Monks like to keep things simple. Living Simply: The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Your Clutter
“Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” - Lao Tzu
Article by Leo Babauta. (Follow me on Twitter.)
For many years, I was a packrat, clinging to possessions like a safety blanket, like trophies, like you might cling to the past. My life was filled with clutter, from my closets to my living room to my countertops to my desk at work.
That changed about a decade ago, when I realized that I simply had too much stuff.
I was owned by my possessions, and they were no longer making me happy. I wanted to conquer my clutter.
And so I did, one heap at a time. I think I saved the closets for last, because they were way too intimidating. But slowly, I made progress, and simplifying my possessions was (and is) an ongoing project.
Today I’m pretty happy with the way I’ve simplified my home (and workspace). I’m pretty minimalist, and while clutter still does accumulate when I’m not vigilant, I tackle it head on every now and then to keep things fairly clutter-free.
I’m not saying everyone needs to be as minimalist as I am. Take my minimalist workspace, for example — I don’t expect anyone to reduce clutter that much, nor do I think they’d even want to. Everyone has their ideal level of simplicity — what matters most is keeping what’s essential to you, and getting rid of the rest.
And so today I’ll take a look at how you can conquer your clutter, no matter what your goals are or how bad things are now. Note: I’ve written about this topic a number of times before, but I thought I’d gather together the best strategies and tips into one powerful guide, useful both for those who have read previous articles and for those who haven’t.
First: Why Should You Simplify?
What’s the problem with clutter? Well, nothing, if that’s the way you like things. Everyone lives differently, and I’m not saying the decluttered lifestyle is better than the cluttered one.
However, I’ve found some benefits of decluttering from my decade or so of experience with this issue:
- Less stressful. Clutter can be a lot of visual distraction and mental stress. It’s basically a bunch of things you have to do (put away clothes, file papers, pay bills, get rid of junk, etc.) that you’re procrastinating on. While you don’t want to think about them, in the back of your mind you know they’re there.
- More efficient. I don’t know about you, but I work much better in an uncluttered home or workspace. There aren’t as many distractions, which means I can focus better.
- More peaceful. I can really relax in an uncluttered home. It’s just serene.
- More attractive. When you’re trying to sell your home, real estate agents will tell you that decluttering a home will really increase your odds of selling at a good price. That’s because people think uncluttered homes are more attractive. The same applies to when you have visitors — they will think your house is nicer just because it’s uncluttered.
- Saves time. Clutter comes with a time cost — you have to look for things, move things, store things, take things out of storage. Decluttering takes up some time, but in the long run I’ve found it saves a lot of time.
- Saves money. Clutter comes with a price tag as well — you need a bigger home and bigger closets and other storage space for all the clutter. Sometimes people buy extra storage space in other facilities to store all their stuff. Moving is a big hassles too, and costly. Other people will buy or build a shed or other storage structure in their own home.
- Frees up space. Less clutter means more space for living and playing and working. A garage is a good example — some people have so much clutter that their car(s) don’t fit in the garage, meaning they have to park outside. But declutter your garage and you have room for the car, or maybe a home gym instead.
Fundamental Simplicity Principles
Before you tackle your clutter, there are four basic steps to decluttering to keep in mind. Let’s take the example of decluttering a single drawer. These are the fundamental steps:
- Collect. Take out everything and put it in a pile. Empty the entire drawer, and pile it all on a counter or a table. Take everything out, down to the last paper clip.
- Choose. Pick out only the few things you love and use and that are important to you. Just sort through the pile, picking out the really essential stuff. Be very selective. Put the important stuff you pick out into a separate, smaller pile.
- Eliminate. Toss the rest out. You know you’ll never need those manuals again. Don’t be sentimental with this step. Either throw everything into a big trash bag, or find a new home for some of the items if you think someone might have a use for them — donate them to charity or give them to a friend who would love them. And yes, you have to toss out all the chopsticks.
- Organize. Put back the essential things, neatly, with space around things. Clean the drawer out first, of course, and put the very small pile of things you chose back in the drawer, grouping like things together and leaving space around the groups. Having space around things makes everything look neater and simpler.
This process is repeated for every drawer, shelf, table top, counter space, floor, closet, or any other area you’re trying to declutter.
10 Ways to Get Started
When you first decide to tackle your clutter, things can be overwhelming. Don’t let that intimidate you! Just get started, and tackle one small thing at a time. Don’t worry about the entire mess — focus on one area. Just that one area. It could be a countertop. It could be a drawer. It could be just a little corner of a room. It doesn’t matter what you choose — just start small.
Here are some different strategies for getting started — choose one and give it a try. If it turns out to be too hard, try another. It doesn’t matter which one you choose — what matters is starting.
- Start clearing a starting zone. What you want to do is clear one area. This is your no-clutter zone. It can be a counter, or your kitchen table, or the three-foot perimeter around your couch. Wherever you start, make a rule: nothing can be placed there that’s not actually in use. Everything must be put away. Once you have that clutter-free zone, keep it that way! Now, each day, slowly expand your no-clutter zone until it envelopes the whole house! Unfortunately, the neighbors don’t seem to like it when you try to expand the no-clutter zone to their house, and start hauling away their unused exercise equipment and torn underwear when they’re not at home. Some people don’t appreciate simplicity, I guess.
