to ask how you become organised and together? Seriously how??

[inatrance]

This is a question for any of you who used to be disorganised/flaky and are now organised and sorted. I have been like this for so long and I drive myself and everyone around me crackers. I'm unbelievably forgetful, I am late a lot and I'm rubbish with finances. I'm so fed up of cringing because I'm so bloody rubbish and make stupid mistakes all the time!

I've got an 8mth DS and a 10yo DD and while I've always had disorganised tendencies, since I had DS, it's gone from bad to ridiculous and I feel like I am constantly trying to catch up with myself.

I'm self employed (which is for the best as even I'd have sacked me by now) and have somehow managed to run my businesses haphazardly over the last ten years without fucking up too massively. Well, not often anyway...

Well, no more, I've had enough. I am using the New Year to kick me up the arse and I need your help.

If you used to be crap and are now brilliant and incredibly organised, please, please tell me how you did it. What changed in your mind and where the hell did you start?

'bakelite how about rewarding yourself - 15mins of decluttering = 15mins internet.'

Great idea. Have just been on internet for at least 30 mins so should do 30 mins declutter.

I realise that I need to time myself to clarify how long I spend doing what.

I have spent from 9.15am to 1.45pm dealing with paperwork for DS1 who is severely disabled. That is without tackling my in-tray - again, full of stuff pertaining to DS1. The paperwork I did this morning is something that the school should organise, but they don't. Normally, I would do a bit, get a headache, then leave it until it is really urgent - or overdue, but I tried to finish the job and it took forever.

Just realising how much time is spent sorting DS1 is shocking.

45 minutes de-cluttering now!!

Inspired by this thread I finally tackled my bete noire of the home filing - and threw about 12 tons of paper/drop files/boxes away. Have condensed it to 2 expanding plastic wallets and a file containing all the "important documents" - passports, insurance certificates etc. And it now has a home in a drawer rather than taking up lots of space on the bedroom floor.

Have been operating a "DO IT NOW !" approach to boring tasks rather than leaving them to build up.

When I go home tonight I will be going home to a full, clean dishwasher, a clean load of washing and the dinner already done in the slow cooker :D DH might even get lucky tonight !

And DH and I are sitting down with my reactivated weekly planner for next week to arrange our week - I think this can only be a good thing as it will mean I rope him in to cooking at least one meal :) Thanks HelenGrace for this idea.

inatrance thank you so much for starting this thread! It is changing my life I have bought and been using a big huuuuge family organiser diary and it's wonderful! I write a to-do list each day too - working well.
Today (and this is mahoosive!) I completed and submitted my tax return which I've been putting off for months!

Massive thanks also to everyone who has posted their tips, it's all wonderful!

Thank you to the person who posted the tip about labelling phone chargers etc. Most helpful and will no doubt help reduce the stress involved in the frantic search for plugs for the DS/brio train/camera.

We could do with all the tips/links being condensed into a list that could be kept for anyone to print off, (classics?) it could be updated as new ideas come along....any volunteers from you organised ladies?

Does anyone else really not fancy cleaning when it's cold and their hands are dry and and tight?.....bet it's just me lol

inatrance thank you for posting this question. And to everyone who had put up an answer, thank you too.

I'm now a week into using the homeroutine app and am facing a weekend with an already tidy house so have two days to enjoy with DH and DD instead of cleaning whilst they spend time together, or we have family time in a messy house. I know what plans we have for next week, and whilst midweek I doubted I'd have free time because of how much there was to do, now that the backlog is cleared it looks as if keeping things as they are now should take no time at all I should even have time to do things I enjoy like making cards (for next months's occasions), and making jewellery (to sell on Etsy and Folksy and so make a few pennies as well!) which I've not managed recently

cjbk1 the solution for this is to put on loads of lovely rich handcream, then put rubber gloves on to do all your cleaning. The rubber helps the moisture go into your skin. Works particularly well for washing up, as the heat helps too!

Thanx x

Well I have not achieved nearly as much as some of you but I did make an effort to keep the house tidier this week so when the cleaner arrived this morning I wasn't running around like a mad thing trying to clear a path!

I have bought a file to keep all school paperwork in and one of those expanding sectioned ones which was reduced in WH Smiths. And then was in Home Sense and bought myself a gorgeous Filofax for £20. And an Emma Bridgewater pen to go with it!

I joined WW this week so have been taking time to figure that all out.

I have started going through this thread more thoroughly and jotting down the tips.

Need to set up my Home Routines too.

Marking a place... I have been using a diary for quite a while to plan where/who/what.

This year I have started dividing the daily page in 3- appointments (work/guitar/swimming/coffee with friends etc), To-to list (max 6 items so I don't get overwhelmed) and a column for misc (pay pocket money, drink water, 5 fruit and veg per day, exercise).
I also have a separate notebook that I write TO-DO lists in- that way stuff doesn't fall out of my head. But as my to-do could run to 6 pages (!!!!) I would never tackle it....breaking it down is a great help.
I have started (thanks to the Flylady thread here) to shine my sink every evening and it works for me- its like the firelighter in a big pile; once I have that lit everything else goes up too (stretching my analogies much??? )

cjbk1 the cleaning will warm you up.I've been sat for half hour having lunch and I'm frozen (in my scarf).Will I put the heating on? No,I will not! I'm making a nice hot cup of coffee and getting busy

Then vaseline on hands at night with thin cotton gloves.

Bossy britches, I have pasted it into a word document and tried to take out the "chatty" posts and condensed it to ideas only. I could email it to you if you PM me your details.

I have just looked on the Filofax website and the Filofax I bought is the chameleon in personal and it's £65 on the website but I got it for £19.99 in Home Sense! Gorgeous colour - pale green. Just thought I would let any stationery porn people know.

OhdearNigel - would you mind if I PM you my details too? Would save me trawling through and might mean I actually started putting some of it into practice!

Excellent ohdearNigel - will do many thanks!

Maybe MNHQ could put it on the useful links page where all the recipes etc go?

Two words: Fly Lady. Google it

One word: Flylady. (Apologies for being picky). But you are right, Banana - Flylady has completely sorted out my erratic housekeeping and there are many other Mumsnetters who testify to it.

Have googled Banana - love it.

Ah see Flylady drives me nuts...so twee.

However her basic principles are great I do the 15 minute boogie & night time swipe of the bathroom.

Ignore the tweeness. The system is sound.

agree, I downloaded the Home Routines app earlier today, and it does all the Flylady stuff without the ickiness