Less Stuff, More Joy: The Art of Simplifying Your Life
Our co-founder, Deborah Szekely, almost 103 years young, has said, “A simpler life can be the cure for almost anything.” Simplifying, minimalizing, and decluttering are all hot topics these days. Everywhere I look, there seems to be an article, a documentary, or a podcast addressing these topics. There are even reality shows on hoarding.
When most of us think of clutter, we think of physical things and possessions. While this is true, Deborah talked about simplifying what we want to spend our energy and brain power focusing on. She has said that one of the reasons she believes she has been blessed with such a long life is that she has learned to let go of things out of her control. Focus on today and what you can do now within your wheelhouse.
Andrew Mellen, a professional organizer and decluttering expert and recent guest on The Ranch’s podcast, Resonate , speaks about digital clutter, which is increasingly becoming an issue. This includes overstuffed email boxes, social media scrolling, apps we don’t use or need, and constant texting on our phones. He points out that anything robbing us of time and not bringing us joy takes up space in our minds. There is no end to the noise and information out there, yet there is a limit to our time (and attention?), the one non-renewable resource.
Our culture is obsessed with being busy. Busy doesn’t always equate to productivity or fulfillment. I know that sometimes, a day goes by in a blur. Days like this can turn into years.
As a culture, our desire to collect physical things is just as strong as our desire for digital information. According to surveys done in 2024 by Neighbors.com and StorageCafe.com, it is estimated that 11-18% of Americans currently rent storage units. Of these renters, the average spends 180.00 per month on storing things (move.org).
One of my favorite family-owned neighborhood restaurants was demolished last year and is now the home of a massive, ugly storage facility. I can understand temporarily storing things during a remodel or a move. I have a friend who recently moved from one apartment to another, and his new apartment would not be ready for a month, so he put his non-essential belongings in storage for a month. What I find hard to comprehend is why we have things stored for years that we clearly don’t use or need. I am not pointing fingers because I have three thousand 45 records stored in my parent’s garage from when I was a DJ in the 80s.
No doubt some essentials are necessary. However, I think that the baby boomer generation, with parents or grandparents who lived through the Great Depression, felt secure by having things, and this abundance made them feel like they were successful and had arrived. This was also before we had digital ways to store tax returns, receipts, etc. Add to that, a society driven by consumerism, which hopes we believe more is better.
Essential is individual and cultural. What might be considered crucial for someone living in a third-world country most likely differs from what might be regarded as crucial to many in a first-world country.
Andrew emphasizes that what we have as physical or digital possessions is a personal choice with no judgments. He believes making sure your time and things match your values and bring you joy is worthwhile. If they don’t, maybe it’s time to let some of them go.
Deborah adds that this holds true for people and relationships in your life. Only hang on to the relationships that bring you joy. Time goes by quickly, and we can’t buy more of it, so spend your precious time on what brings joy to your life. More love and less stuff is something I am focusing on in 2025.
