HOW TO DECLUTTER PAPER USING THE KONMARI METHOD

With the new Netflix series called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo gaining in popularity, many are jumping on the organization bandwagon.

The KonMari Method has a strong focus on discarding items that no longer bring you joy, and properly organizing the things that do.

When starting out with the KonMari Method, you should focus on clothing and books first, followed by paper.

We have previously written about the KonMari Method for Clothing and The KonMari Method for Books, so now we will focus on the KonMari Method for paper.

HOW TO DECLUTTER PAPER USING THE KONMARI METHOD

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STEP 1 – GATHER & PILE

The first step to decluttering your paper is to gather them all up.

Almost every single paper that you can find in your entire house needs to be gathered up.

However, if there are some papers that have sentimental value, that needs to be left for later.

Grab each other piece of paper that you can find and pile it all up in the location of your choice.

STEP 2 – SORT THE PILE

The KonMari Method suggests organizing paper clutter into a few different categories:

Paperwork that needs to be kept for the short-term – ie: Warranties, tax documents, and receipts etc.
Paperwork that needs immediate attention – ie: Forms that need filling out, unpaid bills etc.
Paperwork that has to be kept forever – ie: Mortgage paperwork, contracts, immunization records etc.

You may be tempted to organize your papers into additional categories but resist that temptation.

Using these 3 categories helps you to be more discerning with what you keep and what you discard.

STEP 3 – DISCARD THE PAPER

Any paper items that don’t fall into one of the 3 above-mentioned categories should be discarded.

You can discard them either through recycle or shredding.

Just keep in mind that documents with any personal information should be shredded and not placed in the garbage or recycling whole.

STEP 4 – LABEL AND FILE PAPER

Once you have decided which papers you will be keeping, and you have discarded the rest, it’s time to label and file them away in an organized manner.

Whether you choose to file the papers away in a filing cabinet, a vertical storage shelf or an accordion folder, make sure they are clearly labeled and stored in a functional manner.

Organizing your papers isn’t difficult when you utilize the KonMari Method.

Just make sure you take the appropriate steps to discard and organize and in no time you will be one step closer to a more organized, minimalist lifestyle.

THE KONMARI METHOD – THE ORDER

When it comes to the KonMari Method, the order in which you tackle tasks holds some meaning. It is suggested that tasks be taken care of in the following order:

• The KonMari Method – Clothing
• The KonMari Method – Books
• The KonMari Method – Paper
• The KonMari Method – Komono
• The KonMari Method – Sentimental Items