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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

803 replies

inatrance · 01/01/2012 23:17

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! Sad

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... Blush

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?

OP posts:
SlobAtHome · 25/08/2013 11:33

No problem Ifitsnotanarse, I'm writing notes as we type!

themaltesefalcon · 25/08/2013 11:52

This thread makes me strangely happy.

TheYamiOfYawn · 25/08/2013 19:28

I have been reading this and taking notes all day. And I just ordered an A4 day to view diary and one of those magnetic whiteboard week planners.

Seabright · 26/08/2013 21:00

I love this thread too! This is my washing system, in case it helps anyone to try it out:

Monday: Multi-coloured
Tuesday: Towels
Wednesday: Whites (alphabet system runs out here)
Thursday: Multi-coloured
Friday: Bedding

Works a treat!

paperclipsarebetterthanstaples · 26/08/2013 21:08

We've recently started doing 'click and collect' shopping - i downloaded the Asda app - it stores lists / favourite items and has a scan function. Both DP and i have the app on our phones - logged in to the same account. Every time we run out of something we can scan the barcode of the old one and add it to the cart. Takes less than 5 minutes to do our weekly shop!

BasilBabyEater · 26/08/2013 21:14

Just posting so this thread comes up on my list

theyoniwayisnorthwards · 26/08/2013 22:35

Me too, very helpful

buildingmycorestrength · 27/08/2013 11:43

Have read half but must come back for the rest. So helpful.

OhDearNigel · 23/09/2013 22:36

Thought i'd give this a cheeky bump as i know lots of us found it v helpful

Binkybix · 29/09/2013 12:47

Just finished this. I bought the home routines app but can't work it out. So for example, can't see how to do a monthly routine where I can fill in all tasks for that month on different days, but just have tasks appear in relevant day. I don't like it! Am I being dim? Can anyone help?!

Lililly · 29/09/2013 17:49

www.bulletjournal.com/
This shows you how to organise your time and notes

weirdbird · 30/09/2013 08:26

I started using fly lady and although I struggled with being told what to do, I found creating routines of what needed to be done each day and then each week very helpful. I would forget to get something out to defrost for dinner so often. I also use the Organised Mum calendar a d diary, I also use there fridge planner for meals and shopping. I write everything down, all my lists are in my diary, I write to do lists at the start of each week. I try and work through them each. Anything I don't do gets moved into the next weeks list. I have library books on a reminder email so we don't keep paying fines, credit cards are also on email reminders. I have a place that all the post goes to, next to the shredder so anything I don't need to keep, do something with can immediately be shredded.

I got so into organised mum I became a trader for them, but you do have to want to change and its not easy to change habits of a lifetime!
They only work if you actually use them.

AntoinetteCosway · 06/11/2013 23:17

Just marking place so I can come back and read this in the morning with a pen and paper.

telegramsam · 06/11/2013 23:30

Looks interesting. Marking place too.

MrsKat · 12/12/2013 22:35

This goes out to the OP, it's almost been 2 years, and I'd love to know how you got on - did it work for you? :-)

MinimalistMommi · 13/12/2013 12:00

Marking place.

evelynj · 15/12/2013 21:01

And me :)

usuallyright · 16/12/2013 01:22

Me three!

ChristmasCareeristBitchNigel · 02/01/2014 20:30

Thought i would bump this old thread for New Year Resolutions

liveoutloud · 02/02/2014 19:54

Looking at this thread I fit the well organized profile, as I do most of the stuff people suggest to do, however, I still feel like I need to find more space to do some other stuff. With my organization I manage to have full time job, three kids, husband and a dog. I manage to have them cleaned, well fed (mind you my DH helps in this area a lot too), everybody on time for their after school activities, etc. I do not have time for myself and my husband. I do not exercise, do not have time for yoga, meditation, I do not go out with my friends, my husband and I do not go out ever, at all, anywhere. It is all work, work, work. I have about half an hour at night to unwind, so I turn the TV on and do some knitting to relax. I am sure that I can make it better and fit me and my needs in that schedule as well, but so far, I have not been successful.

Crowler · 02/02/2014 20:02

Our house is pretty organized.

  1. I have a chest of drawers right by the front door with kids' school-related stuff, and a chalkboard nearby with what's required at school each day of the week.
  1. I have 3 days of uniform things that need to be washed, and 5 days of uniform things that need to be ironed. Everything is washed, ironed & put away by Sunday morning.
  1. When my kids walk in the door after school, I stand over them like a drill sergeant to ensure everything is put away correctly.
  1. My kids have a unique color-coded towel and god help them if it's not hanging up after their shower.
  1. Homework for week is done Saturday afternoon for my youngest.
KeatsiePie · 02/02/2014 20:36

I have only two modes in life: "super organized" or "forgot to wear pants."

My #1 recommendation re: getting organized is Evernote. I seriously have my whole life on there and can't recommend it highly enough. I have it on my work computer, my home computer, and my phone -- it syncs.

Left to myself, I tend to remember to do things about 1 hour after the deadline. It's bad. So my calendar for the whole year is in there. When I think of something that has to get done, I just go to that day and type it in. Then when I come to that day, it will already be there. If it will need to be done early that day, I put it in the day before too, like "tomorrow before work, deposit check."

All my recipes are in there. All my nutrition research. It's really easy for me to meal plan now (I batch cook) b/c everything's in one place and I can get to all my recipes while I am standing in Aldi. All my "lifehack" notes, anything from "how to reset the phone when it gets stuck on the boot screen" to "how to get grease spots out of white clothes" are in a notebook that I titled, yes, "Lifehack." I put manuals and warranties in there too as pdfs, so I no longer have to wonder where I filed them. Each of my work projects has a notebook, so I never have to wonder where I wrote some important thing down (well, almost never) or what was decided re: this or that issue.

My personal projects are on there too. My career notes -- all my resumes and cover letters, and anytime I see an ad for a job I think I might like someday, or that gives me a good idea for a career move, I clip it and put it in.

I really really love it Grin Now off to read the thread.

horsetowater · 03/02/2014 16:39

After many years of making plans and failing to stick to them I got a big paper diary and I only write down what I've actually done, with 'to do' lists with no deadlines on them.

I have found that this month I got a lot done and have it all in my diary to show for it. I haven't been writing in what I've cooked/cleaned etc but it might be helful for those times when it gets out of hand to see how much I have actually done over the past month.

It seems self-defeating for me to stick to a routine that is almost certainly going to be broken so I don't even try now.

Flylady is good for getting out of a really bad headspace though, and I recently had to shine my sink again and swish and wipe to get back my housework mojo.

DescribeTheRuckus · 03/02/2014 17:07

I am the same, OP...I can empathise!!

I am a work from home PhD student with two DCs (7 and 6), so Monday is my organising day: I get all the DCs kits together for whatever sport/swimming stuff they have for the week, make sure we have all the right food in for the week's meals, and get all the uniforms, school paperwork, house tidy, etc done for the week ahead. Then, I do my own stuff...check my diary for meetings, check important emails, and make a to do list of stuff I want to accomplish by the end of the week. I have a family calendar in the kitchen, and a diary for just myself, both of which really help keep me on track.

If I do this every Monday, I find that my work time is much better all week, and I am less shouty and stressed in the mornings trying to get us all ready for the day. I really do have terrible weeks when I don't stick to my Monday...so though I don't get masses amounts of PhD stuff done, it really does make me more productive in the long run.

Good luck...

horsetowater · 03/02/2014 17:16

I like the ideas of having an organising day. Might have to be Tuesday now though.

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