Why more things in your house won't make you happy and what will?

I wonder if you've noticed this too, but like me, weren't able to put words to it? 😪

It starts with a coffee mug. (The simple representation of everything ordinary in our lives.)

One coffee mug meets a real need. You want your morning coffee. You need something to put it in. The mug serves you. It makes your day easier. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do. One mug is essential.

One mug is simple. It’s functional. It’s enough.

But what happens when we add more?

Two mugs aren’t wrong. Five mugs aren’t sinful. Nothing bad has happened. And yet, something subtle shifts. Now you have to choose. You have to store them. You have to wash more dishes. You have to organize the cabinet. You have to remember which one is your favourite.

The need hasn’t changed. But the management has increased.

When we move from one to several, we haven’t increased happiness. We’ve increased friction. There are more decisions, more items to maintain, more things competing for space. It’s small. It’s quiet. But it’s there.

And when we move from several to many, that quiet friction starts to feel heavier.

Now the cabinet feels tight. Now mugs are stacked in front of each other. Now they tip over. Now you feel irritated when someone uses your favourite one and leaves it in the sink. The first mug met the need. The rest started asking something from you.

And this is where the example becomes bigger than mugs.

The first item meets the need. The extras create management. When the need has already been met, adding more doesn’t move us forward.

It keeps us circling the same base level over and over again.

We tell ourselves that more will make life better. More options. More variety. More backups.

But most of the time, the first one already solved the problem.

I was watching a survival show recently (Alone by The History Channel), and what struck me wasn’t how little the contestants had. It was how clear they became once their basic needs were secure. Food. Water. Shelter. Rest. Once those were steady, they felt grounded. Grateful. Focused.

They weren’t wishing for more stuff. They were thinking about people. About meaning. About purpose.

That contrast stayed with me, because it reminded me that physical stuff lives at the bottom of our needs. It matters. It serves a purpose. But once that purpose is fulfilled, piling on more doesn’t move us upward in life. It just gives us more to take care of. And taking care of excess is exhausting.

This is why clutter doesn’t just affect your counters. It affects your mood. It affects your patience. It affects how you show up for your family. It affects how much mental space you have left at the end of the day.

Every extra item adds a tiny bit of friction. And friction adds up.

Decluttering isn’t about deprivation. It’s about recognizing when “enough” has already happened.

We don’t need zero mugs. We don’t need to live in the woods. We just need to learn to stop at the point where the need has been met.

Because once your base needs are met, more stuff doesn’t make you happier. It makes you busier. And being busy managing excess keeps you from investing in the things that actually increase happiness — connection, contribution, growth, and meaning.

When your cabinets are calmer, your mind is calmer. When your home has less friction, your relationships have less friction. When you’re not constantly maintaining extra, you have energy for something better.

So today, here’s a gentle invitation:

Open your mug cabinet. Look at it with fresh eyes. Ask yourself which one truly meets the need. Notice how many are just along for the ride.

You don’t have to change everything at once. Just notice where enough already exists.

Because once you learn to stop at enough, everything gets lighter.

I believe in you. I’m cheering for you. And I promise you — the peace you’re looking for is just around the corner!

I routine for you, you've got this!

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