I’m an economist by profession. In economics we have terms for three different “best” points in a function: maximum, optimum, and “satisficed.”

Maximizing

Maximizing is kind of self-evident. It’s when we work on something until we reach the highest possible level of achievement.

Optimizing

Optimizing is when we reach the level of achievement that makes the most sense given the other things that we’re also working on optimizing at the same time. We stop working on one task when our time could be spent more valuably on a different task. Here’s an example. When we put ten more minutes into polishing a bathroom to perfection, it might mean we have to give up doing a quick pick-up in the living room. Our overall happiness and sense of peace might be greater if we left the bathroom at a level just below perfection. Then we could spend ten minutes on the front room instead of insisting that the bathroom be perfect. That’s the idea anyway.

Satisficing

Satisficing is similar to optimizing. It’s when someone works on improving something until it’s good enough to satisfy them rather than pushing on until it’s maximized. An example is when a small business owner puts in enough work effort to make enough money to just cover her needs. She can satisfice rather than trying to maximize her profits (which might mean giving up treasured family time). We can apply the same principle to any task or project. It’s parallel to the concept of “enough” as a guiding principle.

Decluttering

We can apply optimization to decluttering. It means stopping at the point in each room or category where switching our energy to a different category or room will lead to greater happiness. After a while, effort spent on one category or room reaches a point of diminishing returns. When the same level of effort would generate more happiness if applied to a different task, that’s when it’s time for us to switch.