- Clear off a counter. You want to get your house so that all flat spaces are clear of clutter. Maybe they have a toaster on them, maybe a decorative candle, but not a lot of clutter. So start with one counter. Clear off everything possible, except maybe one or two essential things. Have a blender you haven’t used since jazzercise was all the rage? Put it in the cupboard! Clear off all papers and all the other junk you’ve been tossing on the counter too.
- Pick a shelf. Now that you’ve done a counter, try a shelf. It doesn’t matter what shelf. Could be a shelf in a closet, or on a bookshelf. Don’t tackle the whole bookshelf — just one shelf. Clear all non-essential things and leave it looking neat and clutter-free.
- Schedule a decluttering weekend. Maybe you don’t feel like doing a huge decluttering session right now. But if you take the time to schedule it for later this month, you can clear your schedule, and if you have a family, get them involved too. The more hands pitching in, the better. Get boxes and trash bags ready, and plan a trip to a charity to drop off donated items. You might not get the entire house decluttered during the weekend, but you’ll probably make great progress.
- Pick up 5 things, and find places for them. These should be things that you actually use, but that you just seem to put anywhere, because they don’t have good places. If you don’t know exactly where things belong, you have to designate a good spot. Take a minute to think it through — where would be a good spot? Then always put those things in those spots when you’re done using them. Do this for everything in your home, a few things at a time.
- Spend a few minutes visualizing the room. When I’m decluttering, I like to take a moment to take a look at a room, and think about how I want it to look. What are the most essential pieces of furniture? What doesn’t belong in the room but has just gravitated there? What is on the floor (hint: only furniture and rugs belong there) and what is on the other flat surfaces? Once I’ve visualized how the room will look uncluttered, and figured out what is essential, I get rid of the rest.
- Put a load in your car for charity. If you’ve decluttered a bunch of stuff, you might have a “to donate” pile that’s just taking up space in a corner of your room. Take a few minutes to box it up and put it in your trunk. Then tomorrow, drop it off.
- Pull out some clothes you don’t wear. As you’re getting ready for work, and going through your closet for something to wear, spend a few minutes pulling out ones you haven’t worn in a few months. If they’re seasonal clothes, store them in a box. Get rid of the rest. Do this a little at a time until your closet (and then your drawers) only contains stuff you actually wear.
- Clear out your medicine cabinet. If you don’t have one spot for medicines, create one now. Go through everything for the outdated medicines, the stuff you’ll never use again, the dirty-looking bandages, the creams that you’ve found you’re allergic to, the ointments that never had an effect on your energy or your eye wrinkles. Simplify to the essential.
- Pull everything out of a drawer. Just take the drawer out and empty it on a table. Then sort the drawer into three piles: 1) stuff that really should go in the drawer; 2) stuff that belongs elsewhere; 3) stuff to get rid of. Clean the drawer out nice, then put the stuff in the first pile back neatly and orderly. Deal with the other piles immediately!
The Next Steps
Once you’ve gotten a start, here are some other steps you can take to keep your momentum going:
- Tackle one spot at a time. After doing one or two spots in the section above, choose another. Just do one spot at a time — don’t worry about the rest of the house. Each time you tackle a spot, you’re making another uncluttered space. Set aside a little time each day to do this, or big chunks if you can find them.
- Designate a spot for incoming papers. Papers often account for a lot of our clutter. This is because we put them in different spots — on the counter, on the table, on our desk, in a drawer, on top of our dresser, in our car. No wonder we can’t find anything! Designate an in-box tray or spot in your home (or at your office, for that matter) and don’t put down papers anywhere but that spot. Got mail? Put it in the inbox. Got school papers? Put it in the inbox. Receipts, warranties, manuals, notices, flyers? In the inbox! This one little change can really transform your paperwork.
- Create a “maybe” box. Sometimes when you’re going through a pile of stuff, you know exactly what to keep (the stuff you love and use) and what to trash or donate. But then there’s the stuff you don’t use, but think you might want it or need it someday. You can’t bear to get rid of that stuff! So create a “maybe” box, and put this stuff there. Then store the box somewhere hidden, out of the way. Put a note on your calendar six months from now to look in the box. Then pull it out, six months later, and see if it’s anything you really needed. Usually, you can just dump the whole box, because you never needed that stuff.
- Create a 30-day list. The problem with decluttering is that we can declutter our butts off (don’t actually try that — it’s painful) but it just comes back because we buy more stuff. So fight that tendency by nipping it in the bud: don’t buy the stuff in the first place. Take a minute to create a 30-day list, and every time you want to buy something that’s not absolutely necessary (and no, that new Macbook Air isn’t absolutely necessary), put it on the list with the date it was added to the list. Make a rule never to buy anything (except necessities) unless they’ve been on the list for 30 days. Often you’ll lose the urge to buy the stuff and you’ll save yourself a lot of money and clutter.
