Episode 236 – How to start decluttering your paperwork

Decluttering and organising the paperwork in your home can seem like a mammoth task. But why is it something we procrastinate on? In todays podcast we're going to talk about why paperwork is such a tricky thing to do.
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Transcript of this podcast episode
Ingrid: Decluttering and organising the paperwork in your home can seem like such a mammoth task, but why is it something that we procrastinate on? In today's podcast, we're going to talk about why paperwork is such a tricky thing to do.

Voiceover: You are listening to the Declutter Hub podcast, bringing you tried and tested no nonsense tips and advice from the lead in experts in decluttering and organizing your home. Now here are your hosts, Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman.

Ingrid: Hello and welcome listeners. I'm Ingrid. And I'm Lesley. We're delighted you're here to join us as part of your decluttering journey. So whether you are brand new today or have been listening in for ages, we want to say a warm welcome and thank you. It means so much to us you turn up every week to listen and support us while we talk all things decluttering and organising. 

Lesley: We'd love to help more people with their quest for a clutter free home, and our podcast is a fantastic way for people to be inspired to take action. We have a favor to ask. If you like what you hear, be sure to hit the follow or subscribe button on your podcast player and share us with your friends, or leave us a review.

Go to declutterhub.com/review to see exactly how to do that.

Ingrid: So Lesley paperwork today, and I almost feel like some of the listeners might go, oh no. Oh no. My least favorite thing to do, it's so hard. I don't like it, but I love decluttering paperwork. Some, I'm actually quite happy. 

Lesley: I know we do a little bit of paperwork, don't we?

But not everybody does, and I think it's something that people absolutely procrastinate on. And why is that? So today what we're gonna talk about is you need self-awareness of the why. So why do you find it so hard and why do you not just accept that that's part of your life, like decluttering everything else in your home.

So it's all about digging into what is it, what are those sticking points? What are those mental blocks when it comes to paperwork? And we've got a few up our sleeve. What are gonna help you a little bit on your way to overcome these barriers so you can get stuck in and get started. 

Ingrid: Yes, I'm excited about this because, um, I think hopefully this podcast will help lots of people with that self-awareness.

Lesley: Yeah. Then the first one, Ingrid, that we wanted to talk about, we really wanted to talk about fear. So a lot of people are quite fearful of paperwork because it's important, you know, so how often do we go into homes and it's like, that's my important paperwork, or that's my VIP paperwork, or that's my important documents. And so there's something about paperwork that elevates, certain elements of paperwork to be more important than others. We get very, very nervous about things, and so fear is certainly something that stops us in our tracks, and I think, it's definitely something that's generational as well. So I think, you know, if you go to a 20 year old, they could care less. I mean, if I ask my kids, they barely keep anything and I'm like, really? There are some things in life that you kind of need to keep, um, paperwork ways, but they're very used to working in a digital environment and everything can be got again, really, I think in their world, whereas people of older generations have definitely grown up where you needed to keep hold of things because there wasn't digital copies of everything. You couldn't retrieve everything. So I think we've got that nervousness and I think the people in the middle, you've got the older generation who are super nervous about it. You've got people in the middle generations that are like, like you and I, where we've grown up with a paper-based system where we switched into digital and so we're somewhere in the middle.

And quite often those people that are somewhere in the middle kind of have a little bit of both or a lot of both, don't they? And. . I think it's that fear of the unknown for a lot of people that really holds them 

Ingrid: back. Yeah. And I think it's also, um, trying to figure out. , but how do I know what's important?

You know, if, if you've never been taught anything about paperwork, if, for example, maybe in your family there was one person responsible for the paperwork, um, and you've never been taught, like, how does it work with paperwork and how do you need, how do you file this and how do you retrieve information? What's important, what's not important? That also kind of makes it a bit even more tricky to make decisions now and figure it all out. 

Lesley: Yeah. And I think one of the other things, I think it's this fear of losing something important and fear of putting it in the wrong place. And so, you know, with paperwork, quite often we see people leaving it out to so that it's visually there or putting it into a bedside drawer.

