“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.
Lorri says
I need help
Lenna says
I shared this blog with my mom who’s 71 and it put a bee in her bonnet! She has started cleaning out her entire house saying she’s so tired of having things around her to take care of. I’m grateful because it means less that my sister and I will have to deal with down the road.
It got me inspired too. I didn’t realize how much stuff I had until I started going through it. I come back to this site often to keep me on the right path.
Decluttering has led to de-owning to now I don’t want to bring in unneeded stuff. I love to see how it’s evolving. My daughter who is 11 has caught on too. She told me she doesn’t want presents anymore, just experiences. That blew my mind! I guess it’s becoming multi-generational now:)
Good luck to everyone on this journey! It can feel really hard at times and then so incredibly rewarding.
Kristy says
I just turned 70 so I share your mom’s sentiment You come to a place in your life, and ask why did I BUY this? what in the world was I thinking? You can’t really own anything is the real truth. The real kicker for me as I see most of my life now is in the rear view mirror, is that we don’t bargain with God at the end about taking things and God answers ok, if you must, bring your TOP 10 things with you. NO, a million times NO, come to our SENSES now, we take nothing. Because of this TRUTH I want to let go now! Free myself for God’s Kingdom and unpack my Life. This practice has freed me like nothing I could have ever imagined even five years ago. It is amazing, profound the “letting do” is like miraculous. Try it. You will remember what I have said here. Be free everyone, who we are all supposed to be anyway. Let your SPIRIT fly!
Angie says
Like the article, but what is the difference between decluttering and de-owning? Thanks!
Dana says
Decluttering is finding a place to store it. De-owning is finding a place to give it.
Ray Sarlin says
Who am I?
Take away my possessions and what is left?
My mind, thoughts and interests
My skills and creativity
My emotions
My senses
My faith
Me
Am I enough?
Charlotte Orth says
I love this! Did you write it? I wonder if I began buying and collecting out of low self esteem? Something to think about.
Linda says
This is beautiful. This is the essence of minimalism… a process of discovering ourselves. Thank you for sharing this. It is truly inspirational.
Kristy says
You are so much more than enough Ray. You are a whole living Being, bestowed with your Life, and all you are. You can certainly love things, enjoy them but not have to “own” them. They will own you, because you need a place to put them, store them, move them and that becomes a chore, after time. See it, love it, let it go. In a religious way it seems I read if you think this is something, wait till you get to Heaven! Taking a picture of your things helps you hang onto them and you can “see” them anytime you like, but not have to own them, house them. Best Wishes, you are more than enough.
Suzanne says
Beautiful :)
Callie says
Ok here’s something I’ve realized about myself recently.
On one hand I can be a very generous open handed person – then every now and again this ugly side comes out and I think “ No! That’s mine – I don’t want to share “. And it’s about the STUPIEST things. I’m helping to throw a friend a baby shower. We need index cards for advise. I have a stack of at least 50 – I can’t recall the last time I used or needed them. Not to mention I could get a new pack for a buck. So why did an ugly “ nope they are mine, maybe I need them” thing come up? This is more retocrical. I know it’s not logical. I’m happy to use them vs them just sitting.
But it’s something I’ve noticed as I’m pretty far into decluttering. We stared about 5 years ago. Got rid of our huge storage unit. We piled it all into a 26’ truck and unloaded it into the backyard of the house we were renting.
We went through so many boxes and most we took 1-2 things out. The rest we did a number of yard sales, dono, gifts to friends.
Your stuff owning you rings so true to me. Especially when I have a moment of freaking out over $1 worth of index cards. I just push past it. But I’m always amazed the emotions that can come up about stuff.
Vicki says
You are right! Deculttering can bring up so many emotions. I had a similar experience last night. I had taken my phone charger to my brother’s house and was showing my niece because it is ten feet long! I love that it’s pink, but I regretted ordering one that’s so long! My niece LOVED it and said “I’ll take it!” OH, there was that moment of thinking: I spent good money on this, I need to keep it and use it, etc . . . . But I have two more just like it (that I can’t find–LOL!), and my niece’s joy at receiving it was worth more than my keeping it. And hey, she’ll think of me when she uses it! Win-win!
Mandy says
It’s not ugly to like ur stuff ur just judging urself.
Joe Edwards says
The way I was able to live clutter free for six months was to rent a storage space and move all the things I really wasn’t sure I wanted to get rid of, but really needed to.