- Learn to file quickly. Once you’ve created your simple filing system, you just need to learn to use it regularly. Take a handful of papers from your pile, or your inbox, and go through them one at a time, starting from the top paper and working down. Make quick decisions: trash them, file them immediately, or make a note of the action required and put them in an “action” file. Don’t put anything back on the pile, and don’t put them anywhere but in a folder (and no cheating “to be filed” folders!) or in the trash/recycling bin.
- Teach your kids where things belong. This only applies to the parents among us, of course, but if you teach your kids where things go, and start teaching them the habit of putting them there, you’ll go a long way to keeping your house uncluttered. Of course, they won’t learn the habit overnight, so you’ll have to be very very patient with them and just keep teaching them until they’ve got it. And better yet, set the example for them and get into the habit yourself.
- Set up some simple folders. Sometimes our papers pile up high because we don’t have good places to put them. Create some simple folders with labels for your major bills and similar paperwork. Put them in one spot. Your system doesn’t have to be complete, but keep some extra folders and labels in case you need to quickly create a new file.
- Have a conversation with your SO or roommate. Sometimes the problem isn’t just with us, it’s with the person or people we live with. An uncluttered home is the result of a shared philosophy of simplicity of all the people living in the house. If you take a few minutes to explain that you really want to have an uncluttered house, and that you could use their help, you can go a long way to getting to that point. Try to be persuasive and encouraging rather than nagging and negative. Read more about living with a pack rat.
- Learn to love the uncluttered look. Once you’ve gotten an area decluttered, you should take the time to enjoy that look. It’s a lovely look. Make that your standard! Learn to hate clutter! Then catch clutter and kill it wherever it crops up.
Keeping It Uncluttered
Once you’ve tackled most of your clutter, you want to keep it fairly uncluttered from here on out. And trust me, clutter will come back if you let it. You have to make decluttering a continuous process — not necessarily every day or week, but something that you regularly revisit. More importantly, create systems and habits that will keep the clutter from overwhelming you once again.
Here are some ideas:
- One in, two out. Make it a rule: for every new item that comes into your life, you need to remove two. That means gifts, clothes, shoes, books, magazines, anything. It’s great to have a place where you put things you’re going to get rid of … whether to give to other people or to donate to charity or to take to a used book store. Then you can just grab the stuff on your way out to do errands.
- Limited storage. I like this rule because it fits in with my philosophy of self-set limitations: don’t allow yourself to have tons of storage space. The more storage you have, the more stuff you’ll keep. Instead, have limited storage and if stuff doesn’t fit in there, get rid of it. That forces you to make choices. They key is making those choices … if you don’t, you’ll end up with clutter.
- Clear floors and flat surfaces. Keep them clear. A room looks so much cleaner if all flat surfaces, from the floor to tabletops to countertops, are clear of clutter. Remove everything from these surfaces except perhaps one or two decorative items (don’t clutter with knick knacks). If you find stuff making its way here, clear it out. Clearing surfaces once a day or every couple days is a good routine.
- Designate a home for everything, and be fanatic. When you find stuff on flat surfaces, or draping over a chair, it might be because you don’t have a designated spot for that kind of thing. If you don’t, designate a spot for it immediately. If stuff doesn’t have a home in your home, you need to get rid of it, or it will forever wander around the house. The other problem might be that you have already designated a spot for it, but you’re just not good at putting it away. In that case, take a month to build up the habit of putting things where they belong immediately. It’ll make a huge difference.
- Regular decluttering sessions. Put in your calendar. Even the best of us need to declutter regularly. If you’ve decluttered your home, things might be great now, but you’ll need to do clutter maintenance. Put it in your calendar: perhaps once a month, once a week, or once every few months. Experiment to see what interval works for your life.
- Reduce your desires for more. If clutter is coming into your life at a rate that’s too great for you to handle, you might need to look at your buying habits. Do you go shopping for clothes or gadgets or shoes or books every week (or more)? Are you always buying stuff online? If so, is it out of real necessity, or do you just like to buy stuff? It’s important that you take a look at these desires, and see if you can address them. Reducing your desires will go a long way to reducing your need to fight clutter.
- Change your habits. Clutter didn’t create itself. It’s there because you put it there. What habits do you have that created the clutter? There may be many of them, some of them already mentioned above: you buy a lot, you don’t designate a home for things, you don’t put things away, you buy but don’t remove things … you may have other habits that create clutter. Change those habits, one at a time. Take 30 days and focus on a clutter habit, and see if you can create a new habit that will reduce your clutter.
“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” - William Morris
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- Posted on 19 November 2008 in Simplicity |
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Comments (68)
Valeria | TimelessLessons Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:08 pm
This is precisely what I’ve been doing for quite a while… ever since I started to read this amazing blog. Now its almost like an OCD habit and I was proud of myself when my friends would comment on all the flat surfaces.
