Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life: Summary
Joshua Becker wrote this short guide after his suburban family of four chose to own less, and it sets out seven principles for doing the same: be convinced, make it work for you, jump right in, stop the trend, persevere, share the joy and simplify everywhere. Its argument is that minimalism means promoting what you value most and removing whatever distracts from it, so the goal is a freer life, not an emptier house.
- Joshua Becker
- 2010
- 8 min read
- 8 key takeaways
- 8 ways to apply it
Key takeaways from Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life
The ideas readers on HourLife upvote the most, in order.
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1
Minimalism is promoting what you value most and removing whatever distracts from it.
On this definition minimalism has no item count and no style; it starts from your values. Name what you want more room for before you pull anything off a shelf.
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2
Lasting change starts with being convinced, not with a weekend purge.
Becker's first principle is that actions follow what we truly want. List the benefits you care about, such as less cleaning, less spending and more time, and keep the list where you declutter.
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3
Make minimalism fit your life instead of copying someone else's.
A family with small children, a renter and a keen hobbyist will land in different places. Decide what enough looks like for your household.
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4
Jump in small: one drawer, not the whole house.
Like training for a marathon, easy early wins build the habit. Pick the area you see most often and finish it in one sitting.
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5
Moving clutter is levelling; removing it is minimising.
Shifting things into bins or the garage looks tidy but changes nothing. If it isn't essential, let it leave the house.
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6
Stop the trend by changing what comes in, not just what goes out.
Consumer culture refills every space you clear. Put a pause before purchases and turn down free things you will not use.
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7
Clutter gathers in predictable collection sites, so watch those first.
Counters, entryways and the chair in the bedroom fill up again and again. Persevering mostly means clearing those few spots often.
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8
Clear the little rocks so the big rocks fit.
Becker's last principle takes simplicity beyond the house to time and commitments: family, friends, faith and goals first, then remove what crowds them. Ask the same question of your calendar as of your closet.
How to apply Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life
Turn the ideas into something you can do this week.
Write your reason for owning less
Note three things you want more room for, like time with family, savings or calm, and tape the note inside a cupboard door.
Clear the surface you see most
Choose the counter or table you look at most and remove everything that does not belong there today.
Put a donation box by the door
Keep a box ready so that anything you decide to let go of leaves the house within the week.
Map your clutter collection sites
Walk your home and list the three spots where things pile up, so you know where to check.
Unsubscribe from five shopping emails
Remove the prompts that keep sending new things into the house.
Declutter for fifteen minutes a day
Set a timer and clear one drawer, shelf or bag a day until each room is done.
Wait before you buy
For any non-essential purchase, wait a few days and buy it only if you still want it.
Reset the collection sites each evening
Spend five minutes before bed clearing the counter, the entry and the bedroom chair.
Own what serves the life you want. Let the rest go, and keep the room for the people and work you love.
