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Why Declutter?



This isn’t a post about discipline, restriction, and definitely not about shame. 

It’s a reflection on how minimalism has continued to evolve and shape every part of my life, far beyond just decluttering my home.

When my husband and I first embraced minimalism back in 2020, the focus was on physical decluttering.

We used the KonMari method to sort through our belongings, and I still remember both of us reaching a point where we said, “The energy in our space feels lighter.”

At the time, I thought decluttering was mostly about owning less, but now, I think it’s more about reducing friction between myself and the life I actually want to live.

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about why certain habits feel easy while others feel difficult to maintain. 

Why Decluttering Isn’t a One-Time Thing

Even in a minimalist home, clutter always finds a way to build back up, and the clearest example of that was when we had to leave our first apartment in 2024. 

We had secured a new apartment in another building, but the timing didn’t line up, so we ended up living in a temporary apartment for two months. 

To make the back-to-back moves easier, we kept about half of our already minimal belongings in storage.

For those two months, we only lived with what we actively needed.

And honestly? 

Cleaning became easier than it has ever been for me.

I’ve never been someone who naturally enjoys cleaning. 

In fact, at our previous apartment, we even hired a cleaning service for a while. 

But in the temporary apartment, there was simply less stuff to move around. 

It also helped that it was a newer build, so maintaining that “baseline clean” was much easier than scrubbing away at years of use from previous tenants. 

That apartment wasn’t sustainable for us long-term, and with half our belongings in storage, the space felt functional but not personal.

Still, it reminded me that minimalism isn’t about proving how little you can own, but about reducing the effort required to maintain your life.

Why Free Time and Empty Space Matter

Minimalism also changed how I think about work and creativity.

I’ve adapted and pivoted throughout my career, but there is one thing I always come back to: writing.

I rediscovered my love for it in grad school, found ways to integrate it into my tech roles, and now my part-time work gives me the flexibility to pursue it consistently.

Right now, writing also connects directly to my larger goal of publishing a contemporary romance novel before I turn thirty-five. 

For a long time, I think I approached work and writing as if they were competing priorities. 

Minimalism slowly challenged that mindset.

Now, I am actively choosing flexible work that supports my writing and allows my day-to-day life to better align with my priorities.

Even our apartment reflects that flexibility.

Our kitchen island intentionally has nothing permanently living on it, which means it easily transforms throughout the day. 

It is our dining table, my desk, and my sewing table. 

Why Some Habits Feel Easier Than Others

Walking is probably my clearest example of reducing friction with a habit that often requires self-discipline to do. 

I don’t really think of walking as a habit because I have built it into my life as my main form of transportation.

Choosing to live in a walkable area also reduces that friction. 

What I’ve been trying to do lately is become more intentional about noticing my surroundings instead of mentally rushing through familiar routes. 

The other day, someone asked me what brought me joy that week, and my answer was simply walking home from work and looking up at the tall buildings around me (I’m a city girl through and through).

Strength training works similarly for me.

I’ve learned that consistency became much easier once I stopped relying entirely on self-discipline.

Investing in sessions with a personal trainer once a week has been key because someone else handles the planning and structure, and I just have to show up and lift.

This is a place where spending the money has proven to be more beneficial than trying to take on the task myself, compared to, for example, our hiring of a cleaning service in the past. 

I also think about my niblings a lot with my why for strength training. 

As they grow, I can physically feel the difference that getting stronger has made as I continue to lift them and keep up with them while we play. 

Why I’m Rethinking My Sleep Schedule

The habits I still struggle with usually involve friction that I haven’t fully solved yet.

My sleep schedule is probably the biggest example.

For a long time, my routine has been staying up until 2AM and waking up around 9:30AM. 

Rationally, I know it isn’t helping me, but the immediate comfort of staying up late scrolling on my phone or reading a book always feels more rewarding than the future benefits of getting up earlier.

I am finally taking the time to address my ongoing fatigue by meeting with a naturopath. 

This has helped me focus on actionable steps by once again not relying on self-discipline alone. 

I’m not trying to force a total overnight transformation, and I’m not saying striving for early morning starts is right for everybody, but I am quickly collecting the data that shows I am more productive when I get up before 8AM. 

Why Minimalism Looks Different to Me Now

If there’s a common thread through all of this, it’s that I no longer think minimalism is about owning as little as possible.

It’s about paying attention to what creates unnecessary friction in my life.

Sometimes that friction is physical clutter, and sometimes it’s a habit that relies too heavily on self-discipline instead of support.

I’m still figuring a lot of this out, though.

But instead of trying to overhaul my life overnight, I’m paying closer attention to what makes the life I want feel easier to access, and offering myself grace throughout the process.

For me, decluttering has ultimately become a way to create more room for the life I actually want to live.

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