There is a wonderful freedom in owning less.
The beginning of every new year brings excitement, anticipation, and opportunity. It also brings resolution.
People around the world will use January 1 as motivation to make changes in their lives. They will decide to lose weight, eat healthy, quit smoking, or declutter their home.
Some resolutions will last. Most will fade away within the first ten days.
This website reaches a large community of people from every walk of life. But we are united in our belief that life is too valuable to waste chasing possessions. Some readers have already decluttered their homes and return here for continued inspiration.
Some are in the midst of their journey toward owning less. And others will be introduced for the first time this week.
My hope is that your resolution to declutter will not fade away. But instead, that you and your family will enjoy all the benefits of owning less.
To those who are just beginning, welcome. Here are 7 helpful tips for your decluttering resolution.
1. Start easy. Your first step in the right direction does not have to be a big one. Our personal journey began by removing the clutter from our cars. Literally. The first things we minimized were ketchup packets, Happy Meal toys, old receipts, and rarely used music CDs. It wasn’t big, but it got us moving in the right direction.
Our next projects included the living room, the bedroom, and our wardrobe. Each room or closet was a little bit harder than the previous. But we found important momentum in the early steps to help carry us through the difficult ones down the road. Use this Declutter Your Home Checklist to really make it easy.
2. Choose a lived-in area to begin. When you first begin to declutter your home, choose an area that is often used. There are many benefits to owning less—clear, open spaces with fewer distractions is one of the best. As you begin to remove clutter, you will quickly experience them.
And the best way to fully understand these benefits is to begin decluttering a room that is used often. This could be a living room, a bedroom, an office, or a bathroom. Start decluttering in an easy, lived-in area. You’ll love it. And find increased motivation.
3. Touch every item. Your decluttering journey is not a race. It took years to accumulate all the clutter in your home and it will take more than an afternoon or weekend to remove it. My own family of four took 9 months. You won’t regret taking your time. And you won’t regret taking the extra effort to physically touch every item in your home.
Physically handling each thing forces our minds to make intentional decisions about them. After touching each item, place it in 1 of 3 piles: keep, relocate, or remove. From there, handle immediately. And then repeat.
4. Prefer donating over selling. You can make more money by selling your unneeded clutter. And if you legitimately need the money, go for it. There are countless websites that can help. But be aware that trying to sell your clutter is time-consuming, cumbersome, and often adds to the stress of decluttering.
If money is not an immediate concern for your family, sell your valuable items on Ebay or Craigslist, but donate everything else to a local charity. You will find joy and fulfillment in generosity—and that experience will be important going forward as you seek to overcome the trap of consumerism.
5. Read a book. The first book I read on decluttering was Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston. While feng shui never became a guiding principle in my home, the thoughts in the book were helpful for our journey. It is important to be reminded that others struggle with the same problem. And it is beneficial to hear new solutions to these problems.
The book was good, I still recommend it. But I also recommend The Minimalist Home, The More of Less, The Joy of Less, and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Any one of them will be helpful and motivating.
6. Tell a friend. Joy is most fulfilling when it is shared with others. Tell your story about your resolution to declutter. You will find people are excited to try it themselves. They will cheer you on. They will motivate you by holding you accountable and ask you how things are going the next time you see them.
As an additional benefit, when you share your story, you will be reminded again of the reasons you decided to declutter in the first place.
7. Be okay with imperfection. Don’t let perfect become the enemy of better. The first time you go through your home, you won’t remove all the clutter. You’ll keep stuff that didn’t need to be kept. You’ll find it too difficult to part with some items. You may even remove a thing or two you’ll end up wishing you had kept.
But you will make progress. In just a few short weeks (or even days), you will begin to feel different about your home. You will enjoy it more—as if a burden has been lifted from your shoulders. It won’t be perfect, but it will be better. And that’s the best any of us can hope for in this life.
The journey to clutterfree can be difficult at times. But it is always worth the effort. Trust me, you’ll be happier owning less.
