Our holiday totes live at the back of a deep closet, behind the winter coats and an empty Nintendo Switch box. You don’t need to organize the whole house before Thanksgiving. Just the few spots that are about to get a workout.

We buy life insurance, write wills, and prepare medical directives. We rarely plan for our things. Swedish death cleaning asks us to, as an act of care for the people who’d otherwise be left to do it.

First of all, no. Absolutely not. But most of us aren't really choosing to keep things. We're just never choosing to let them go.

When I’m driving somewhere new, I turn down the radio. Clutter at home is a lot like that radio. It’s background noise you’ve stopped hearing, and it’s quietly costing you focus, decisions, and even sleep.