To Declutter Faster, Start with What You Need

To Declutter Faster, Start with What You Need

Decluttering can be tough work. But it’s always worth the effort. If you have been struggling to find momentum, I hope this tip will encourage you to find some today.


Recent videos:

It’s Not That Possessions Won’t Make You Happy, They Keep Us from Things that Do

8 Strategies to Complain Less


Most popular videos:

7 Daily Habits for a Clutter-Free Home: Declutter for Good

Top 10 Things to Declutter Right Now


You can read more tips in my book, The Minimalist Home.

Read hundreds of articles on decluttering and owning less on the Becoming Minimalist blog.

41 Comments

  1. Sweet Berries on June 4, 2023 at 7:06 am

    very good video thank you



  2. Esther Chandy on June 4, 2023 at 7:07 am

    Game Changerr!!! Thank ye for this.



  3. Nancy Feeser on June 4, 2023 at 7:09 am

    I am decluttering around work clothes because I have not been back to the office yet.



  4. Fran Tucker on June 4, 2023 at 7:11 am

    Is there really such a thing as too many towels? LOL



  5. Izou Nokuda on June 4, 2023 at 7:11 am

    Yep… I started with "Which I can give away "and ended up keeping most of it because I could hand down to my cousins when they visit few months later



  6. daisy7066 on June 4, 2023 at 7:13 am

    Finally a clear decluttering approach I can understand!



  7. Ayewards on June 4, 2023 at 7:15 am

    "What do you want to keep?" is the wallpaper on my phone. Stuff, relationships, hobbies…it applies to everything.



  8. Joshua Becker on June 4, 2023 at 7:16 am

    Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that my new book, Things That Matter, is finally here. I put my heart into it, and I can’t wait to share it with you. You can pick up a copy at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676394/things-that-matter-by-joshua-becker/



  9. ila x on June 4, 2023 at 7:17 am

    I’m still struggling with what I need and what I want.



  10. Pat Schneider on June 4, 2023 at 7:18 am

    Love this!! A very different approach that I will now look at as I ‘right-size’ our home after the holidays are over!

    Pat in Colorado, age 73



  11. Mary Ann Kowalczyk on June 4, 2023 at 7:18 am

    This is an amazing approach! I will try this. It seems less overwhelming!



  12. Debra MacKinnon on June 4, 2023 at 7:21 am

    Thank you Mr. Becker



  13. A. NC. on June 4, 2023 at 7:23 am

    This probably won’t work for my closet, since I love clothes, but for the utility items like towels and kitchenware this might be a game changer!



  14. A Gamble on June 4, 2023 at 7:25 am

    This is the first time I’ve heard this concept explained this way, and I’ve read and watched a lot of minimalism stuff over the years.



  15. DC on June 4, 2023 at 7:26 am

    ok light bulb moment cant’ help but to say thank you this is finally a way for me to manage my inventory thank you!!!!!!!



  16. Irina M on June 4, 2023 at 7:29 am

    I like how your videos are minimal!



  17. sutats on June 4, 2023 at 7:29 am

    Just get rid of it all, is what I’d say.



  18. Lucy on June 4, 2023 at 7:31 am

    Before even watching your video, I had been playing around with the same idea while exercising and looking at my bookshelves. What books do I want to keep, not what books do I want to get rid of. Thank you for expanding on that question! We must be of the same mindset. It seems so simple now that I have flipped the question from ‘get rid of’ to ‘keep’.



  19. DC on June 4, 2023 at 7:32 am

    wow! out of all of the videos to help with declutter and i have watched for years many different people and this one is the best!!!!!



  20. Andrea on June 4, 2023 at 7:33 am

    I love this approach!



  21. The Rich Buddha on June 4, 2023 at 7:37 am

    Excellent!



  22. Roslyn Caskey on June 4, 2023 at 7:38 am

    What do I need to keep? Genius! Mr. Becker, thank you.



  23. Helen Mak on June 4, 2023 at 7:38 am

    In terms of food, just eat what I need to maintain health. Path to losing weight.



