Last month I attended the National Association of Professional Organizers’ Annual Conference. And the keynote speakers were “The Minimalists.” For those of you who don’t know them, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, live a minimalist life. Five years ago, in their late 20s, they were living the “American Dream”, with all the materialism that comes along with financial success at a young age. After experiencing loss, grief, divorce, debt, etc., it resonated with them that they were buying stuff because they thought they were supposed to and to fill a void. Realizing their stuff really didn’t “matter” they shed what wasn’t meaningful or gave their life purpose.

Now minimalism isn’t a new philosophy. Nor is it the same for everyone. The Minimalists believe that by simplifying, it is easier to identify what your priorities are in life. Now, I don’t necessarily feel you need to “simplify” to figure that out. You see, I might sound like the anti-organizer BUT it is truly okay to have stuff. Even lots of it. Heck, it’s even okay to be attached to your stuff. I know I am. But the POINT of your stuff needs to matter. Things matter. They have to. They’re what we live with and touch each and every day. They represent what we’ve experienced, who we love and where we hope to go next.

I always ask my clients to name their “10s,” their non negotiables—the items that truly matter most to them. But here’s the catch: Not EVERYTHING can be a 10. Because if everything is a 10, then nothing is a 10. So how do you know what is a 10? Does it tell your story? Is it filled with your memories, the people you love and who have loved you along the way? And most importantly, is what you really need the same as what you really want?So go through your home and ask yourself “does it matter”? And feel free to reach out and tell me what in your home does.

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