Clutter is just litter you haven’t yet admitted is garbage. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Today’s short essay exposes the trash hiding in your home.

Then: a podcast episode with an ultra-wealthy minimalist.

But first, one last reminder: I’ll be in Seattle and Vancouver this weekend, followed by New York next month. A few tickets remain.

Future Trash

Joshua Fields Millburn

Clutter is just litter you haven’t yet admitted is trash.

Imagine if I dumped your bathroom waste bin all over your bedroom floor. You’d be upset, right?

Of course. You’ve already decided that everything in the trash no longer belongs in your home. Put it anywhere else, and it only gets in the way.

But what about the shrunken shirt in your closet? The chipped mug in the cupboard? The promotional tote bag, obsolete charging cable, stack of old receipts, cracked phone case, bottle of expired vitamins, mystery key?

These things haven’t made it to the dumpster or donation box yet. But in the back of your mind, you’ve already decided they no longer belong.

That’s exactly why clutter bothers you: a cluttered home is filled with future garbage.

—JFM

P.S. Ready to clear the clutter for good? Simplify Everything, our decluttering course, is now open—and it’s $100 off this month while we test the new format.

THE MINIMALISTS PODCAST

"Enough doesn’t get bigger when your bank account does."

Read 7 new maxims in the show notes

EP. 555 | BORN TO WALK

This week, we speak with Mark Sisson about living like a minimalist even though he's wealthy. Also: the benefits of walking, the best minimalist exercises, and more. Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or Patreon.