The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide

1. See Your Stuff Objectively to Declutter Effectively

It’s time to see our stuff for what it is.

Categorize your belongings. Understanding the nature of your possessions is the first step to decluttering. Most items fall into three categories: useful, beautiful, or emotional. Useful items serve a practical purpose, beautiful items bring joy, and emotional items hold sentimental value. Recognizing which category each item belongs to helps you make informed decisions about what to keep and what to discard.

Question each item's purpose. Ask yourself, "What is this and what does it do?" For useful items, determine how often you use them and whether they truly add value to your life. For beautiful items, consider whether they are displayed and appreciated or simply collecting dust. For emotional items, evaluate whether they bring joy or a sense of obligation.

Subcategories of stuff. Be aware of "aspirational stuff" (items bought to project an image), "other stuff's stuff" (accessories and manuals), and "other people's stuff" (items belonging to family members). Addressing these subcategories can reveal hidden clutter and simplify the decluttering process.

2. Define Yourself by Actions, Not Possessions

Contrary to what marketers would have you believe, you are not what you own.

Reject consumerism's message. Advertisers constantly bombard us with the idea that material accumulation is the measure of success. However, true happiness comes from experiences, relationships, and personal growth, not from owning the latest gadgets or designer labels. Recognize that products will never make you into something you're not.

Focus on experiences. Consumer products are not surrogates for experience. We don’t need to own a garage full of camping gear, sports equipment, and pool toys when what we’re really seeking is quality time with our family. Inflatable reindeer and piles of presents do not make a joyous holiday; gathering with our loved ones does.

Release relics of the past. We often hold on to items from our past to prove who we were or what we accomplished. However, these items are usually stuffed in a box somewhere, not proving anything to anybody. It may be time to release these relics of yesterday’s you.

3. Less Stuff, Less Stress: Simplify Your Life

Think of the life energy expended in the ownership of a single possession.

Ownership demands energy. Owning things requires time, money, and energy for planning, purchasing, maintaining, and protecting them. This can lead to stress and a feeling that our stuff owns us, instead of the other way around. Entire industries have sprung up to help us service our stuff.

Stress about acquiring and maintaining. We stress about not having stuff, then stress about how to acquire it. Once we own something, we stress over how to take care of it, fix it when it breaks, and replace it when it's lost or stolen. This cycle of stress can be exhausting and detract from our overall well-being.

Reclaim your time and money. By reducing the amount of stuff we own, we can free up time and money for more fulfilling pursuits. Imagine having 50% less cleaning, maintenance, and repair! This extra time and money can be used for travel, hobbies, relationships, or personal growth.

4. Minimalism Unlocks Freedom and Opportunity

Would your stuff have the power to hold you in place?

Things can be anchors. Possessions can tie us down and keep us from exploring new interests, developing new talents, and pursuing opportunities. They can get in the way of relationships, career success, and family time.

Clutter weighs on our spirits. Too much clutter can weigh on our spirits, making us feel heavy, lethargic, and uninspired. In contrast, a clean, bright, sparsely furnished room can make us feel light, liberated, and full of possibility.

Financial freedom. Things also enslave us financially, via the debt used to pay for them. The more money we owe, the more sleepless our nights, and the more limited our opportunities. It’s no picnic to get up every morning and drag ourselves to jobs we don’t like, to pay for stuff we may no longer have, use, or even want.

5. Detach from Possessions for Easier Decluttering

Since my house burnt down, I now own a better view of the rising moon.

Imagine life without your stuff. Cultivating a sense of non-attachment makes it easier to declutter. Imagine moving overseas, experiencing a fire, or contemplating your legacy. These scenarios help put our stuff in perspective and weaken the power it has over us.

Vacations as a reminder. Many of us get the chance to relive our “stuff-free” lives once or twice a year—when we go on vacation. The word vacation, in fact, comes from the Latin vacare, meaning “to be empty.” No wonder we love to get away from it all!

Consider your legacy. The things we leave behind become part of our legacy. Do your heirs a favor, and don’t make them slog through a houseful of clutter after your demise. Wouldn’t you rather be remembered as someone who lived lightly and gracefully, with only the basic necessities and a few special items?

6. Be a Gatekeeper: Control What Enters Your Home

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

Control what you buy. Exercise complete control over what you buy. Don’t let down your defenses when something slips into your cart—in fact, don’t escort any item to the checkout counter without extensive questioning. Ask the following (in your head!) of each potential purchase: “Do you deserve a place in my home?”

Decline freebies politely. Learning to decline them politely is a valuable technique, which comes in handy more often than you think. Pass up the magnets, pens, and paperweights with corporate logos and accept a business card instead. Turn down the perfume and cosmetic samples at the mall.

