to ask how you organize your daily life?

[IfyouseeRitaMoreno]

Every month or so I sit down, devise an elaborate system of to do lists, bullet journals, whiteboards, apps and charts in order to organize my lazy arse and have a streamlined and efficient lifestyle a la Pinterest.

Then I get so exhausted with the planning and the planning gets so complicated that it shortly goes all awry and I'm left a disorganized mess with an untidy house, a pile of washing and unfinished paperwork lying on my desk silently mocking me..

Please tell me how you successfully organize your day-to-day and save me from my self!!

How much organising does life need?
Bills out by direct debit.
Tidy up as needed, clean kitchen after each meal
Load of washing by what's the biggest pile each day.
Appointments in my phone and family calendar.

What else is there?

I work full-time and have a disability. I'm. Shattered. I do housework in 10.or 20 minute bursts, and rest for 10 minutes. I hate housework, it's boring... But an untidy shabby house depresses me. I do what I think is priority, like washing, washing up, a quick hoover etc.

I find bullet journal v good but it’s functional not like a Pinterest post. Just use it for the basics.

I just accept that I'm a slob and I embrace it - works for me :)

What exactly is it you don't feel on top of?

I don't find day-to-day life needs much organizing?

Most stuff is annually recurring and I get on the cal and set reminders.

Birthdays and reminders 1 week and 1 day before set on the calendar.
MOT, car service, car insurance, home insurance renewal dates and a reminder 1 month, 2 weeks and 1 week before.

Any appointments or social events go on the cal as soon as they are made. By cal - I meed the one on my phone that syncs with outlook.

Bills by DD

To-Do list on phone kept for things like "phone dentist / book vet / whatever"

whoareyoukidding I am such an inner slob! In my ideal life I would just sit on the sofa watching Netflix...

or on Mumsnet of course!

Honestly ? I get up at 5:30 most days (in bed by 9) I don't drink mon-Thursday, I accept that term time weekends are full of chores. Depressing ? Yes boring ? Undoubtedly but I am organised.

Kitchen calendar with all homey stuff, remember on phone, calendar on DS door for his homework and special school dates, and copy of his timetable stick next to it.

Bills in order next to living room click with pay by dates written on the corner.

Phone calendar linked to family do they have no excuses!

Housework - only when absolutely necessary.

I recently read the FlyLady book 'Chaos to Clean' & have started to follow her system. For the 1st time in my adult life I finally feel like I have my housework under control. Her site is well worth a look www.flylady.net

I just tend to do stuff. So this morning on my break I rang the mortgage company, then two other calls I needed to do.
On Fridays I iron and pur away into outfits, all the DC clothes.
I clean everyday. What I see- no real plan.
I do the grocery shop on a Sunday so that's that.

Thanks Hootie I'll try that. I wish I could be like everyone who just gets on and does things... maybe I'm overcomplicating stuff

Most of what has already been said... I have any spreadsheets / lists in one place so I’m not digging to find anything.
I use notes on my phone in folders to track medical data, exercise data, and one to do list broken into short term (today/this week) and longterm (includes next step actions and research for projects/work/travel).

I drill down into more detail for finances, long term travel plans, and on going projects (household sales - I do this a lot, hobby related sales, etc).

I block out time in the calendar for specific projects - renovations, my hobby, any part time work or study.

I have a whiteboard for noting down upcoming dates and tacking event tickets.

Sometimes I’ll write a today to do list with everything - including showering and getting from a to b. Then I sortof know whether I can reasonably expect to do everything I want to do or if I need to think about doing some things another day.

I try and work out travel at the time I get tickets so I note postcodes, travel time and parking to save time later on.

Try to avoid doublehanding tasks as much as poss - you just waste time if you have to touch things twice to wash/clean/sort out/think about then that’s double the time spent on it. So, if you have to book a car mot, don’t just write it down - just call and book THEN note down the appt.

Lump tasks together that are similar or in the same area to save travel time (this applies well to things like food shopping - plan well and you can save a lot of time - and money).

Ok advisers! I'm gonna forget the lists for a month and JUST DO STUFF. That's my problem. Procrastination. I'm determined. I'm going to jump up and put the drying up away and do the laundry. No sodding list needed.

For cleaning I've been having a go at The Organised Mum method and its working so far.

Washing I put a load on as soon as I get up, transfer into dryer/hang outside when I get back from school run, another load on when I collect children, another one after bath (uniforms, towels etc).

Food wise I have a running list of the contents of my freezer and cupboards on the fridge door which I update accordingly and use to make my meal plan for the following week.

For day to day appointments/birthdays etc I have an organised mum family life book which I write stuff in as and when and any appointment letters I may need go in the pocket at the back.

I'm still a bit of a slob but better than I was!

I work part time, DH works full time and we've two children who are in school and pre school.

I have an organiser on the fridge that I fill in on Sunday with appointments/invitations/classes etc
We have a joint Google calendar that we can add things to so both adults can see the other's commitments.
I run a load of washing every day, whichever is the most needed.
Cleaning is done on a when it's seen basis. So if I get up on my day off and the bathrooms need doing I do them first, DH will dust and vacuum on a Saturday morning, I clean the kitchen down every day and "front load" everything else, so set aside an hour, do as much as I can then sit down with lunch or a book or in from ofthe TV. It makes me work harder to fit as much as possible in so I can then chill out later.

I wish i could be more organised! My job is quite demanding and i have some studying to do as well. Finding the time to work full time, study, clean the house, get all my clothes washed and ready, exercise, eat right , socialise with friends and look after myself - go clothes shopping etc, not to mention all the bills and keeping finances in check...it's an impossible task for me. Ive just started getting increasingly slobby and focussing all on work not enough on anything else. Husband is good at doing things around house but is tired too. We are hoping to have children as pregnant, and i just have no idea how we will cope! I guess we will continue having a lived in looking house lol.

I get up when I want, except on Wednesdays when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen

I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea and I think about leaving the house

I spend 1 hour a week cleaning, 1 hour food shopping, 1 hour washing and ironing. Most of that I do on the same day of the week each week, in the morning.

Added to that about 20 minutes a day cooking and 10 minutes washing up.

I do most organising, list making and bill paying on my lunch hour at work and it takes me no longer than 10 minutes per day. I have a spreadsheet for everything. I have a diary and email alerts set up so I don't forget anything.

I also do an annual spring clean. I also annually pick the room that needs decorating the most and decorate that room. That usually takes me a weekend.

Leaving the arrrssssse.

Online shopping is good. I use ocado, so if i am almost out of something I'll add it to my shop as soon as I notice, then top up with pre stored favourites and its done.

Another vote for flylady, although I'm not great at following it, but it is good for any recovering perfectionists out there! There is a new thread each month on the housekeeping topic with the tasks listed for each day on there which is useful, although I'm just a lurker!

I'm a huge planner geek and always switching things up but always go back to the same things.

Pocket filofax in bag with monthly, weekly, daily, money and notes sections.
Planner at home (currently waiting on two - just because) which has more detailed info in it and decoration because I like to do that when I have time, its my stress buster!
Google calender which is linked to my OH and his parents, we put our shifts/holidays on there so we can organise childcare.

Oh and for housework I rapid log on my days off and cross off things I do. I clear clutter at night when the kids go to bed but cleaning is on my days off, other than wiping the kitchen counters and brushing the floor.

I feed the pigeons, I sometimes feed the sparrows too
It gives me a sense of enormous well-being

And then I'm happy for the rest of the day safe in the knowledge there will always be a bit of my heart devoted to it