I go nuts if there is something on my lovely wooden desk or dresser or any other flat surface for that matter.
Shanel Yang Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:14 pm
All great tips, Leo! And, for more on how to organize your closet to simplify your life, I want to share my “How to Organize Your Closet in 5 Simple Steps” at http://shanelyang.com/2008/04/20/how-to-organize-your-closet-in-5-simple-steps/
Fit Bottomed Girls Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:18 pm
Love this post. And I love the idea of decluttering in small little chunks…otherwise it can be really overwhelming!
And Jazzercise isn’t in style any more? Darn! ;)
Jessica Stalley Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:20 pm
Hi Leo,
what an awesome post :)
I am the worst hoarder in the entire world! I’ve only had my own house for a year, and its already full to the brim with junk. I think part of this is when we moved in, everyone knew we were pretty broke and tried to help us. I was so overwhelmed by the whole thing that I didn’t say no to anything that got offered to us - couches, beds, tv’s you name it.
The past few months I was getting really agitated with my house, and I thought it was just the fact that having a house and mortgage was too much for me at 23 years old. But then I started to declutter my house, and that feeling just went away…I am so much happier when I have less possessions. I’m working hard on surrounding myself with fewer possessions that I really adore, instead of mindless junk that holds no special significance. By using some of the techniques above, I cleared out an entire bedroom in our house which is now our new home gym! I’m saving money from a gym membership AND I have less clutter.
A great feeling. I’ll be printing this out and sticking it on my wall, for sure.
Tabitha (From Single to Married) Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:22 pm
What a great article! I find that if my space gets messy and out-of-control, it doesn’t bring me the same joy or peace to be in it. But when it’s neat and organized, it’s a place I want to spend time.
ps - http://unclutterer.com/ is also a great website that offers similar tips and suggestions.
Chris Cairns Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:23 pm
Lots of great tips. “Clutterness” should definitely be something that we factor into our purchasing decisions, along with standard ones such as cost, etc.
Leo Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:27 pm
Thanks everyone! I’m glad you enjoyed this post.
@Tabitha: Yes! Unclutterer is one of my favorite blogs. They do a great job of getting down to the nitty gritty of uncluttering. :)
Rahul Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:27 pm
Leo,
Thanks for the great suggestions. I especially like the ideas of making a 30 day list, and creating a maybe box.
I’m so spontaneous when I buy new things that I often times make the mistake of buying something I use once, and then never touch it again. The 30 day list is just what I need to free myself from this vicious cycle, haha.
My level of ambivalence when it comes to getting rid of old junk is astonishing. I know the maybe box will fix this problem right up.
Thanks!
Live for Improvement Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:34 pm
I’ve been trying to tell my parents this for years. Not only is their house completely cluttered, they pay to have a storage shed for the over flow. The amount of money they have spent each month to store the junk is more than its worth. Explain that to me?
Nate Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:38 pm
Leo, how do you keep track of stuff when you are out and about? For instance a to-do list at the grocery store. Do you have a phone that can connect to web apps? Or do you have a sheet of paper you write stuff down on.
I’m greatly intrigued by this idea, I love being simple, maybe it’s time to make a commitment to be an unclutterer.
-Nate
Leo Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:40 pm
@Live for Improvement: Many people from our parents’ generations are pack rats. They were taught that you never know when you might need things, and that getting rid of something that might be useful is waste. It’s just a different philosophy, but not necessarily worse. I prefer getting rid of stuff — or not getting it in the first place. :)
Leo Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:41 pm
@Nate: I usually just have a Moleskine notebook. I don’t have an iPhone or Blackberry or anything. I do send Jott notes to myself through my phone though.
RC@Thinkyourwaytowealth Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:43 pm
Great article, Leo. As a on-again, off-again packrat who has been even more cluttered than usual over the last few months, the timing of this post was perfect! Can’t wait to get rid of some of that clutter! Although you probably wouldn’t print this article out ;), I am going to and keep it handy until I get things under control.
Michael, Go Success Now Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:44 pm
Well… First of all Leo… you have a lot of girl fans:) nice
You know, I completely understand and agree with all you mentioned in the post. My opinion is if you are disorganized everything goes wrong. Let’s take the room we sleep in, if there is a mess you feel down all the time and don’t understand why, but the reason is the clutter in your room. the same is for your car and your office.
Christine Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:48 pm
Great concept and something I’ve been working on for the last 2 years. Tackling my filing cabinets regularly is still a challenge though, I wish more services would go paperless.
Ryan McLean Says:
November 19th, 2008, 19:51 pm
Leo,
This is an awesome guide. I just move out of home because I got married and this is exactly what we have kind of done but really need to do more of. I have my own office now and I am a pretty cluttered person. I need to be doing this on a regular basis. Thankyou
Trevor Says:
November 19th, 2008, 20:17 pm
I have clutter problems all the time. This definitely helps me !
FrugalNYC Says:
November 19th, 2008, 20:18 pm
This post seems like a repeat. Maybe I’ve just been reading too many similar posts. I second the vote on unclutterer.com
Good writeup leo, even if it is a repeat.
