Gatekeeping: Joy of Less Part 6

Since finishing Joy of Less about 2 months ago, I have filled 7+ boxes of stuff, and have a list of things to sell that gets longer and longer. It's kind of exciting. And I can tell that excitement is spreading. Many of my friends and family who read the blog have told me about their decluttering adventures. Keep the decluttering coming!

“We can declutter until the day is long, but one of the keys to minimalist living is controlling the inflow. In most cases, this power lies entirely in our hands…” (Joy of Less, pg. 161)

We could declutter and declutter and declutter. We really could spend all time and too much energy doing so. The REAL secret is everyday maintenance, otherwise it will all just come right back. The trick to maintaining a clean and/or decluttered space is gatekeeping. 

 The same can be said in many other aspects of life. Think about it—when we lose weight, the only way to keep it off is to be a good gatekeeper about what you eat (and a good gatekeeper about time to exercise). When you pay off a debt, the only way to keep it away is to be a good gatekeeper about your budget. To quote Joy of Less, “To maintain clutter free storage spaces, you must be a good gatekeeper.” The only way to keep stuff at a minimum is to watch what you bring into your house.

It’s always stated much more simply, isn’t it? But how, exactly, can we be good gatekeepers?

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

– William Morris, British writer & designer (p. 29)

In addition to adopting strict criticism for new things entering your home, here are some gatekeeping tips.

One-In, One-Out rule. If I remember correctly, I think I packed roughly 34 pairs of shoes (sandals, running shoes, dressy shoes, boots, flip flops, etc.) when I moved to college. It didn’t take me long to realize that’s not necessary. (And I just read in a magazine yesterday that Stacy from TLC's What Not To Wear has over 300 high heels...I thought I had a problem...) As my shoes eventually wore out, I didn’t replace them. Some I gave away. I love shoes, and love the variety they come in, but I try now to use the one-in, one-out rule. When I come home from shopping with an unexpected purchase of clothing, I usually get rid of something else in my closet I don’t like wearing. We often keep things, like the old TV, when we buy a newer, nicer one. Do we really plan on using that old TV again (especially after updating to HD)? One in, one out.

Watch horizontal spaces. They are flat surfaces. Flat surface collect things. Just look around your house, and you’ll see what I mean. I was going to buy a small end table a few months ago, but now I realize I don’t really need it, and it will just be a flat space to collect things. Clear these horizontal spaces daily—perhaps just before bedtime. Leave only what should be there—what is used there and isn’t in the way of anything else. Any item that doesn't belong turns into a magnet for other items.

Schedule massive decluttering session yearly. Maybe shortly after Christmas with all the new stuff in the house. This can greatly help the gatekeeping.

One-a-Day decluttering (that’s 365 things in one year). It may be easier to just simply get rid of one thing a day. Something has got to go. Just think how easy this could be: your junk drawer could keep you busy for a year! J

Carefully reconsider items that don’t take up much space. My first 5 boxes of stuff I donated were things I kept. While I wasn’t using them right then and didn’t really have plans to use them, they “didn’t take up much space,” so they stayed stashed away. What’s one book on a bookshelf of books, or one jacket in a closetful? Space is space, even if it is small. And believe me, it adds up. 5 boxes, baby. 

Consider gifts and heirlooms carefully. Remember we can't take things with us when we die. Why wait for someone else to rummage through our things and decide for us what happens to them? This topic is huge. More to come.

The more I think about gatekeeping, the more I realize it really applies to following through with any goal you may have. It also gives me more insight into what “enduring to the end” really means. The secret to happiness (and decluttering) may very well be our ability to "gatekeep." Not that I'm perfect--not by any means. This book has opened up much more that I can work on, in more aspects than just the items in my home.