Does decluttering ever stop? Like, when there is nothing left to let go? Or are 100 things the minimum someone needs, or 50, 30, 10? The average American household has 300,000 items. Sounds like there is room to declutter for a while.
I feel strongly about extending the view on decluttering beyond just things. Undoubtedly, there is physical clutter. The things we brought into our lives, but don’t use or love anymore. And there is digital clutter, mental clutter, spiritual clutter. Each has some control over your life. Time spent of rearranging, organizing, cleaning. Money wasted for buying, maintaining, replacing, discarding. These two are very tangible, quantifiable. But when we dig deeper into the others, we uncover the mental toll they take. Inability to focus on what’s important for us as we are distracted. Lack of fun and positivity because we worry about the unchangeable past and the unpredictable future. Or a fundamental doubt what life is about.
We are trying to find sense in racing for more. This is what others want us to believe. More money, more clothes, a larger house, a newer car. When we have this one more thing, then we’ll be happy. But then we have it, and there is still more to want. “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” (Henry David Thoreau). And here we are in this vicious cycle of constantly trading our most precious and most fugitive asset – time.
But how can we brake this cycle? The first step is to stop. Stop buying new things. Withstand the urge that you need this item you just saw, but didn’t even know it existed a minute ago. You don’t. Look at what you have. Do you use all of it? Does it add any value to you? If yes, fine, but if not, let it go. Create rooms that serve a purpose, and put things in the right place. Build an oasis without distractions somewhere. Invite silence and calm in your life, even if it appears unbearable in the beginning. We are so used to sensory overload from our TV and digital gadgets, that even 10 minutes of listening to your inner voice is a challenge. Master it.
The more room you gain, physically, digitally, mentally, the less desire you will have to fill back these spaces with what you had before.
Decluttering is a pursuit to focus on yourself, not in a selfish me-first-me-only way, but in light of what’s good for me, making space to give back and engage more intensely with our community. The gain is the inner balance and strength to no longer depend on external influence and others’ opinion. Your decisions are yours only, and you pick.
This is the journey you want to embark on. Start today.