Lately, I’ve been focusing on simplifying my life and creating space for new things to come. So I choose to declutter and organize my humble home to enter the next month or the next year lighter. 

You’ve heard the phrase before: “Let go of what no longer serves you.” Letting go creates space for something that brings joy, hope, and fulfillment. I believe in that.

Any month is the perfect time to go through your closet, pantry, garage, sink cabinets, and bookshelves to purge and find a new home for your items. You can donate it, pass it on to friends, organize a swap party, drop it off at a shelter or church, recycle it, or sell it. I prefer to donate and recycle. I like to start the decluttering process by going through items that haven’t been in circulation for years and have collected dust. 

And this post is solely focused on simplifying life, starting with books.

Since I was a child, educators at the Russian orphanage ingrained my love of books. Paper treasures were a world of wonder, a place to escape and gain wisdom and knowledge. Even my mom had a library full of precious belongings in her tiny apartment. I still remember that from when I visited her.

My personal library started growing when I came to America. Books have been my guilty pleasure, especially non-fiction. I love to read, learn, collect, and keep some for a rainy day. And trust me, it’s hard to let books go.

So I’ve been running up and down our townhouse and gathering unused, forgotten, and old things, especially books. Finally, it’s time for them to go. 

“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” ~ Joshua Becker

Knowing my habits, I do my best to stay away from bookstores. But if I visit the bookstores in my area, I keep being drawn to grab a pile of books that interest me. I tend to spend hours reading tables of content and reviews and flipping through pages.

Books are my guilty pleasure

Then I have a long discussion with myself about whether I need them. 

• Do I have time to read these books? 

• Do I have a book on this topic already?

• How about reading the ones I’ve collected for years that patiently waiting for me at home? Hm? 

Usually, my rational mind wins, 

And I leave the bookstores empty-handed or with a single treasure. 

I know—books are my guilty pleasure. 

So my rule 10:1 is to purge more and bring less home. You can get only ONE new item for TEN old items… or TWO. Try it.

“Instead of thinking I am losing something when I clear clutter, I dwell on what I might gain.” ~ Lisa J. Shultz

I am not a decluttering specialist, but I love organizing spaces and throwing things away. It feels so good when my paper recycling bin fills up with piles of papers or a box with books I’m not interested in reading. Are you with me?

Here are 6 rules of tidying by KonMari

I love the ritual of honoring items behind her rules. However, I don’t have the patience to gather books from the three floors of my home and go through them all at once. So instead, I enjoy working in sections and small areas, sometimes only for 15 minutes, so I don’t get overwhelmed and spend days on the same task.

Maybe one day I will become a master of decluttering and organizing. And I have my reasons.

• What’s in your closet and bookshelves?

• What are you ready to let go of?

• While shopping, can you stop yourself and only get what you NEED? 

“A simple man will have only what he needs, and he will know the difference between what he needs and what he wants. We feel that whatever we want, we desperately need. But before we possess the world, to our wide surprise we see that the world has already possessed us.” ~ Sri Chinmoy

What’s your takeaway? Leave a comment below.