Less to Look After
I don’t call myself a minimalist, but over the years, through my work as a professional organizer, I can’t help noticing that the fewer things I have, the fewer things I need to worry about.
If I have fewer dishes, I need to wash them more often, but then an enormous pile can’t build up in the sink. And with fewer clothes, at least I can put the laundry away without trying to stuff everything into already full drawers.
Last summer, after traveling abroad, I did a huge decluttering of my own closet. I’d lugged around a big suitcase full of clothes and basically worn two tank tops and one pair of pants for two weeks. When I got home, I got rid of everything in my closet that I didn’t like, had no use for, or hadn’t worn in the last year.
My closet felt great.
But then I realized that, in my harsh decluttering mode, I’d given away two costumes. At the time, they seemed extra and silly. How often did I actually wear them?
When I realized they were gone, though, I was kind of devastated. I actually cried.
I’d been so enthusiastic about clearing things out that I hadn’t stopped to recognize that these were things I actually wanted to keep. They didn’t get worn very often, but I loved having them.
Of course, it’s easy to get stuck and keep everything, but it’s also possible to get on a roll and give away things you’ll miss. Having another person around can help you pause and talk it through. It doesn’t need to be a professional. Sometimes a buddy can be the sounding board you need. I used to have a friend who would invite me over to help her pare down her closet each year. Then we would switch and she would come over to my place. And if I was unsure about something, I’d put it in the “maybe pile” where I would put it aside and gave myself the freedom to decide later.
One of my favorite authors on decluttering, Karen Kingston, writes in her book Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui:
“You are energetically connected to everything you own. When your home is filled with things that you love or use well, it becomes an incredible source of support and nourishment for you.”
The “love” part matters. Something doesn’t have to be useful or worn in the last twelve months to be worth keeping. But thinking about being “energetically connected” to all my possessions makes me cringe when I think of my numerous catch-all drawers that each have hundreds of items inside!
I still believe that having less can make everyday life easier. But what that looks like will be different for each of us. You might love having shelves full of books or a whole cupboard of dishes for when friends come over. Those things may be well worth looking after.
When I work with someone, we talk about what they love, what they use, and what’s making their home difficult to manage. You make the decisions about what stays. I’m there to help, including when you need a moment to think.
And I certainly won’t insist that you get rid of your Halloween costumes.
