“If organizing your stuff worked, wouldn’t you be done by now?” —Courtney Carver
Organizing our things is important. It is helpful to know where things are stored and how to easily access them. But let’s be honest with ourselves, organizing is always only a temporary solution. We organize our things and find new storage solutions today… but are left again tomorrow, doing the exact same thing.
Finding better ways to organize our stuff holds some benefit, but that benefit is fleeting at best.
However, when we take the step of fully getting rid of stuff we do not need, we find permanent, longer-lasting benefits.
Minimizing possessions is an act of permanence because they are removed from our care entirely. It lays the groundwork for overcoming consumerism altogether. This step of intentionally living with less forces questions of values and purpose. And it provides the opportunity to live life pursuing our greatest passions.
Minimizing is always better than organizing. (tweet that)
How then do we accomplish this in our unique living space in a way that aligns with our lifestyle? We accomplish this room-by-room physically handling each and every item in our possession. And we learn to ask better questions.
In fact, almost all of decluttering comes down to asking ourselves only two questions:
1. Do I need this?
Discerning the difference between needs and wants has become almost a full-time job in our society. Advertisers routinely market items of comfort and luxury as items of need. I never knew I needed so much until somebody told me I did.
Almost all decluttering has to start somewhere. And every professional organizer will ask you to answer this question over and over again: Is this something I need to keep?
This is an important place to start because it provides a beginning framework within which to make better decisions. If we can identify the things we no longer need, we can begin to recognize the things that can be removed.
Of course, our human needs are actually quite slim: water, food, shelter, and clothing. It’s important to note we’re talking about more than mere survival here—nobody wants to just survive life, we want to make the most of it! What we’re talking about is realizing our fullest potential.
The deeper question then that we should be asking is, What items do I need to keep to realize my life’s full potential and purpose?
This question will get us further and provide an even more robust framework to make decisions about what to keep and what to remove. But even this falls a bit short.
Just because your answer is, “No, I don’t need this,” doesn’t mean you are going to remove it—or at least, not easily remove it. We all have things in our home that we know we don’t need. And yet, we choose to keep.
This, then, is where the second question becomes so helpful. And why it is even more important.
2. Why do I have this?
This question moves our thought process beyond functionality and into intentionality.
Ask yourself that question with everything you touch: Why do I own this? When you do, you will be surprised at the answers.
Case in point: Your closet. One of the first areas of my home that I chose to minimize was my wardrobe closet. When I did, I noticed all sorts of different styles and colors and fits—many of which I no longer wore.
And I am not alone in this—many of our closets are filled with items we no longer wear. Clearly, our over-filled closets have nothing to do with functionality. Instead, they have everything to do with intentionality.
Why do we own all these different articles of clothing and so much more than we need? Is it because we love them all or need that many shirts or shoes? No. We buy them because we are trying to keep up with changing fashions—the same changing styles that the fashion industry told us we needed to remain in style.
Additionally, when we look in our living rooms, we notice all kinds of decorations and knick-knacks cluttering our shelves. Why do we have them? Because we love them and they tell the story of our lives? Doubtful. Instead, we bought them because they were on sale, they matched the couch, or those built-in shelves needed something on them.
In each case, we buy things and keep them, not because they benefit our lives, but for some other intention. This realization makes the process of decluttering easier and it holds benefit for almost every item we own: Why do I own these CDs, that piece of furniture, these toys, these old electronics? Once we determine the why, we are better equipped to answer the What now?
Those two questions: “Do I need it?” and “Why do I have it?” form the basis for your best decluttering efforts going forward. They will prove to be enlightening and will open up new ideas about what items to keep and what items to remove.
And ultimately, isn’t that goal? To remove things entirely from our homes that we no longer need… so we can begin living the life that we want.
If you need more help on where to start, check out our Declutter Your Home Checklist.