So the important things never get lost. And we are definitely of the kind of mindset. Once your paperwork is in control, there's no paperwork that's more important than anything else. Really. It's all important. If you're keeping it and you, you need to keep it for reference purposes. It's all equally important, of course, a passports, if we want to put that into the paperwork scenario.

it's something that we don't wanna lose. Then a birth certificate is something that we don't wanna lose. But equally, if we've made a decision that a utility bill is, is, is worthy of its place in a filing cabinet, then it's important. 

Ingrid: Right? Yeah. Yeah, I think so too, Lesley, and I think, I think it's also what we see is that paperwork is scattered everywhere, and I think it's also that fear of. I've lost it. It's here somewhere so I can never just randomly check out a pile of paperwork because something might important might be in there that I've misplaced and, and that you can see a lot when there's no systems at all. 

Lesley: I think you raised a very valid point and just talking about the, the situation with the generations and, and this is making gross generalizations about the generations. Nice. Um, but you, you know me, we really need to think about that, but a lot of people are quite fearful of change, Ingrid. Are you with me? Fearful, Ingrid's definitely fearful of change. Yes. Think you're okay from the paperwork and decluttering perspective, but it's not something that comes easily to jump into a brand new system of doing things. You need to kind of work yourself up to that. And I think a lot of people in the paperwork world certainly have that fear of change, especially when that's often that's forced upon us, isn't it, at the moment. So people are dictating to us whether or not they're going paperless and whether or not they're gonna send things out to you and or whether they're gonna send it once a month or once every six months or whatever. And we don't have much con, we'd have some control over that, but we don't have, uh, ultimate control because we are the hands of the kind of service provider. So I think that comes into it as well, is it's changing A life is, as life evolves and things become more technical, more digital, there's that evolution and sometimes we're not ready to keep up with that.

Yeah. So I think, you know, all of these things make us quite fearful. And I think the other thing that I wanted to talk about as well, Ingrid was identity theft is a big one when it comes to fear of losing the right thing or the, or or the, the wrong thing. Getting into the wrong hands. 

Ingrid: Yeah. Yeah. I think, I mean, you were talking about change. I wanna go back to one second, Lesley, because I wish you think about my Mum. It's sent her in the complete tizz. I mean, she's 81, she just wants to get a thing in the post to fill it in and send it back. And now she has to do everything online. And she's like, I don't wanna do it online. I want to fill it in and she still sends, if she has a complaint about something, she will send a handwritten letter. Cause she's like, I mean, bless her heart, she's 81. You know, we're so used to the things that we do and I think identity theft connected to that is something that's only from the last 10, 20 years, or 10, 15 years perhaps. and it, I think it scared people, you know how exactly everything is out there on the web or however they call it, and they can steal your things.

And that's why they're like, oh, but I don't know, so I'm gonna hold onto everything because I'm afraid to throw something away that they might steal my identity with. And it's, that's, it can happen. It can happen. It has happened to people, so you have to really think it through. You can't just randomly chuck bits of paper in the bin.

Lesley: No, exactly. Identity theft is a big one. And again, there's that change and that switch over now. So the identity thiefs used to be kind of paper-based and I'm sure that's still around at the moment, but it's, it's definitely morphing into something that's digital now and yeah. But still we have that fear of identity theft and paper based stuff.

Yeah. And so what we see quite often with clients is that people keep hold of things because they don't want them to get in the wrong hand, and that's not the right way of doing it either. We need to find a way around this identity theft situation. Yeah. So fear is a biggie, I think paperwork is definitely something that is hugely, hugely overwhelming.

I mean, if we think about paperwork, if we, if we are working one-to-one in somebody's house that is got a system of paperwork, that's high volumes, that is almost like doing a full house in its own in terms of the categorization, the thinking, all the different types of paperwork. This is a hugely overwhelming task, and so no wonder that we massively procrastinate over it.