Kim the Blogging Bard Says:
November 19th, 2008, 20:20 pm
I know I will sound really odd on a site like ZenHabits, although I am a long time reader and I enjoy it immensely, but I neither like nor desire a minimalist lifestyle or house.
I am a collector. And while this does have its problems, which I did address in a post on my blog awhile back, I generally don’t want to stop collecting. I just want a bit more room to decorate and spread stuff out.
I realize this makes me a bit different than most people reading this blog, but while I understand the desire for peace and understand that some people find owning items to be in the way, I would find getting rid of my stuff very painful and the result would be cold and empty and not home-like.
We all have our own comfort zone and I am beginning to find it annoying that so many of these articles on possessions assume that most things are clutter and we want to (and should want to) get rid of most of it.
Still, I repeat, I continue to enjoy this site, so contradictions abound. :)
Sean Kelly Says:
November 19th, 2008, 20:40 pm
I loved all of the tips in your post…but one thing that I noticed was the tip about clearing out your medicine cabinet. I’m no expert but I have a feeling that it is very bad if you just toss a cabinet full of medicine away at one time. I’m not sure what the proper way to dispose of it is, but maybe someone else does.
christina Says:
November 19th, 2008, 20:49 pm
I actually do the 30 day planning out of necissity of having no money, I have to plan buying a simple pair of jeans.
I did this for a pair of jeans i saw in JcPenny’s for $40. I kept thinking of them, wanting them like no other. I finally went back after 40 days to find them priced half off! I got my pair for $20. I waited, and saved money. (since I was getting them regardless)
I have Zen Fever! Says:
November 19th, 2008, 21:27 pm
Leo, I enjoy the post! My place looks nice now. No clutter. What will you do on Thankgiving day?
Alan McCoy Says:
November 19th, 2008, 21:56 pm
Congratulations, Leo. You have just written THE guide. What a fantastic post. Thanks!
michael Says:
November 19th, 2008, 22:00 pm
I find it quite funny that you quote Lao Tzu on being content with the way things are and then posting a while guide on how to change the way things are :P
Kelly Says:
November 19th, 2008, 22:40 pm
We have really been working on simplifying our lives and our home. I started with my desk and then moved onto the bathroom - it was ridiculous how much stuff I had that I never used. We are also reducing our “want”. It’s about the quality of our time not the acquiring of more “stuff”
Excellent article
CJ Guest Says:
November 20th, 2008, 0:11 am
I live my life rather minimalistic. There is one aspect that I have a hard time getting control of, which is the mountain of papers that seem to grow on my desk as if I’m farming them. Recently, I have been implementing the “designate a spot for incoming papers” rule. I’ve made a habit of putting these papers though the scanner, so I can file them without a file cabinet (I don’t like physical file cabinets). Great post!
Vincent Says:
November 20th, 2008, 0:57 am
Hi Leo,
I believe in keeping things clean and simple too. There was a time I had my work desk cluttered with books and magazines which really affected my mood and productivity.
I love the idea of one in two out. This rule make it impossible to have clutters accumulating. A great tip!
I also wrote a post on removing clutters on our work desk. It will be great if you would check it out and give me some feedback.:)
Thanks for the post Leo and I am looking forward to your great articles again.
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
Marshall - bondChristian Says:
November 20th, 2008, 1:12 am
Thanks. I’ve tried to take this uncluttered approach and put it into action.
This post, however, seems really familiar. Was it already posted here (or somewhere else) at one time?
Either way, great job. Posts like these are the essence of this site.
Marshall - bondChristian Says:
November 20th, 2008, 1:16 am
Just messing around. Thanks, Leo. I think I subscribed awhile back after reading a post on this topic…. oh, and reading your post on the uncluttered workspace.
Leo Says:
November 20th, 2008, 1:55 am
@Michael: True, I see the irony in the Lao Tzu quote … but what I was going for was ending the consumerist attitude most of us have the creates the clutter in the first place. :) If we are content with what we have, and stop buying so much, we won’t have to deal with clutter.
@Marshall: Yes, as I mentioned in the post, I’ve written about this topic a number of times … this post was an attempt to collect many of my best tips into one comprehensive and powerful guide that will be useful to both new and old readers.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome Says:
November 20th, 2008, 2:10 am
You sound like a Professional Organizer, Leo - have you thought of starting up a side-business?
A lot of times, people find organizing and decluttering on their own too stressful and getting the help of a family member or close friend just adds to the stress.
That’s why Professional Organizers exist.
In the US people can find one at http://www.napo.net
In Canada at http://www.organizersincanada.com
In Australasia at http://www.aapo.org.au
In Africa at http://www.poaa.co.za/
Kimmy B. Says:
November 20th, 2008, 2:25 am
Clutter is something that many of us have to deal with. One thing that’s important to remember is that your environment is a reflection of what’s happening with you on the inside. If your environment is a mess, chances are you’re a mess. It always feels so good to sit in a freshly cleaned room. I can feel the energy shift every time I clean. The tip I usually use is scheduling a time to clean. It’s not my favorite thing in the world to do but it’s necessary and I know that it helps me stay focused. This is a great post!
