Less Is More

A new guide to minimalism embraces the joys of living with less. But with this lifestyle gaining fans, can decluttering really change your life?

The average adult owns around 10,000 objects. For passionate collectors or ardent book-lovers, the figure is likely to be considerably higher. The problem is many people have lost track of what they own. How many people can say off the cuff what’s behind their jumpers in their wardrobe? Or in the box under the bed in the guest room? Or in the shed? Or the attic? And what exactly is the giant computer going to be used for now? Or the old tennis racquet? Or the two uncomfortable garden chairs? So much useless junk – what is it being kept for?

In his book Goodbye, Things, author Fumio Sasaki writes that he never used to realise that he had everything he needed for an enjoyable life. He kept wanting more; he was never satisfied. The contrast between his actual life and his ideal sometimes seemed so massive to him that he felt like a complete failure. This thought, of course, made him even more unhappy. And yet he had achieved many of his goals, not least his job.