How do you get stuff done?

[DancingBeans]

Exactly as the titles suggests. How to you motivate yourself to get things done. I get up Between 8.30/9 in the morning (teen DC’s so they’re not up early!), and then by the time I’ve messed about on my phone and had a shower, it’s lunchtime. Afternoons are much the same. I get the odd thing done, but nothing like as much as I should.

There are so many things I could have done during lockdown but it just hasn’t happened. I’m looking forward to DC’s being back at school to give me a bit of structure, but to be honest, on my non working days, I’m still the same.

I’m starting to feel lazy. Help me please.

Lists. Lists. Lists.
Right now I'm feeling sluggish so Have told myself to try to cross just one thing off the lists. Along the way I will notice other stuff (like bathroom floor that needs cleaning).

What sort of thing? Do you mean jobs around the house need doing, or you’d like to do more interesting things/hobbies than sitting at home?

Have a shower and get dressed as soon as you get up. Turn your phone off for a bit if it's distracting.

Oh god I’m the same! I’ve got a brick wall now and can’t be arsed doing nothing. My house is a tip!

Wake up and faff till lunch, get dressed take kids out some where for a few hours then come back and melt in to the couch.

My house has never been this bad, looks like there has been a clothes explosion 🙈

I’m similarly unmotivated. Massive procrastinator. Perfectionist to the point I will do nothing rather than do it badly.
The best way for me is to achieve anything is to write lists. With boxes to tick off as I finish.
I add everything to this list. Even adding things I’ve already done just so I can check them off.
I also find that my mood is a big player in my motivation (or lack thereof).
But I recognise that once I start, I build momentum. But I do go off on tangents (hence adding to the list after the fact).
I have lots of jobs that need doing. But I’ve never been able to get ahead of it. I’m a single parent, I work school hours. On the few weeks in the year the dc go to their dads, I work overtime. I also work the weekends they’re at his. We moved to this house when our old family home sold. It was a significant step down in size and condition (from a large 4 bed, 2 bath cottage which had had recent renovation, to a small 3 bed ex council house which has seen better days). There’s stuff everywhere. A lot of furniture is too big for the space but I can’t afford to replace it.

I’m waiting with anticipation of the answer.

Definitely agree with lists! I’m a big fan of bullet journaling, it’s a life saver. I would have no clue what I was doing without it! Also for big projects I use a trick I got from a book literally called Getting Stuff Done (definitely worth a read!). Basically you define what the project is and what “finishing” it looks like, and then write down the very next action you need to do to make it happen. So if you were building a bookcase or something, you could say that the project will be finished when have it installed in your house and you can put your books on it. The first step to take might be look online for a guide about how to build a bookcase. Then the next step would be to read the guide. Then the next step might be to make a list of the things you will need, and the next step is to go to B&Q to get them. Basically by breaking it down into concrete actions and just focusing on the next one and doing that, you don’t get overwhelmed by it. Hope that makes sense!

I get up and make a list whilst drinking coffee and checking work emails. Then I try to get it all done fairly early on. If I can't be arsed with it, I carry it over to next day

I've started leaving my phone downstairs when I go to bed as I was wasting so much time on it in the morning. It's made a big difference! I don't look at it as much in the day if I haven't looked at it first thing either. Worth considering?

My lists look something like this (attaches) and I use notebooks and pens that feel good to use, makes me more likely to want to do my list

Thanks for all your replies. I’d managed to motivate myself enough to go and pick up a parcel.

@fruitpastille I realise I sound like I’m making excuses, but as soon as I’m awake I go down and let the dog out and give him breakfast. It’s the
getting back upstairs I’m having trouble with!

@onitlikeacarbonnet you sound exactly like me. If I can’t do a job perfectly, I don’t bother. Upstairs needs hoovering but rather than just hoover, I have it in my head I need to clean everything first. Realistically I know it would be 100 times better if I just hoovered!

@Choice4567 it’s literally everything! House isn’t too bad but could be better. I can’t be bothered to exercise, cook properly, the dog gets walked later and later every day.

I just need a massive kick up the arse really.

Next get back into bed once up. I stopped years ago when I was working flat out, long commute etc.. meant things still got done.

Now working from home, new house, new baby, it’s become a good habit to keep.

In you shoes I would say up no later than 8.30am weekdays, then don’t get back into bed.

Once I have started procrastinating then I have lost most of the day, I was meant to finish a work project today but I have been off and on mumsnet since first thing.

