departure, you can feel grateful for your abundance and rest easy

with the knowledge that you’ll still have plenty.

After you’ve cleared out the excess, keep the remainder
consolidated. That way, you can nip clutter in the bud if your
supply starts growing again. Your things will also be easier to find
when you need them. You’ll no longer have to search your entire
house for a “lost” item or buy a second of something you already
have. That means less stress, less expense, and less stuff down
the road.
 curate
After you’ve consolidated like-with-like, it’s time for the fun part of
lightening up: choosing what to keep.
How to determine what makes the cut? It’s simple: Keep only
those items that make your life easier or happier. Enjoy the
process of selecting your favorite things. It gives you a chance to
admire and appreciate the lovely stuff you have.
What if they all seem like favorites? Well, according to the
Pareto Principle, we use 20 percent of our stuff 80 percent of the
time. That means that the vast majority of our possessions are not
that special or important, and our lives would go on just as well
without them. Curating is identifying that magical 20 percent and
decluttering much of the rest.
Curating takes the idea of a capsule wardrobe—a small
collection of ultra-versatile clothing to suit all occasions—and
expands it to your entire household. The goal: to have a well-
edited set of possessions that’s perfectly in sync with your needs.
In fact, after you curate your stuff, you’ll be amazed at how
effortless your daily routine becomes. With the excess out of the
way, you avoid the decision fatigue that comes with too many
choices. Instead of wasting time and energy on trivial matters
(Which shirt matches these pants? Which coffee cup should I
use?), you’ll move through your days more smoothly and
efficiently.
Of course, with any project, the toughest part is getting started.
My advice: Start with the stuff you don’t use or don’t like. (It’s
really that easy!)
You may be surprised to realize how much of your stuff you
don’t even want. Be honest with yourself about those gifts,
heirlooms, and shopping mistakes, like the musty “antiques” you
inherited, the kitschy socks your brother gave you, or the shoes
you splurged on but never wear. Are you keeping them out of a
sense of guilt or obligation?
You have permission to get rid of them. Life is too short to live
with things you don’t like.
Next, move on to multiples: Save only your favorites or a
reasonable amount. Be selective—you deserve to use your best
things on a daily basis. When we have duplicates, we often use
our old, shabby things and save the better ones for “special
occasions.” Ditch the duplicates, and use your good stuff now.
Think of it this way: If you had space for only one of each item,
which would you keep? It’s like packing a suitcase with your best-
loved things.
Remember, space is just as important as stuff. You don’t have
to fill every drawer, closet, or room just because you can. In fact,
you’ll feel a lot better if you have some breathing space.
In my home, I love to use the design concept of “white space”—
that is, having some emptiness around objects rather than
crowding them. White space not only creates visual calm and
serenity, it highlights the important items in our lives.
Even better, white space makes room for activity—for you to do
yoga, your spouse to host poker night, or your preschooler to
practice her ballet moves. Your home is living space, not storage
space. It should reflect what you do, rather than what you own.
As you evaluate your stuff, consider the story it tells. Our
possessions reveal much about our hopes and fears, ambitions
and dreams, past and present. We don’t want them airing our
unrealized goals, unfinished projects, or unsuccessful
relationships. Living with such reminders can be a huge
psychological burden, holding us down and tethering us to the
past.
Curating is a marvelous opportunity for self-reflection, and
makes us ask questions that go beyond our possessions. In the
process, we make peace with our past (ditch that gift from an ex),
embrace our present (keep the jeans that fit now), and shape our
future (toss books from a former career).
When you curate, cast off anything and everything with negative
associations and surround yourself only with bits of happiness.
Make sure your things tell the story of the life you want to live.
 out box
It may sound surprising, but a humble little cardboard box can be
your most powerful tool in living more lightly. Let me explain . . .
Stuff flows into our homes with ease. Nary a day goes by
without a new object making an entrance—whether it comes in a
shopping bag, through the mail slot, or via our children’s
backpacks.
The problem: It’s easy for stuff to get in, but far more difficult to
get it out. Once they’ve made it inside, things become comfortably
ensconced in our households. Even when we want to get rid of
something, we’re often at a loss for how.
