Why should I simplify and declutter?
“I don’t want to get rid of things, I just want to get organized”
Have you ever said that? Well, here’s a spoiler alert: simplifying and decluttering are game changers. I didn’t believe I had to do it either. But once I did, things started to change.
I know, it’s hard to declutter. It’s hard for me to get rid of things. And simplifying, what does that even mean? And why even bother? Maybe you’re like me and you like all your stuff and don’t want to get rid of it. Or you live alone so there’s no one else around to see your mess. You may even be able to find your keys…most of the time. Decluttering takes time and, let’s face it: it’s not on most people’s top ten list of fun things to do. (And if you are one of those naturally-born organized people who like decluttering, you’re probably not reading this.)
So why bother with decluttering and simplifying?
First, let’s define what we’re talking about (nothing technical here, just a short explanation so we can be sure we’re on the same page). The Cambridge Dictionary’s definition of decluttering is
“To remove things you do not need from a place, in order to make it more pleasant and more useful.” I like that. We all want our homes to be pleasant and useful, and decluttering can help get it there. And simplifying means making something less complicated, streamline it, or make it easier. I’m all for easier! The less work in my home, the better.
So we could summarize by saying that simplifying refers more to processes or tasks, and decluttering to physical items (although the two could be interchangeable).
But let’s see why simplifying and decluttering are worth your time and energy.
- It makes cleaning easier. This is the first thing that people (those who are naturally organized and don’t have clutter) tell you. They say that it takes less time because you have less stuff to clean. I used to think that this was dumb. (I was obviously not a person who would naturally declutter.) I didn’t see how having less stuff made that much difference in cleaning my home. Especially when I didn’t clean my home that often. I really hated cleaning. Part of the reason is that I first had to straighten everything up, pick up scattered clothes, papers, books, etc. to dust or vacuum, clear off the counters before cleaning the bathroom, and it just looked too overwhelming. Oh, wait a minute. There’s my answer. Cleaning is easier because it doesn’t include picking up and straightening up first. And it’s true that there’s less to clean. And if you’re really overloaded with stuff and do some colossal decluttering, you may be able to live in a smaller space, which would also mean less time spent cleaning.
- You can find things more easily. You have a place for everything you use and love. If you have mountains and mountains of stuff you never use, it’s easier for your keys, bills, phone, and other important items to hide. If your counters are clear and your tabletops are empty, things you misplaced almost jump out at you instead of you going to look for them. (By the way, clearing out your cupboards, closets and storage spaces helps you find homes for things you need to keep and puts them out of view.) Once things are decluttered, organizing isn’t that difficult.
- You don’t forget important things as easily. Have you ever forgotten to pay a bill and got slapped with a late fee because it got lost in some pile of stuff? Have you forgotten an appointment because you misplaced the reminder card, or you forgot to put it on your calendar or in your phone? There are so many things you have to try to remember. Make it easier on your brain by eliminating the clutter that you don’t need. That way you don’t have as many things bouncing around in your head, and you can keep the important things accessible and at the top of your mind.
- Less clutter creates visual peace. I didn’t really appreciate this except when I’d do a massive cleaning when someone was coming over. My house looked so nice! It felt so peaceful. I was so proud of myself, but very tired from the marathon cleaning session. I resolved to keep it that way forever, but unfortunately I skipped the decluttering part, so all the stuff I crammed into closets and bedrooms and shut the door eventually came back out and gradually scattered itself all over my clean house. Once I started actually decluttering and having less stuff, I could straighten up much more quickly, and when I did, I could have that peaceful, tranquil feeling regularly. It really does relax your mind and body because clutter creates tension. For me, this is probably the biggest benefit of all: the peace that comes with having things orderly. (Trust me, things still get messy and dirty, but now I can bring it back to order much more quickly.)
- It takes less time to manage everything. We already mentioned cleaning, but there is also using, maintaining, storing and fixing your things. Some things require regular care, and if you skip that they may become ruined and unusable. If you’re not going to be using something, it’s better to let it go and let someone else enjoy using it. That takes away the guilt that you feel every time you look at it.
Are you convinced? Do you want to spend less time cleaning, find things more easily, not miss deadlines, have visual peace and tranquility, and have more time for things you want to do? Take the opportunity now to start decluttering. In fact, you’re at the end of this post, so why not get up right now and go tackle a small decluttering project? Set your timer for 7 minutes and see how many things you can declutter. Yay you!