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?

Is anyone else wasting time planning how they are going to get organised?

Caz, I am a complete sucker when it comes to stationery. I was determined to get the right diary this year so I wasted hours invested a good amount of time in looking at the various alternatives. Am expecting the diary to arrive later this week, and will let you know how I get on with it.

Dimensions are given on website - approx. 25cm x 21cm so not exactly compact but plenty of space to write in. And I have a big handbag!

BettyBum You can find filing cabinets being given away on Freegle or Freecycle sometimes rather than buying one.

Caz, that's why I got the A5 size. Everything goes in it, so I know where everything is, can't forget about anything like I tend to when I've got a diary here, notebook there etc. and it is substantial. I'm going to get a small notebook to carry with me in case I need to make note of anything, but all diarising, listing, planning etc. will take place in my Filofax. It's luvverly.

Oooh you do make it sound very tempting! What kind did you go for? The website was a bit bewildering!

I got the A5 Domino. It's got an elastic strap so you can cram lots in. Not as pricey as some of the more gorgeous ones, but it's the stationery inside I'm in love with.
There's so many accessories you can get for them too. Plastic envelopes, calculators, maps...

the best advice I was given was from my gran, she said 'never go empty handed' she explained if you are nipping upstairs to the loo, take the pile of clean clothes with you, (you dont even have to put them away at that point, you are just edging things closer to where they should be). when you take your toddler up for his nap bring the washing down.
the theory being, you never make extra trips back and too. iyswim
it made a huge difference to me! everything just seemed to fall in to place after a few days and I seemed to be doing half the running around!
obvious stuff really..... should have thought if it myself! lol

Ohh, I really want a pretty diary/organizer! I must get one.

rhubarbgarden, I am exactly the same. When I lived on my own it was easy - now I have two DC and a partner who is mess-blind. I am determined to overcome this, as I also let him 'enable' my laziness. I am using this thread and my bout of New Year energy and optimism to start de-cluttering and getting organised. It's looking much better already

I think the thing is to do small chunks at a time. I find it far too easy to be daunted by the size of the task, so I do the timer thing. Half an hour max on something I don't want to do - always, always turns into at least 45 minutes and the job gets done. I am at myself.

Also a fan of putting on a wash first thing. It soothes me and makes me feel organised before I've even started, if that makes sense.

I cleared a kitchen cupboard (the junk cupboard) today! Everything is in tins (biscuit/choc tins leftover from Xmas) and organised, with labels! It took 20 mins!

I'm not that organised naturally but have had to learn to be better. My tricks:

1. Have designated separate boxes/draws where you can put specific things - unopened mail, valuables, keys, bills, company papers, stationary, warranties etc - so even if you have "lost" them, you know where they are. And a box for things that don't go in other boxes.

1. Try and write down and sort the big stuff when it comes up, don't put it off. I have a little spreadsheet with the big dates (Tax return - end Jan btw, House Insurance renewal, Car MOT, Company key dates etc)

1. Put everything you can through a direct payment off your credit card, or if not that, bank account, so it all gets paid without you faffing about it.

1. The Internet is your friend. Ocado, Amazon, access to bank etc etc - instead of you wasting time faffing with shopping/going to branch/returns, and all your invoices etc are on email

The absolute worst are those relatively low value crappy things that take a lot of time to sort out, I must admit to buying new stuff or a getting a "man who can" sometimes.

Oh, and a little blackboard in the kitchen for everyone to write down things as they realise they have run out.

I think I have ADD. Buying a Filofax a year and a half ago (ignoring the derision of i-phone using friends) has really really helped me. But it needs regular updating

I also love being really organised as it feels like I have control over my life even when I don't!

Some of my tips:

I have a Filofax that I carry everywhere with me. I put everything in it and tick off each thing as it gets done. Then every Sunday night before put the bookmark in the next week I check through the previous week to make sure everything has been done and if something still needs doing I copy it into the next week. I even list in my diary who I need to phone, and two days before a birthday I put a note in to send the card.

I have not sorted my wardrobe into outfits as I don't have enough trousers! But it is organised into work clothes, skirts, track suits etc so I can quickly find what I need.

I also am very ruthless, sometimes too much so, and go round the house looking for things i can throw or give away. It is much easier than housework and makes the house look instantly tidier!

Every night sort a basket of washing which i leave at top of stairs so I can take it down in morning to put in machine.

I'm inspired by all of these. In awe of a lot of them! My problems are even more dire.

A lot of you recommend writing things down, but I can never find a pen when I need it. Then I decided to tie it to the calendar, but that would involve finding sellotape and string.... I try the "Place for everything" technique but then new things arrive without places or I put things down absent-mindedly and forget about it.

Is there any hope for someone like me? The upside is I am so paranoid about being late that to date, I never have.

I've just dug my old FF out and ordered new stationary for it, along with a wall planner. I'm pretty good on the whole, but we've been awful lately at remembering neices and nephews' birthdays, and with a baby on the way and a hectic mini toddler I feel the need to get on top again! Oh, and selling/buying a house too...argh...

but then new things arrive without places or I put things down absent-mindedly and forget about it.

That's why I have the "place for things that don't have places". It's not foolproof, but 80/20.

"Never go empty handed" keeps coming up (the granny above and how I operate too) If there's a plate in the room or something due to go upstairs take it as you go.

Steala find an old mug and by the kitchen phone if you have one put lots of spare pens.

Another general tip I use is when the second last of anything is almost used up I or the children write down what is needed and then it's ordered. That means we never run out of things like paper, shampoo etc. The children also have access to the Tesco on line account and add to the shopping basket but that's not something I suppose all families would like. It does make it easier than just scribbling notes in the kitchen too.

My post really must have been too boring to read! PEN POT Steala - I've got a vast one in the kitche, a small one in the living room, a medium one on my desk and a small one by my bed. I buy pots from charity shops or, as Xenia says, an old mug.

As for "wasting time planning how they are going to get organised" - that's an oxymoron! It's all in the planning...

I thought it was interesting Springy. :)

I would all the time be knocking pen pots off the counter though...mine live in a drawer.

Lots of calendars
Lots of lists
Weekly menu/task planners that I stick to
Chucking out stuff on a regular basis
Putting things away regularly rather than allowing them to build up

But, most importantly - pretending that I am a fantastically well-organised, martha stewart type, methodical and orderly person. I am good at makebelieve and pretending I am a model of efficiency actually does help

And putting the principles of "Eat that Frog" into place
Stop procrastinating
Don't sit down when I come in from work, just crack on with what needs to be done otherwise I never get up

I have more goals and resolutions to improve this year but am far more organised at the beginning of 2012 than I was at the beginning of 2011

springydaffs Your post was very interesting. If like me you are nearer the start of the journey its also mildly terrifying as it reminds me what a long way I have to go.

I have already picked up on your use of post it notes. I have a diary in work and a family diary & to do book at home. I now copy out things I need to transfer from one to the other on to a post it note and stick it in my pocket diary in my bag to remind me.

Eat that frog?

I also have the following bags always packed (we have a 2 year old)

Overnight bag for me containing makeup, change of clothes & PJs (we tend to stay at my parents and PILs on spec quite a bit)
Overnight bag for DD
Swimming bag
"daypack" that lives in the pushchair.

This means that whenever we go out I can just grab and go. I refill the various bags when they are used (I have a list of what needs to be in each bag.