Kimmy B. “The Prosperity Blogger”
http://www.prosperityblogger.wordpress.com
Maya Says:
November 20th, 2008, 2:48 am
We packed up and moved across the country. That was a serious lesson in conquering clutter. We boxed up and stayed at temp housing with just the bare minimum stuff for 3 months …and guess what - that is pretty much what we still use. My lesson - A LOT of what we *think* we need is a big illusion.
When we unboxed, I got rid of over 50% of the stuff right away. It feels incredibly good.
The next time I need to declutter, I will box 80% of my stuff and then get out stuff only when I really “need” them. It is a somewhat backwards of an approach, but I know it works for real!
Francine Says:
November 20th, 2008, 5:02 am
This post is very timely as I am in the middle of major decluttering since we are expecting our first baby. We live in a one bedroom apartment so space must be found for the little one until we are able to move. And decluttering will make moving that much easier. As always thanks for an inspiring post.
sunaina Says:
November 20th, 2008, 6:09 am
The post is very beneficial and I have successfully decluttered one room in my house and it gives me immense satisfaction whenever I enter that room. Got to do it for other rooms too. Thanks Leo, just wanted a peice of advice, could you please write a post on ways and means to declutter our minds too, which I find for myself is the most difficult task. Any suggestions are welcome.
LifeMadeGreat | Juliet Says:
November 20th, 2008, 8:12 am
Hi
Great summary and pointers.
I realised how few “things” I needed before my boyfriend and I started living together. All I required for a weekend at his place was some clothes, wash things, my latest read and my PC. I marvelled at the amount of “stuff” that just sat in my flat for nothing.
Cheers
Juliet
Leo Says:
November 20th, 2008, 8:33 am
@sunaina: Glad to help! For a past post on decluttering your mind, check out 15 Can’t Miss Ways to Declutter Your Mind.
Dumitru Tira Says:
November 20th, 2008, 8:50 am
Great post as always. I’ve been reading your blog almost since the beginning and I must say, THANK YOU. You influenced most of my recent life changes(to the good), I’ve became more organized, I simplify a lot and I sturted getting rid of all the **** I had around. I feel so much better, now I tend to give much more value to the things that are really important, the people, family and friends.
Your recent post with “Buddhist influence” helped out a lot too, I started reading about Buddhism and found out so much stuff I had in common with it and never knew :D
You’re definitely getting good karma points for this :D
Thank you really much for all your effort and keep it up.
ps: Sheezzz, the last time I payed attention to the rss subscribers it was around 10.000 :O now it’s 70.000 and going up :D You’re getting popular :)
pril Says:
November 20th, 2008, 9:48 am
Mags they are wonderful peices of paper bounded together holding mostly ADS!
wow something that may help the people who don’t want to part with them it takes a while and i’m doing it this year is getting a knife or sissors and cut out the pages i want to keep from the mag.. nice articals and receipes ect… and i have a few binders. i 3 hole punch them and place them in the correct binder.
one for receipes one for articals, one for gift ideas … Real simple is the mag i get i have all of them from the past 4-5 years! Wow that’s a lot of boxes filled with ad’s..
once i get ahead of the game i plan on when i read the mag the first time either marking the pages or takeing them out right then and their to put in binder then toss the rest!
it’s a way to keep what you want with out the added clutter! plus the space you save is amazing!!!
Thanks for this post by the way! I already decluttered my home! a few basic things worked but the main thing was just doing it! making the time to do it. and staying motiviated to do it.. no one likes doing something they HAVE to do when your lazy and like clutter! LOL
Good day!
Lee Ann/Living Introverted Says:
November 20th, 2008, 10:47 am
I can’t work unless my work area is clean and neat. I don’t have a minimalist workspace like yours, Leo, but it’s got to be organized and fairly neat or I get distracted.
I am totally in agreement with your “one in, two out” idea. For us, it’s more of a one in, one out plan, but it still helps keep things from getting out of hand.
When we go on a decluttering spree, we do a ton of Freecycling. Freecycle is a great place to get rid of stuff and know (hopefully) that it will be used by someone else.
Thanks for this post - very helpful!
Patches Colfax Says:
November 20th, 2008, 11:08 am
Hey Leo, am I missing a link somewhere? I was going to forward this to my GF and was looking for a convenient “e-mail to a friend” button.
Obviously, I really liked the post :)
Pace Says:
November 20th, 2008, 11:19 am
I stopped being a packrat when I found myself not being able to live at my house for a month (long story). I stayed with various friends and lived out of my car, with not much more than I could fit in a laundry basket.
When I did finally go back home, I realized that for the entire past month, I had done just fine without ANY of my stuff. I hadn’t even missed most of my it. I tore through shelves and closets relentlessly, making huge piles of stuff to sell, give away, or throw away.
