People are obsessed with stuff. Often, we spend without thinking, buying new things without even clearing out the old. But believing you need to accumulate more stuff and “keep up with the Joneses” can actually lead to depression and anxiety. Money really can’t buy happiness!
I don’t own a computer or have a desk at our offices, and I wear the same outfit every day. I even refuse to clutter my to-do list with tasks that are best left to others.
I’m a minimalist — so it makes perfect sense that I’m in the junk industry: we help you get rid of stuff you don’t need. In a way, we’re a minimalist army conquering consumerism one person at a time.
I believe that you are what you can’t let go of — physically, mentally and emotionally — and letting go can feel SO good!
Here is how to de-clutter your life in 6 easy steps, so you can focus on your goals.
1. Decide How To Measure Your Own Success
What’s more important to you: things or experiences? Personally, I’ve never been motivated by money; I’d rather create meaning. Purpose and connection are more valuable to me than anything money can buy.
From a business standpoint, however, success is almost always measured in dollar signs. And it has to be; a business can’t survive unless it’s making money. But the core purpose of a company should never be purely financial. In fact, I’ve learned that companies whose mission statements don’t mention money are more successful and have happier, more engaged employees.
2. Simplify Operations So They Fit On One Page
Our franchise system has over 300 locations in three countries — so you might expect that our operations are extremely complicated. It’s actually the opposite: all of our processes fit on one sheet of paper. If we had too many steps, we never would’ve been able to scale our brands at the rate we did. By creating simple, replicable systems, we’ve ensured that everyone is (literally) on the same page.
You can apply this to your own life by simplifying your processes — whether that’s your to-do list, your workday, or your inbox. For example, I have a three-folder rule for all of my emails (sorted out by personal, end-of-day, and end-of-week priorities) so I can address the pertinent stuff now, and the less-pressing things when I have more time to focus.
3. Free Up Your Schedule By Delegating To Your Team
In the startup days of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, I used to think I had to be a part of every decision.
I was suffering from a bad bout of founder’s syndrome: I was afraid and unwilling to give up control.
But trying to do everything is counter-productive; it has the potential to burn you out, alienate your team and stunt your company growth. I realized that when I let go of the tasks I didn’t enjoy or wasn’t good at, I suddenly had more energy to focus on my strengths. When you delegate to the right people, it frees you up to look at the big picture and allows your colleagues to shine, too.
4. Find Ways To Keep Decision-Making At A Minimum
I don’t wear the same thing every day because I’m lazy; I do it because it limits the number of decisions I have to make (and I’m colorblind). I have ADD which makes it difficult for me to focus, so having a ready-made choice (like an outfit or a meal) keeps me from getting distracted by extra noise.
I’m not the only career-driven person who swears by a “uniform”. Where it’s jeans and branded Chucks for me, it’s a grey tee for Mark Zuckerberg or a turtleneck for Steve Jobs. Cutting down your choices frees up your brain power to focus on more important things, like your family, your health and your job.
5. Purposely Reduce Your Workload (To Cut Down Anxiety)
Minimalism isn’t just about living with less stuff — it’s also about living with less stress and anxiety.
Back when I was trying to do everything and working 16-hour days, I suffered from severe panic attacks.
I was so bogged down in work that I almost cracked.
Clearing out mental and emotional debris is just as important as minimizing your possessions.
Often, it’s all one and the same: we assign emotional value to the things we own, which can prevent us from letting go. But if you hold onto negativity, you’ll hold yourself back from reaching your goals.
6. Let Go of Emotional Baggage That’s Holding You Back
At the end of the day, minimalism is about freedom — from emotional baggage, your garage full of junk, and those 1,000-plus unread emails in your inbox. When you remove all that clutter from your life and your mind, you automatically free yourself from the hold it has on you.
Being a minimalist doesn’t mean you have to give up your worldly possessions and move to a tropical island somewhere.
It simply means you have a desire to be in control of your own life, to reclaim your time and focus, and not to be at the mercy of something outside yourself.
It’s a simple formula: less junk (of any kind) equals more freedom — and a happier and more balanced life. It’s about finding purpose not in what you own, but in what you do.
