Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff

by Dana K. White

Through my friends’ example I understand how minimalism works in real life, but how do you embrace this concept when you’re so far away from a minimal home? It’s a mind-set. And the mind-set is that life is better and easier with less. And it’s better to live without something you might use than to have something you don’t use. Start erring on the side of getting rid of things. Be willing to risk not having something that you truly might wish you had one day. Maybes are nos. What-ifs become let’s-assume-probably-nots. And wouldn’t-it-be-nice-to-haves turn into I’m-sure-I-could-get-replacements. Mind-set. That’s what this is. A change in my perspective. A difference in my ultimate goal for my home. A desire to have less stress by having less stuff. But decluttering with this mind-set is actually about keeping stuff. Huh? The definition of decluttering is getting rid of things I don’t need. But the point of decluttering is to keep stuff. The goal is a home free of clutter, right? A home where everyday living is easy and enjoyable, and my family can do the things we need to do without tripping over random junk.