DE-CLUTTERING
ROSIE BARRON IS THE TIDY COO A Professional Organiser, who works with clients to help them Declutter and Organise their homes and live a more relaxed life. A Platinum KonMari Consultant and member of APDO (the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers), Rosie lives in Aberdeenshire with her husband, 4 Home Educated children, 8 ponies, 5 dogs, 3 cats, 2 bunnies, chickens, ducks and fish which all Spark Joy.
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o far in this series, we’ve covered a general overview of getting organised, clothing, books, and now we are on to Paperwork. I love doing paperwork with my clients because I can see what a huge difference it makes to their lives. It’s often a massive mental barrier and once it’s cleared, the relief is amazing.
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For Papers, you will need to find yourself a flat, clear space to work in. A table that you can spread out on to is ideal, but I often end up on the floor in my client’s homes. Gather papers from all over your home and bring them into one space. In this initial sort through, we are making 4 piles. Recycling, Shredding, Filing and Pending.
Images: Laura Walter Photography
Some types of paper that you might find to make decisions on are: Reference Papers - Will you refer to them again? Particularly for courses you go on. Manuals - Do you still have the original item? Do you still need the paper manual, or would you look for the information online? Guarantees - Check whether they are still in date and whether you have the necessary receipt to go with them. You will need a file for this with the manuals filed in order that they expire. Then every time you come to file a new one, you can check to see whether or not there are any that you can discard. Household Bills - If you’ve paid them, do you need them any longer? Magazine clippings and recipes - Are truly going to use them, or are they just one more thing cluttering your brain? Once you have discarded what you can (remembering that it is always easier to organise when you have fewer things), it is time to File. I make 4 broad files for this: Frequent Use. Anything that needs to be referred
