Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness

by Gretchen Rubin

If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.

outer order isn’t simply a matter of having less or having more; it’s a matter of wanting what we have.

The longer I own a possession, the more precious it becomes, even if it has never been particularly valued.

There’s so much we can’t control, but we can control our stuff. Create order.

The fact is, done is done. Recycle all the unread magazines and articles. Give away unworn clothes, dusty dishes, and abandoned equipment. Declare an end to unfinished projects. Get rid of that single mitten. Then start afresh.

When we know ourselves, we can customize our surroundings and our systems to suit ourselves—rather than try to force ourselves to follow someone else’s methods.

Some people agree to follow a holiday rule: Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.

remind yourself, If and when I need this, I can buy it. Maybe I’ll never need it, so I’ll store it at the store.

As we let go of things, it feels more and more possible—and more and more enticing—to let go of more.

You might schedule a “personal retreat day,” a “catch-up day,” a “ditch day,” or a “mandatory vacation day.”