This weekend I walked into my garage, stared at the chaos, and thought, “Whose idea was it to open a second-hand store here?”

Retreating from the chaos, I ventured into our all-purpose utility room, the unofficial ‘I-have-no-idea-where-this-goes-so-it-goes-here’ zone. It’s that one room where everything from old school notebooks (because you never know when you’ll need to revisit Algebra 101) to mysterious metal fragments (that nobody dares toss, in case they’re vital cogs to some unidentifiable machine) find sanctuary.

Lurking amidst the clutter are my hopeful art supplies, purchased a decade and a half ago. They’re still brimming with the promise of birthing a masterpiece, or so I keep telling myself. And let’s not forget the board games, with instructions so convoluted you’d need a Ph.D. in linguistics.

I repeatedly hear the phrase “Naked we came, naked we will go” in my mind.
We come into this world with no material things and will leave exactly the same way.

So, why do we insist on acquiring things that quickly lose their shine?
Why do we continue to clutter our lives with unnecessary material possessions beyond our needs or capacity to enjoy them?
Instead of being a haven, our homes look more like storage units.
The items that once sparked joy have now morphed into burdens.
They’ve overstayed their welcome because we’ve struggled to bid them farewell when they no longer serve a purpose.

The weight of possession can be suffocating, leaving no room for us to breathe, to live. We become slaves to our stuff, forever cleaning, organizing, repairing, and replacing. It’s a never-ending cycle of consumption that leaves us feeling empty and unfulfilled.

But what if we broke that cycle?
What if, instead of amassing stuff, we collected experiences?
Imagine, for a moment, a life where we measure wealth not by the mountains of belongings we’ve accumulated but by a kaleidoscope of cherished experiences.

Practically speaking, here are three steps to begin cutting loose from the anchor of things that weigh us down mentally, physically, and financially.

  1. The “Purposeful Purge”method. Take deliberate stock of your belongings and ask yourself, “Does each item serve a genuine purpose in my current life?” If the answer is a resounding “no” or a hesitant “perhaps in the distant future,” it’s time to bid farewell. Release the attachment to possessions that no longer align with your lifestyle or contribute to your well-being, creating space for what truly matters and allowing new opportunities to flow in.
  2. The “Experience Over Material” rule. Every time you’re about to purchase something new, consider what experiences that money could buy. A new coffee table or a weekend getaway with your loved ones? Trading material purchases for meaningful experiences can help curb the desire to hoard.
  3. The “Clutter-Free Zones” approach. Establish specific areas in your home that are ‘clutter-free zones.’ It could be your kitchen counter, bedroom, or living room. No items are allowed to accumulate in these areas. Over time, extend these zones until your entire home is clutter-free.

Let’s trade the weight of unnecessary material possessions for the lightness of experiences that feed our souls and ignite our passions. Clearing the clutter and creating space will give you more margin to invite the beauty of serendipity into your life.
And by doing so, you will begin to make room for the extraordinary.