Decluttering is probably still the number 1 thing most people associate with minimalism. And it has some truth to it. After all, minimalism is all about finding out what’s important to us and eliminating the rest.
Decluttering is also an easy way to dip into a more intentional lifestyle.
4 awesome benefits of decluttering
+ Getting real about our shopping habits. It can start redefine our relationship to physical objects as well as our consumption and shopping habits.
+ The gateway to other changes. Considering the purpose and value of a sweater or the cute little paper box is much easier than making grand decisions about our careers and personal relationships. Decluttering can thus be a gateway, the first of many changes.
+ You’ll enjoy your home much more. Most people will feel much better in an organized home, which is functional (you actually know where things are and don’t have to dig deep into piles of boxes) and visually appealing.
+ It simply feels good. Organizing some small aspects of our lives generates fresh energy and a sense of satisfaction.
It’s a learning curve, and starting with smaller, less radical steps (like THESE) might pave the way for more fundamental changes later. By assessing whether something is truly useful or valuable to us, we get accustomed to setting up a priority list and getting in sync with our true values.
So, decluttering seems like a pretty good thing, right?
Well, yes, if done right.
While I’m really glad that minimalism, slow living, mindful consumption, simple living and the essentially many variants of the same broad theme get some much publicity, I can’t also help but wonder whether it’s exclusively a good thing. Jumping on the minimalist bandwagon and publishing article after article about the 123 things to throw out immediately clearly misses the whole point.
I’m not saying everyone should be 100% spiritually committed to the ideological aspects of these life strategies. Actually, just the opposite. It’s not an all or nothing game. Some small changes can mean a fundamental difference.
However, some deeper purpose is clearly needed. Simply getting rid of stuff takes us nowhere.
Moreover, it kinda defeats the whole purpose.
So while it’s easy to get over-enthusiastic about organizing our lives, and do everything fast, I would strongly advise taking it slow. Otherwise, one or two of the following things might happen:
- It gets too overwhelming
- We throw things out and then feel remorse
- Slowly and maybe invisibly we go back to the same routine of shopping and consumption. We basically reverse the declutter.
We must realize that there are values attached to our stuff. Functional, emotional, and yes, financial. If we decide to throw something away, because it turns out it doesn’t have a place in our lives anymore, we must be aware of the reasons for that, so we don’t fall into the same trap next time.
The Dos and Don’ts of decluttering
The Dos:
- DO start slow. Start with an area or a room.
- DO have a good reason for decluttering something and make a mental note of that.
- DO donate. I think this does not get emphasized enough. You should only throw something in the junk if it’s broken or otherwise useless. Collect everything else and donate. Someone else might find value in them.
- DO be brutally honest whether something is really useful to you.
- DO be patient. As they say, it gets worse before it gets better. The first phase of decluttering is chaos.
- DO make it fun. Listen to a podcast or some music.
The Don’ts:
- DON’T do it all at once. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
- DON’T go back and rebuy everything in a newer version.
- DON’T throw out anything just because someone said so. If you like printed photos, keep them, even if a clever article said you only need a digital version. You do you.
- DON’T feel remorse or guilt if you decide something must go.
- DON’T start organizing before decluttering. And DON’t just reorganize clutter.
Next installment in the Decluttering 101 series: Start with these easy items.