Bob Pepe says
I am sitting on a cruise ship off the coast of Cuba right now as i type this. A cruise ship is the opposite of minimilism . Every inch of the ship is packed and commerialism is everywhere. I have not purchased any of the”crap” they are hucking on the ship, so that is a good thing. .i am going home with less than I came with
This is going to be the motivation for getting my life back..it is absolutely suffocating being here
My journey started last year and has stalled a little. This is going to be the year that I start living to my fullest.
I can’t wait to get home to clean out another room..
Happy New Year!!!
Gail says
“A cruise ship is the opposite of minimalism” – SO, so, so true!
And they ARE suffocating.
Bob Pepe says
I want to add that I am now on the last day of this cruise and I can’t wait to get home. Maybe this was just the push to get me back in track. To see the exact opposite of what I am looking for in my life just might do the trick.
I saw people lining up last night to buy watches for $20.. They were marked at $40 but were on sale for $20 (probably worth $10)
Almost every person looking was already wearing a watch at that exact moment. They were just buying it because they could ! And because they thought they were getting a deal.
This cruise is costing my father-in-law over 50k (there is 19 of us). Imagine the good that could have been done with that money?
The people on this boat obviously have money.. Why are they fighting over a $20 watch???? It is commercialism at its worst.. Buying for the sake of buying…
This is very eye-opening for me
Nancy Anderson says
How generous of your father-in-law to treat his family to time together. That seems to be the opposite of commercialism. He has shared his wealth for an experience for the family instead of things. It’s sad that this experience has made you feel suffocated.
Bob P says
Every inch of the ship was made to sell you something… Either food or Jewelry, or a T-shirt or some trinket… and in every port you got off the boat and were crushed with vendors trying to sell you something….
It was very nice of my Father-in-Law to spend the money, but he could have spent a whole lot less to get all of us together and had the same quality time, without all of the madness of the ship…
This was my 8th cruise and the first one since I discovered that I couldn’t buy my way to happiness.. I will never take another cruise again..
It is the exact opposite of what I am trying to do with my life.
Judy says
I LOVE cruises. Been on two and plan on more!!! :)
Not only rich people go on cruises!!! ??? LOL
Bob P says
I have trouble seeing how trying to live a minimalist lifestyle and taking a cruise can co-exist? They are the polar opposite to me
BrownVagabonder says
Happy New Year! I love the point about starting easy and being okay with imperfection. I am a minimalist, but I still have areas in my life that need decluttering. Instead of worrying about those areas, I try to celebrate the areas that are decluttered and free. Thank you for your amazing posts all year. They are truly inspirational.
Bob Pepe says
I think that it is vital to do “something” every week. Just to keep it in your thoughts. I just grab anything and bring it out to the trash. It is amazing how much stuff you can get rid of that way
Sherry says
I have been following your blog for almost a year now. This is my second time to go through the house to live with far less. I think I’ve got it this time. Thank you for all your posts they are truly inspirational.
Ken Stringer says
I just discovered my New Year’s resolution, Thank You!
Eleanor Cline says
I really enjoy reading these posts and sharing them with my friends because I have experienced how liberating it is to get rid of stuff! My husband and I both grew up with mothers who loved (and still love) ‘things’ and their obsession with stuff continues to be a source of conflict today. Growing up, my mum’s house was always a mess and I’m grateful that my husband and I are agreed that our house should only contain what we need and what we absolutely want. Our home is not a boring blank canvas devoid of any personality – it’s a home that has our stamp on it – but each item is there because we’ve decided it should be for one reason or another. Stuff distracts us from life – it drains our wallets, gives us more to worry about and more to clean! I only wish more people could see the benefit of de-cluttering in their lives. What a difference it would make! Keep up the good work!
