“Owning less is far more beneficial than organizing more.” – Twitter / Facebook
We are a culture drowning in our possessions. We take in more and more (holiday, birthdays, sales, needs), but rarely find opportunity to discard of it. As a result, our homes fill up with so much stuff. And because we believe the best solution is to find organizational tools to manage all of it, we seek out bigger containers or more efficient organizational tips and tricks. But simply organizing our stuff (without removing it) is always only a temporary solution. By definition, organizing our possessions is an action that must be repeated over and over and over again.
At its heart, organizing is simply rearranging. And though we may find storage solutions today, we are quickly forced to find new ones as early as tomorrow. Additionally, organizing (without getting rid of our stuff and decluttering) has some other major shortcomings that are rarely considered:
- It doesn’t benefit anyone else. The possessions we rarely use sit on shelves in our basements, attics, and garages… even while some of our closest friends desperately need them.
- It doesn’t solve our debt problems. It never addresses the underlying issue that we just buy too much stuff. In fact, many times, the act of rearranging our stuff even costs us more as we purchase containers, storage units, or larger homes to house it.
- It doesn’t turn back our desire for more. The simple act of organizing our things into boxes, plastic bins, or extra closets doesn’t turn back our desire to purchase more things. The culture-driven inclination to find happiness in our possessions is rarely thwarted in any way through the process.
- It doesn’t force us to evaluate our lives. While rearranging our stuff may cause us to look at each of our possessions, it does not force us to evaluate them—especially if we are just putting them in boxes and closing the lids. On the other hand, removing possessions from our home forces questions of passion, values, and what’s truly most important to us.
- It accomplishes little in paving the way for other changes. Organizing may provide a temporary lift to our attitude. It clears a room and subsequently clears our mind, but rarely paves the way for healthy, major lifestyle changes. Our house is too small, our income is too little, and we still can’t find enough time in the day. We may have rearranged our stuff… but not our lives.
On the other hand, the act of getting rid of stuff from our home accomplishes many of those purposes. It is not a temporary solution that must be repeated. It is an action of permanence—once an item has been removed, it is removed completely. Whether we re-sell our possessions, donate them to charity, or give them to a friend, they are immediately put to use by those who need them.
Removing possessions begins to turn back our desire for more as we find freedom, happiness, and abundance in owning less. And removing ourselves from the all-consuming desire to own more creates opportunity for significant life change to take place.
If you’re struggling with how to get rid of stuff, you can:
1. Challenge yourself to remove the unneeded things in your home.
2. Rid yourself of the extra weight in a permanent manner.
3. Carry a trash bag from room-to-room.
4. See how big of a donation pile you can make.
5. Eliminate debt by selling what you no longer need.
It doesn’t matter so much how you remove them, as long as you do. For it is far better to de-own than to always be decluttering.
Annie says
I loved the comment from Michelle, so true! This same idea dawned on me when someone was trying to get me to join one of those companies that sell via “consultants.” It happened when she asked me, “Don’t you want to make more money to buy yourself and your family nice things?” I almost said yes right away, but something stopped me and instead I said, “No, I have what I need. If I took on another job I wouldn’t have the time to enjoy what I already have so what would I gain from all those new things? Just frustration and resentment.” That was the first trigger that started me on the journey to simplify my life.
carol says
I am learning to become a Minimalist and what that means to me. Yes,I have and still am de-cluttering but I am also learning to value certain things more than others. I am particularly enjoying embracing technology , I love my Kindle , no more book shelves full of books , but all the pleasure of reading. I do read books passed to me from friends and enjoy passing them back to the Charity shops or onto other friends.I ave discovered Spotify so am having lots of fun revisiting music from previous decades, discovering new artists and exploring classical music …pleasure without ownership. Have just passed on hundreds of CD`s which I haven`t played in years!I have to say I have seen a shift in my need to own stuff as a result.I am looking forward to seeing where my next stage of my journey will take me :)
Marian says
I am new to minimalism as a lifestyle, though I have been giving items to good will and organizing the rest for years, just to have my closets fill again. But I am still a shopaholic and recently realized I shop as a coping mechanism. Then I would go to The Container Store to find (purchase items) ways to organize. I love the idea of de-owning!! I am so grateful to have stumbled upon minimalism and blogs like yours. I am also on a purchase fast – nothing other than absolute essentials. I found, though, that just yesterday, some furniture I have been meaning to sell for quite some time, I thought “Oh I’ll just have it refinished and find another place (what place??) for it in my home. What? It will cost me at least $400 to $500 a piece and these pieces have been in closets for years. I have given so much to good will and free cycle lately. I especially love Free Cycle. The responses of gratitude of those receiving my donated items is heartwarming. One woman gave me multiple hugs and after getting into her car, got out to come thank me again. I do have one question where I need some advice. I have several items that are of high value that I never used because I inherited them and they are not my style. I very much want to be free of (from) them. I don’t know how to de-own them – I could really use the money as I would like to retire soon. Most consignment stores and Ebay charge large commissions. I know that I won’t get the true value on Craig’s List. I feel stuck, stressed and at a loss. Any advice for me?
