Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Claire Wilde.
Embracing simplicity: the idea just sounds so good, doesn’t it? Can’t you just feel those tense shoulders loosening at the thought?
So many people feel overwhelmed, overworked, and overloaded, often living in homes which are overfilled… yearning for a simpler way to live.
A couple of years ago, I too was crying out for simplicity in my life, my bank balance, my schedule, my mind, and most definitely my home. I had somehow accrued a lot of consumer debt through a spending habit which never brought me happiness.
Becoming Minimalist and a handful of other sites inspired me to make some big changes, which in the end, came easier than I had thought.
First, I stopped buying things I didn’t need. It was a transformation. The stream of gadgets and trinkets coming into my life dried up. Sure enough, my thirst for new toys soon dried up along with it.
This in turn allowed me to simplify my money. I began spending less than I made. Whereas once I was drowning in debt, now I am surfacing. Soon I’ll be breathing again.
Then, once I had asked myself how I could be a more responsible consumer, I started asking myself how else I might be a better and happier person. Where I had been prone to envy, too often comparing myself with others, my focus gradually began to shift. Of course, I’m not magically immune from jealousy now, but at least I recognize it when it does rear its ugly head.
Simplicity has also allowed me to rethink and readjust the way I spend my time. Much of this has been easy, like selling all my computer games and rediscovering the simple pleasure of curling up with a book.
But there’s no doubt about it, I have found one aspect of simplifying very, very hard: drastically reducing the number of possessions I already own.
I have gone from having far too many things, to having a few too many things. This alone has taken more than two years, and I have to confess to feeling frustrated at times with my slow progress.
It was easy at first: gathering up a box of unwanted belongings gave me a thrill each and every time. But then, out of nowhere, I hit a wall. And I’ve been struggling to push through it ever since.
I’ve removed a third of my belongings. But I still own neglected nineties CDs and reference books I never use. I think I have not one, but two dead laptops haunting me. And I definitely have a lava lamp with no bulb, in a box somewhere.
I recently decided to start over, and now after a period of reflection and inspiration, I’m fired up and ready once again to dig deeper, go further, do better.
If you want to declutter your home but have ever felt frustration or disappointment with a lack of progress, know that you are not alone and it’s okay. While some people feel able to jettison all their stuff overnight, others will take their time.
Here are eight ideas for when you’re struggling to declutter:
1. Take things one step at a time.
If you are struggling with overwhelm, concentrate on one room, one piece of storage, or even one shelf at a time—especially if the job as a whole seems insurmountable. Your speed doesn’t matter, a step forward is still a step forward.
2. Find your people.
Online support can be a huge help, but there is nothing like meeting up face-to-face with other people who are pursuing simplicity. Depending on your immediate surroundings, this may or may not be easy to do. But the more you share your story of the change you are trying to make, the more people you will find drawn to it.
3. Take before-and-after photos.
Often times, being able to see the progress you have already made is helpful —especially if we start to feel frustrated during the process.
4. Do half-a-job (at least for now).
So you still have, let’s say, a vintage teddy bear collection and you’re afraid to say goodbye to it completely. Could you let go of half of them? This strategy can be particularly helpful for some of those hard-to-remove items (books, sentimental collections, souvenirs, hobby stuff).
5. Inject some fun into the process.
There are loads of decluttering games you can play. I came up with one called the five-in-five challenge: can you find five items you don’t want in just five minutes? You could even challenge your whole household to compete against each other. Or check out some of these decluttering tips.
6. Quarantine your belongings.
Try boxing up items you fear you might need one day, and hide them away for a set period of time before letting them go. If there’s anything in there you truly do need, you’ll realize before you’ve given it away.
7. Work out your weak-points.
What have you found easy to declutter, and what have you found hard? Why is that? Perhaps you worry you’d later regret saying goodbye to sentimental trinkets or just-in-case items? Maybe giving away expensive toys is a painful reminder of what little value they gave you? Perhaps your conscience stops you from tossing items you can’t recycle? Whatever the hurdle is, there will be a way around it. It may take more time and self-reflection than other areas in your home, but don’t fear the process—it’s always beneficial in the long-run.
