Start your journey by asking yourself, “How might your life be better with less?” Understanding your personal “why” is crucial, as superficial decluttering without this insight will likely be temporary and ineffective.
Adopt the core philosophy to “love people and use things,” never the opposite. This principle clarifies that relationships should be about presence and unconditional connection, while possessions are tools to enhance life, not sources of love or identity.
Adopt minimalism as a practical framework for living with greater clarity and intention, rather than just a trend or aesthetic. This approach helps create space for what truly matters, improving health and relationships through increased time, attention, and presence.
Recognize that external clutter, such as an abundance of physical possessions, is often an outward manifestation of internal chaos, including mental, emotional, spiritual, career, relationship, or identity clutter. Understanding this connection is a vital first step towards simplifying your life.
Reorient your life’s focus from endless consumption to meaningful contribution. This aligns with a more harmonious and valuable human existence, where creative acts and consumption are intertwined with giving back to the community.
Focus on what you do (the verb) rather than who you are as a fixed label (the noun). Identities can be heavy and restrictive; dropping a fixed identity allows for personal growth and new experiences, such as “writing” instead of “being a writer.”
Scrutinize and consciously set down identities that no longer serve you, even if they have been a long-standing part of your self-perception. Holding onto an identity that doesn’t align with your current actions or desires can be a heavy burden, preventing personal growth.
Understand that the act of desiring can be a valuable part of the human experience, and that acquiring the object of desire can sometimes extinguish that desire itself. This perspective encourages appreciating the process of wanting and finding connection in shared human experiences, rather than solely seeking external fulfillment.
Regularly ask yourself, “How much is enough?” across various aspects of your life, including money, relationships, status, and possessions. This self-inquiry can reveal that “enough” is often a much smaller number than you initially perceive, leading to greater contentment.
Do not let the impulse of a sale price dictate your purchasing decisions. You save 100% by leaving an item at the store, and money should be a passenger in your decisions, not the driver, to avoid unnecessary acquisitions.
The most effective way to declutter is to prevent items from entering your home in the first place. The most sustainable product is the one you leave at the store, avoiding future accumulation and waste.
Consider all the hidden costs associated with an item beyond its initial price tag, such as the expense of storing, cleaning, maintaining, protecting, or worrying about it. These invisible costs contribute to mental clutter, stress, and emotional debt.
Establish personal boundaries or “rules” to guide your behavior and help you live more intentionally in a world of constant marketing and overstimulation. These boundaries define what you are willing to accept and prevent falling into consumerist traps.
Categorize every possession you own into one of three piles: essential, non-essential (value-adding), or junk. Give yourself explicit permission to let go of anything in the “junk” pile, which includes items you think you like but no longer add value.
Partner with someone and for 30 days, get rid of one item on day 1, two items on day 2, and so on, with the goal of letting go of approximately 500 items by the end of the month. This gamified approach makes decluttering fun, achievable, and provides accountability.
For any piece of clothing, ask: “Have I worn this in the last 90 days?” If not, then ask: “Will I wear it in the next 90 days?” If the answer to both is no, give yourself permission to let it go, helping you intentionally declutter your wardrobe.
For anything that costs more than $30, wait at least 30 hours before making the purchase. This delay helps prevent impulse buying, allowing you to consider the item’s true value and associated costs with more intention.
For any item, ask yourself: “If this item were to spontaneously combust right now, would I feel relieved?” If your emotional response is relief, it’s a clear sign that you are ready to let go of that item, as it likely causes stress or burden.
For any item you own, ask: “If this item were to disappear right now, would I buy it again or request it again?” If the answer is no, it indicates the item no longer holds sufficient value to warrant keeping, providing an intellectual basis for decluttering.
Recognize that holding onto things you don’t use is a selfish act, as it deprives someone else who could benefit from them. Letting go of such items prevents clinging due to a scarcity mindset and allows for forward movement.
When meeting new people, shift from asking “What do you do?” to “What are you passionate about?” This encourages genuine connection and reveals what truly excites someone, rather than leading to socioeconomic comparison.
Set a personal boundary to avoid buying anything directly from an Instagram advertisement. These ads are specifically designed to trigger impulse consumerist behaviors, often leading to purchases of items you don’t genuinely need.
Consider investing in services like YouTube Premium to remove advertisements. Ads are a form of clutter and interruption; opting out of them whenever possible reduces chaos and allows for greater focus and intentional consumption of content.