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?

My filofax is a personal size one and I find it great as a diary but I do find it a bit awkward for other uses. but it is a good size to have open. I found the A4 sized one was too big as it took up so much space when open.

I think though my problem is that I keep blaming my 'tools' and keep thinking that if I changed my tools then my behaviour will change.

When I worked we used a system called TMI (Time Manager International) and it was very effective. May have a look at that if it still exists.

Can someone send me the master list list too please

Thank you NotAnOstrich!

If anyone wants the master list I've now got a copy. I'm happy to forward on if you pm me with your email address

Thankyou for bringing this up!...It's not just me then?! I have always been 'absent minded' since childhood 'dolly daydream' was my nickname! After working for a few yrs I found computers a boon for the calendar/schedule functions and the ability to set alarms for tasks, appointments and meetings. I got so good that I convinced myself I was cured...then came children! As a full time Mum, I had no structure anymore. 10 yrs on and I am now so dizzy that I am scared to even consider going back to work. All these hints have really helped and made me realise that the time for procrastination is over...It's time to get a grip!

Duex A5 is the size in between those two :)

I seemed to have cracked keeping my appointment, paper work etc organised but the house has gone again :( Need to start again!

See an A5 filofax will be just another tool and I'll hope it will solve all my problems .......

I have 2 tips that work for me re the house.

1. Put an apron on. I've started to do this when I need to achieve a lot in a short time. It's a bit like a uniform and definitely puts me in a different mind set. I also try to imagine that we are having unexpected guests in one hour's time, helps focus and 'see' all the detritus/iron lying on the counter etc.

1. Towel Tuesday. I'm always losing track of when the towels were changed so now I put all of them in the laundry on a Tuesday. But change the odd one or two in between if needs must.

Thanks Duex :)

My filofax has definitely helped me sort that sort if thing out so I say - get your new tool :o

I get so distracted with comp and telly :( and i always know I am lying when I try to pretend someone is coming so it doesn't give me the same urgency :( but I will try again! Later. After telly :o

Pm'd you mscorleone.

Thanks

I'm currently reading Getting Things Done, really useful, and one thing he talks about is creating tricks to get yourself to do things, like putting on exercise clothes to get you ready for your workout, the apron trick is just like that.

I got so much done this weekend, you would all be so proud of me the sort out was well worth it, I've totted up about £100 selling old stuff on zapper/music magpie/moneyformobiles - now that was a good motivator! Easy to do too, just entering in the ISBNs whilst watching television last night.

I think the biggest problem i have, and I've only just realised (Duh!), is that I just shuffle stuff around the house and tidy it up but what I really should be doing is getting rid of stuff (which I have done lots this weekend)

how is everybody else getting on?

I've decided on an A5 filofax and am going to buy one tomorrow

I think I'll buy a Filofax for next year... This year I bought an organised mum diary on MN recommendation but I feel silly using it where people may see me (so don't take it to work) because it's too twee and I liked the look of the Collins one but it looks huge.

Mscorleone I would like a copy please! Will pm you

best tip i ever have been told is this:
if a job takes less than ten seconds, do it straight away

eg hanging your coat up, wiping up a spill, putting clothes away etc. because if you dont there's a big pile and suddenly it's a massive job.

also, buy a good CD and play it while you do housework.
also, i have a carrot and stick system as follows..."oooh i really fancy the last chocolatebaryoghurt...no you can't not until you've washed up the plates. do it. DOOO IIIIT!. done. yum. nom nom nom.

...slightly insane but it works for me.

Please may i have copy of master list too....?? many thanks x

waffling could you teach my DH that tip especially when it comes to putting clothes in the washing basket instead of on the floor next to it or on top of the lid. That's less than 10secs but can I get him to do it? I'm fed up of shingling about it.

Shingling??? Stupid iPad! whingeing

ilovearnold if you send me your email address using the message poster button I will send it to you -->

Fantastic thread! I'm working my way through the suggestions and had a query for those who use an app for organising. For housework do you list every item and then tick it off? For example do you write:
Clean bathroom
Clean kitchen floor
Change beds
Hoover
Dust etc
Or do you just write clean a room etc.
I do like lists and use for ad hoc stuff, and wonder whether it would help for regular tasks, but I'm not sure how to put it into practice. Any good websites with examples??

loulou56 i haven't used it (yet) but the home routines app has been recommended on another thread; it is supposed to work really well with the fly lady cleaning routines if that's any help?

petrean can you take the lid off the laundry basket? (makes it more of a target!) Also, the rule in this house is that if it doesn't go in the laundry basket, it doesn't get washed.

loulou you need to break the tasks down more, instead of "clean bathroom" have:

• clean floor
• clean loo
• etc

Smaller tasks make it seem more achievable (you can easily spread over several days) and you get to do more satisfying ticks (or gold stars) on your to-do list

Fly lady splits the house up into zones (bedroom, bathroom etc) and you "deep clean" each zone once a month and just do what's necessary to keep things maintained the rest of the time. There are a few fly threads, why not give one a go?

I JUST DID SOMETHING BRILLIANT! Well I think so anyway :o

I couldn't be bothered to tidy up the mess DS had left behind when I put him to bed (I do expect him to help normally but hadn't today for whatever reason)

So I put that Benny Hill song on.

grooveshark.com/ type in 'Benny Hill' in the search - first song.

I ran around the room cleaning like a crazy person while it was on (4 mins that's all). I was acting like I was a clown, legs flying everywhere. What fun. Look, clean well tidy anyway room in four mins! (or do it twice if you need a bit extra time)

I allowed myself to stop after the song had finished so I can use this method again without thinking 'oh but then I will end up cleaning for ages' and ignoring it.

The Benny Hill thing has made me very happy!

Awesome Melted, awesome.