So I think of all of the decluttering jobs that there are in a house, I would say that paperwork is the one that always gets let or last. 

Ingrid: Yes I think it's because every paper needs a decision, Lesley. And when you have a stack that's like, can be a hundred pieces of paper. So that's like a hundred decisions and it might be, and because in, in, in many cases all the paperwork is muddled. It is maybe personal paperwork, it's work paperwork, it is maybe paperwork from a business. It's my, maybe some paperwork from school letters and kids' drawings have gotten in, intermingled with everything. And it's like, I've got all these different things and I don't even know where to get started. You know, it, it's, it's so many decisions. And then of course, if there's a backlog from 10, 20, 30 or even longer, wow, that's a lot of box files. That's a lot of lever arch files. That's a lot of hanging files bursting at the seams. And it's like, wow, how do I, how do I do this? Where do I start?

Lesley: Yeah. And I think, yeah, it, it's huge. And I think. There's always those scenarios and we hear them so many times in our world with members, with clients who are like, and I kept that thing and I needed it, you know, from like 30 years ago. It's kind of almost like I did the right thing by keeping reams and reams of lever arch files and box files and hanging files and there's always that scenario in good that we've seen a hundred times with people who have kept reams and reams of paperwork in lever arch files and hanging files and all over the house that they needed like 20 years later for a project. And they're like, I knew that I would need that paperwork, and I've kept it.

And so they feel justified and haven't kept everything. So of course there are exceptions that prove the rule as there are but the question I suppose, is, But if you hadn't had it, would it have been the end of the world? And I suppose we have to be brave, don't we? So just talking about that sort of procrastination and overwhelm situation, it's a real sort of chicken and an egg situation, isn't it?

Because what comes first, the procrastination leads to the overwhelm, but the overwhelm then makes you procrastinate and then it can, and so it continues. And so it's a real chicken and egg. It's all wrapped up together, procrastination and overwhelming all facets of your home. Yeah, but particularly with paperwork, because it involves a lot of effort and so, you and I when we're working, our eyes are kind of tuned into the important things on a bank statement, on a utility bill because we've done it so many times. So we can really whizz through things quickly and not, and know where our eyes need to go with certain bits of, uh, documentation. , but people who are a little bit more nervous about it. And when we start talking about that fear, want to read everything to make sure that there's not gonna be anything on there that is gonna be important.

So I suppose it's all about that experience where we can go through things qu more quickly. We do, absolutely. When we're working with clients, we look at every single piece of paper to make sure of its worth to make sure, uh, that, that it's got value to be kept or what kind of information is on there.

but we can go through things more quickly and if you are going through your paperwork, that skill is going to build, you know, you will get quicker at this. But at first, because of all the things that we've talked about, procrastination, fear, overwhelm, it's slow going, isn't it? Yeah. 

Ingrid: Yeah. And I think it's also Lesley that you've got the backlog of all the paperwork as well when you're tr, which gets muddled with all the current stuff. And it's then, okay, what do I do? And actually, some people who've had paperwork for a long time, sometimes have different paperwork systems or when they've moved in with a partner, the partner had a different paperwork system and now the two systems kind of live side by side and now nobody can find anything.

So it's like where do I start first? Do I start with decluttering? Do I start with thinking about my system? Do I start to think about the current stuff or the old stuff, or where does the paperwork go or do I need to recycle it? Oh no, it's important. I need to shred it. I. That it, it, it's, it's, there's a lot of decisions and I think that, doesn't help with overwhelm and the procrastination either.

Lesley: I think the most important thing that that we always talk about when it comes to paperwork is a paperwork project. If you have felt overwhelmed and if you have kept things that you now know are no longer required, you have to step out of your comfort zone. So that's what a paperwork project is all about.

It's not about going from 30 years of paperwork. to paperless. There's got to be phases in between, you know, a paperwork project. If you have that fear, if you have that overwhelm, if you feel that nervousness about, is this useful? I'm not quite sure. Mm-hmm. , which all comes from a lack of knowledge really.

