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See the original image at zenhabits.net —

The Minimalist’s Guide to Fighting and Beating Clutter

zenhabits.net — Here are my favorite tips for beating clutter entropy, for the minimalists among you.

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  • erwiest, on 01/11/2008, -10/+6Simple statement on conversion to minimalism!
  • ExGhost, on 01/11/2008, -10/+12I like the 30-day list. Really good idea!
  • metapop, on 01/11/2008, -12/+8the more and more i see zenhabits, the more i like it. dugg.
    • bingobongony, on 01/11/2008, -9/+8This comment paid for by zenhabits.com
  • Tai1, on 01/11/2008, -9/+3A great lesson to start minimalizing.
  • wesb83, on 01/11/2008, -8/+4I liked the comment of the clean flat surfaces. It definitely has a pyschological effect.
  • jklikesnews, on 01/11/2008, -13/+9I think a more accurate title would be "OCD for Dummies".
  • greendalek, on 01/11/2008, -4/+13Good advice. Puts me in mind of a retired USAF Sgt., his approach to decluttering was thus:

    "Every day, put one thing away, file one thing away, throw one thing away."

    That's it. Don't try to do more, or try to throw 7 things away and call it a week --it defeats the purpose and pretty soon your life is cluttered again. Just do each of those three things every single day and in a year you'll be amazed an how uncluttered (and uncomplicated) your life has become. Very wise man; I've tried to follow his example.
  • alliesana, on 01/11/2008, -7/+4Great article. I think it's also useful to approach de-cluttering by first thinking about your intentions for the space. Make sit easier to de-clutter by asking of each item "do you fit my intention"? If the answer is no, out it goes.
    • bbardlbradd, on 01/12/2008, -0/+2No. You're looking at everything all wrong.

      See, minimalism isn't only a style. It's part of philosophy, and this is why people can't pull it off, and why everyone needs pointers on how to do it... how to get rid of clutter.

      Autonomic utility is KEY. If you're more focused on what something can do for you, you're looking at it from an existentialist's point of view, rather than a utilitarian's perspective. What does something do on it's own, without the inclusion of self... You can't wonder what your intensions are because that defeats the entire purpose of minimization. People by nature intend to do more than they can given the amount of time they have... If you have lots of time, you're house if organized via your intentions of the space will become cluttered, the process will become circular, and you'll become anal about everything.

      If you want to do it right you MUST place function (of the things self) before you at all.

      Think of it this way. A house is what without human intention? A Basic house. It's a structure that is designed to be water resistant. Keep outside air out and inside air in. It can let outside air in and inside air out. It has walls, and inside of the walls, supports to hold itself up. It has running water inside and out, but is designed to contain it's dispersion. It has walls that move (doors, windows etc...).

      Then you include yourself. You have to see the house as if you weren't intended to live there, and no one was. What is the house best at? Now, you fill the house with your things, and position them so they do not disrupt the houses function. Do not place tables in front of doors/windows. Do not nail chairs to the ceiling (if you /intend/ to sit on the ceiling) because the sheetrock on the ceiling will not suspend your chair indefinitely. Do not make feces so big that it will not fit down the toilet.

