9 Ways To Bring Value Into Your Life Without Adding Clutter

The older I get, the more I see how relationships are what matter in life. Relationships with my family, my social circle, my connection to my higher power.

When life comes to a close, it’s not going to matter what our collections looked like, what furniture we had in our home, or what style of clothing we wore–that will fade away. What will matter is the people we knew and the bonds that we had with them.

Minimalism brings a beautiful balance in life. It eliminates all the excess that would otherwise occupy our time and energy, opening so many more opportunities to bring value.

Just like when you declutter your home and decide what items you love and use, you need to look through your calendar and let go of the things that do not add value. So many things we do are superfluous. Let those activities and obligations go, and, when you have freed up time and have some breathing room, add valuable things back in.

9 ways to enrich your life without adding clutter.

Here are some genuine, cost-free ways to find value in life without spending money or adding clutter to your home.

1. Get to know your neighbors.

Smile at them, learn their name, chat with them when you see them. Have neighborhood gatherings. Build relationships with your neighbors so you can support one another–whether it’s when the family is facing a crisis, or when they are celebrating something special.

Even if your neighbors are quirky, irritating, or just not your type of people: Humans are social creatures. We thrive with others around us, and people close in proximity are some of the most important connections to make. Work to be at least civil with your neighbors, and, ideally, become friends with them.

If you’ve lived beside each other for years and have never really spoken, it’s not too late! Here are a few ideas to start breaking the ice.

Start with simple acknowledgements. A wave, a “hello!” when you see them outside, eye contact and a smile, brief comments about the weather or neighborhood.

Create natural opportunities for interaction. Spend more time in your yard or communal areas where you’re visible and accessible. Walk your dog regularly in your neighborhood (if you don’t have a dog, you can even take the opportunity to approach an elderly or less abled neighbor with a dog to ask the “favor” of borrowing their dog for your walks). Sit on your porch or balcony in the evenings. Have a conversation starter in your yard–I’ve found that chickens work great for this. 😂

Offer a small, no-pressure gesture. Bring over a baked good, extra garden produce (or eggs), offer to collect their mail while they’re away. Mow their part of your shared lawn. Or just let them know you’re there if they need anything.

Find common ground. Comment something positive about their yard, home, pet, outfit, etc. Ask for a simple recommendation about the neighborhood (“I’m looking for a new coffee place. Where’s your favorite?”). Mention a community issue that affects both of you.

Extend a specific, casual invitation. Invite them for coffee or a simple barbecue. Organize a neighborhood potluck. Suggest a shared activity, like walking dogs together.

Be helpful without overstepping. Offer assistance during bad weather or power outages. Share information about neighborhood resources. Keep an eye out for neighbors who might be struggling and offer to help with small tasks.

2. Spend time with people in the same season of life.

For parents of young children, this might mean having playdates or mom nights with other moms. For parents of older kids, get a couple families together and go bowling, or play frisbee at the park. Be away from screens, interacting together.

3. Spend time with people in a completely different season of life.

There are many older people who love visits. There are many single people who long for company. Parents of young children who want adult interaction. Parents of teenagers who need to know that their children will be okay in the end.

Spending time with people in different phases of life than you are in can offer advice, enrichment, and an opportunity to show support.

4. Work on a hobby with someone.

Children enjoy cooking and crafty projects with adults, and friends and spouses can enjoy doing things together as well. Think of the “Sip & Paint” type places that invite you to enjoy coffee or wine while you learn to paint with friends. Take a class, create something, do a home improvement project with someone you’d like to spend more time with.

5. Entertain.

For many, entertainment is a lost art and can feel awkward to approach–but it doesn’t have to be! Have a Girls’ Night In with snacks and coloring pages. Enjoy a game night and play board games. Potlucks and BBQs are easy to put together–at a park if needed. It’s the people that matter, not the activities, or the venue.

You might even try your hand at a crappy dinner party.

6. Keep a gratitude journal.

You can do this on your phone with various apps to really make it “clutter-free”, but there is great benefit to physically writing out your thoughts with pen and paper. Practicing gratitude is not clutter–it’s one of the best practices you could possibly partake in. It’s proven to improve physical and psychological health, helps you sleep better, and reduces aggression.

7. Work on strained relationships.

Unless the relationship is abusive, it’s worth the work to make weak relationships stronger. Read books to help you understand the other party’s personality, triggers, and trauma. Work on being assertive (stating your needs clearly while still respecting the needs of others). Avoid all forms of insinuating. Set healthy boundaries if needed, and talk about them out loud so you’re both on the same page.

Patching up rough relationships can help you feel more at peace, remove stress, and maybe even score you a new close friend.

8. Reach out to those in need.

Donate time and energy to people who need it. There is so much more to give than money.

Spend time with people in need, do things for them and with them. Reach out to those who are going through a struggle you’ve had to face; if you have struggled with addiction, offer your friendship to someone who is trying to stay clean. If you have been a single mom, take dinner to a stressed out single mom and do her dishes or laundry (if that won’t bother her!).

Helping others fulfills a deep need most of us have. It also lets us connect more deeply with our community and the people around us.

9. Be adventurous.

If you have longed to travel–make the plans, take action, set it into motion. If you don’t like traveling, think of something you’ve been putting off, but you’ve always wanted to try–whether that’s adult education classes, art, or riding in a hot air balloon. Plan fun things to do.

Sometimes just a nature walk is enough to make you feel present and enjoy your life more.

This is not permission to be busy all the time.

Life needs balance–minimalism isn’t about getting rid of everything so you can sit alone in your empty home and do nothing. It’s about letting go of anything that “owns” you and having freedom to do things that bring value into your life and the lives of others around you.

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