How do you get stuff done?

[Whattherapy2020]

I have so much to do and its just not getting done. Completing the jobs would impact my mental health so much but I still can't do it.

I have discovered I am a reactive person not a proactive person and I desperately want to change that as I feel stuck in my life so doing stuff mentioned above would clear my head and allow me to look forward not be stuck in the past.
Please can I ask for tips on how you do it oh wise MNers ?

What stuff is it you want to do? House work, decorating, learning, work stuff?

Routines and to do lists.

Take the thing that bothers you the most and set a timer for 5 minutes and tackle it. Do it each day and when it gets easy, move to 10 mins. Find times you can multitask boring jobs like folding washing while on hold for a phone call, do ironing while watching fave film. Little steps, but make it enjoyable x

@Thatsanotherfinemess

Take the thing that bothers you the most and set a timer for 5 minutes and tackle it. Do it each day and when it gets easy, move to 10 mins. Find times you can multitask boring jobs like folding washing while on hold for a phone call, do ironing while watching fave film. Little steps, but make it enjoyable x

This is a good tip. Just do 5 minutes. Activity breeds activity.

A list of jobs and see how much you can achieve in 20 minutes a day, followed by a sit down and a cuppa (says she who still hasn't started to put away the Xmas Decs despite getting the boxes down on Sunday afternoon)

I put my airpods in music loud and go for it.

I literally set timers! Especially wehn I feel I have a lot to do, if I think of it all at once it seems overwhelming so I end up sitting on my bum doing nothing! So I sit down and make a list. Then I set a timer (usually for 15 mons) and start on the first job. Often once I get started I carry on longer, but make sure not to do too long. Then I set the timer for 15 mins again and do something I enjoy (read/mn/netflix etc) then repeat!

Blackboard in the kitchen with a list. Even obvious things that I would do anyway, because crossing them off is satisfying. I can pretty much blitz my 3 bed house in about 2 hours if the kids aren't here and it gives me a huge boost to sit in a tidy and hoovered room for a couple if days / nights til they come back and mess it up again.

Yup. Start writing a list. Doesn't matter if it's 100 miles long. Job 1 is to write the list. Then do one thing on the list every morning, and one every afternoon.

After a fortnight, you'll have 28 things crossed out and you'll feel much better.

Have you worked out which time of day you're most productive? I used to sleep through mine. It wasn't until I discovered getting up early that I discovered how productive I am. I'm usually out of steam by about 10am, but I've done about 6 hours work in about 3 hours.

I make myself do it and keep on top of everything. But I tend to clean and throw out to quell my anxiety and I get so anxious if our home is as bare as possible.

I find mornings best. I think what jobs need doing and tackle the worst one first. Then reward myself with a cup of tea. Then if it's something like housework I find i just need to keep going - if I stop its hard to get started again. But be realistic! Don't think 'I have to clean the whole house, do three loads of laundry, get that report done'. It isn't going to happen. Far better to do, say, the kitchen and dining room one day, bathrooms the next. Or two hours devoted to only paperwork. Do not wander around just shoving a few papers in a pile, picking up a couple pieces of laundry, riffle through a stack of paperwork. Have a plan, and do one job at a time. And if you just get one job done in a day, well done.

Lists but instead of just having a long list I have a sort of diary with a timetable of what I am doing each day and I make sure to divide the bigger to do list into that. If I really run out of time I move the task to another day but I try not to. I tend to get stuff done regularly and don't procastinate but also don't forget things. People would probably think I was mental if they saw my to do list but I need the control! An example day might be:-

8.45 Wash bedsheets
9.00 Work
3.00 Clean out cupboard in dining room
3.45 Food shopping
6.00 Admin for my business
7.00 Sort personal emails
8.00 Renew car tax

I check my list several times a day and it goes months into the future (on the first day of each month I add every individual day and add regular tasks then add other things as they come up). It doesn't take long and it makes my life a million times easier and more organised.

I also have one cleaning day a week where everything gets done, make sure to do little things as I see them, put on at least one wash and dishwash load a day and once year I take a week off work to do a sort out of all the cupboards/storage and deep clean the house.

Yes I know I have issues!
3.00

Me and my friend have an arse-kicking agreement. We message each other in the morning with one thing that absolutely needs doing that day and check in during the afternoon to either show off we've done it and have a chat over a cuppa or give each other the kick up the arse we need.

Look up Mel Robbins: The 5 second Rule. It will really help you.

That's really interesting @36degrees , that might work for me

I have just read Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin, discovered I am an Obliger and therefore prioritise commitments to others over myself - I've found it really helpful to work out why I can't get stuff done that doesn't 'need' to be done

Sorry guys had to disappear for a bit. Sadly only ticked off 2 things off my list.
Thanks for the recommendations I will give them a go.
My 'stuff is home, work and personal - ss you can probably guess from my name.
I looked at time blocking - youtube by Jordan Page - to divide up my day so i can tick off stuff across home work and personal. But I think I need to look at Greece Rubin as I always put everyone else above me and do their stuff first and leave mine thfn im too tired to do it, then I lie awake thinking about it then I wake up tired and have no energy to do my stuff when everyone else asleep!!!! Must look into this.
@JontyDoggle37 - I like Mel Robinson will look her up.thnk you
@Titsywoo. I have ordered goal planner and diary so I might look at your timetabled approach.
I am so bad at procrastination that I would rather declutter than tackle the big mess/task I have but I'm hoping a more focused approach will help with that.
Did anyone become a proactive person when they were previously reactive? I feel like the day owns me before I even get up rather than its there for me to achieve what I want or need, if that makes sense. I'm hoping the goal planner will help me plan my days to help with this but any advice welcome as I really need to get my sh*t together this year.

Oh, and thank you so much for everyone who has taken the time to reply. I really appreciate it.

I am an obliger too I think, I took the test last year.

OP my whole family is reactive not proactive for the most part (ADHD/autism house - meds improved my productivity hugely, until I had to come off them) and I find getting things done really tough. One thing that does help me though is to try not to be “all or nothing” or perfectionist about tasks. Eg a quick wipe around the sink is better than stressing over perfectly shiny taps because the latter might take too long and therefore not even get attempted! 😳

I try and think to myself that there is no perfect time to get something done, but to just try five minutes of something. This has worked well for stuff like studying for example - my first lockdown course I was always last minute because I kept waiting for the perfect time to study (around my many obligations - always felt too guilty due to the million other things I was meant to be doing and I don’t value my own pursuits enough, hence “obliger!”). This time I’m just aiming to do a few minutes, if I do more then great but if not at least I’ve got a bit done, and I’m actually keeping up with deadlines much more easily.