Best decluttering tips for minimalist living

Did you know the average American home has more than 300,000 items in it? The simplest way to organize your stuff is to get rid of most of it. Freeing yourself from the tchotchkes and trinkets that are weighing you down allows you to make room for what’s truly important in life.

Former corporate executives Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus (also known as The Minimalists) have built a movement on living better with less. Thanks to their popular blog, books, podcasts, and Netflix documentaries, the enlightened duo has helped millions of people learn how to purge their possessions and simplify their lives.

As a minimalist, everything you own should serve an essential purpose or bring you joy – the rest is just excess. With that in mind, here are a few of our favourite decluttering tips from The Minimalists.

[Photo Credit: hakinmhan]

The 30-Day Minimalism Game is a fun way to ease into minimalism and progressively declutter your home by removing an incremental number of objects each day for a one-month period. Get rid of one possession on the first day, two on the second, three on the third, and so on. Items can be donated, sold, or put in the trash – as long as they’re out of your house by midnight each day. If you have a competitive streak, recruit friends and family to play along with you and see who can keep the momentum going the longest.

When it comes to decluttering your home, the 90/90 Minimalism Rule is a fast and effective principle that can help you easily decide what stays and what goes. Whether you’re humming and hawing over an old pair of jeans, a forgotten toy, or a long-neglected piece of exercise equipment, ask yourself two questions:

• Have you used the item in the last 90 days?
• If you haven’t, will you use it in the next 90 days?

If you answer no to both questions, give yourself permission to let it go without guilt.

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Many people hold on to items for sentimental reasons, but there’s a good chance you’re assigning excessive meaning to your stuff. The Minimalists’ Netflix documentary, Less is Now, encourages viewers to realize that memories are not inside things, but inside each of us. Sort through your piles of untouched photographs, documents, childhood artwork and use a high-quality scanner to digitize these items for safekeeping – and then, toss them away. By holding on to just a few select sentimental items you’ll be able to enjoy those curated keepsakes that much more.

The rise of online shopping and same-day delivery means it’s easier than ever to click ‘add to cart’ and fill your life with unnecessary impulse purchases. If you want to keep your spending in check, improve your everyday consumption habits and rid your home of clutter, consider implementing The Minimalists’ 1-in-10-out policy. For every new kitchen utensil or article of clothing you purchase, you must get rid of 10 similar items from that same category. This decluttering tip will force you to be extremely deliberate when making new purchases and will help methodically eliminate excess stuff from your home.