Lessons from My Year of Less
How one book inspired a year of clarity and liberation
In late 2024, I was a few months into my decluttering journey and was feeling a strong urge to slow down, buy less, and pay attention to what I really needed to live a joyful life. I was reading every decluttering book I could find—The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, New Minimalism by Cary Telander Fortin & Kyle Louise Quilici, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, and so many others. As a KonMari consultant, I have a deep appreciation for Marie Kondo’s approach, but a book called A Year of Less stuck with me as well. It offered a complementary perspective that focused on bringing less in, not just letting go.
“A Year of Less” is a memoir by then twenty-something Cate Flanders that documents her year-long shopping ban and her commitment to living with intention. The book follows her as she declutters the majority of her belongings and chooses to buy only what she truly needs. In the process, she begins to understand what genuinely matters to her.
I couldn’t help but question why this story felt so personal to me, even as a forty-something with no debt. Upon reflection, I realized that while I wasn't in financial debt, I was in time debt and joy debt. I was shopping online thinking it was making my life more efficient and that certain material things would bring me joy. But in the process I was actually draining my time and energy. My decluttering journey started to make this all very clear. Sometimes the right message finds you at exactly the right moment. So when I read this book, it inspired me to take action.
Creating My Own “Year of Less”
In the book, Cate shares the three lists she used to stay on track: her essentials list, non-essentials list, and approved shopping list. As someone who loves a good list, I wasted no time creating my own versions.
My “Allowed to Buy” list included staples like groceries, cooking supplies, toiletries, cleaning supplies, dog food, and journals, but with the caveat that I had to run out of something before replacing it. My goal was to avoid the clutter that comes from stockpiling. While decluttering, I noticed how many expired items I had to toss, and I wanted to break that pattern moving forward.
My “Not Allowed to Buy" list included anything online (with some exceptions), novelty dog accessories, impulse clothing purchases, books, candles and houseplants (I had a slight addiction!). The intention here was to be more mindful and less impulsive.
Finally, I created an “Approved Purchases” list for the year. It included things that I genuinely thought I might need over the next year: new winter boots, a winter coat, a few clothing replacements and yoga wear.
To keep myself on track, I created some additional guidelines.
I adopted a one week waiting period before purchasing anything that wasn’t a staple
I committed to avoiding online shopping as much as possible (deleting shopping apps from my phone helped immensely!)
I set a goal to reduce food waste
I even created a list of things to do instead of shopping or scrolling. This included things like journaling, reading, walking the dogs, calling a friend, or simply daydreaming.
It took some adjustment, but in the end, the process was liberating!
As my “Year of Less” comes to an end, Here’s What I Learned
I need far less than I thought. I barely touched my approved buying list. In fact, I only purchased 2 of the 14 items on the list. My monthly credit card charges dropped by nearly half. I became more creative with what I already owned. Many things can serve multiple purposes and discovering that is surprisingly fun!
I reclaimed my time. Shopping less and owning less gave me my time back. In addition to professional organizing, I’m also a yoga teacher with early morning classes. Having fewer clothes to sort through made my 5:00 a.m. routine calmer and smoother. Instead of digging through drawers, I have a few extra minutes to sip my coffee and love on my dogs before heading to the studio.
My creativity expanded. With more spare time I leaned into my creativity. I’ve discovered how much I love to write. Ideas started flowing and writing became a source of real joy. This was one of the biggest surprises of this entire journey.
My relationships deepened. Instead of scrolling or shopping to pacify boredom, I reach out to friends! That led to more connections, more coffee dates and deeper conversations.
I move through my house with ease. With fewer belongings, I move through my house freely. Nothing is blocked or hidden. The qi in my home feels more open, and supportive. My routines have a rhythm, and the house stays tidy with far less effort.
As I approach the new year, I can feel how my “Year of Less” has reshaped me. What started as a simple challenge became a meaningful shift in how I live. As I carry these lessons forward, I’m reminded that less isn’t about deprivation. In fact, I haven’t felt deprived at all, I feel liberated and have more clarity about how I truly want to live.