Konmari'd Paperwork

All. The. Papers.

The day started at 00.00 o'clock and since E was awake for a few hours I started to collect up all loose paper from around the house as well as known containers of documents.

When I woke up next time in the morning, I sorted them into categories. There were legal documents, study materials, loose art and notes, other artist's prints, paper for arts and crafts, notebooks, and certificates.

I started by shredding TAFE notes but I think I broke the shredder. The shredded paper to go into the compost or otherwise as bedding material. It was taking so much longer than I first thought but going to the bin got easier as well.

Even though the amount was a lot (bin almost filled), the only obvious paper that were removed were the immediate ones on the floor and shelve. Most were from files that already had designated location, or in the boxes inconspicuously stored in plain sight. So even when everything got finally put away, the room didn't look done at all from other boxes and furniture needing a place to be stored. Stones getting played with are till scattered all over the house.

Different categories in their piles, empty folders, empty boxes, a small space just for the pack of postage stamps.

I've been feeling it all day too. Why bother if it makes no difference? It took a lot of effort to recognise the empty boxes and files as 'job complete'. To acknowledge the bin filling up one item at a time. And then for M to comment 'It doesn't look done' would have stopped me all together in the past. Why bother if nobody recognises the efforts? As much as it is important to acknowledge the task is not yet complete, it is important to celebrate the small wins. So even though outwardly there is even more clutter, I see there is one empty shelf, another has been filled with neatly organised study materials, and the manuals and documents are now easily accessible.

At the end of paper-sorting...

One of the shelves - workbooks and materials from seminars and workshops attended.

Boxes stacked for now, to be sorted next time.

For this round, the ability to keep track of my finances (bills, taxes, accounting) will be the real test on whether this effort has made a lasting impact, rather than the state of the immediate space as that's another category all together.