Applying the Pareto Principle to Downsizing Your Belongings

Look around your home... what do you find? Closets full of old clothes, drawers stuffed to the brim with more silverware and dishes than you could ever hope to use. A garage full of old junk and deflated basketballs next to a cardboard box full of dusty old books. Drawers full of old bills and once-important paperwork. Kids' rooms still adorned with toys and knickknacks that may never be touched again, since the children moved out years ago. Where did all this stuff come from? And why is it still sticking around?

In 1906, Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, developed an 80/20 mathematical formula showing how a minority of inputs often leads to a majority of outputs. Later, Dr. Joseph M. Juran, a Business management mastermind, reapplied the principle as 20-percent of something is responsible for 80-percent of the results. He would go on to dub this formula the Pareto Principle which, in his words, explained the law of "the vital few and trivial many." The principle has gone on to describe productivity in limitless fields, such as in the workplace, where 80-percent of sales might be driven by 20-percent of the staff. The idea here is that it's most important to focus one's energy on the minority of variables that are yielding the majority of the desired results.

The Pareto Principle, also know as the 80/20 rule and the law of the vital few, can easily be applied to downsizing. The rule shows how a disproportionately small amount of what we own brings us happiness and satisfaction, while the majority is essentially irrelevant and may even be detrimental to not only space, but also happiness. Think about it, more than likely, 20-percent of everything you actually own is what's bringing you happiness and a sense of satisfaction regarding your belongings. Hang on to that 20-percent. It can even be organized to save more space, for example, by moving the stacks of pictures that are now stuffed away in a drawer to a photo album you can actually look at. Ditch the other 80-percent of stuff that is just taking up space and that, frankly, you probably completely forgot you owned.

It's time to cut loose the clutter. You're never going to wear that old Cosby sweater in the closet, and you most likely aren't ever going to get that broken treadmill in your basement fixed (while you're at it, you can probably get rid of just about everything in the boxes stacked on top of that shelf, err treadmill, as well).

When downsizing your belongings, applying the Pareto Principle is vital. Start by thinking about what your 20-percent is. That is, make a list of the things you own that you identify with and truly could never part with. When the list of all your essentials is complete, go through it and ask yourself: when was the last time I used any of this? Also consider the sentimental importance of your proposed 20-percent and consider whether or not you'd even miss it once it's gone. Once you know what you can't part with and have identified the things you truly identify with, finding the 80-percent that's been dragged along all these years will be simple.

Once a personal 20-percent is established, your current or new home will have considerably less stuff. The only things you'll notice are gone are the eyesores and bygone clutter that used to take up all your space.

Using the Pareto Principle for home downsizing will help you find a new life that isn't being obscured by boxes of junk and years worth of life's barnacles. Stripping down your belongings to that 20-percent that bring you 80% of your satisfaction will make your journey all that more spacious and fulfilling, without the extra baggage.

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Andrzej Kozlowski has written numerous articles on topics ranging from home downsizing to simple living. He is also editor and co-author of the book, "Living Smart: The Money Saving, Eco-Friendly Guide to Downsizing Your Home and Belongings."