Decluttering for the Details

When asked why I decluttered our home, one of my go-to answers is that “I did it for the details.”

I’ll usually clarify a bit, but the concept itself is rather clear:

When you remove the excess, trivial, and distracting stuff from your living environment, then you leave space for the details of your life to shine through. And, often, it’s those details that matter—they are the subtleties that make life more meaningful and rich.

“Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that mean the most,” says author Ellen Hopkins. In my experience, you can’t fully grasp and appreciate those little things if you’re journeying through life weighed down by clutter.

Truth is, the clutter in your home is not neutral. Consider the following:

Visual noise

When a visual stimulus is present, your eyes send a steady signal to your brain. This is known as “visual noise.” Imagine what happens to your brain when you’re constantly surrounded by stuff—more physical clutter means more incoming signals. This incessant pinging dilutes our brain’s ability to focus on life’s details.

The silent “to-do list”

Every physical possession you own sends a message when seen—“wash me,” “pick me up,” “put me away.” Message after message creates a silent to-do list that fills your mind and keeps you from being present in your life. A preoccupied mind is more likely to miss life’s details.

The solution

When I decided to “go minimalist” five years ago (by letting go of 75 percent of our stuff), I wanted to decrease visual noise and silent to-dos so I could hear and see what mattered.

And today, that’s still what I want.

I want to drink in the details that each day has to offer. To notice—deeply—the small, lovely moments that grace my life. Because that is living.

Let me explain a bit more…

I want to memorize the feel of my four-year-old’s tiny hand interlaced in mine, sitting at the kitchen bar before bedtime. When dishes aren’t distracting me and still beckoning to be washed, I notice.

I want to immerse myself in summer nights, studying constellations while fireflies float past. When the house-related work is minimal and long-completed, I have time to linger.

I want to notice my ten-year-old humming “Best Day of My Life” as she strolls through the main living area. When my head’s not spinning from untamed toy piles, I hear her.

I want to savor the taste of ripe blueberries—juice filled, picked straight from the patch. When I’m not constantly picking up after little people, I can rest at the table and eat mindfully.

I want to actively listen to my husband’s post-work report when I ask him, “How was your day?” When I’m not frantically trying to restore order in the home—because it takes minutes to reset—I engage and remember.

I want to embrace my two-year-old shadow and let her help when her chubby fingers mimic mine. When I’m not rushing—because owning less stuff means less to do—I teach her.

I want to etch in my memory my six-year-old’s freckled nose and gleaming blue-green eyes as she tells me yet another joke. When the laundry system isn’t stress inducing, I lock in and laugh.

I want to wake at sunrise, hot drink in hand on the back porch, and lift my heart to the Giver of all. When my schedule isn’t filled with half-hearted to-dos, my days are more likely anchored in Him.

In conclusion 

Before minimalism, the details of my life were there, but I couldn’t see them. They were blurred by my choice to constantly amass and manage clutter—a lifestyle that eventually left me numbed. Left me there—but not really there.

Letting go of 75 percent of our stuff lifted the haze. Minimizing our possessions significantly reduced the in-home distractions. Decluttering made it possible for me to drink in life’s details—to see what I’d been missing and to more fully live. 

Which makes me think of you.

Are your heart and mind free to deeply experience the details in your life? Or are they weighed down and distracted by the state of your home environment? If you answered the latter, the good news is that you can change that. 

Every possession you relinquish and every opportunity for frivolous consumption that you decline, creates space to let the details that matter to shine through. 

Look around your living environment. What do you own that’s more important than being able to fully experience your life? Let go of what’s no longer serving you so that you can truly encounter life’s tiny, meaningful moments. 

The details are waiting for us and have been all along. 

Here’s to creating space in our lives to let them shine through.

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Julia Ubbenga is a freelance journalist. Her teachings on minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living have reached over 1M people worldwide through her blog. Julia also practices what she preaches in her Kansas City home. She resides with her husband and their four extremely lively young children. You can also find her on Facebook.

Do you want to get serious about decluttering your life? My signature course will show you how to declutter your inner and outer environment for good. Now is the time to choose change. Now is the time to live lighter. Learn more here.