If you're really good at getting things done / staying on top of thingswhat are you like?

[chaiwalla]

What are your tips? What do you do! Do you wake up at the crack of dawn?

Do you plan from the night before/ week before? Is your mantra to tick off everything on your list before you go to sleep?

How do you do it? What's your mindset? How do you not get into the trap of procrastination? How do you keep motivated and determined?

Ok I've just realised my whole op was just a series of questions! I seriously need help. I need to get my shit together.

I’m going sit here and wait for replies!

I'm old school and have a filofax with to do lists in it. I also set reminders on my phone so not a complete dinosaur. I definitely don't get up at the crack of dawn but I do plan ahead - what to wear/what everyone is going to eat etc

I work 4 days a week, have a 4 year old and a husband.

I'm up at around 6 daily. Get child/myself dressed and ready. Wash up. Wipe down surfaces. Hoover.

Meals are planned a week in advance and written on the chalkboard. I know to take stuff out the night before. Often will prep things night before too.... E.g. Last night we had spag bol. I cooked the mince and sauce the night before so just needed re-heating the following day. Froze half so next time, it's just a defrost and re-heart job.

I have a tower of washing buckets. Whites. Pastels and lights. Darks. Reds and Pinks. I try to do a wash daily. We live in an apartment so clothes are dried on a maiden.

I don't work Fridays so shopping/bedding change happens then.

Do all the rubbish stuff first e.g the phone call you don't want to make, the tax form you're dreading. If you leave them it's tempting to do any alternative - or nothing - just to avoid them. So you end up wasting time and getting nothing done. Don't overthink and dread, just take a deep breath and do it. The overthinking in itself can be tiring and stop you getting on with stuff.

Lists, lists, and more lists.

Probably isn’t what you want to hear but it’s just the way I am, I don’t have to try. So I suppose it’s just in my personality/skillset.

I did write to-do lists when I was younger though, so maybe that helped. I also don’t have a huge amount of distractions. I don’t really watch TV so it isn’t like I’ll sit and spend 3 hours on the sofa.

The things that people tend to put off are things I enjoy doing. I love exercise, I enjoy tidying, food shopping, studying and doing work. I do listen to audiobooks and podcasts when I tidy so I guess that makes it more enjoyable.

Being unorganised and behind on work isn’t good for my anxiety or general mood so that’s probably the motivation behind why I get things done.

Other people think I am extremely organised and get a lot done. In reality, I am not. I do a lot but I also forget or procrastinate stuff. Thinking fuck, fuck, fuck about something happens regularly.

DH and I put everything into a shared google calendar. Car MOT annual reminder, fecking world book day, swimming kit for DS2 on Weds, niece's birthday, football training, DH or my plans to go out for a run/bike at the weekend. Absolute sanity saver.

I believe the ultimate key to to life organisation is like home organisation. You don't need more storage or better systems; you need less stuff. We often set up all kinds of crazy standards for ourselves and then act like these things are really necessary. Kondo the fuck out of your life not just your house. Is it useful or does it bring you joy? If not, ditch it. FML if I'm washing towels daily, ironing DCs shirts when they'll have a jumper on top, volunteering for too many things, filing every piece of paper in some elaborate system, etc.

I am an anxiety sufferer and being organised and getting stuff done is my way of maintaining some control and releasing pent-up energy. It isn’t always healthy. I’m sure there’s a healthy balance. I do have lists and I prioritise things and do them in a practical order to make the best use of time. I keep lists on my phone and a household calendar.

OP - my DSis is incredibly well organised and efficient. Her tip is "don't sit down until everything is done". I love her but she is utterly insufferable like many people on this thread I suspect

I definitely wouldn’t classify myself as someone who is naturally good getting stuff done, I have struggled a lot with procrastination, but I’ve improved loads in the last few years. This is a link someone posted here a while ago that really helped me understand why I fall into that trap: waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html The bit that resonated with me is that everything is a choice. When I am struggling to get things done that becomes my mantra.

I’m also a diligent bullet journaler. If you look online you’ll find pages and pages of “inspo” with perfect handwriting and doodles and beautiful layouts. Mine doesn’t look anything like that, but the format really works for me in terms of allowing me to see what I need to get done, and planning when to do it.

Also if I have work I need to get done on my computer I use an app called self control (), you set it to block a list of websites (eg mumsnet) for a certain amount of time. I would guess there are similar ones for phones.

In terms of household stuff, having a partner who pulls his weight really helps. And a cleaner. The cleaner is a godsend.

I don’t really watch TV so it isn’t like I’ll sit and spend 3 hours on the sofa
This !
Also reminders on my phone and going to bed early,wake up early(not every day though)

In my house there is DP & I, as well as 2 DD (11 & 13)

I spend all day Sunday making sure that I have as much ready as possible to last the week, so 5 x days worth of uniform & work clothes are washed, and ironed, food shopping is done.
I know what we're having every night for dinner.
I make up packed lunches the night before.
I clean my kitchen every night after cooking.
I clean my bathroom sinks (3) whilst cleaning my teeth in the morning.
I also go around every morning and put bleach down the loos.
I fluff the sofa cushions before I leave the house (I know that sounds silly, but it makes such a difference to walking in from work, and seeing them thrown on the floor)
I sweep my floors downstairs every night.

I'm lucky that I don't work Fridays so that is when I do my big clean. But keeping on top of the little things, makes Fridays much easier for me.

