Ep 45 | KonMari Paper Category: Cutting Paper Clutter

Today we walk through how we process and joy check paper using the KonMari Method and also how to stop paper that doesn’t spark joy from crowding your mailbox.

Are you terrified of the paper in your home?

Marie Kondo is known for her progressive stance on paper. As quoted from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up :

“My basic principle for sorting papers is to throw them all away.”

We understand that this may be uncomfortable for most people and, as always, we aren’t here to insist that you live a paper free life. But we definitely believe you can live a much more joyful life with a lot less paper.

In this episode we discuss the Paper Category, which is the third category within the KonaMari Method.

If you're just getting started with KonMari or need a refresher, we recommend you head over to Episode 1: KonMari 101 prior to listening to this episode.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show.

While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast.

In this episode, you’ll enjoy:

Joy Checks:

Karin- I’m upgrading my medicine supply cabinet with some pretty new containers - A tidy home style upgrade!

Kristyn- I was featured on the ChooseFI podcast where I got to discuss my path to Financial Independence and its overlap with tidying.

Here are a couple of upcoming Netflix series to look forward to:

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo

Playing with Fire

News about the KonMari App

Hear listener Sharon’s email question about the paper category, which inspired today’s show.

Review our episode on the importance of tidying by category:

Episode 9: Tidying by Location is a Fatal Mistake

Learn about Delete, Delegate, Diminish, Defer:

Episode 16: Stress Free Holiday Joy with Amanda Jefferson

Find all the manuals you’ll ever need:

Manuals Online

Review our discussion on keeping paper and other clutter categories under control for the long-term: Episode 41: How to maintain a Tidy Home Post Konmari

Learn about shredding services:

Shredding Services at Staples

Shredding Services at Office Depot

Identity Theft Protection Stamps

Kristyn's favorite paper storage solution:

Locking File Chest

Learn about scanning options:

Cam Card

Cam Scanner

Artkive App

Google Drive

Evernote

DropBox

How to get off mailing lists:

Catalog Choice

DMA Choice

Hear about DMA choice on: Episode 8: Make Bold Moves with The Traveling Organizer Holly Southerland

Opt Out Prescreen

PaperKarma App

Gems:

“My basic principle for sorting papers is to throw them all away.”

"Paper is really not that scary and completing the category has the potential to free up so much space in your mind and home."

"When thinking about the paper you have stored now, how often have you needed to get something out of your paper storage?"

"What necessary documents do you have that are available in another format?"

"Keep paper where you will use it."

"I have an amount of paper that I’ve deemed reasonable to the point where I can sift through it easily, so it doesn’t require a lot of micro-organizing and labels, and again, additional attention."

"My square footage is valuable and I don’t want to waste precious activity space on something that has a limited amount of joy like the paper I’m required to keep."

" We promise you’ll be amazed by how little paper you actually need in your life."

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home

You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy