The unexpected joy of DOWNSIZING

Decluttering guru Peter Walsh shares his expert tips on changing a messy mindset around material possessions

- Peter Walsh

Edited extract from Let it Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Richer, Happier Life by Peter Walsh (Penguin Life, $24.99).

These days, if your home is like most people’s, there will likely be projects in a half-completed state, an old coffee maker you keep ‘in case’ you need it again, and unwanted gifts gathering dust.

Such homes are filled with what I call ‘un-objects’ – things that are unwanted and unopened, that go unused, are unappreciated or simply unnecessary.

The stuff you own is not only consuming a huge part of your living space, it’s also getting in the way of a different life that would doubtless provide more joy than the version you’re now living. Yes, a less stressed, less-overwhelmed version of you waits in there somewhere…

FIND THE REAL YOU

Every item in your home is there because you’ve allowed it into your space. Each has a history, an associated memory and a cost, though you may not recognise them.