Somewhere on a staircase, a heavy bag is about to give up. The stitches on the straps start to snap, and after a full day of moving, nothing can stop what happens next. Everything tumbles and spills down the stairs, and the person carrying it is left holding two useless plastic straps.
That is how Joshua Becker, a writer on minimalism, opens a YouTube video about decluttering when you move. Becker says that in that moment came the sudden feeling of the weight of our possessions, literally.
Moving Day Misery, a Familiar Story
If you have ever helped someone move, you will recognize the rest. Becker says friends and family have been helped through more moves than can be counted. Along the way, the bottoms of boxes have caved in, waffle irons have fallen on feet, and someone has sworn out in exasperation, “never again.”
The question that follows is a good one: why do we own so much stuff?
Becker’s answer is that a move is arguably one of the best times in life to declutter. If a transition is coming up, or you are right in the middle of one, here is the advice, boiled down for real life.
Think about it this way. Everything you own is going to be handled, boxed and carried anyway. That makes a move a natural moment to ask whether each item has earned its place on the truck.
Start Earlier Than You Think
Packing up a home and decluttering along the way always takes more time than we expect, so the advice is to get started earlier than feels necessary. An early start keeps away the familiar panic as moving day inevitably creeps closer.
Evaluate Everything
Next, pick up the items and take a hard look. The idea is to think about whether you really need each one before you pack it, rather than boxing up the whole house and sorting it out later.
Becker also offers a handy test: dust. If you make room for something and then let it collect dust, that should tell you whether you need it. Becker puts it this way: “Dust is your friend” when you are looking to own less and lighten the load going forward.
Challenge the Urge to Collect
Living in one place for years gives us a chance to collect and add. A move is a chance to push back on that. At some point, everything has to be considered. Becker admits this may be a hoarder’s nightmare, but moving forces a refocus on what you choose to collect today and in the future.
Practice Letting Go
Becker says it is important to realize that consumption can never be completed. There is always something more to buy, so letting go is a skill that takes practice.
There is an upside too. Selling things lets you make a little extra money from everything you declutter. Those chances also keep us grounded, and when giving things away, we think about the needs of others. Becker says that has benefits of its own.
Let Friends and Family In
A move takes great psychological and physical effort. Friends and family have always been an incredible help at these times, and Becker says there is a surprising bonus. Letting people in brings a kind of accountability about what we have bought. Family can be quick to ask, “Why do you have three remotes at the back of your closet?” Those are the questions we should be asking ourselves, too.
Putting It Into Practice
You do not have to wait for a moving truck to use these ideas. Here are some simple ways to try them.
- Start now. Even a few minutes a day gives you a head start on a move.
- Handle each item once. Ask whether it is worth the effort of carrying it to a new home.
- Notice the dust. The things nobody has touched in a long time are good candidates to sell or give away.
- Set aside things to sell. A little extra cash can help with moving costs.
- Ask a trusted helper to be honest. Fresh eyes spot the three remotes you stopped seeing years ago.
It also helps to keep the goal in view. Nobody is asking you to give up everything you love. The aim is to carry the things that matter into the new place, and to leave behind the things that only added weight, whether that is a pile of unused gadgets, duplicates or items that no longer fit your life.
The story of the snapping straps is a funny one in hindsight, but the lesson is serious. Every item you pack is something you have to lift, carry, and find a place for on the other end. The fewer items you take with you, the lighter moving day will be, for your back, your budget and your sanity.
So before the boxes come out, take a walk through the house, with a trash bag and a donation box, and ask what is truly worth carrying down those stairs.
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