We're not quite sure. I think that's the thing. But we have to be prepared to step out slightly out of our comfort zone each time we tackle something. And I think that's the key, you know? . So there is no one way to Declutter paperwork. There's no answers. You know, people ask us all the time, but how long do I need to keep that?

There's no answer to that. I mean, there is, there's a standard answer about legalities and things like that, and the, the answer is there are very few things in life that you actually have to keep, yeah. You can make a decision to get rid of pretty much everything paper based in your house. You might come unstuck a little bit with certain things, but there's not much that you will.

But that doesn't mean to say that for you. It's not the right decision to keep it. If you feel comfortable keeping a little bit more, then that's gonna work for you. And then next time you think, actually, you know, I, I had 10 years of bank statements. I felt comfortable going down to two years. And then you realize actually you don't need the two years and you've got more use to the app system that you've got, or online banking.

And then you kind of go, actually, I'm happy to go down to six months, and there will come a time when you're happy to, to switch over completely to a paper-based situation. So it's very much about that comfort zone. That's what we teach really with paperwork. There's no right or wrong answers about how long to keep something.

It's all about you. It is a system that is created for you, but the same as the rest of your house. Like there's no right or wrong way to decide what you need to keep and what you need to let go of because it's all about your own emotional connection to that stuff. And it's the same with paperwork, isn't it?

Ingrid: Yeah, absolutely. And I think when we talk about paperwork, Lesley, just to clarify for our listeners, we really mean the household paperwork, right? The things from your bank and your car and your house and your financial situation, and maybe paperwork from school, those kinds of things. So for us, if we talk about paperwork, that's what we're talking about, a drawing from your children, although it is on paper we see as a sentimental item and not as something that needs to be done while you're doing your paperwork, you'll probably find them and you want to filter them out and put them in a separate books and they might end up living in a filing cabinet, but they are sentimental items and not a paperwork item. 

Lesley: No wonder it's confusing really. Is it? I know , so we've said we don't consider that to be paperwork, but you might find it in your paperwork.

You might put it back with your paperwork . Yeah, but it's not actually paperwork. Yeah. I think it's really important to make that sort of delineation because I think that's, that adds to the overwhelm procrastination, doesn't it? Because we're like, not only have we got to do our utility bills and our car insurance and all that kind of stuff, we've also got to think about whether I want to keep a drawing from my daughter when she was five years old. And that absolutely needs to go into a sentimental project because the, the thoughts and emotions and the process is very, very different for paperwork than it's for sentimental. Yeah. So our advice to you is, you know, there's, there's gonna be a splitting off probably at this stage where you, you split off the things that we are talking about the kind of domestic paperwork and work paperwork needs to go somewhere completely separate. That's another project entirely. And sentimental stuff needs to go as a separate project as well. It's a lot of work to do. So let's go to a break. 

Ingrid: I know I need a break. I need a break, Lesley, let's do a break.

Lesley: You said you liked it. You said you liked paperwork and now feeling exhausted already. 

Ingrid: Well, let's go for a break so everybody can have a breather and we'll see you after the break.



Ingrid: Hi everyone. Welcome back. So, I've had a little breather, Lesley. I'm, I'm all, I'm all cheerful again about doing paperwork. I do love it. I do love it.

Lesley: The problem is, the reason why you're not loving it is because you're talking about it and not getting stuck into it. Yeah. Yes. What she wants to do is go to the next stage, isn't it? That's the thing. You don't really wanna talk about it. You just wanna do the doing. And that's why you're not her. Not into it. But anyway, so let's talk about some other things. Some other things that might hold people back that we see are problematic when it comes to sorting out paperwork. And there is something that pervades sometimes the decluttering world, which is that little thing called perfectionism Ingrid. We wanna talk a little bit about perfectionism. 

Ingrid: Yes. A lot of people are like, okay, I'm gonna do this paperwork and I wanna do it. Perfect. I wanna think about the perfect system before I've even started. I don't know yet. I've got piles of paperwork everywhere. I've got a whole room bursting at the seams with box files and stacks of paperwork and a and a bulging filing cabinet.