There are some items I don’t “need”, but they remain because of the “why”. Like the two, somewhat abstract oil paintings done by my late father, an administrative law judge. The paintings not only bring me joy (to borrow from Marie Kondo) but also remind me that we have many layers, and that I must be open to even my own dimensions and contradictions. Thanks for another insightful read.
We are in the process of purging my son’s bedroom as we move him to another room. He’s 15 & is very OCD about his things. However I’m finding I’M the one having a hard time letting go! He’s tossing out stuff that I want to keep, for whatever reason. I remember the significance & he doesn’t recall it or doesn’t care now. So I’m torn between giving/throwing away things & keeping some things back, thinking he’ll probably want them in the future. Ideas?
Also, how do you decide what to sell & what to give away? I could use te cash, but there’s time involved w/selling things. Which is better?
He’s 15 years old. He’s old enough to decide whether to toss something. If he wants it again, it’ll be on him to acquire it (buy it, borrow it, talk you into buying it, whatever). That’s part of the lesson and learning process of chucking stuff out. How much have you missed for all the minimizing you’ve done? I can say out of bags and bags of stuff, I regretted maybe two items, and I got over those pretty quickly.
For all intents and purposes, your son is “adult” enough to make his own decisions about what he considers trash or no longer useful. Hell, I’d let a 4-year-old make their own decisions about tossing stuff.
ETA: What you shouldn’t do (and it’s clear you’re not doing it) is chuck his stuff without his permission. I’ve seen this on other minimalist blogs, it’s called “stealth minimizing” and it essentially consists of a minimalist making unilateral decisions to chuck their partner/spouse/relative’s belongings without their permission. I wouldn’t even do that with a child. Everybody has the right to offer input on their belongings. It’s disrespectful otherwise.
I guess it’s a real problem if one partner wants to unclutter and the other one doesn’t. I’m single so I don’t have that issue, but it just seems normal to discuss it first with the person who owns the stuff! If it impacts your relationship, discuss it. I know a couple in which the woman finally gave over an entire spare bedroom to her partner’s hoarding tendencies. He wasn’t allowed to hoard all over the house but he had his own “room” to do whatever he wanted.
After having lived as a minimalist now for a while, I doubt I could live with someone who wasn’t. It’s nice being single!
Thanks Joshua for another article that gives clarity in deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. Last year I got rid of one-third of my clothes but my closet still looks very full! I will make another pass through the closet with these two questions.
Fantastic article! I use similar questions when shopping – 1. Do I NEED this? and 2. Why do I NEED this?
This is a wonderful post! I have never thought to ask myself WHY I have something!!! I think this will really help me in the future. Like Bethany’s comment above, I have been decluttering for several years now. I’ve always loved antiques and had a knack for finding good things for practically nothing. Consequently, my house is overflowing. I’ve had several yard sales, donated to thrift stores, and given several carloads to a friends charity!!! I could have used the money myself, but sometimes it is just more important to let go.
I’m getting older and time is of the essence. I have no children and no one to want my things when I am gone. As a Christian, I believe God is changing my whole mindset. Things that I used to be sentimental about no longer even matter. Space and time are valuable commodities. I have pretty much gone through all the small stuff and am now needing to get rid of some furniture! The WHY question will help there, too.
Thanks again for this post.
Brenda, this was such a lovely comment. I agree…space and time.
Thank you, Terri! Blessings!!
Great post, Joshua We just went thru this …. its tough!!!!
I have too many items that still spark joy, as KonMari would say. I just donated away a small porcelain black-and-white harlequin, even though I liked it and it reminded me so pleasantly of the book “The Night Circus” whenever I looked at it. I knew why I had it, and it was a positive reason, but I didn’t need it.
I live in a small 3-bedroom home. So many of my things DO still spark joy, and I use them in rotation — lots of thrifted shoes and clothing that I wear for fun and fashion — but there’s not enough room to keep it all organized.
So I’m weeding out knick-knacks, even ones I still enjoy, because they aren’t functional, because I have too much of a good thing. (Art isn’t “useful” either, but stuff on the walls is somehow different from stuff on the shelves.)
