how can you handle living in a cluttered flat

i've lived in this little 1 bedroom flat for 20 years now....but right now it's very cluttered full of stuff and very untidy and i feel overwhelmed to know where to start tidying up? my flat is cluttered with clothing in refuse bags, books, dvds, paperwork in bags....footwear in boxes.....if my mother were to visit me she'd be cross with me for letting it get like this...what can i do?

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SandWitch · 26-30, F

Anything I haven't worn at least once in the past 12 months gets donated to charity.

Any books I find hiding on a shelf that I didn't know were there ..nor did I miss not seeing, get donated as well.

Any DVD's I find that I'd forgotten that I had, get donated.

Any paperwork in bags that I forgot I'd had in the first place, goes into the shredder.

Any footwear that I don't wear regularly but had good intentions of wearing when buying them, get donated.

Think of all the stuff you own as having a shelf life, no different than a container of cottage cheese in the fridge. Once that 1 year shelf life expires on stuff that hasn't been used or acknowledged that you even own, it's time is up!