I realize that my experience is a bit drastic, but it really wasn’t so bad. In fact, I had some really good bonding time with my friends at whose houses I stayed. So maybe if not a month, you could try just a week or two. Take a couch-surfing “vacation”. It was a big eye-opener for me.
Chris | QuoteAddict Says:
November 20th, 2008, 11:30 am
Thanks Leo, great tips!
A quote than came to mind:
“The things you own end up owning you.”
- Tyler Durden, Fight Club
RedPlaid Says:
November 20th, 2008, 12:39 pm
Of course, this assumes that things you accumulate are worthless to begin with. Tackle that, as it is the true problem.
My areas are well-used, full, and definitely not minimalist. Difference is that I’m a citizen, a producer, and not a consumer. I can’t reasonably get rid of my ’surplus’ and still expect to operate in this capacity.
While it’s not strictly necessary, it makes life and indeed, living through hard times much more pleasant. All through being mindful about what was brought in in the first place.
The Bold Life Says:
November 20th, 2008, 12:42 pm
Like others this post is outstanding!
I like the “one heap at a time” idea. I always leave my office for last when decluttering and yes it needs to be first so today it is my number one priority!
.
Thanks for the direction, wisdom and guidance.
Amelia Burton (Health and Fitness Coach) Says:
November 20th, 2008, 12:54 pm
It is amazing how de-cluttering your house spills into all areas of life.
But why is it that when I have just thrown out something (that I never used), I suddenly miss it! I get ‘de-clutterer’s remorse!’
The medicine cabinet and pantry are my favorite to clean out.
Very informative, thanks.
Amelia
Ben Says:
November 20th, 2008, 12:58 pm
On the Fundamental Simplicity Principles (oxymoron?) item #4. Cleaning the area/drawer should be described more and more importantly. Cleaning the new de-cluttered area is functional but more importantly is a symbolic ritual that leads to feelings of virtue and, thus, reinforces the positive feelings about de-cluttering. By cleaning you are creating a new and important space for your treasured things.
Naomi Seldin Says:
November 20th, 2008, 13:52 pm
Leo, you touch on a lot of the reasons I finally started dealing with my own clutter. Thanks for the affirmation and excellent suggestions.
Neil Says:
November 20th, 2008, 14:06 pm
Leo, you provide some great insight on how to start and continue with de-cluttering. It’s an area I struggle with and having a 3 month old doesn’t make it any easier. It’s a constant battle, but one I and my wife are determined to win! Thanks for sharing.
Irmagination Says:
November 20th, 2008, 14:49 pm
Loved the post! I start decluttering and then I stop and it starts to pile back up. This post is just what I needed to get started again.
I want to “Learn to love the uncluttered look.” It sounds like a lot of the readers have got it down. I wish I could see some of those minimalist living spaces. Is there any way readers could post photos and inspire us all? Are there any websites that show examples?
Thanks, again.
Fidel Says:
November 20th, 2008, 15:47 pm
Great motivator to this is starting with the room you love the most.
Once that room is uncluttered, you just love the feel of it ….
and start doing the rest.
Vitaly Pimenov Says:
November 20th, 2008, 16:20 pm
Thanks, Leo.
Very powerful!
Ways to get started are just the things I often see people miss completely. And this lack of smoothness stops them from getting rid of clutter.
Thought to add: just the same methods you described can be applied to unclutter the mind.
This, I think, is quite important, because mind’s clutter gives birth to other clutters.
Miss Attica Says:
November 20th, 2008, 16:20 pm
I think I’ll force my kids to read this post… No, seriously. Great advice as usual, Leo.
Blue Raincoat Says:
November 20th, 2008, 16:39 pm
The first comment is about OCD and a bit terrifying actually and I really wonder how you can tell the difference between sane uncluttering habits and OCD. I love minimalism but how to make a way to it soft, relaxed, something most natural in the world? There is a wisdom in baby steps as they keep the stress to minium but I still find something lacking here, some kind of precedent mental attititiude that just lulls you into taking the way.
Helen Hegedus Says:
November 20th, 2008, 22:07 pm
Leo for President! Oh right, that job’s taken. Leo for Secretary of Decluttering.
I very much appreciated your 10 ways to get started ‘cuz getting started can be the hardest part. As Lao Tzu also said “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Anne Says:
November 20th, 2008, 23:11 pm
Here’s a variation on the “maybe” box that I read in Simply Your Life by Elaine St. James. Place the items in the box. Tape it shut and mark in big black marker the date one year from the day you tape it shut. If you haven’t had to get into the box by the time the date comes, get rid of the box WITHOUT opening it up and looking inside.
While I haven’t tried this technique, I really need to. A portion (small, I admit) with my ability to get rid of clutter is the fact that every time I look at something I haven’t used in a long time, I don’t want to get rid of because I a) paid good money for it, b) might use it in the future, c) don’t want to have to buy a new one if I need it in the future but got rid of it thinking I wouldn’t need it, d) some other reason that really makes no sense. If I put it in a maybe box, then I would just store it permanently in the box because it would always remain “maybe”.
