Getting organised and managing your time

[PolkadotRosa]

rather than being on mumsnet:)

What are your secret weapons/great methods/successful ideas to help in organising kids, the house, life in general??
I'm either really good, or really bad (last-minute, stressed & annoyed with myself) but I'm getting better, it's a work in progress. Anyone want to join me in being efficient & fabulous?!!
Or please do share if you're already organised and a pro time-manager. Thanks:)

Definitely not a pro time-manager, but couldn't leave your question unanswered.

I notice that I get more done when I make a list. If you are not a 'list' person then this may not help you.

I have an A5 notebook and each day I make a to-do list, of tasks broken down so they can reasonably be completed that day. I include work and home tasks in the same list. At the end of the day I review the list and cross them off or carry them over to the next day. If it's a very busy, complicated list, I prioritise tasks in deadline order. If I really feel there is too much for me to cope with and still stay sane, I go through the list and think of ways to hand some tasks on to family members, paying people to do bits of it, or sometimes just dropping things off the list permanently.

I'm afraid I'm a list maker too. Without lists, I'd never keep track of everything I need to do. Just juggling too much.

Thank-you for your replies! I am a list maker, I too couldn't do without writing my 'to do's' down, and I'm ok with prioritising - the delegation aspect is something I'll work on. I tend to stress myself doing it myself so I know it's getting done to my standards (control freak? moi?!) and something inside me has a thing about asking for help. Silly I know. Doesn't help that my DH has ADD (I spend alot of time 'organsing' him) I'm so 'on the ball' with my job I just can't seem to be quite the same at home.
I get kids school stuff all ready the night before, use my calender etc.. Any other tips/routines anyone??

Mum's calender on kitchen wall - space for each of us and one blank for extra. If it's not on there it's not happening.
Do as much prep as possible in evenings e.g. lunchboxes
Cook bigger than needed quantities and freeze half

I find if I use a timer to do something then I do it a lot quicker than if I don't. I am not naturally a high energy/speedy person and if I don't do this then I can easily take an hour to do the washing up!

The do it now principle helps.

Anything that I need to take with me is put on the inside door handle the night before or in the car. Stops me forgetting things.

I have an A5 diary and write everything in there: appointments, lists - the lot. I also have an expandafile that I keep important paperwork that I will need access to. I operate it on a days of the week and months of the year basis if that makes sense. Paperwork passes from the month to the day section as and when I need it.

Finally, lower your standards.

Thanks pixies and HaveA
Timer works for me too. 15mins cleaning/tidying spells using my mobile stopwatch/alarm- it's amazing how much you can actually do in 15 mins, isn't it? Standards have been lowered, maybe I need to let them drop a tad more. I've never been a everything has to be 'just so' person and since making changes, I've adopted the mantra "good enough Is good enough" an immaculate house & toddlers don't mix.
I just want to be more organised so I can spend more time enjoying life, so to speak.

For me everything has to start with a clean kitchen and a shiny sink - once this is done is frees me to address other stuff. If I have a job to do I that I'm not looking forward to, I just see how much I can do in half an hour, with permission to stop at that point - more often than not I'll see it through anyway, it's the getting started that matters.

Enough time on my own - I can multitask like a demon if uninterrupted, so if DH offers to be out for something, I take the chance to get on top of things.

Saying yes to offers of help!

Lists lists lists - lists of lists, list by genre, uber-lists

A good filing cabinet

A de-clutter regularly of clothes / stuff for charity shop - generally not feeling guilty about binning stuff

Getting up early enough

Putting things where needed for the next day

A whiteboard in the kitchen

Fab ideas Rural I've done a huge declutter recently, loads given/chucked/recycled and boy does it make a difference. Takes half the time to tidy. A place for everything too, that's really important. And putting stuff away, where it's meant to live, instead of plonking it on the side 'temporarily'
Putting our shoes & coats away as soon as we come in too, not littering the hall/backs of chairs.
I think I'll start asking DH if he'll bugger off take the LO's out or keep them in one room for an hour or so while I crack on Tasmanian devil stylee. Think I'll arrange a specific day, or two, for this (Taz Time!)

Oh yes, and I second the shiny sink too. As an on/off follower of FLYlady I believe in its powers, lol.

There's some brilliant advice on this thread from a couple of years ago. It's long, but definitely worth a read for some great tips on being more organised.

Love the Taz Time idea! No advice from me, I'm here to learn. Am rather in need of help myself! Will head over to the other thread..

Delegation is the secret of success IMO

I know that generally speaking DH's are useless but make sure they take ownership of tasks that they are willing and capable of undertaking.

Take laundry. Make them own laundry. Teach them to read fabric care labels. Make them understand that if you wash a lovely woolly on 60 degrees - bad things happen.

Gardening. Make them own the garden. Get them to treat the lawn, trim the edges, shape the hedges and plant the borders. Remember to compliment them on a nicely trimmed hedge or a nicely climbing clematis.

Get the DCs involved. Get them engaged with a dinosaur plant. Get them taking care of the herb garden. Most of all, get them engaged in feeding the pets (unless the pets show imminent signs of dying of starvation).

Most of all, look generally absent and vague if something is missing. No fresh milk? Why DS, just run to the shop and get some. Run out of chillies? DD, we have run out of chillies, and I am cooking dinner and it will be a disaster without them. Look, the dog hasn't been walked! Domestic emergency. DH YOU NEED TO WALK THE DOG.

You get my drift. Avoid taking ownership of tasks. Make sure that everyone around you does take ownership of tasks. You are in charge. This is not a democracy. This is a family. Sheesh. Then sit back, relax and enjoy MN.

Yes to lists!
I also do a meal plan most weeks, it helps me organise my shopping list, the time I've got available for cooking & I find it gives me one less thing to stress about each day, which is a step in the right direction! (Added bonus is that we end up with a decent meal every day, I'm not a good at improvising when it comes to cooking!)

If you look on Austerity Housekeeping there are meal plans and linked shopping lists, if you need them. Look for posts entitled 'A Week's Dinners'.

Please everyone, listen to Wuldric.

We work as a team and start sorting the house out when dh takes ds to bath I whiz around the house rising/cleaning. Then I take over with ds and dh does all the washing up.

other jobs are slotted into the day on a system and the house remains permanently acceptable

If all adults in a house do an hour a day total each, it never gets too bad.

Get into routines so you do things at the same time each day/week. Make sure these work for you e.g. if you struggle to get out of the house on time in the mornings, do your housework when you get home at night.