  24. Maureen Rose on June 4, 2023 at 7:42 am

    Thank you for this approach to decluttering. My problem is my clothes fitting into a small closet. I will take your advice and pull out what I really like and eliminate the rest. You are very encouraging and thank you for the boost!!!



  25. Elise Ruthenbeck on June 4, 2023 at 7:42 am

    Thanks, this is really helpful!



  26. attempt to be better on June 4, 2023 at 7:43 am

    Before I watch this video, I already think of this method to start living minimalism, because of thinking we only have 24 hours and our routine has already been identified weekly/monthly.. so that we can measure how much time we have to maintain/care about our belongings..

    So this video is actually a treasure for those who want to start minimalism



  27. Betsy Arehart on June 4, 2023 at 7:43 am

    GREAT idea! BUT, I am also looking for is to determine HOW MUCH of a thing you need do you need?



  28. Chris Wood on June 4, 2023 at 7:43 am

    Thanks Josh! These are great!!



  29. Aedemas on June 4, 2023 at 7:44 am

    What if I somehow feel I don’t need to keep anything at all, that the more I have the poorer I feel my human experience to become? What do I keep? And how do I deal with the validation I somehow find myself looking after but instead of within I seek and expect it from others?



  30. Mariam Victor on June 4, 2023 at 7:49 am

    Do thank you. .
    God bless you and bless all your family. .



  31. jsupp13 on June 4, 2023 at 7:50 am

    Hope you enjoy this Joshua! These guys demonstrate all the excuses for not decluttering
    https://youtu.be/qQg9yTS2rSI



  32. James Dacey Jr on June 4, 2023 at 7:51 am

    Excellent Joshua! This is exactly how I declutter a space. I have been an evolving Minimalist since 2018 and now I am down to a very low, very comfortable amount of stuff that don’t clutter up my life.



  33. Lori Blankenship on June 4, 2023 at 7:54 am

    I’ve been slowly letting go of things – but when you flipped the phrase – oh my goodness! A huge light came on.



  34. S M on June 4, 2023 at 7:56 am

    Joshua had the biggest influence in my life. I used to be a minimalist but along the way with 2 boys and stress we accumulated lot of stuff. I slowly decluttered and it took years literally . My spouse wasn’t with me in the process so it is literally me trying to eliminate . I wish I was more mindful . Now my house echos as we don’t have much stuff. I always say my kitchen counter says how my mind is on any particular day . I am thankful for his blog .



  35. Live Free on June 4, 2023 at 7:56 am

    This one is phenomenal . Definitely going to sit down with the wife are get rid of some things . Thank you Mr. Becker



  36. Marvel BestClips on June 4, 2023 at 7:59 am

    I Want To See Your HomeTour..



  37. Paula Moors on June 4, 2023 at 8:00 am

    Makes sense



  38. oliveohyeah on June 4, 2023 at 8:01 am

    I’ve been decluttering and learning about minimalism for a long time and this is the absolute best and most powerful tip I’ve ever gotten. Thank you! I feel like I finally cracked the code and my house is actually getting close to where I want it to be. For now, I’ve removed all the stuff that I don’t *need* and put it in boxes in my basement. I’m afraid to let it go entirely because it’s such a huge percentage of my possessions. I just need to work up the courage to let it all go.



  39. Janet Hunt on June 4, 2023 at 8:02 am

    So glad for this message today. My closet, mainly clothes, is my next frontier for decluttering. You described a great way to approach it.



  40. Uploading Joy on June 4, 2023 at 8:03 am

    This is so good! But my problem is that once I find and set aside the things I actually NEED, I look back at what’s left and feel like I LOVE everything and don’t know how to part with it at that point. I buy things I really love but have bought too much. I’m stuck.



  41. Jorg Sacul on June 4, 2023 at 8:04 am

    this is brilliant! it flies in the face of how we generally think of how to reduce inventory, but it makes such perfect sense- Keep what you need, your favorites, cast the rest upon the waters for someone else to use. I can’t wait to get home tonight..!