Dorit Sasson says
I did exactly these tips and of course, there’s still clutter, but much less and I feel lighter as a result. My heart expands when I schedule a pick-up to the Vietnam Veterans and I almost never sell anything. We don’t have much stuff to begin with, well, shall I say we didn’t realize how much little stuff of the stuff we did have, we weren’t using. I have scheduled more than 10 pickups for the Vietnam Veterans in 2014 and I will continue to support them. Their pick-ups make it easy and simple and it continues to motivate me to declutter knowing I’m supporting a worthy cause.
Fiona Cee says
I’ve given up ANY thought of ever trying to make money from my garbage. I will just be RICHER by being rid of it!
I’ve got 3 house rooms and a shed of stuff to get rid off. it would be great if I had a ‘partner in clutter’ to do it with, but no, it is just me and that makes it very hard, along with being a full time carer to an immobile and incontinent family member.
I need a lot of inspiration but I’m guessing it will be more perspiration than anything.
Vicki Grilli says
Where do you live? I live in northeast California.
Laurie says
I am alone too, on my journey to declutter. You will get it done.
Diane Kallal says
i’m alone, too. It’s more difficult, but you don’t have to ask anyone’s permission! Just started to fling – it felt so good! :)
Astrid says
These tips are wonderful! Thanks so much, for all your inspiring posts!
We have been trying to remove stuff from our home. We do try to sell things, as we have allocated the money from sales towards having fun experiences with the family. This way, it is an insentive for the kids to join in the removing of “stuff”…. as we make a choice as a family as to what to spend the money on. We live on a small income, so don’t have much to put towards extra’s. With the money we have earned in selling off things, we have had fun outings, which contribute to wonderful memories…. I do agree that it is a lot of work and we do give away a lot too… but for us, this works.
We are nowhere near where we would want to be, so the advice of being okay with imperfection is one I will take to heart, as simply living seems to accumulate “stuff” too…
Just wanted to let you know, avid follower from the Netherlands… you have a wonderful way of sharing your views, that are truely inspirational.
Happy new year!
Slackerjo says
You so hit the nail on the head when it comes to donating stuff. Just give it away and try not to repeat the same mistake(s). Yeah, it hurts a bit but some times life lessons hurt. Often the pain is what makes us learn from our mistakes.
Also, I find a good tip is to look up the location of your nearest thrift store before you start de-cluttering and check their website to find out what they do and don’t take and you know exactly where you are going. No “I was going to donate stuff but I don’t know where the store is” nonsense.
Load up the car and as I tell my quasi hoarder family (I swear I am adopted) “Go directly to the thrift store, do not pass go, do not collect $200!” Don’t wait to donate! You lose momentum.
Orlando says
Unemployment was what made me change to live so much simpler. I’d say it was a blessing in disguise. Today I have a great job and continue to live this wonderful lifestyle inspired by blogs like these.
Keith says
Congrats to you!
Any meaningful and semi-permanent change almost always requires some kind of external trauma to “encourage” us to do what we really need to do.
What that trauma was for me was the surprise and urgent clearing out and sale of my father and mother’s house and my in-laws house within a couple of years of each other.
Wading through 50 years of accumulation in each house was painful and very, very tedious. This was especially true with my father’s dementia which had him hiding very important things amongst the very unimportant things. We had to go through every individual thing just to make sure we didn’t throw out or shred something truly important.
The take-away from this was that I pledged to our children that we would never do that to them. Spring of 2014 I put together a modest plan to a gargantuan job of beginning to “liquidate” the stuff we had collected over 40 years. Stuff that actually had no sentimental value to us any longer.
I am very happy when someone comes to purchase something I put on Craigslist that will mean something to them and that they will enjoy in the coming years. This process is gaining positive momentum and even my “not on board” wife is getting in on it ever so slightly.
All good!
