Recently, I spoke with Joshua Becker about how to declutter an outdoor space for an article I wrote for The Washington Post. Because the space of my Post article was limited, I thought it’d be helpful to hear Joshua’s additional thoughts about decluttering. As a minimalism expert, author of several books, and philanthropist, Joshua has a lot of insight and wisdom on creating a simple garden. Here’s some of our interview.
What is the value in decluttering a space? Why do it?
Decluttering a space helps to promote the purpose of a space. It helps to remove distraction from a space. And helps us see how little we need. To me, decluttering is about removing physical possessions so that I can focus more of my life on the things on that actually matter and bring more meaning and purpose into my life.
What is a good strategy for decluttering? Where should folks start?
The strategy I think is the most effective for the most number of people to declutter a space is go easiest to hardest. Start with the most lived-in spaces. The reason I say that is because when someone thinks about decluttering, they think, “I need to go through my attic or garage or the basement.” And you could spend two hours in your garage and see very little difference but you could spend two hours decluttering a bedroom and notice the change in a couple hours.
I’d be looking for the largest easiest wins so I can start to see the progress I’m making which would then motivate me and compel me to keep going forward.
What advice do you have for people when they feel indecisive about an object?
The answer to that question is, “What is the source of the indecision?” My starting advice would be to figure out what is the source. “Why is this hard for me to get rid of?”
I think what happens for most people is they get to an item and it’s hard to get rid of so they just decide to keep it, rather than really digging into their emotions and heart and thinking, like sitting in the question of, “Why is this so hard for me to get rid of, what does this represent, what are the memories attached with this? What am I afraid of?” If you can figure out what it is, you’re in a better position to decide if it’s something that you actually need to keep or if it’s an unhealthy motivation that’s compelling you to keep the item.
What are unhealthy motivations?
One unhealthy motivation is fear, “I’m afraid I’m gonna need it some day.” A lot of people hold onto items because they represent past seasons of life that we wish we were still living in or we wish turned out differently. I think we hold on to things sometimes out of selfishness and greed. Sometimes we hold onto things because we made a mistake in buying it and we think keeping it helps us. A lot of things we hold onto isn’t because of unhealthy motivations but because we just don’t realize the weight of keeping those things or stress of holding onto those things in our lives.
Why is it okay to be ruthless when simplifying your space? What do you get in return?
You get your life back. It forces questions of values upon us. As we declutter, it forces us to ask questions like, “Who do I want to be, why am I holding onto these things, why did I accumulate this in the first place?” It helps us define the life we want to be living. Then it allows you to pursue your passions. It frees up physical space in your home and mental space in your mind. Less stress and less time managing and organizing and taking care of all of the stuff. It frees up our lives.
I had no idea how much of a burden my physical possessions had become until I began to remove them.
Gardeners love to buy plants. What are your tips in holding back from impulse buying?
As you simplify your garden and start to appreciate the joy of a simplified garden, you become less likely to acquire more and more. If you clean out your garden, and you find you’re able to enjoy the space and do whatever you need to do in it when there’s less clutter in it, that’s the first step to not buying a bunch of things down the road. We notice the benefits of owning less. In the home, as you get rid of stuff, you think, “Hey my kitchen’s easier to use,” so you’re less inclined to go buy a bunch of new kitchen gadgets. That’s the first step.
How can people forgive themselves for the mistakes they made and move on?
First, realize that you can’t change the purchase in the past, but you can learn from it. When we decide, okay I can’t go back and undo this but I can still redemm this by learning from it and not making the mistake in the future is helpful.
Number two, focus less on the mistake and more on the person you’re becoming or the change you’re making. Rather than feeling guilty about all the things you bought in the past, decide to find pride in the person you’re becoming. The new life you’re taking hold of, the new intentionality that you’re bringing into your life.
After someone has tidied and simplified their garden, how can they make sure they intentionally enjoy it?
Define the purpose of the garden. What is the space supposed to do for me, or what do I want it to accomplish in my life, then that helps us decide what to keep and how to make that space function in the way we dream of it functioning. Once we get clear on that purpose, then it’s easier to intentionally live in that area and even keep from accumulating more things that might keep that space from fulfilling its purpose.
Do you have any other thoughts about living more minimally in the garden?
You want to notice when your garden crosses over into maintenance rather than relaxation. When the maintenance infringes on the purpose.
Do you have any encouraging words for people struggling to create a simpler garden?
More is not always better. More plants and flowers don’t always make for a better garden. Sometimes less really is more.