Think about it: How many times have you come across an item
you no longer need, but had no idea what to do with it? You likely
returned it to the drawer and figured you’d deal with it later (during
your next charity shop run or “official” decluttering session).
That’s why every home needs an Out Box. It’s an exit route for
unwanted stuff. Your Out Box can be as simple as a large
cardboard box tucked in your coat closet, laundry room, or other
convenient spot. Whenever you (or family members) come across
something to discard, simply put it in the box. Dealing with your
excess couldn’t be easier.
If you want to get fancy—or entice your spouse or children to
use it—cover it with colored paper or write a cheeky label (like
“Stuff We Don’t Need,” “Let It Go,” or “Lightly”). Give it a little flair,
and it’ll attract some interest and clearly convey its purpose. Your
Out Box should give off positive decluttering vibes, reminding you
and your family that it’s good to get rid of stuff you don’t need.
We often put off purging our stuff because we think we have to
dedicate an entire day or weekend to the task. Some popular
decluttering programs recommend we do it all at once, but I don’t
think that’s necessary or particularly doable.
You don’t have to save decluttering for a special day. In fact, it’s
far more effective to make it a lifestyle. That’s what’s so wonderful
about an Out Box: It helps you lighten up, little by little, on a daily
basis.
When you pull a duplicate potato peeler out of your kitchen
drawer, put it in your Out Box. When you put on then take off that
unflattering blouse, put it in your Out Box. When you finish that
novel you’ll never read again, put it in your Out Box. When you
come across anything that’s outgrown, unused, or unloved, put it
in your Out Box.
Your Out Box removes unneeded items from your daily life,
providing a space for them before they leave. It consolidates your
castoffs so you can deal with them all at once—donating, selling,
or otherwise disposing of them when you have the time. For all
intents and purposes, they’re “gone” and simply awaiting transport
to their new home.
Furthermore, the Out Box has a built-in fail-safe: The delay
between putting an item in the box and donating its contents
leaves a comfortable margin for error. We’re often afraid that if we
toss something, we’ll need it the very next day (and be racked
with regret for discarding it). An Out Box alleviates these worries.
That item will still be there the next day and likely quite a few days
after that. In fact, the longer it sits there, the more we realize we
really don’t need it.
Take joy in filling your Out Box! You’re not only lightening your
load, you’re sharing your excess with someone in need. You’re
recognizing that you have enough and can spread that abundance
in your community. You’re keeping perfectly good items out of a
landfill and giving them another chance to be loved. You’re doing
good with your decluttering.
So fill it up, donate the contents, and fill it up again. Make your
Out Box a permanent fixture, and add something new to it each
and every day. The heavier your box becomes, the lighter your
home.
 on hold
As we lift the weight from our lives, some difficult items might slow
us down. They’re not essentials, but for some reason or other,
we’re not quite ready to show them the exit.
This is where many of us lose confidence and momentum and
decide we’ll never be minimalists after all. But here’s a technique
to glide right over this trouble spot and keep on going: Put those
items On Hold.
On Hold is one of my best-kept secrets to lightening up. Why a
secret? Because hiding something away, even temporarily,
doesn’t seem very minimalist.
I resisted this technique for years for that very reason. Here’s
what turned me around: After I had a child, I realized the
complexities of decluttering a little one’s things. More specifically,
that they’re likely to ask for something immediately after you get
rid of it, and no amount of logic or reasoning (“you’re much too big
for that push toy”) will help.
So to avoid the tantrums, distress, and fear of turning my
daughter into a hoarder, I started putting her outgrown things On
Hold. I’d simply stash them away in a hidden bin for six months. If
they weren’t requested during that time period, they were safe to
send elsewhere. Potential discards were out of sight, but easily
retrievable if she suddenly became nostalgic for old playthings.
This method worked so well for her that I started (secretly)
using it myself. And while I thought I was backsliding, putting my
stuff On Hold actually took my decluttering to the next level.
Yes, even a minimalist can have trouble saying farewell to
something. When faced with a problematic item, I find putting it
On Hold the best option. It’s the first step toward making a
psychological break with it. Simply marking it for removal makes it
suddenly less special, and the balance of power shifts. In
(remarkably little) time, the item loses its grip on me, and I’m
ready to let it go. Using this method, I’ve been able to release
items I’ve wrestled with for years in just a few months.
