Why I Decided to Box Up Some Clutter to Save For Later

No matter how much I tidy up my tiny house, I can still feel uninspired and frustrated in the space.

When I look over at the bookcase, I’m annoyed by how crowded and messy it is.

When I want to print something, I have to lift up the books on the shelf to get to my printer paper that’s underneath them.

While these problems may seem ridiculously minor, it makes it super hard to focus, be productive, and grow my business. Minor inconveniences can have huge impacts.

One day while I was venting to my wife, Melissa, she came up with a simple, yet brilliant solution: box up some items we don’t use currently and reorganize what we do.

And it has made a major difference.

We want to keep the items we boxed up, we just don’t have room for it right now. So is this stuff clutter?

Yes and no.

My guiding principle is: “If you don’t love it, need it, or use it, it’s clutter.”

Since we’re not currently using this stuff, it is in fact clutter. However, it’s not the type of clutter to get rid of because we do love it. I guess you’d call it “temporary clutter.”

Because we’re planning on having a bigger home in the near future, we’re packing it up with set plans to put it into our next house. And not in a “I might need this someday” kind of way.

You may love all 200 of your books, but if they’re piled on the floor and your home has become an obstacle course, they’re clutter right now. If space allows, pick up a new bookcase and give them a new home. Or box them up to come out once you’ve made room for them.

Your space is finite. Sometimes what you have or don’t have available is the determining factor in what is clutter and what isn’t.

Dealing with clutter of all kinds isn’t black or white, which is why it can sometimes be tricky. However, when you allow yourself to consider more options than just “keep” or “toss,” that might be just what you need to make some progress.

So what are you tolerating in your life that might be clutter, temporary or otherwise? What new way could you use in dealing with it? Let me know in the comments below.