But I can't start because I don't know yet how it's gonna be perfect. Well, that's a problem because. A paperwork project changes while you're working on it. You can't think in advance. It's like thinking about how you want your house to be perfect and all the stuff in the perfect place.

Well, there's no such thing is perfection. You have to work with the space. You've got the time. You've got the, the energy you've got. And the same goes for paperwork. And if you are already starting out but wanting to do it perfect, you're gonna be stopped in your tracks five minutes after you've got started, because you're gonna get yourself into a, a whole mind twist. Like, but this doesn't, this, this paper, piece of paper does not fit in my, in the thing that I've thought about for such a long time. 

Lesley: I think it's really important as you said, to not jump ahead. And I think that's what we're talking about here. People who, you know, we want, it's like anything else in our home, you know, we look at Instagram, we see these perfect terms and everything, you know, be beautifully labeled and all that, and we're not there yet.

And so when it comes to paperwork, there's a whole load of stuff that needs to go on before we get to that kind of label or you know hanging file situation or pop wallets, whatever we used to do our paperwork system. Don't even worry about that at this stage. If you've got a lot of paperwork and it's overwhelming, we need to declutter first, then we need to organise, then we need to categorize, and at that point we go, okay, what's the best system that can put all these things in?

Yeah, so filing systems is way, way down the line, and that's why, you know, we have people who create filing systems before they need to be created and also create systems perhaps that they found somebody else doing or a suggestion somewhere, and this is really about a system that's gonna work for you. It's gonna be very bespoke. Very bespoke, right? So for some people who've only got one bank account, bank is gonna work, there are some people who've got five or six bank accounts, and they might want to keep some kind of documentation for each of them. So that system is gonna need to be different for that person. 

And so we really need to think about and think about logic. What makes sense to you? In terms of the labeling and things like that, all that stuff is gonna come much later. So what we find people doing quite a lot when it comes to paperwork is something called micro organising. So they're really seeing the finer detail before we get to the, you know, before we've done the macro organising, which is the decluttering, the categorization, and so on.

So really think about that. It's a natural thing to want to jump ahead and think about and visualize the end goal, but really at this stage, All we need to do is visualize it and not try and create it. So there's no point in trying to get you nice pop wallets and your hanging files before you've even started to Declutter and organise.

It kind of goes in phases, and then the amounts volumes start to go down and it will very much evolve. You're gonna need a big space to work, to start to, you know, sit on the floor is what we typically do, or on a table, and so it's gonna take some time. So forget about the end stage, apart from visualizing this beautiful system, which is fine.

But don't start trying to slot things in at this stage. Cause that's when you'll come a little bit unstuck. Don't micro organise or try and be too perfectionist. 

Ingrid: Yeah, it's like. Trying to buy the boxes before you've decluttered and organised and decided where the item lives in your house. Exactly the same thing.

We already think about what system we're going to use while we haven't even decided which paperwork we're going to keep . So, you know, and, and if we wanna go digital or not, and what's, what is in our eyes important enough to stay and how long we wanna keep it. These are all things that you figure out along the way, but if you already go.

I'm gonna do my paperwork. I need to buy myself a four file drawer system while maybe in the end you're gonna end up going, actually I could have bought a two file drawer system because that's the only thing that I've got left. But if you start at the end point and try to work your way back, it's much harder.

You need to start at the beginning and process your way through it. And the micro organising, um, of trying to go, well, I've got, you know, sometimes there are random little bits of paper that don't deserve its own category because it's too small, it's too micro. You won't be able to find it, but you figured it out along the way.

So yes, you need to start at the start, not at the finish. 

Lesley: Yeah, and I think there will be people in good who've already got a failing system. M most people probably will already have a failing system in place. But honestly, when we work with clients, We typically completely rework that filing system. Yeah.

