“You can always declutter a little bit at a time, but do you really want to be decluttering for the rest of your life?” —Zoë Kim
84% of Americans worry that their homes aren’t organized or clean enough. And 55% of those say it’s a big cause of stress in their lives.
That means 46.2% of Americans report that their physical possessions are a big cause of stress in their lives. Even more, some studies report that 40% of homeowners are afraid to even face the clutter in their homes.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
The stress brought into our lives from the overaccumulation (and perpetual maintenance) of physical possessions is a stressor of our own doing. We are never forced to own more than we need—we choose it.
On the bright side, that means this is a stress we can choose to remove whenever we want. We just need to decide to do it. Unfortunately, it seems, many of us are not making that choice.
That may be for any number of reasons. But I think one of the most prevalent reasons is simply because we don’t see minimalism as a priority. Instead, we think to ourselves, “Oh, it would be nice to own less, but it’s not that important to get done.”
But the longer we wait to make minimizing a priority, the longer we put off all the benefits that come with it. Owning less isn’t just a nice idea—it’s a better way to live. And it’s something you can experience today.
If you’ve been thinking about minimalism, now’s the time to take action. No more putting it off, kicking it down the road, or waiting for a better time to get started.
Because the rewards are waiting for you—just on the other side of letting go.
To help, here are 10 reasons to make minimizing your possessions a priority in your life:
1. Your peace is waiting.
Clutter is visual noise and a visual distraction. But it is more than that—it is also a mental weight. Every item we own takes up physical space in our home AND mental space in our mind. Every physical possession adds stress onto our lives.
And in a world with ever-increasing levels of anxiety and stress, your personal peace needs to be a priority. You can find more of it by making minimalism a priority in your home.
2. Your freedom is waiting.
Everything we own must be cleaned, managed, maintained, and stored. And the more we have, the more our lives get tied down to it. As Chuck Palahniuk wrote, “The things you own end up owning you.”
On the other hand, the less you own, the freer you become. Freed for relationships, freed to travel, freed to contribute, freed to pursue your passions—freedom to pursue whatever you choose as important. Don’t wait any longer to discover that freedom. You can have it today.
3. Your time is waiting.
Time is one of your most valuable resources. And once spent, it can never be replaced. Unfortunately, the average person spends two hours per day buying things and taking care of the things we own. Your possessions are literally stealing your time. And every day we hold onto things we don’t need is another two hours of our life wasted on things that don’t matter.
When you minimize, you gain back your time—your mornings, your weekends, your evenings—and can spend it on what matters most.
4. Your bank account is waiting.
Owning less leads to buying less. And buying less means more money available. Whether you desire to pay off debt, start saving, or give more generously, you’ll find it becomes easier (finally) once you make minimalism a priority.
5. Your confidence is waiting.
An amazing thing happens when we minimize our possessions. First, we begin to take back control of our life because intentionality in this one area of life tends to spark intentionality in other areas. And this act of taking back control will spark newfound purpose and confidence in life.
Second, we are reminded of an important truth: Our life value is not tied to the things that we own. And once we see the emptiness of trying to prove our worth by the things that we own, we begin to notice the areas in life that will actually deliver confidence and self-worth.
Minimizing possessions is about more than decluttering. It is about rearranging our life around pursuits that bring meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. And when we do, we find confidence in the decisions we are making and the life we are living. That realization shouldn’t wait any longer.
6. Your growth is waiting.
Removing the unneeded clutter from our homes forces us to ask deep questions: What do I value? What brings purpose? Why have I been holding onto this? What role does money play in my life?
Those aren’t easy questions—but they’re important because they lead to growth.
7. Your next chapter is waiting.
Our homes often become museums of the past—filled with stuff we needed for a previous season of life or attachments to the seasons we struggle to release. But you can never take hold of the new while clinging tightly to the old. Minimizing possessions helps us keep the possessions we need for the person we want to become, not the things for the person we were.
8. Your family is waiting.
Clutter affects everyone in the home. It affects how we parent, how we relate to one another, and the space we call home for the family that we love.
When we prioritize minimizing possessions and remove those we no longer need, we find it brings us closer to our spouse, helps us parent with better intention, and models an example for our kids to follow.
(And if your spouse has been asking you to make this change for a while, that should be a sign that this priority might be more important than you think).
9. Your life is waiting.
Life is not found in the abundance of possessions. As a matter of fact, not only do excess possessions not bring us happiness and life, they often distract us from it.
Why should minimizing possessions be a priority in your life? Because the life you want to live is buried underneath everything you own. And once you remove the clutter, you’ll discover life anew.
10. Your joy is waiting.
Joy isn’t something you’ll ever buy off a shelf or store in a box in your basement. It is found in finding something bigger than yourself and your stuff. Our clutter is a cheap substitute. Make owning less a priority in your life today and pursue real, lasting joy instead.
You don’t need to declutter your whole home in one weekend. But you do need to make it a priority in order to begin. And the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll experience the freedom that comes from owning less.
Your future is waiting—and it begins by letting go of something today.