Is On Hold a bit of a crutch? Maybe, but it works. I think of it
more as physical therapy. It helps you develop those minimalist
muscles and avoid the paralysis brought on by more challenging
items. It’s a gentler way to ease something out of your life.
 Putting something On Hold feels comfortable, because you
know you can retrieve it if you have regrets. But amazingly
enough, I’ve never reclaimed anything On Hold, and you probably
won’t either.
Once those items are packed away, they somehow lose their
magic. Seeing them as potential discards, rather than lifelong
possessions, breaks the spell they have over you. On Hold helps
you realize you can live without them after all.
So don’t worry if you can’t add something directly to your Out
Box. Sometimes a long goodbye is necessary. Instead of letting it
hold you back, put it On Hold and move on. You’ll feel lighter right
away, and every day your attachment will wane until you can let it
go.
 organize
After you’ve dealt with your discards, it’s time to organize what’s
left. You’ve done a lot of work consolidating items, and you want
to prevent them from dispersing through the house again.
Organizing is simply giving each possession a proper place, so
you know what belongs in your house and what doesn’t. That’s
why it’s very important this step come after you’ve curated. The
last thing you want to do is organize your clutter!
For organizing, I like containers. They keep things consolidated
and make it easy to put them away. That said, a container doesn’t
have to be a fancy box from an organization store. It can just as
well be a drawer, closet, bookshelf, bag, or repurposed vessel—
anything with fixed volume that keeps similar items together.
When things aren’t contained, they drift around and pile up (in
drawers, on tables, on counters) because there’s nowhere to put
them. That gives clutter the perfect place to hide. Conversely,
when your chosen possessions have their own special spots,
stray items stand out, making them easier to identify and remove.
Things without a place don’t belong in your space.
Containers give things a place to land when they enter the
house—for instance, the basket in your foyer that catches winter
hats and gloves, the hanging file in your kitchen that catches
incoming paperwork, the tray on your dresser that catches loose
change and keys.
Containers also make your stuff portable, giving you access to it
wherever needed. If all your craft or office supplies are in a single
box, you can set up a workspace anywhere in your house. When
you’re finished, simply scoop your stuff back into its container
rather than leave it strewn on the table.
On a larger scale, well-contained stuff makes relocation easier.
Instead of complete chaos on moving day, you can pack your stuff
with less effort and angst. It also makes for a smoother transition
when settling into your new home. Set up a good system, and
you’ll be able to move through the world with ease.
But here’s the most wonderful thing about containers: They limit
what you can keep. Restricting items to a certain space keeps
your collection in check. If your container for socks or spices or
small tools is full, you’ll need to get rid of something before you
add more (don’t transfer them to a bigger one!).
When organizing, let go of everything possible before
containing it. Then choose the smallest possible container to hold
your stuff. Don’t leave room for more if you want to have less.
Consider containers a stopgap measure—a way to keep your stuff
under control until you’re ready to part with it. As you lighten up
further, shrink the container size. The goal is to use smaller and
smaller containers until you can eliminate them altogether.
Containers help you understand how much your life weighs.
Just how heavy is that box of books or heirlooms or kitchen
gadgets? What if you had to physically carry it with you
everywhere you went? Are your possessions worth the weight
they add to your life?
Organizing not only lightens your stuff, it lightens your stress.
Once you’ve organized, you always know where everything is.
Imagine that! No more frustration because you can’t find your
measuring tape, your favorite scarf, the receipt for something you
need to return. No more running late or losing time because
you’re searching for “lost” things.
When you organize, you take control of your stuff, which in turn
helps you take control of your life. You’ll move through your daily
routine more calmly and serenely. Getting ready for work, getting
kids off to school, and getting dinner on the table is so much
easier when everything’s exactly where you need it.
Organizing isn’t meant to hide things away, it’s meant to put
them in order once and for all. It makes all your wonderful, useful
items easier to use. Just remember: The less you have to
organize, the better. Life shouldn’t be spent shuffling around stuff.