The Packing Party to Get Rid of the Superfluous: Ryan Nicodemus’ Minimalism Philosophy

In recent years, minimalism has become a cultural and philosophical movement that has captured millions of people worldwide.

In an era dominated by consumerism and the accumulation of things, more and more individuals are seeking a new balance based on simplicity and reducing the unnecessary.

One of the main advocates of this lifestyle is Ryan Nicodemus, author, speaker, and cofounder of The Minimalists project, who, together with Joshua Fields Millburn, has spread a practical approach to rethinking our relationship with possessions.

Among the most famous practices he suggests is the so-called packing party, a radical and fun method to start your own minimalist journey.

Who Is Ryan Nicodemus and What Does It Mean to Be a Minimalist

Ryan Nicodemus, together with his friend Joshua Fields Millburn, is one of the most recognized faces in the contemporary minimalist movement. The two founded The Minimalists project, which also became popular thanks to books, podcasts, and Netflix documentaries.

Their mission is to show that living with less can lead to a more meaningful life, rich in experiences, authentic relationships, and freedom.

The minimalist philosophy goes beyond material possessions, embracing a holistic approach to life: reducing the unnecessary to focus on what truly matters.

This means learning to choose with awareness, freeing yourself from things, habits, and even relationships that don’t add value to your existence.

According to Nicodemus, the important thing is not to own little just for the sake of it, but to learn to understand what you really need and what makes you happy. In this sense, minimalism becomes a tool for freedom, not a strict rule.

Packing Party: The Packing Party

Among the many decluttering techniques proposed by minimalists, the packing party is by far the most famous. Ryan Nicodemus tried it on himself, turning it into a real ritual to recommend to anyone who wants to decisively free themselves from the unnecessary.

The Packing Party: Instructions

The idea is as simple as it is revolutionary: act as if you were moving, even if you’re not changing homes. Pack absolutely everything you own (except the bare essentials) in a short amount of time, usually within a day.

The Preparation Phase

• Time Planning: Choose a day or a weekend where you can dedicate yourself completely to packing, without interruptions.
• Materials: Get a large number of boxes of different sizes, tape, markers, and labels. You should have enough boxes to pack everything.
• The Bare Essentials to Survive: Before you start, set aside only the items that are absolutely necessary for the next 24–48 hours. This includes:

• A set of clothes and underwear for the next day.
• Toothbrush, soap, and other hygiene products.
• Phone, keys, and wallet.
• Any essential medications.
• The bedding you’re using.

The Radical Packing Phase

• Pack Everything (as quickly as possible): The goal is to move fast and not overthink it. Fill the boxes with everything else: clothes, books, decorations, kitchen utensils, electronics (not used regularly), and so on.
• Label the Boxes: As you pack, don’t label the box with its contents, but with the room it came from (e.g. “Kitchen”, “Bedroom Closet”, “Living Room”). The goal is to put them back at the end of the experiment, if necessary.
• The Sense of Emptiness: Once finished, your home will be almost empty, with just furniture and your boxes. This brings an immediate sense of space and mental clarity, but also an initial discomfort.

The Selection Phase (True Minimalism)

This is the core of the experiment, which can last anywhere from three weeks to three months (Ryan Nicodemus did his in 21 days). During this period, you live your life with the packed boxes within reach.

The Basic Rule: Reuse

• Every day, if you need something that’s packed, you take it out of the box, use it, and once finished, do NOT put it back in the box.
• Instead, anything you take out gets put away immediately in a specific place (an empty drawer, a shelf) as an essential item you’ll use regularly.
• When you open a box, try to take out only what you need. Don’t rummage and take out other items “just in case.”
• Each item you use is “earned” back into your living space.

The Importance of the Waiting Period

As days and weeks go by, most boxes will remain closed. This forces you to reflect practically and instantly: “Did I really need this item in the last 30/60/90 days?”

The initial discomfort of not having something is replaced by the realization that your life can work perfectly well without it.

The Benefits of the Packing Party

This method lets you tackle decluttering in a radical and objective way. It’s no longer about choosing what to throw out, but about clearly understanding what you really need in your daily life. The rule becomes simple: if I haven’t needed something in these weeks, I probably don’t need it.

The packing party isn’t just a practical exercise, but also an emotional experience: living in a freer and tidier home brings relief and mental lightness, helping you recognize your true needs.

The Final Phase: Letting Go

Once the trial period is over, it’s time to make decisions. According to Ryan Nicodemus’ philosophy, everything left in the boxes should leave your life for good.

All the items that were taken out of the boxes and used during this period are the ones that add value to your life and that you actively use. These items stay with you.

The boxes that remained completely sealed or nearly so (containing things you never felt the need to use) are the items that aren’t essential. What should you do with the contents of these boxes? There are several options:

• Donate to organizations or people who need them;
• Sell online or through second-hand markets to recover some economic value;
• Recycle or dispose of anything that’s no longer usable.

The goal is to get rid of the superfluous and keep living with what’s truly useful and brings happiness. The Packing Party is not just a decluttering method, but a powerful exercise to separate identity from possessions, showing that most things you own aren’t tied to a meaningful life.

A Less Radical Approach: Keeping the Boxes in a Casaforte Box

Not everyone, however, feels ready to part with their belongings for good. Some items carry sentimental value or might come in handy in the future. In these cases, the solution isn’t to skip the boxing-up party, but to complement it with a more flexible alternative.

The suggestion is simple: instead of selling or getting rid of everything you’ve packed right away, you can store the boxes in a Casaforte box. This way:

• You extend your trial period without making any drastic decisions
• You keep your home tidy and clutter-free
• You can go back and retrieve what you need at any time

This solution offers the best of both worlds: the immediate benefits of a minimalist home and the peace of mind of not having to make rushed decisions about the things you care about.

Casaforte self storage and minimalism: a winning combination

Ryan Nicodemus’s boxing-up party is an effective method to rethink your relationship with your belongings and let go of what’s unnecessary.

However, you don’t need to go to extremes: with the support of Casaforte self storage, you can embrace the benefits of minimalism while still having the option to temporarily keep what you’re not yet ready to let go of.

This combination lets you experience the lightness of an organized home, take your time sorting through your things, and calmly decide what to keep and what to give away.

The most important aspect of the Boxing-Up Party isn’t getting rid of everything at the end, but realizing that you don’t need all those things to be happy and live well.

Be patient with yourself and use the extra time as an opportunity to make this new awareness your own.