Toni says
Greatly understand, Keith. Ironically, I have found that my “used to live minimally self” changed dramatically when I experienced the loss of both parents (my best friends) within 5 mo.of each other with the ensuing “housecleaning” of their 50 plus years of accumulation. Unfortunately, it had the OPPOSITE affect on me from what you experienced. My parents were depression-era children, my father a WWII Veteran. I am extremely aware of their sacrifices to gain what they had. Consequently, my home has closets full of extremely sentimental belongings from those times and later. My home has items throughout, here and there, to show “their” hard-earned belingings to others. I look around and see that it caused me to completely change. I came upon this site after reading a review of “The Magic of Tidying Up.” I know I should let go but, after 10 years, yes, 10 years. I continue to admire “their life memories and belongings” while my current life gets put on the back burner. If I manage to gain a new experience/memory of my own, anything associated with it is placed “between, around, next to” my parents’ belongings. I find that I am forever waiting for that “perfect time” or hoping that something will come along (a book, a quote, a sign, a painting, someone’s words) to motivate me to dig past the surfaces of clutter (not even my own) to find and ultimately get back to my old self somewhere beneath! This site offers great insight, but I am still hoping for that magical moment. Congrats to those of you who are already there! It clearly appears to be the best way to live. Thanks for your example.
Pat says
Toni, as I read your comment, my heart went out to you. My dad (like yours, a child of the Depression) passed away a year and a half ago, and I had to move my mother into assisted living. Cleaning their home was a daunting task. After my children picked items they wanted, I decided that I had to limit what I brought home. I chose to keep only a few items that Mom and Dad had touched frequently in their daily lives–Dad’s watch and pocket knife, Mom’s measuring spoon and a cookie cutter, and a few similar items. I have 4 items from my beloved grandparents–2 table forks, a pancake turner, and a tiny frying pan that my grandfather melted butter in for his popcorn. These items do not take up much space, and at the same time, bring good memories to me. Their other belongings? Some have gone to family members or family friends, others to charities, and finally some to recycle. To spare my children this task, I’m giving them items now; I’ve also started a list of fond memories of my parents, grandparents, and my children in a 3 x 5 Moleskine notebook. I plan to pass that on to my children rather than 2 double car garages of “stuff.” I don’t know that any of this will help you, but I can hope something here will spark an idea for you. Oh, one last thought–because I have so few items, if I need to evacuate (hurricane zone), I can grab these items (kept in a basket) in a minute and take them with me.
Joshua is right about donating rather than selling. The plan to sell items has stopped my decluttering. Now, I’m loading my car weekly for trips to the local charity.
Diane Kallal says
Toni, I only had a father and we were SO close! It was difficult to get rid of some of his things. But, I finally chose the most important and made shadow boxes, etc. It did take several “run throughs”, but I don’t think Poppa wanted his things to be a burden – he didn’t want to be forgotten (which will never happen). Bless you and good luck with clearing up.
Kate says
Toni, I went through a similar experience cleaning out my parents’ home where they lived for 50+ years. Not only were there artifacts from my childhood, but I came across stuff my mom had saved from cleaning out her childhood home. I found it very helpful to take pictures…pictures of the piles (to remind my not to go down that path) pictures of special items that I can add a caption about why they were special and pictures of the everyday items of my former life. I also miniaturized (as the First King of Decluttering, Don Aslett put it) by taking just a little…the eyes off my well loved Pinky Panda instead of trying to keep the stained stuffy. Then I found it much easier to dump or donate the items. I wish you well in the journey.
Donna Gallagher says
You will let go, slowly. Keep memories and pictures. When this happened to me, I had to remember, you are NOT throwing or donating your parents, you are throwing or donating their THINGS.
Their things were part of their life and life is for the living. Go at your own pace.
SouthernGirl says
I wonder if it would be helpful to hire a professional organizer to help you get jump started? It sounds as if you have a higher than average attachment to these things because of how close you were with your parents. If I can offer a little honesty, if you are waiting for something to make you do it… a sign, or the perfect time…you never will. You can do it and you will ever happier in the end but you have to make the choice.
Melissa says
I am sorry you are struggling with this. May I recommend that you keep reading blogs and books on the subject. It will help. It has helped me to simplify my life. I really liked a book “it’s all too much” by Peter Walsh. I have reread it several times and always get new ideas depending on where I am in this journey. Good luck to you on living your best life!