When I showed her how much paper there was, we both felt a serious sense of shame. It wasn't like it was newspapers stacked all over the place like the stereotypical hoarder, it was buried. And it kept on coming. And coming. And I don't even know if we are 50% through it.
The irony is that I was the one taking over the project. It was like I was possessed by this Japanese woman. Telling her how to focus on paper, not to put anything back, that when in doubt, discard. That files are merely paper storage units and that they must go. That we should have one little binder or folder with essential documents and one little binder/folder for tax purposes. After this, I could run a brothel of geisha girls like nobody's business.
I never used the term minimalism. I explained it in terms of air quality, cleanliness, lucidity, emancipation, control. About living today. Maybe that's minimalism in its component parts, but we both are feeling better.
According to this madwoman, what you should do is set an example by applying these techniques to your individual areas and hopefully your GF will see the benefits. It's like ERE, or any other mindset you want to instill in another. Practice don't preach. But in all seriousness, I'm digging the results. And maybe I won't need to be a douche anymore. That would be a true miracle of tidying up. I could write an endorsement on the back of her latest copy "Thanks to the KonMari method, I am no longer a complete fucking douchebag" Jason From New Jersey.