Leslie, the home maker says
Marian,
I have been a seller on eBay, etsy, Amazon, and Craigslist for 13+ years now, and I’m an organizing blogger (I also talk about Interior Design and Home Staging to sell your home).
Realization that our stuff is owning us is the first step in releasing the grip that acquiring has had on us! So, I am proud of you for admitting it—it’s hard!!
:)
About your valuables, maybe you won’t get as much as you think they are worth from selling them, but the selling of them combined with the freedom of releasing them is priceless!
I recommend Craigslist, and I recommend selling the items closer to upcoming holidays as people are getting ready for company and wanting to spruce up their homes. By selling through Craigslist, your item will be seen by more potential buyers and you keep all the money for it to yourself and don’t have to pay commission to anyone else (consignment/eBay).
Take good pictures (5-8 of each item), list them individually, and write a great description. Be fair in your asking price, and the pieces WILL sell.
Again, your items aren’t making you any money at all by waiting for you to list them, are they?
Just do it! The freeing feeling of being rid of the items causing you so much stress is so worth it!
Blessings on your journey of peace in your home!
~Leslie
Marian says
Thank you, Leslie!
“Again, your items aren’t making you any money at all by waiting for you to list them, are they?” So true and so wise…they are just making me crazy every time I see them.
Thank you for your advice about selling on Craigslist. I look forward to the freedom, peace of mind and release!!
Marian
Leslie, the home maker says
Hi Marian!
Thank you for your sweet reply to my reply ;)
I pray you make money and gain your peace of mind!
HUGS from South Carolina!
~Leslie
Coy like the phish says
What about clothes, coffee, shoes. You do buy somethings right…
JoAnna says
Couldn’t agree more – I think I will go find some “things” to donate!
sunny says
New reader of your site. Great post! I just learned this idea of getting things out of my home in the last month or two. I’d been reading FlyLady’s words for more than 10 years and it just sunk in now…that you “can’t organize clutter”…. yet I would shuffle things around from container to container…and wonder why I didn’t feel better?!
It’s because I needed to “de-own” (great term, by the way). I get hung up by thinking each good item that leaves need to go to a good home….like the stack of decor magazines that I want like-minded decor enthusiasts to enjoy the magazines as much as I did, and crafty people to get my unused craft supplies. Stuck, stuck, stuck. I should just drop the magazine pile in the recycling bin and be done with it. It’s not like I own the only copy of each of those magazines :)
de-own, de-own, de-own!
monksda says
I have been a volunteer at a charity shop for more than 20 years. I have been bringing home things I wasn’t able to have as a child all that time; some particular dolls, books, toys, items I saw which filled a gap in me somehow. About 5 years ago I suddenly realised I was ‘planting my seeds in yesterday’s soil and tomorrow’s soil’ not this day, and expecting a crop today. I have since done a tremendous job of letting things go and seen a big lift in my peacefulness. What strikes me now is the price which is literally put on the items I thought were valuable when they are on sale at the shop. My precious evening purse for example is still hanging in the shop at $5, no one wants it, it’s just not worth a scrap to anyone else, what a shock! Another coat I thought was wow! can’t fetch 50 cents and faces being dumped as rubbish. I am laughing at how much I have changed, I count it a victory when I come home from work with nothing now. Go me.
Juju at Tales of Whimsy.com says
Amen. I’m a total purger. Always going through rooms and eliminating things that are not in use. I donate alllot. It’s the most freeing thing I do.
Graeme McNee | Minimal Comics says
Yes! This is exactly the slap in the face I was needing! ‘It doesn’t turn back our desire for more’ is my favourite one, sometimes organising things like books or CDs only makes you subconsciously want to go out and get a ‘complete set’. It’s best to just get rid of them all or have a ‘The best one only’ rule.
Lana says
I finished my fashion degree last year and during the 3 years of studies I collected everything, I mean anything from a piece of chewing gum wrapper (because its might ‘inspired’ me) to a dirty cloths (because of the textures and I ‘might’ need it). The clutters started to built up without me realizing it and overtake my house! I am a clean freak to the point of OCD but after seeing the stuff I just can’t be bother to care about it, so I take my stress out by going shopping! Doesn’t help and only make the matter worse!
But this year, I am planning my RTW trip in 2 years time and at the moment downsizing by moving to a small room with only a single bed and a 2-doors wardrobe with two drawers from a very big bedroom with a walk in closet and shoe collection! Its extremely hard to let go of your possessions and I am being very ruthless with myself. Im getting rid of clothes that I bought for that ‘just in case I might lose weight’, to those hideous expensive designers because they’re ‘in fashion’ etc. If I didn’t wear them within 2 months, they got to go! I feel lighter and less stress, can focus on work more and be more creative and I don’t miss any of the things.
Also when Im travelling, I might not return home for a long time!