Once all those things were out of my home, it was like magic. Poof! My house-sized junk drawer became my home again. :) After six months I started to pull things out and sell-ebay/donate/give away to friends (even strangers). Try sitting at a local Starbucks with a pile of stuff (books, electronics, CDs, DVDs, etc, etc.) with a sign that says FREE! I got a LOT of free coffee from total strangers who needed stuff.
Today, I still have a LONG way to go, but I at least my home looks tidy and I don’t have boxes of stuff anymore. The six month storage rental was well worth the investment.
Linda Hammill says
These posts are so motivating as Maggi says! Ive been decluttering for last 18 months as we are selling our acreage and moving into a smaller house we are building. Am craving less stuff and more time to travel, live in smaller but clean open spaces with less furniture, less cleaning, and cupboards not brimming with ‘ just in case’ things. Have sold nearly $5000 of ‘things’ books from old hobbies, pot plants, bags, china, furniture, jewellry, electronics, antiques, all no longer used but useful for others. Then there are loads of donated clothing, linens and decor. I stop and read these great posts for further inspiration. It helps me go back and revisit duplicates and lots of office stuff that could go- you know recycled perfect condition gift bags and ribbons that will come in handy but they pile up. I hate waste and being brought up with few possessions have retained things that should be let go. It is getting easier and the house is feeling ‘lighter’ for want of a better word…As someone else said…if i buy one thing 2 or 3 things are removed completely- in a box and off to charity, sold or thrown out. I shop less and if i do, i look at things and say yes nice- but not necessary and its just another thing i don’t want to spend energy on storing and cleaning it! Am learning to live with less and enjoy it. We just need the makers of all the rubbish being produced to stop making useless items that are used for a short time for a fashion/decor trend and end up discarded to landfill. We need to now globally par back the useless ‘ stuff’ being produced and enjoy fewer quality things in our lives. Thanks for sharing your stories everyone and keep up the good work towards owning less stuff for living a good clutter free life.
Maggie says
It was very motivating to read all the posts! So many people seem to be going through the same thing, having problems, stressful feelings, difficulty letting things go. It really can hold you back, from life. I have started getting rid of things I do not need. I have been staying away from stores, & feel good about not buying more stuff. I think that is a real big help. It feels so good to clear out stuff, donate clothes, kitchen items, etc. I would rather wait and purchase something really nice, good quality that I will get a lot of use out of, instead of buying for the sake of buying. I think it has finally clicked! Now I have more peaceful feelings as I embark on my decluttering, getting rid of old stuff journey. I look forward to organizing my things and my life. It is time to live in the present and enjoy my family. I do not want my boys to be left with “stuff”. As I learn how to keep only what I need, and declutter, I can share my joy with my family and help them. I really look forward to having more social time , inviting family and friends to our home. Life is too short to let “stuff” keep us from enjoying it. I thank everyone for sharing their stories!
Good luck with the process!
brenda says
I really appreciate your post. It is amazing that how easy it it to accumulate much…even if it appears that I don’t have much… Learning to live in the present moment allows me to have an easier time taking inventory of my stuff and my spirit. ☺
hhb says
Hey thanks for sharing about your moms, I started today so my daughter does not end up with this or my husband, pack rat here!
Michaela says
After my mother died, I inherited a number of things from her that I can’t see myself ever using. I desperately want to sell them, but my brother doesn’t want to see them go out of the family. He doesn’t have children, but I know my children will never want these items either. One thing in particular takes up a fair amount of room in my closet…much too much room for something I’ll never use.
How do I tell my brother that that this is my decision of what to do with these things? I’ve already told him that I’ll never use them and in fact, I had told our mother when she made up her will I didn’t want them, but she willed them to me anyway. I don’t want to hurt my brother, but…
Suggestions?
Alexis says
Set a date a week from now to sell the items. Contact you brother and inform him of your plans. If you don’t need the money from the sale tell him to come pick up everything before that date. If you do need the money tell him if he really wants the items he can buy them from you. If your brother wants to keep these things in the family he should take responsibility for them.
Carol says
Tell your brother to take the stuff. Simple.
Pat says
If he does not respond, take pictures for online or printed album so they can be revisited in his and your imagination. This helps me pass on things I don’t use any more.
Ann Blake says
I sold my mom’s China, because I wanted it to go to someone who wanted it, searched for it, found it, paid for it and was delighted to take it. My sons and their children did not want it. Felt good to see it go to someone who did.