Note: This is a guest post from Anthony Ongaro of Break the Twitch.
When my wife and I first started decluttering our house, it felt incredible.
With each unneeded item we donated, recycled, or took out of our home, we felt lighter and experienced new space opening around us. Over the next several months, a few thousand items went out the door. The contrast was stark: surfaces were clear and our home felt more welcoming than ever.
Coming home after a long day at work became something we looked forward to—a peaceful sight rather than reminders of things to be picked up. Cleaning up before having guests over, what used to take us a couple hours, took us only ten minutes, which subsequently increased the frequency of invitations and time spent with friends.
However, a few months after making the bulk of the changes, the glaringly positive effects began to fade.
Our lives were still significantly easier due to the streamlining, but the happiness and satisfaction we felt as a result of the minimizing process seemed to return back to normal.
At first, we wondered if we didn’t fully complete the appropriate amount of downsizing. Did we need to continue donating, selling, and recycling to get that happiness boost again? It might solve the problem, at least temporarily, but even that process would meet an eventual end once we ran out of things we didn’t want. We’d have to face the “Now what?” sooner or later.
We were experiencing “hedonic adaptation,” the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative changes. We had grown accustomed to less time spent on cleaning and organizing; other activities began to fill in the gaps—some productive and some not so much.
After reading extensively about the joy that minimalism brings, we found this frustrating. We had seemingly arrived at our desired destination but didn’t feel that our journey was complete. There was a missing piece to the puzzle.
What we found was that other distractions gradually crept into our lives as we freed up time from other tasks. No matter how much time we saved, it wouldn’t be helpful unless we used that time efficiently. Hours spent on a smartphone throughout the day did not add to our happiness. But working on a project, simply being still, reading for pleasure, or learning about something new did continually make our lives better.
It became clear the pursuit of satisfaction in life is a daily practice that never ends, and that’s for the best.
The purging process eventually reaches a point of winding down, but the gratitude and contentment that comes from appreciating all that we have should never stop. The calming of our desire for what we don’t need is an enduring task that continues to this day.
Getting rid of the clutter in our lives created more opportunity for us to pursue the things we’re passionate about. But it was still up to us to make the most of the opportunity.
For us, that means traveling, spending time with people we care about, dedicating time to our passion projects, creating more, and consuming less. What brings the greatest satisfaction in life will differ with each person. But the important part is we continually pursue them. It is with this intentional, consistent pursuit that happiness will follow.
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Anthony Ongaro blogs and vlogs at Break the Twitch where he helps others explore ways to live a more intentional life. I also recommend following him on Twitter.
Jacqueline says
I agree i have been getting rid of things for years and yes it does feel great in the beginning and i felt it consumed me to keep on and on with it, trying different numbers ie 10 items this week etc, but i soon realised that life holds much more than that, but i also know that even though i know a lot of truths about possessions we need things and as long as they don,t control us then things are fine, i just like neat and tidy but the unpredictable is always lurking isn,t it
love Jacqueline
Christina @ Embracing Simple says
I loved this! I’ve been spending way too much time on my smart phone and laptop lately and actually find a direct correlation with how much time I spend on it with how happy I feel at any given time. It can be easy to passively take part in those activities, but it definitely doesn’t leave us feeling good, productive, or happy!
Anthony @ Break the Twitch says
Completely! I’m glad the post resonated with you.
Maureen@ADebtFreeStressFreeLife says
Gratitude is a daily process not a once in a while activity. Something we often forget when the demands of life take over. I appreciate your insights in this article.
Mark Tong says
Absolutely – the bottom line is do less, have more. More time, more space, more fun.
Beth says
This is good to know that this happens to others as well. I have felt like I have hit a plateau several times.
Ethan says
Being minimalist also has its “downsides”, yet they’re not that bad at all. Thanks for pointing them out in this post.
Minimalism has never been this good!
Judy says
I’ve never experienced a downside.
Cheryl Smith says
There is so much truth in this post. Thank you for sharing and for introducing his blog, also. I will definitely visit and check it out. :)
Tracy B. says
Thank you, Anthony, for saying something that I’ve thought about for a long time but haven’t seen addressed in minimalist blogs: that the buzz that comes from letting things go quickly fades. I do experience an ongoing satisfaction from living with less, but it’s more a quiet contentment now. The truth is, clutter can be a barrier to happiness, but its removal does not necessarily guarantee it. Thanks for voicing this important idea.
Tim says
My wife and I are retired 63 year old global nomads. We allow ourselves one suitcase and one backpack each. If it doesn’t fit into one suitcase then we probably don’t need it. We travel the world staying one year each in a different country. Two more weeks in Turkey and then we are off to Belize. Living life the way it was meant to be lived.
Kim says
Wow! That sounds truly amazing!
Anthony @ Break the Twitch says
Tim, somewhere between where my wife and I are now and what you’re doing is exactly what we’re looking for. Sounds like an incredible journey.
Jill says
This reminds of me of stories you hear of people who retire and then don’t know what to do with themselves. They think that not working will bring happiness, and initially it does. Then the novelty wears off. This is something that I have been thinking about as we simplify. If acquiring all this stuff didn’t make me happy, it is unlikely that getting rid of it will bring long term happiness either. Getting rid of my stuff will eliminate all the onerous tasks involved in maintaining my stuff, which will be awesome, but that is not a substitution of long term happiness or life purpose. So hopefully I will find those answers in the open spaces left behind.
Melanie says
“I will find those answers in the open spaces left behind”
Jill, I love this line — it gets the heart of the matter. Decluttering and purging have paved the way for creativity. Finally there’s room…