Handle gifts with grace. Accept gifts graciously, without going overboard on the gratitude. Keep a donation box outside of your living space, and stash unwanted stuff in there immediately. When it’s full, cart it to your favorite local charity.

7. Embrace Space: Value Emptiness as Much as Objects

Music is the space between the notes.

Space is essential for beauty. Beauty requires a certain amount of emptiness to be appreciated. The more space we have, the more beautifully and harmoniously we can live. Life is the space between our things.

Reclaim your space. Space may be easy to lose, but it’s just as easy to reclaim. Get rid of an item, and voilà! Space! Get rid of another item, and voilà! More space! This is fun! Soon, all those little spaces add up to a big space, and we can actually move around again.

Space for thoughts and ideas. We also need space for our ideas and thoughts—a cluttered room usually leads to a cluttered mind. It’s much easier to give your full attention to your partner or toddler when there aren’t a million doodads around to confuse and distract you.

8. Enjoy Experiences Over Ownership

Finding ways to “enjoy without owning” is one of the keys to having a minimalist home.

Access over acquisition. We’re incredibly lucky, in our modern society, to have access to so many of mankind’s masterpieces—without having to acquire and maintain them ourselves. Our cities are such amazing resources of art, culture, and entertainment, we have no need to create artificial approximations of them within our own four walls.

Shift activities to the public realm. In pursuing a minimalist lifestyle, we need to resist the temptation to recreate the outside world within our abodes. Instead of purchasing, maintaining, and repairing all that equipment, why not have a fun night out at the movies, go to the gym (or take a walk), or treat yourself to a day at the local spa?

Admire without acquiring. If you’re particularly susceptible to buying “pretty” things, repeat “enjoy without owning” as a mantra when you’re out shopping. Admire the delicacy of a glass figurine, the metalwork on an antique bracelet, or the vibrant colors of an artisan vase—but instead of bringing them home, leave them in the showcase.

9. Find Contentment in "Enough"

He who knows he has enough is rich.

Happiness is wanting what you have. When your wants are satisfied by the things you already have, there’s no need to acquire any more. In order to experience the joy of “enough,” that’s where we’ll need to focus.

Avoid keeping up with the Joneses. We fell victim to the classic dilemma of “keeping up with the Joneses.” Suddenly, we’re not measuring our “enough” in objective terms (is our house sufficient for our family?), but rather in relative terms (is our house as nice, as big, or as new as the one next door?).

Cultivate gratitude. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is far more conducive to a minimalist lifestyle. If we recognize the abundance in our lives, and appreciate what we have, we will not want for more. We simply need to focus on what we have, rather than what we don’t have.

10. Live Simply to Benefit Others and the Planet

Live simply, so that others may simply live.

Share finite resources. We share the world with over six billion other people. Our space, and our resources, are finite. How can we guarantee that there’s enough food, water, land, and energy to go around? By not using any more of it than we need.

Consider the environmental toll. Our choices as consumers have an environmental toll. Every item we buy, from food to books to televisions to cars, uses up some of the earth’s bounty. Not only does its production and distribution require energy and natural resources; its disposal is also cause for concern.

Buy local, buy used, buy less. By buying local, buying used, and buying less, we can minimize our personal consumer footprints. Limiting our purchases to essentials is the best way to curb the impact of our consumption.

11. STREAMLINE Method: A Practical Guide to Decluttering

Now that we’ve established our minimalist mindset, we’re ready to put our new attitude into practice.

Start Over: Empty the space completely to reassess what truly belongs. This allows you to curate your belongings, rather than just shuffling them around.
Trash, Treasure, or Transfer: Categorize each item to make decisions easier. Be honest about what you truly value and use.
Reason for Each Item: Question the purpose and value of each item you keep. If it doesn't serve a function or bring joy, consider letting it go.

Everything in Its Place: Assign a specific spot for every item to prevent clutter from accumulating. This makes it easier to maintain order and find what you need.
All Surfaces Clear: Keep horizontal surfaces free of clutter to create a sense of calm and functionality. Surfaces are for activity, not storage.
Modules: Group similar items together in containers or designated areas. This makes it easier to find and manage your belongings.

Limits: Set boundaries for the number of items you own in each category. This prevents over-accumulation and encourages mindful consumption.
If One Comes In, One Goes Out: For every new item you acquire, remove a similar one from your home. This maintains a steady state of possessions.
Narrow It Down: Reduce your possessions to the bare essentials. Focus on multi-functional and versatile items.

Everyday Maintenance: Establish routines to handle incoming stuff and prevent clutter from accumulating. This includes regularly decluttering and returning items to their designated spots.

Last updated: March 31, 2025