8. Practice self-compassion.
Don’t beat yourself up if you’re not seeing instant results. You might take a while to get to where you need to be. That’s okay. If you’re bringing less into your home than you are sending out, you’re decluttering. You’re heading to the same destination, you’re just taking a little longer to get there.
Additional Resources:
Rhonda says
I absolutely love all the tips & info.
I especially love #4. I was reluctant about downsizing my childhood toys but I eliminated about half in the beginning and every few weeks I eliminate a few more. I look at stuff and ask myself, why am I keeping it? And then out it goes! My son and daughter in law want a few items to keep so they may pass them onto their children, when they start their family. :)
Angela Horn says
Awesome post Claire! (as always) :)
I think your before and after photos tip is a brilliant idea! People use it all the time to inspire weight-loss and other fitness goals, so why not use it for decluttering as well, right?!
I remember how blown away I was when I saw the before and after pic of your living-room!
Claire WantLess says
Amazing what PhotoShop will do, isn’t it! ;-)
Sami says
I have a friend who I always send my before photos too and gives me great pleasure to send her my after photos once completed.
Keeps me motivated to finish it off!!!!
Vince says
It’s a beautiful new day! :)
Jill Thomas says
I really like that Joshua posts articles from other sites for us to read. It gives me a chance to explore other people’s writings that I don’t know about. I have since subscribed to Claire’s blog, I am enjoying her sense of humor as she figures out the minimalist lifestyle.
Claire WantLess says
Thanks Jill, very kind of you to say! :-) You’d be very welcome
Linda says
Where do we find your blog???
Jacqueline says
i have been decluttering for 15years and i took somethings to the charity shop and the guy said , see you soon, i replied no you wont because i have stopped buying and am trying to use what i already have, donating 70% has finally taught me i can manage on far less than i think and less makes life easier, i clean faster, save more, i can put things away in there rightful place but i just am appalled by my waste and debt and constant donating, i really need to wake up and stop making the same mistakes , thanks for your encouraging advice love Jacqueline xxx
Sandy says
These are really good tips. Thanks fro sharing.
Dan Erickson says
I like #4 and #8 most. I’ve always tended to do things in sections so #4 caters to that idea. And #8 is just life. If you get too caught up with perfection we’ll always fall short.
kim domingue says
My husband and I have been married 37 years. It took almost 30 years to accumulate too much stuff. It’s taken almost ten years to get to the point that I can see the light at the end of the mostly decluttered tunnel, lol! Some people can declutter in one fell swoop. I envy that. I can’t do it. I have to take it in stages, stop when decision fatigue sets in and remember to pat myself on the back for what I did accomplish instead of beating myself up over what I didn’t manage to do. I’ve probably gone through every room in my house, the attic and the outbuilding at least ten times each. Each time I get rid of things that I’m sure that I don’t want any more and keep the things that I’m sure I can’t part with. Funny thing is, when I go back through the same stuff a year later I find that, miraculously, a bunch of the stuff I couldn’t bear to part with the previous year has become “meh” and I can let it go this time. I think that I have to get used to having less after I have a decluttering session. Then at some point, after I’ve become accustomed to how my home feels with less stuff and more space, it starts to feel like too much again even though I haven’t added anything back in. Then I go into decluttering mode once more and the cycle repeats itself. The time between decluttering sessions allows me the space that I need to emotionally detatch from yet more things. It’s been a long process but it’s worked for my personality, mindset and anxiety levels!
Jane Christen says
This post helped me to see some things differently thank you I look forward to doing more! I have been able to let go of alot of books with access to the web and Google you can find out how to do anything on there and YouTube!
Ula says
For me and my family #6 quarantine is just… magical. It helps to make the decision with things we aren’t sure: keep or give away. Sometimes our minds want this kind of proof that we really haven’t used an item for a long period.
Linda says
I read somewhere that if you haven’t used something in a year, you probably don’t need to keep it …
And on another thought, I have drawers full of supplies. Office supplies, electrical repair stuff, household general repair stuff. But I honestly couldn’t say all that’s in there and I find myself at the hardware store buying things anyway because it’s just easier. Time to go thru those drawers!