So I ban social media for a week or so (which I will do tomorrow) make lists and get up early. Just try and achieve one big job per day and it will get easier.

I don't get things done really. This isn't just a lockdown phenomenon, it's part of me failing at life. I procrastinate hugely and then the task becomes overwhelming and I don't know where to start. Right now, I despair at another day ahead, trying to get DC to do something other than sit and stare at screens, which makes it harder to get going in the morning and get anything done.
I make lists, but they mostly just remind me of what I should be doing.
If I need to do something like tidy up the kitchen and it feels completely overwhelming, I break it into tiny chunks like putting some plates in the dishwasher. That makes me feel like I have done something and then I am likely to be able to do another small task rather than thinking it's all impossible and escaping back to the Internet in despair.

I’ve managed to do something this afternoon. Only changed a standing order amount at the bank but I’ve needed to do it for ages. And I tried to make an appointment for DD but need to ring back next week.

@happypotamus I was like this before lockdown too. I realise I seem to get on with housework more when everyone else is out. I think it almost seems pointless when they’re all there making a mess!

I’m not one to go back to bed. Lie on the sofa, absolutely, but don’t really ever go back to bed.

Any more tips would be very gratefully received.

I gritted my teeth & booked a dentist today (one who will do a filling after the £57 consultation). My regular dentist is still not doing fillings. I rang at least 5 places that aren't taking any new patients due to 4 month backlog.

And I pulled a lot of muck out of the bath drain. I deserve a few hours off for that, surely!! :)

Great work @lljkk. I tried to make a dentist appointment for our check ups that were cancelled in March but our dentist is still only taking emergencies.

I made a list and ticked a few things off it. And I’ve cleaned the kitchen as I was cooking dinner.

I know I feel so much better when I get things done, so why can’t I motivate myself to do anything?

Rain has finally stopped here so managed to convince one of the teens to join me on a little dog walk in a bit.

Admit it, it’s mostly being lazy right?
When you stop looking for excuses and face the reality then you can find ways to improve the situation.
I’m not trying to be mean because I can get like that too.
Its easy to be lazy and hang out on your phone but it just makes most people feel unproductive and rubbish.
I always try to think how I’ll feel getting to the end of the day and not being able to say I did anything. Helps to motivate me to get some things done as I hate thinking I’ve wasted the whole day.

I used to be like this and lockdown could have made it worse but I forced myself to get into gear and it worked. I have a set of daily morning jobs that I do when DS is having breakfast (wipe down kitchen, one load of washing on, dishwasher filled/emptied, clothes horse cleared, clean kitchen floor and a general tidy up downstairs). By starting the day off being really productive it motivates me to do more through the day. It used to take me ages to get through the list but now I’ve got it down to about 10/15 minutes and it fits perfectly with DS eating breakfast.
The other thing I do is make a list before bed of a few specific jobs I want to do the next day (clean bathroom, sort toy boxes, clean mirrors, post a letter, tidy a cupboard etc) then through the day I have to make sure the list is all checked off. I never put more than 5/6 things on the list so it’s totally achievable but have the list makes me accountable.
I also have a chronic illness that can be quite unpredictable so I make sure there are some small jobs on the list that I can achieve even when having a flare up. I did start off making a must/could list (must - clean living floor, clean toilet, could - clean bedroom window, clear out freezer etc) which meant even when I couldn’t achieve the whole list, I knew the jobs that really must be done that day. However I felt I mentally knew which jobs were essential and which could wait so the separate lists weren’t needed.
I also have a list in my phone of random jobs round the house that need to be done at some point but aren’t time sensitive (touch up painting on skirting boards, wash car, organise wardrobe etc) that I can work through if I’ve done my daily jobs and want to achieve more.

@ILiveInSalemsLot. You are right. It is lazy. And I don’t like it which is why I’m asking for advice to motivate me to get things done.

I find playing music helps distract me from being distracted FYSWIM. If I’m doing everything and nothing on my phone, I’ll start playing music on it and mentally, that’s my cue to move and start doing what needs doing. Even for small things like getting up and dressed after a shower or getting up from the sofa to sort the kitchen out, it’s like I’ve got a little soundtrack to my tasks.

Get up earlier.
Don't faff.
Don't pick up your phone!

Switch your phone off or to silent. Put on some music. Write the list of stuff to be done. Imagine it done and crack on with it. Reward yourself with something once done. (Mug of year, chocolate and a bath)

How are you getting on op?
I’ve had a day where nothing is getting done and I thought if this thread. I’ve got a list and everything...