This approach to decluttering is so simple and so effective.
I’m going to apply it to my To Do List: do I NEED to do this? Why?
I think I’ll feel better as I, (using your words) remove things TO DO entirely from MY LIFE that I no longer need TO DO… so I can begin living the life that I want FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.
Thank you, Josh, for a significant moment of clarity.
Q. Do I need this?
A. No
Q. Why do I have it?
A. Because it cost me money and I can’t get rid of it until I get some of that money back.
For 1 item this is not an issue. Multiply it by a thousand and a lot of time and effort is needed to realise a financial return from the disposal.
How do you manage that?
I’m personally not trying to think of what I’m giving/throwing away or I would keep it ALL. I think it’s priceless to have a decluttered space. There is so many benefits that I’m not thinking about what I gave away. Maybe this helps.
It’s a sunk cost, get over it. In typical fashion, capitalists always try to recoup sunk costs. Why is that? Everything has to be turned into a financial incentive or a way to exploit others. Why not simply let it go and let someone else enjoy it or use it? It’s just dead energy sitting in your house. Learn the lesson of not buying so much crap to begin with and just move on.
Yup…..totally agree
Steve, you might consider the cost of purging items “tuition” in the school of life. Another way I look at the items I have let go is that it is a form of tithing.
Or if you do happen to look at it like Marie Kondo, thank that object for teaching you that you no longer need it…
I agree. You’ll never recoup the full cost and it takes up space/energy dealing with it. In my minimalist reading there is a lot of mention about giving things away, helping others. Try it. I bet you will feel good knowing someone else is truly enjoying it!
It’s money spent vs. emotional burden, which would rather ease?
Oh, I struggle with that question of “because it cost money” and I am SO GRATEFUL to hear some ways to deal with this… thank you ALL sooo much!
A lot of good stuff here – you’ve obviously read (or share an insanely like mind) with Marie Kondo.
I’m not sure I agree with your point about organizing being temporary and minimizing being permanent. Organizing does last… it’s the process of giving things a place so that you recognize when something new is introduced and does not below. Minimizing may be permanent for the exact item you’ve throw away, but there are always opportunities for new items to make their way into your home. So I think BOTH organizing and minimizing are ongoing processes that you have to stay committed to. If Minimizing was permanent, you wouldn’t need to have this blog :)
Agree with this. It’s a process, not an end point. At the very least, the majority of people have to bring food into their house (unless one eats out all the time or has a dedicated off-site kitchen, like in an assisted living facility or on a ship or whatever).
I keep not only a “capsule” wardrobe but a “capsule” kitchen. I only buy enough produce for 3-4 days and use up what I have. I buy everything in bulk (I’m a plant based vegan, no animals) using my own linen bags and market tote bags (although the zero waste meatists apparently bring their own receptacles to transport dead animals home). Minimizing down to the bone without addressing decreasing trash just as much doesn’t seem very responsible.
Zero waste isn’t touched on enough by the minimalists. They focus on buying only that stuff you need but never mention trying to buy secondhand as much as possible. They also don’t address minimalist food/trash/composting enough. I’ve got my non-recyclable trash down to one quart jar a month. It’s not THAT hard to do.
I agree that organizing along with minimalizing is important. I have stuff/clutter setting about because it is being used but has no home. Its reasonable home is occupied by stuff which needs to leave the house. So my minimalizing is going through drawers and cupboards to get rid of unnecessary stuff and then accompanied by organizing – giving a home to the things I do use.
That’s exactly what I did. All those useable things find new homes it all make sense when reorganized. Your on the right track.
And this may seem extreme but I removed all my closet door so nothing can hide anymore. If it’s unsightly and was only used once during the year it’s out. This method has forced me to reorganize in a visually appealing way. Once those doors went a huge purge ensued. Now the closets are repainted a bright white and look fantastic showing off my items with style.
A fun idea! It really is easy to throw stuff in a cupboard and shut the door! Out of sight out of mind.