelmed by the volume of crap I have to unpack. My boxes are all labeled and I have no clue where anything is. I believe I gave away my dishes to donation by accident. I have already given away and throwing away a lot of things but obviously I need to do more.I’m so glad I found this article. I have a lot more to do and I’m hoping this will help me get there.
Meg says
Sending encouragement! The more you can let go, the more peaceful you will be. ?