If I used this technique, things would eventually leave and not come back. :)
DanGTD Says:
November 21st, 2008, 4:10 am
Great and comprehensive article Leo.
The two minute rule from can also be used to declutter your home. If you can get it done in two minutes or less, take care of it now rather than place it in your in-basket to do later. This includes mailing a letter, marking a date, filing one piece of paper, etc.
The Daily Click Says:
November 21st, 2008, 7:37 am
As always brilliant advice. When I find that I have fallen behind with my de-cluttering and for example my desk has started to get covered by paper work, I always start by de-cluttering a very visible area so that I can see what I have achieved and how messy other areas look. It spurs me on to get everything looking clear and un-cluttered.
Amy-Lynn Says:
November 21st, 2008, 8:47 am
Back in the 1950s Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote in A Gift from the Sea that ‘it is only framed in space that beauty blooms’.
By removing the space around essential objects, clutter hijacks beauty and becomes a visual noise that can lead to deafness. I think this is why a lot of messy people don’t notice their clutter after awhile. They just become deaf to it. But it is still draining their visual energy and preventing them from seeing the beauty in the essential.
Daniel Says:
November 21st, 2008, 11:03 am
I just found this blog. Great post here. This looks like something that I need to send a copy to my Mom. She has more clutter than anyone else I’ve ever met in my life. There are plenty of good points that everyone could live by if they had the determination and will power.
Stephen Smith Says:
November 21st, 2008, 12:46 pm
My wife and I have just done the Ultimate Uncluttering - we packed up our household and put everything in storage, so that we could follow our dream of traveling across the nation. Read more about it here http://tinyurl.com/6bo5hu. We are three weeks into our travels and loving it.
EscapeVelocity Says:
November 21st, 2008, 13:42 pm
One thing I notice is, if it’s hard to put something away, I won’t do it. Top shelves of cupboards, the back of the closet, etc., have to be used for things I REALLY don’t use very often, and I have to keep the file cabinet drawers from getting so full it’s hard to stick more stuff in (ditto with the closet, and it also keeps stuff from getting wrinkled).
mspennylane Says:
November 22nd, 2008, 14:08 pm
Wow what a great post, some really great ideas. I think the worst thing about clutter is that it subconsciouly stops you from getting anything done…
Ron Towns Says:
November 24th, 2008, 19:42 pm
You make an interesting point about “paring it down,” keeping it simple, and only sticking to the essentials: whether it’s in life, for a blog, in your house, etc.
I think you are missing one extremely important part to this equation. People that have lived a certain way for years, or have become conditioned to a certain lifestyle, have created strong neural pathways that reinforce this habit.
People in this situation won’t change over night, or even in a week. There is a process that can produce true change, and help develop new habits.
The first thing somebody must do is, as you mentioned, identify the “essentials.” Identify what is important in your life - what is needed and what is not. Set your goals and determine whether certain “clutter” in your life is helping you move closer to your goals or away from your goals.
Next, create a vision board of images that represent your goals and dreams. Look at the board every single day, morning and night. Even create a presentation of these images on your IPOD, in a sideshow format. When viewing the images, think of the emotional feel (probably positive) connected with each image. If you have an image of a yacht, how would sailing on a yacht in the south pacific on a beautiful sunny day make you feel?
Your mind will remember these images and emotions attached to these images. Your brain is a device whose primary goal is to ensure survival. Survival doesn’t only refer to physical survival, as in eating so that you don’t starve.
When you’ve ingrained goals deeply into your subconscious, not accomplishing them and experiencing the emotion you connected with them is a form of mental death. You are being deprived of whatever pleasure that you determined is a pleasure to you.
Do you see how this is working?
The best resource to learn more about this is over on http://www.TheVisionBoardKit.com. You can download a free chapter from the entrepreneur John Assaraf’s new book that gives you a step by step process for creating and using a vision board.
Michelle | The Biz Boutique Says:
November 30th, 2008, 19:07 pm
Love this. I have been on a de-cluttering rampage (as my FaceBook friends can attest). For each area that I de-clutter, I have identified a 12-month intention; that is, what I’d like the space to provide. For example, my intention for my office over the next 12 months is Prosperity. So, as I de-clutter and decide what stays/goes, I ask myself if the item will facilitate, attract, or enhance Prosperity. If not, it goes. (I’m defining Prosperity to include a richness of experience, not just cash.)
catherine Says:
December 10th, 2008, 6:37 am
I just want to say thank you so much for sharing. I am a mum and have been nagging at my son aged 23 years old still living at home. I have to constantly nagged at him to tidy up his room and clean his bathroom. Since reading this, I will forward him your blog and in hope that he will read this. I am sure this will help him tremendously and also the comments above will really be a source of inspirations to him.
Thank you once again for your great inspirations.
Jessica Says:
December 15th, 2008, 23:02 pm
Just stumbled upon this fantastic article. For some reason it reminds me of a quote from Fight Club.
“Sooner or later, the things you own end up owning you”
A simplified lifestyle and home/office is what I am trying to achieve. I hope to implement some of your tips. Thanks, Jessica
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