      Ask the house what it's best at. Where does the light shine in the most? People like light, right? So then put something where the light shines. Don't hang things on the walls either, it only makes things easier to be noticed, and that will disrupt the mind. It is a house, and you are a person living in it. The house is not mind so keep the house out of mind. You don't want random pictures of your family disturbing your thoughts... You are not a person to have things disturb you, are you? I don't think people would say "A person is a thing that is disturbed by other things", or "A person is a thing that has things". No, we are "Thinking things" ("I think therefor I am." - Descartes)
  • Alix7, on 01/11/2008, -1/+8Spam bots galore.
  • stevejobs, on 01/11/2008, -0/+22Minimalism is great. Throw out everything and make your pad look like a swanky hotel. I live like this and I love it. I can think more clearly without the clutter around. I even got rid of my pack rat girlfriend.
  • bingobongony, on 01/11/2008, -7/+10What goes through the minds of the zenhabits writers that makes them think they are experts on anything? The only think they are qualified to write about is "How to Spam Digg with crappy articles and mutilple paid diggers."
  • trebuchet03, on 01/11/2008, -0/+9I need a guide from a maximumalist... I think that person would be more in tune to my clutter solutions...
  • axiomflash, on 01/11/2008, -1/+17Step 1) Get some nice looking containers (e.g. a bowl).
    Step 2) Don't put anything in the bowl!
  • Wonkanobi, on 01/11/2008, -0/+4Dugg for the term "clutter entropy"
  • wilcox1010, on 01/11/2008, -2/+5Another word for minimalist.... Being poor!
    • secrity, on 01/12/2008, -0/+6The poorer people who I know have houses full of ratty cheap crap -- and overflowing ashtrays.
    • bbardlbradd, on 01/12/2008, -0/+2I don't see any Cluttereddisasterzonehabbits.coms anywhere... maybe that's b/c the people w/ dirty landfill/homes are too rich to make websites...
    • jlharrity, on 01/12/2008, -2/+2I like to think of myself as a minimalist and I put away about three fourths of my income. I make about 600 dollars a month post-tax. If I had a job that pays actual money I'd be living similarly and be putting away a much higher percentage. It's an ethical and personal choice. Unless you were joking, then oops :).
  • nuclearadam, on 01/11/2008, -3/+1HA! Zenhabits?!?! I didn't know zen was synonymous with anal-retentive.
  • maxputer, on 01/11/2008, -3/+4It's complete ridiculous... fight clutter by........








    Fighting clutter.


    Thanks zenhabits I never would have thought of that... LOL
  • yish, on 01/11/2008, -1/+6DONT HAZ WAT DONT NEED
  • lisaawesome, on 01/11/2008, -1/+5I will NEVER part with a book. Nothing is sexier than someone with a massive library. And for suggesting I get rid of my books this article gets no digg.
  • lapizzasol, on 01/11/2008, -0/+3But Clutter is such a nice guy!
  • Emused, on 01/12/2008, -0/+2Damn, I was hoping to post a smart ass comment, but I've misplaced my keyboard.
  • Jargonaut06, on 01/12/2008, -0/+2At first I thought the article was about fighting and beating, then I read the last word in the title and was disappointed.
    • Markpdotcom, on 01/12/2008, -0/+4My RSS feed title was shortened to "The Minimalist's Guide to Fighting..."
      I thought, "AWESOME! A quick way to get out of tricky situations!" :D
  • wwwdot1jesdotus, on 01/12/2008, -0/+6Um...Why does a minimalist need a guide on fighting clutter?
    • bbardlbradd, on 01/12/2008, -0/+3They've all tossed out their own to-do lists in disgust with it's existence.
  • vornan19, on 01/12/2008, -0/+1I don't need advice from a minimalist about overcoming clutter!

    I need advice from a pack rat about overcoming clutter!
  • Mothrog, on 01/12/2008, -1/+2So, I wonder where the stick in this guy's ass comes up in rule one? I'm glad I'm not a to do list wanker. Buried.
  • TrevorPace, on 01/12/2008, -0/+4I would consider myself someone who constantly likes to keep things "clutter-free".
    I de-frag my computer every Saturday, as well as clean my room and vacuum.
    But if you're keeping a calendar of when to clean I think you should maybe get some help. It's not hard: clean when things are messy.
  • endlessoul, on 01/12/2008, -0/+3This doesn't sound like reducing clutter so much as a raging case of OCD.
  • dstz, on 01/12/2008, -0/+1Also, Terry Riley.
  • bloatedbelly, on 01/12/2008, -0/+3Followed the decluttering advice.
    First thing was tossing the wife out of the house.
    That act alone improved my life a thousandfold.
  • J-roc, on 01/14/2008, -0/+1Sounds helpful, I'll keep it in mind for spring cleaning:P
  • phbalance, on 01/15/2008, -0/+0More great tips. Thanks!
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