Cause there's a reason why you need to declutter and organise it because it's not been working for you. And so sort of ditch completely, you know, think about the things that have worked for you. Cause there will undoubtedly be stuck within that system that does work. Yeah. But we need to unravel what's not working and why you've got yourself in this kind of mess with your paperwork and we need to think about doing things in a different way.

And honestly, more often than not, micro organisers is one of the big problems isn't it, Ingrid?

Ingrid: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Now, Lesley, um, we briefly already spoke about, um, drawings from, uh, children that we find in paperwork and other kind of sentimental paperwork, but what we also see is that a lot of people gather a lot of paperwork from newspapers, from magazines, they pick up leaflets along the way. They, they rip things out from, from somewhere where they're visiting and think, oh, I'm gonna read that later. And that kind of paperwork all gets mudded up with the domestic paperwork as well. It's not only the sentimental paperwork. 

Lesley: I know it's a tricky one. It's a really tricky one. If you're an information gatherer, which many, many people in our communities are because we, if we like stuff, we like information about stuff as well.

And so I think it's really important as well to think of that in its own category. And perhaps I would suggest that that's the kind of thing that needs to be gathered together in one category and dealt with completely separately. Cause if you go down that rabbit hole of reading magazine articles kind of top of the page to the bottom of the page, then you're gonna be there forever trying to sort your paperwork out. So we need to do the quick wins. We need to do the utility bills, the car insurance and all that kind of stuff first and leave all the magazine stuff till later because that A should be enjoyable because you've kept it for reading something that you wanted to read later or learn from or do a project on.

And that's almost a completely separate thing, isn't it? I would argue that these things really. Appear in a filing cabinet. Cause a filing cabinet to me is an archive of things that you might need to refer to. And if they are in a filing cabinet, the chances are you're never gonna remember that they're in that filing cabinet.

And so things like that, it is really interesting, isn't it? Ingrid too. As you're going through a paperwork project to see all of the different things that appear in people's paperwork, like even photographs, work stuff, sentimental stuff, magazine articles, brochures, theater tickets. You know, there's loads and loads of stuff that appear in paperwork because it effectively is paper based.

But we really need to tune into the fact that all of these things are completely different that are gonna involve different amounts. Knowledge, effort, enjoyment, time. And so we need to start categorizing and thinking, I'm gonna put that in that box and I'm gonna deal with that one later as a completely separate project.

Yeah, it's not easy, it's long, right? So if you are overwhelmed with paperwork, this is not for the fainthearted. You might not feel completely overwhelmed with your paperwork. It just might got a little bit in disarray. But the principles are exactly the same. So we're talking about kind of worst case scenarios where there is, you know, years and years of stuff that needs to be gone through and categorized, but there's lots of things in the middle.

And it can still be overwhelming, can't it? 

Ingrid: Yeah. Yeah. And if you're a little bit uncertain as well about how to tackle your own paperwork, and then, for example, you have to start taking paperwork over from your mum or your dad, or you're a carer for somebody. And you're like, oh, but I, now I need to do all of their paperwork as well.

And now, but I'm not even certain what I'm doing in my own paperwork yet, and I don't really have a proper system. So it can really send people really, um, into a whole sense of not be feeling in control about it. 

Lesley: I think as well, Ingrid, you know, you've got people who you take over the responsibility for their paperwork.

But if you, if, if there are multiple people in a home, sometimes it's not exactly clear who's responsible for which bit of paperwork. So sometimes if there's a husband and wife scenario, the wife will do certain things and the husband will do other things. And so it's like who's actually responsible for the paperwork and who's gonna make the decisions about whether it stays or whether it goes, mm-hmm.

And so roles and responsibilities are really key to get nailed right at the beginning. So Ingrid, we've talked about the why, why it's so difficult, but everyone's like, what do you actually do well? Like how do you do it? So the one thing that is for sure, A 30 minute podcast cannot tell you how to declutter your paperwork, can it?

Because it's like saying, how do you declutter your house and try to put it in 30 minutes. Just not possible. But we do have a cool thing coming up. Don't wait Ingrid to, to, to plug that gap. 