Joshua, every time I read one of your articles, I am heartwarmed, encouraged, and hopeful. Your simplicity and wisdom are so refreshing. I always wonder when I encounter or read from someone that blesses me, “who raised this person? What were they like? How did they grow up to be who they are? “ it is a great and wonderful thing to be a wonderer. And every time I read what you share with us, I learn and grow. Thank you, Pam
I love your blog! It has inspired me to become a minimalist once and for all. I used to be one. But because my boyfriend loves buying clothes and stuff, I’ve forgotten what I wanted and what I used to be. Good thing I chanced upon your site, and voila! I am a minimalist again — or starting to be one again. Thanks thanks thanks!
It’s always the guy!!! When my boyfriend moved in he brought with him all his junk. I had him downsize but not enough because my house is a mess. We are married now….and still I feel so depressed….clutter everywhere. My house use to have no furniture, no nic nacs….nothing! I miss my life! I did get mad one time and tossed all his stuff out! Oops! He just recollected….and at a faster rate!!!! Ugh! But I’m not happy. I need less is more in my house. ;(
Another great article to inspire us to let go of all the clutter in our lives. I love what you do. Thank you for going against the grain and telling us what we need to hear even if it hurts sometimes! God bless you and your amazing work!
Joshua,
Less is truly more. I’m still not there – too many tools, guitars, and stuff from 70+ years of time on earth, but it’s getting easier.
Thanks for your wisdom…
I can’ say enough positive thoughts of living a minimalist lifestyle. It’s been a valued and joyful part of my life for about 30 yrs. I can vouch that it is allowing one to have more time for living, being more available to family, friends, volunteering and home not giving off a sense of stress, clutter feeling….. Our lives are so much more valuable than materialistic items that really don’t have a place in our homes. On a side note, saddest thing is seeing residents beautiful cars parked out on the driveway that are by no means cheap and yet garage is packed full of nothing of real value.
Joshua, it is a true joy to read your articles. Two days ago, on Saturday, my gated. community had a Rummage Swap. (It actually came from something I proposed so I was happy to see the idea expanded.) I have routinely de-cluttered but had never come to a stopping point where I said “I am done!” This past Saturday was it, though. It is all gone, all excess, all unneeded. Did I pick up anything? Yes, I did. A nutcracker that will save my nails. A new portable heater that I had been thinking about buying for the last couple of years. And a gorgeous new table fan for summer. I let go of a good bike, lots and lots of garden stuff that I was never going to use, board games taking up room in my closet, books, and plenty of miscellaneous stuff that wasn’t unnecessary but wasn’t necessary either. Most of them found new good homes.
And there is nothing more to de-clutter. I am very conservative with anything I buy now, using the virtual carts as holding pens for necessaries as I give myself time to just think “do I need them NOW?”
But probably the best thing I did was on January 1, I deleted my Amazon Vine account. Vine, for those who do not know, is a invitation-only review program where you can order items you may want and write a review. I was part of it for 1.5 years and ended up hating it. So much junk (to me) so much stuff coming, so many boxes and packages, and so much I just gave away, and paid taxes on in 2023 and 2024. Such a massive waste of time, money, resources, even of myself. It took me several months of thinking about it before I actually did it but leaving was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Kudo to you!
Great Article. I needed this. Thank you!
I nicknamed a friend of mine, “The Maximalist.” Because he’s tethered to Amazon. Boxes arrive at both his homes regularly. His backyard at one house is a horde. He’s read my stories and essays about the virtues of minimalism. He acknowledges that he should downsize. Then he smiles, and picks up his phone. The Amazon app beckons.
Re the NY Times article “40% of homeowners are afraid to even face the clutter” seems most items listed are related to the women’s areas. In addition to the list let’s add: Stuff I “might need & probably will if I toss it” as well as assorted nails, screws, bolts, extra cans of oils, cleaners, etc. not to mention old rags & rugs Primarily guys’ stuff & mostly in the garage, but we gals are guilty of some also, & it all adds up.
Oh wow, so true – I’ve had it for years but when I throw it out, I’ll need it and can’t buy a replacement any longer. ????????????
Sold my Mother In Laws set of Milk glasses that I never saw her use, and I did not use them either. Sentimentality is NOT a good reason to keep things. I recently went to an estate sale and the sheer amount of dish-ware that this person owned was astounding. I don’t want to collect things for sentimental sake. I want to have one great set that I use the heck out of entertaining friends and family.
Thanks for your inspiration.
I agree with everything you wrote! And I’m becoming more aware of waste…incredible amounts of cardboard and packaging every time we buy something on-line, fast fashion that doesn’t last, gadgets and things we buy habitually and don’t even have space to store them, etc. I crave a simpler lifestyle. But my spouse does not! Amazon deliveries arrive on our doorstep almost daily, he wants to be prepared for the next toilet paper shortage, etc., and our home is full of “stuff” from over-buying, stocking up, and things saved for “just in case.” I’ve even changed my husband’s name to “Justin” at times to remind him! At times I find myself falling back into over-shopping habits also. But I try to set a good example, though he’s fighting it every step of the way! Thank you for your great suggestions!
I especially resonate with letting go of things that define the person I was so that I am freed to grow into the person I want to become.