There are estimated to be 3,500 purchases made globally every second. If that took you two seconds to read, 7,000-some purchases happened.

Shopping is more convenient than ever before. Forget driving to the mall; you no longer have to toggle between apps. All of them are shoppable. Linkable. Live auctions. Live-streaming shopping events in real time with your favorite celebrities.

You can re-stock your pantry at a traffic light. Overnight a costume from Taiwan. Sign up for a course in your sleep, practically.

If only this unfettered access encouraged intentionality. Instead, it seems to do the opposite; the vastness of the selection pool, ease of accessing the shopping portal, and speed of procurement have created a culture of frenzied consumerism. Not enough people are pausing to fully think their purchases through. To ask themselves, “Why am I (really) buying this?” And “Do I really need this?” “Do I have anything similar already?”

That last question holds the key. The starting point for more intentional shopping isn’t at the register, but at home. In order to make sound choices when acquiring more, you first need definite clarity as to what you already own, use, and love. The secret to being a better shopper begins with editing and organizing your belongings. Once you’ve done that, making intentional purchases becomes infinitely more feasible.

When you have clarity and connection with self, you’re also much more likely to have clearly defined values. Those tenants you hold closely and maintain to be the most meaningful ought to determine your purchases. You don’t want to be deducing your values from belongings you’ve purchased. If you’re going about it in that direction, you have been manipulated by marketers and influencers to care most about their bottom line, not your values.

Shopping itself is neither good nor bad. Done responsibly, it’s a necessary task. It can undeniably be a fun means of escapism. It may be a way to immerse yourself further into an experience, and to support worthwhile businesses while enhancing your life. And it’s a powerful way to demonstrate your values in physical terms.

Your ability to acquire new and more intentionally and in a way that upholds your values begins by pausing to check in honestly with yourself, what you own now, and what you truly need and want to live well.

There is little risk, you might argue, if the item is fully returnable. Unless you’re trapped in a cycle of buying and returning. Then the risk is wasting your precious life.