Tips for time management and organisation

[RunnyBabbits]

For an old dyslexic please. Time blindness, brain fog and forgetfulness currently issues.

Gosh there's so many tips but I use Outlook calendar and set myself tasks then you get a reminder. And a to do list with due dates.

Would time blocking help? So gather tasks into groups and then booking actual time in your diary to do tasks eg 6.30-7 tidy up, 7-7.30 list of admin jobs / forms / emails 7.30-8 water plants : hang out washing etc etc

I'm not great with technology and tend to write endless lists that then get muddled up or I just get overwhelmed and ignore them. @Crinkle77

I've tried timing myself doing things and also trying to stick to a routine but it's haphazard @FusionChefGeoff

Well a traditional diary then with all your tasks and deadlines for when they need to be completed. Then on the day break it down in to small manageable chunks. Perhaps use the Pomodoro technique where you focus for blocks of time, say 20 minutes, then take a short break and do another focused block. Tick things off your to do list as you complete them, it can be a great motivator.

Just looked up Pomodoro technique @Crinkle77. Sounds great, will give it a go. Is there time for tea and a biscuit between tasks?

Oh definitely!

Just take 5 or 10 then crack on again.

I use time blocking on a day to day basis rather than a strict routine. So just think about what I’d like to / need to get done today and set a reasonable schedule.

i find it stops me thinking ‘ooh I’ve got ages I’ll just have a quick look at Mumsnet / do some skin care etc and instead I’m like ‘shit I need this washing away in 15 mins before next task is up’

I always ‘drive’ my time blocking towards rewards though so it’s a reason to keep on track if I want time for the lovely bubble bath / episode / tea and early night

Have you tried Microsoft todo? I have adhd and it’s brilliant. You flag emails and it automatically adds them to your to do list and you drag and drop the tasks you want for the day.

I use a visual timer all the time, so I can see the red part getting smaller - plain number timers are no use for me for time blindness.
Also finally gave in recently and installed Siri on my phone - actually been really useful, as a lot of forgotten things pop into my head while I’m driving, so I use Siri to verbally set timed reminders/alarms for later when I’m able to deal with it.

I heavily use an A5 weekly planner that has diary on one side and notes the other side, so everything that’s scheduled is in the diary side, and the other side works like a bullet journal for my rolling to-do list, and I traffic-light tasks on that side with highlighters to help me prioritise. The traffic light system genuinely helps me, otherwise it’s just an endless list I start ignoring.

Magnetic whiteboards on the fridge for shopping lists and house tasks, family weekly whiteboard for another visual reminder of relevant stuff.
Post It notes for short term reminders.
And anything I need to do habitually has to be ‘in the way’, so my meds have to be blocking my tea mug etc, and if I have to take things with me I put them on the doormat when I first think of them, as no chance I’ll remember unless I have to trip over them. Plus more post it reminders on the door frame, over the keyhole…

Hope some of that suits you, I find physical reminders help me the most, as I can ignore digital stuff very easily. Apparently the brain processes and stores physically writing in a different memory area to typing on a screen, which makes sense for me.