Ingrid: Yes, we have got the Purge Your Paperwork Challenge coming up in a couple of weeks here in the Declutter Hub, and we would love for you to join us and we want, because you know it's a great opportunity for you to learn even more from us because indeed, Lesley, a 30 Minute Podcast doesn't even barely scratch the surface about everything that we need to tell. I mean, we've got three courses about paperwork in our membership with lots and lots and lots of information. So, um, hopefully the Purge Your Paperwork will help, uh, our listeners. 

Lesley: Yeah, because it's practical, right? So the purge of paperwork is practical knowledge about what kind of things to think about. You know, thinking about, you know, we talked about moving out of your comfort zone. There's not one right or wrong way of doing things, but we will definitely talk about things that you need to think about when you're making decisions about what feels right for you to keep.

So definitely check how I Purge Your Paperwork Challenge. If you're listening to this later, it may have already gone, but this is happening in April, 2023. So if it's after April, 2023, sadly you have missed it, but if it's still time, you can go to declutterhub.com/pyp, purge your paperwork for more information.

Ingrid: Yes. We can't wait to see the, have a check it out for all the details. Now, next week, Lesley, you've been speaking to Georgina Burnett. She is known as the Home Genie here in the uk and you've been talking to her about getting your home ready for sale. 

Lesley: Yeah, so if anybody's in the UK, you might know Georgina. So she's on This Morning, and so she's the resident kind of interiors upcycling person that appears on This Morning, which is TV show in the UK regularly. So I had the great pleasure of talking to Georgina as, as Ingrid says about, um, staging your home for sales gives some fantastic hints and tips. So if you want to listen to Georgina's information, then do tune in next week.

Ingrid: So thanks everybody for being here. We appreciate you listening in, and we'll see you next week.

Thanks so much for listening to the Declutter Hub podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to us in your podcast player so you don't miss an episode, and we'll see you next week.
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Want more tips and advice on decluttering your paperwork? Check out our blog post below...
PAPERWORK IS THE BANE OF 21ST CENTURY LIFE

Even in the most tidy and organised of homes, there is one thing that more often than not causes problems and that is paper.
It flows through the door of our homes via the postman, school bags, newspapers, fliers or in work bags. And where does it find its home? In the hallway, kitchen surfaces, bedroom, living room – in short, lots of places where it is never going to be dealt with and leaves you with lots of clutter, depressing you each time you see it building up and up.
So how do you keep that paper under control, you ask?

The key to paperwork is dealing with it initially as soon as it comes through the door and then revisiting it on a regular basis.
So, pick that post up from behind the door, get your recycling bin at the ready and get rid of:
Adverts and Mailings - it's never hard to find stuff to buy!
Envelopes - up and down the land people LOVE to keep envelopes for no practical reason
Terms and Conditions - they are sent by companies because they are legally obliged. Read them if you want to and then recycle
Duplicate bank statements - commit to paperless if you are using an app or are online
Letters sent for info only - read through, note any important dates and then recycle
Charity request letters -unless you regularly choose to increase your donations
Take away menus - keep only those you regularly use. We are creatures of habit!
Any information that is online - we tend to use search engines to find info these days
You will have got rid of at least 75% of the paper and everything that is left is needed until actioned or filed.
For most people who cite paper as their worst clutter nightmare, it is more about changing habits than anything else.
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Episode 260 – How to get things done with a list

Episode 259 – 10 Organising products worth investing in

Episode 258 – The transition from young adult to home-maker with guest Penny Moyses

Episode 257 – Dealing with friends and family on your decluttering journey

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Episode 236 – How to start decluttering your paperwork

PAPERWORK IS THE BANE OF 21ST CENTURY LIFE

So how do you keep that paper under control, you ask?

Episode 260 – How to get things done with a list

Episode 259 – 10 Organising products worth investing in

Episode 258 – The transition from young adult to home-maker with guest Penny Moyses

Episode 257 – Dealing with friends and family on your decluttering journey

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