I have been thinking a lot about how to be happier and I have come to the conclusion that one of the secrets of feeling good is having less stuff. Owning less things means more time to have fun and enjoy activities with your family. Just think of all the time we spend cleaning, repairing and hunting for items. Getting rid of all the things we neither use nor love will clear up space in our lives for people and activities that really do matter. We will also be able to find things much more easily, as the select items that remain after decluttering will all have their own place to be stored.
Letting go can be difficult. When I am sorting through items, trying to decide what stays and what goes, it helps to ask myself if I love said item. If I don’t love it, do I at least use it? If not, then why not give it away? Why keep an item that makes you feel bad? Someone else can actually use your waffle iron or extra blender! For you creative types out there, just because you can come up with a possible future use for the item does not mean you should keep it. Maybe if you already have a definite plan to use it in the next 6 months – otherwise, out it goes. A possible exception might be rarely used and expensive items such as a tent for camping. However, if you haven’t been camping in ten years, you might want to think twice!
I am going to be moving soon, and I am looking forward to paring back my possessions as much as possible. I am even casting a critical eye on somewhat sentimental items, such as my wedding crystal. Although I enjoy looking at the pretty wineglasses, when it comes time to use a drinking container, chances are I will choose a non-breakable beaker or dishwasher safe stemmed glass rather than cut crystal – too much work to do all that hand dish washing!
After decluttering, the key to keeping the house manageable and tidy is to curb the inflow. That means we need to stop buying stuff! If we want to have a simple, happy life we need to stay out of malls and stores – no browsing, no buying things because they are on sale when there is no current use for them, no impulsive decisions. We need to remove ourselves from temptation and quit wasting time and money. Buy only perishables and things that need replacing, such as holey socks and underwear with stretched out elastic – and make sure to get rid of the originals when you do buy the replacements. The reward for our vigilance will be serenity in our tidy and organized homes.