Minimalism Is Hard Work (But It Pays Off)
Minimalism is hard work. When it comes to actually getting there, it is a lot of hard work, and anyone who tells you otherwise probably hasn’t emptied a family home. But it does pay off. This is the story of the week we moved out of our house, what it cost us in sweat, and what we gained.
If you’re staring at your own piles and wondering whether it’s worth it, this one’s for you.
How did we get here?
At the beginning, one question haunts you as you stare at the cluttered mess you’ve made for yourself: “How did we get here?”
Every purchase we ever made, and every gift we ever received, led to this point. Yet there is no one to blame. So while we pondered, we dug in. We started purging boxes, sorting donations, making trips to the dump, and making the difficult decisions about what was worth keeping.
Early on, days went by. Then weeks. Eventually, months. But as we kept going, the satisfaction built as the piles shrank. We began to experience the joy of more time and less stuff. Minimalism is hard work, and hard work eventually pays off.
Seasons: one week to move out
We reached that threshold in autumn 2017. As the leaves were changing, our life was about to change too. Out of the blue, the decision came to move out of our house and into our RV for a season of adventure.
You should know this was not our family’s first move. I knew exactly how much work was involved, and the daunting task of moving out loomed over us. The shocking part? We had only one week’s notice.
One week?! Yes. One week. We had a 3,000 square foot house to move out of in seven days.
In the video, you can see what our move was really like.
While we were moving boxes, we took a huge load to the dump. Almost 5,000 lbs.
At the same time, we donated our bikes to an organization that sends them overseas and gives them to people who need them. Less in the landfill. More helping those in need.
And we took so many loads to the donation center that I completely lost track.
As much as we don’t want to admit it, by the end of the move it was clear we still had too much stuff. Much like all of you, we are on a journey of minimalism. I’m not sure we will ever truly arrive.
The payoff
So how does the work pay off? After our week of moving out, we made it. We were living on the road with a fraction of our belongings. After all that hard work, we were enjoying the freedom of not having to put mountains of toys away each night. My favorite: there was no longer a large kitchen with a dishwasher running 24/7.
We were beginning to breathe.
What we learned (and what we’d tell you)
Looking back on that week, here’s what we’d pass on to any family facing a big declutter or a move.
- Start before you have to. Decluttering takes longer than you think. For us it took days, then weeks, then months. With one week’s notice, there was no time left for careful decisions about everything. The earlier you start, the calmer it is, and the better your choices will be.
- Plan for the dump, not just the donation center. Almost 5,000 lbs went to the dump. A lot of clutter isn’t good enough to give away. Book dump runs or a bulk pickup early so broken things don’t sit around.
- Find the right home for the big things. Our bikes went to people who could use them instead of to the landfill. Before you throw out something large that still works, look for a charity that wants exactly that item.
- Load the car every time. We lost count of our donation trips, and that was a good thing. Small, frequent runs keep piles from growing back.
- Expect to still have too much. Even after all that, we did. That’s not failure. It’s just where you are on the journey. Keep going after the move.
- Share the work. Give everyone in the house a job, even the little ones: one person packs what’s staying, one runs donations, one handles trash. Rotate when people get tired.
- Remember why you’re doing it. For us it was less time putting things away and more time together. Hold on to your reason on the hard days.
A quick checklist for your own big declutter
- ☐ Start now, even if the deadline is far away
- ☐ Book dump runs or a bulk-waste pickup
- ☐ Find a charity for bikes and other large items that still work
- ☐ Keep a donation box in the car and drop it off every time you drive past
- ☐ Decide what’s coming before anything goes in a box
- ☐ Write down your “why” and stick it on the fridge
- ☐ Keep decluttering after you arrive
If you want a step-by-step plan, start with our guide to where to start decluttering when you feel overwhelmed. If a move is on the calendar, our guide to decluttering before moving has timelines for eight weeks, four weeks, one week, and “we only have days.”
Come along with us
Minimalism is hard work. But we’re looking forward to the journey ahead, and to sharing with you whether it’s worth it. Will you come along with us?
If you haven’t seen how our moving days began, you can read about it here.
We hang out a lot on YouTube, and we’d love for you to share your thoughts and connect with us on our videos over there.
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