Owning less frees us to live more intentionally. But getting there doesn’t happen by accident. 

It takes effort, it takes vision, it takes a plan, and it always helps to have a few guiding principles along the way.

After 15 years of helping people simplify their homes and lives, I’ve found certain truths to be especially helpful. These aren’t gimmicks or trendy tricks. They are principles—practical ideas that have stood the test of time and experience.

If you’re ready to begin (or ready to begin again), these ten principles will help you do it well.

Here are Ten Decluttering Principles that Everyone Can Use:

1. Always begin with your own stuff.

It’s tempting to start the decluttering with the toys in the playroom or the overstuffed closet that doesn’t belong to you. But the greatest lasting change in your home and life begins when we take responsibility for our own things first.

Not only does this approach build integrity into our process, but it also sets the tone for the people around us to follow—not because they were forced, but because they feel invited and inspired.

2. Don’t organize what you should be getting rid of.

Storage systems can be helpful, but organizing is not the same as minimizing. Well-organized clutter is still clutter.

Whenever you start the minimizing process, be quick to notice the times you are merely moving things around your home, rather than removing them from your home.

The goal isn’t to fit everything neatly into containers—it’s to free ourselves from the burden of having to manage so much in the first place.

3. Clarify the purpose of each room before you declutter it.

Our homes have a purpose, and so do the physical spaces inside our home. And once you understand the purpose  of a space, the decisions about what stays and what goes become far easier.

Your bedroom serves a purpose, your kitchen serves a purpose, your workspace serves a purpose. 

For every space, identify what that purpose is, what items support that purpose, and what items are distracting from it.

4. Start with the easiest spaces first.

Decluttering gets easier with practice, so begin where you’re most likely to succeed. I usually recommend spaces like: your living room, your bedroom, or a bathroom.

Start in easier spaces and with easier categories of items to remove. 

Places like your attic and things like your sentimental items should be saved for later after you’ve built up your decluttering muscle a bit more.

Start in places you can find decluttering wins. And the sooner we finish something, the more motivated we are to keep going.

5. Ask better questions about the things you own.

The right question can make all the difference. Instead of just asking, Do I use this?, consider asking: Why did I buy this? Would I buy it again today? What would I use if I didn’t have it?

Sometimes, just a small shift in the question reveals how much we’ve been keeping by default—not by intention.

6. Make a plan for what you’ll do with the things you let go.

One of the biggest reasons we stall out while decluttering is because we don’t know what to do with the stuff we no longer want.

Having a clear plan in advance—where to donate, what to recycle, who to give to—removes the mental friction and makes progress possible in the moment.

I recommend you find two local charities that you want to support and one larger drop-off location to take everything else you are removing. 

7. Stop the flow of new stuff into your home.

Decluttering is only half the solution. If new things keep coming in at the same rate, you’ll never experience lasting change.

We don’t become clutterfree by removing what we don’t use if we keep buying what we don’t need. So at some point, you’ll need to deal with the mindset of overcoming consumerism in your life. 

The greatest transformation happens when that cycle is broken.

8. Pay attention to the benefits of owning less.

As you declutter, every time you notice a benefit—less stress, easier mornings, quicker cleanups—say it out loud, write it down, or tell a friend that next time you’re out for coffee.

The more we train our eyes to see what we’re gaining, the more motivation we find to keep going.

9. Keep your eyes on the life you want, not just the stuff you’re losing.

The goal of decluttering isn’t just to declutter. The goal of decluttering is to live a new and better life. Plus, letting go is easier when we remember what we’re making space for. More of the things we want in our life

Keeping your eyes focused on the life available to you at the finish line will be a powerful motivator during those tough times when you need it most.

10. Let minimalism shape your mindset, not just your home.

Decluttering is not just a finish line—it’s actually a new way of seeing the world.

It is a reminder that more isn’t always better, that the advertisements we see around us aren’t always true, that intentionality is needed in all areas, and our lives are too valuable to waste chasing and accumulating material possessions. 

Let your process of decluttering physical possessions begin to change your mindset about other assumptions you’ve made in life.

Now, the most important part of owning less is to get started. Because owning less clears the path for living more.

Hopefully these principles are helpful to you. Because owning less to live more is a trade always worth making.