My only motivation is that I'd hate to give my MIL ammunition if I don't do it, no one else will, and I am a very stressy person, so being organised eases my stress a little.

I've also given the kids a list of things for them to do daily, make bed, open curtains, dirty clothes in basket etc....

I do have days when I can't be bothered, and would rather sit in front of the TV, but I stick my iPod on one of the kids speakers, and blast my music as loud as possible, that usually gets me going (the mop is quite a good dance partner)

I have the mantra ‘don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today’. Repeat, repeat, repeat!

Everything has a place, and it is put back there afterwards.

I keep notes as lists on my phone and delete as I go. I’ve a spreadsheet of all my bills, and a list of all my important policies (bills, mortgage, medical info) in a folder with this at the forefront, should there be an emergency.

I do have anxiety (many reasons for this though) and keeping on top of what I can control does definitely feel in charge of my surroundings.

It’s not perfect though, and some people find my organisation, planning and tidiness suffocating.

The solution depends on what you are already managing to keep on top of and what it going to hell in a handcart. Where are you at chaiwalla?

Presumably not homeless, hungry and naked so you must be keeping on top of the really important stuff.

I just do stuff as it needs doing. I don't wait and let stuff pile up. Before I go to work everyday I make sure the house is clean and presentable - do dishes washed, laundry on/drying, vacuuming done etc. so I come home to a clean and tidy house.

And if I'm waiting for the kettle to boil I'll wash the dishes or put laundry on, for example.

I probably from the outside get a lot done

One thing is being clear on what actually needs to be done, and what doesn’t - then the next layer - does it need doing by you personally, or can you delegate / outsource

Then is there any way of not having to do so much next time - which for me is the whole declutter thing around the house, and focus on training at work rather than stepping in as much

I do things fast. We get up 1 hour before leaving the house. In that time I have a bath, do make-up and hair, get dressed, make the beds, make breakfast, make lunch (for me), feed the cat, wash up and go on Instagram for 15 minutes, sometimes I also write a shopping list or bring the washing in.

I work 4 days instead of 5, so on my day off I do the laundry, ironing, cleaning, food shopping and any household admin. I hardly do any housework on the other 6 days of the week. I am a very tidy and well-organised and always know where everything is. I always wash up immediately, open post immediate and deal with it. I have lists and spreadsheets for everything, a filofax and reminders on my email for things. I feel 99% on top of everything all the time. I'm so boring.

Things that help me:

To do lists (for work and home)

Big white board in kitchen split into 7 days, with everyone's movements for the current week on it, things to remember etc. Also magnetic, so any school forms etc can go on it. Each of us has our own colour pen for quick reference.

Small whiteboard with menu (ie food I've got in for the week) and shopping list, which everyone can add to when something runs out (even my cleaner uses it!).

A cleaner.

Friday off for exercise, life and home admin.

Google calendar for EVERYTHING.

Flagged emails to address on Friday/weekend.

Washing Mondays and Fridays (work from home on Monday which helps), sometimes weekends too.

Kids' timetables on fridge door to prepare for next day's lessons/clubs etc.

It doesn't always work, but trying to make everyone responsible rather than the onus just being on me helps. And trying to keep on top of it...

For those of you who have to do lists. I end up with a million lists. Lists for house work / kids stuff / shopping etc. How do you keep tabs on them all. It just feels too overwhelming

One list with headers. Eat an elephant a little at a time. I tend to have ‘power hours’ at home; I charge around and do everything as quickly as possible, music on.

Surprisingly motivational and the end result is quite something- you’ll be amazed what you can achieve. But you have to start first

Sounds like you have wish lists not to do lists.

Wind it back. How about a list of things to do in the next 24 hours. Stick at that until you can correctly predict what is feasible.

Next move onto things to do this week. Don't do that until you've mastered one day planning.

I wouldn't have a to do list that goes beyond two weeks.

Otherwise you'll have things like build rocketship to Mars as a task and you'll be stressing about how you have procrastinated it away instead of having a realistic view on it.

I don’t have any kids still at home so home is fairly stress free but I’m very efficient at work. I keep a running list of jobs and add anything that needs to be done at a particular time such as a phone call goes in my outlook calendar. I have a notebook per aspect of job - so one for making notes during informal chats with staff, one for a monthly meeting I chair etc. However, and this isn’t always a popular tip with people with poor time management - the key is to just do it. Don’t talk about it, tell everyone how busy you are, faff about putting tasks off. Know what needs doing and just do it!

I wait till I’m agaonst the wire and then BOOM do everything with great focus and efficiency. My meaning of against the wire is that fine line between people being perfectly happy with what I’ve done (be it Work or delivering a form to school or the shopping) and people thinking I’m a bit late or slightly off with what I’ve done. I don’t sweat it in between not doing and doing. So I tend to look very in control and efficient.

I have set days of the week for certain things (running, swimming, cleaning various rooms, changing beds etc) and stick to it religiously.

I have just cleaned the basement for example, because it's Wednesday, even though I am knackered after work and now it's done for another week.

I also deal with things immediately - if I get an email or some post when I get home from work. I don't let anything stack up.

I never sit down until everything is done.

I am not a list person but I just do what needs to be done if that makes sense. The house is usually tidy, jobs usually get done quite promptly and I manage to work on top of things too. I don’t view things as chores, especially cooking (although I loath ironing).