Don't Save the Good Stuff

Learn to create a pared-down home and a life you love by focusing on the good stuff—because when you prioritize what truly matters, there’s simply no room for clutter. Decluttering personality and host of the Paring Down podcast Shannon Leyko challenges you to use, display, and cherish the things you value so there's no room for trivial excess—a decluttering strategy that feels not only approachable, but is also backed with fascinating psychology and page-turning stories from history, pop culture, and her own life. Instead of identifying clutter by deciding what you don’t want anymore, Leyko walks you through evidence-led ways to figure out what deserves a place in your life. The result? Your clutter practically eliminates itself. What would you rather display? A word sign from a home goods store, or your late mother’s Bible in a shadow box? What would your daughter prefer for her tea party? Teacups passed down from her great-grandmother, or a plastic set from Amazon? What would your ideal weekend look like? Time spent on an important project and time with your family, or getting caught up on laundry? The idea is to design your home and life around your best belongings and truest wants in order to transform your outer and inner worlds—while still accepting the practicalities of being human. This book is for anyone who struggles to declutter because of sentimentality, “What if I need it someday?” or commitment to a life that feels impossible to simplify. With her signature wit and research-driven storytelling, Leyko emphasizes four phases of creating a meaningful home and life: **Know—**Why shouldn’t we save the good stuff? Feel—What is worth keeping? Do—How do we release the excess? Dream—Where might freedom from clutter lead us? Stop saving your best things and dreams for “someday” and start enjoying them now. Learn to release the excess that detracts from what truly matters, so you can avoid waking up in ten years wondering why you haven’t done or appreciated the things that are most important to you. Through this book, you’ll build the mindset—and the momentum—needed to kick out the clutter that dulls your daily life.