People who just get things done and are relentlessly efficient - please explain how you do it

[CarbonEmittingPenguin]

As said above. I am the queen of 'getting round to things' but never actually doing them. I can waste entire days thinking about what needs doing but never actually doing it

If you are efficient and just get on with things how do you do it? What is your thought process? What are you generally like?

Oh no duds, I love a To Do List.

I couldn't do my job properly without a list - currently have 63 work tasks to do which I would never remember and can't do them all at once!

Just marking place

I am intermittently efficient interspersed with period of total CBAness. I am in a period of CBAness today, but had an efficient period at the weekend when I sorted the household finances.

I would find it exhausting being efficient all the time and am very much the same at work TBH

I have a diary, at the beginning of the year I write in it all important dates (but about a week or two in advance so that there is time to get the tasks completed before the deadline) eg birthdays, holidays, when one off bills need to be checked for better price before renewing, car mot & service, other bills, hobbies, visits, medical appointments etc

At the beginning of January I write a list of long term things that I wish to do that year

I write smaller lists of things that need doing on a daily basis
Prioritise
Things that must be completed that day
Things that need to be done, but can rollover to next day

Every day I have some "down time"

I seem to get most things done

I am on mat leave with DC3, DC1 &2 are 4 yo (in reception) and 2 yo. DH is away for long spells. People tell me I'm efficient...

• Deal with as much stuff there are then as possible- school letters, party invites, emails requiring a very quick reply.
• batch some jobs up. Every month I go through all the family birthdays and the children make cards and sometimes the next month if there is only one or two. I buy presents as I see them then sit down and wrap, parcel up the lot in one go. *batch cook
• start the day well: I lay the table and put book bags etc by the door the night before, clothes out.
• do small amounts of housework each day to a rough routine.

No, I go through patches of complete CBA, then the bare minimum gets done, unfortunately because I have a severe dust mite allergy the bare minimum still means hoovering and damp dusting the whole bloody house :(

Getting started is the worst bit. Start slowly, just tackle one thing.

Switching off is easy as I am one of Natures Blessed; a doormouse.

I can't abide lists. It's all in my head, hence why I sleep so badly as everything whirls around in my head
I've tried the list thing, it makes it worse for me, as I want to keep adding to it, and my brain won't stop. If I don't write a list, I have mental notes in my head.
I do this at work and at home, although my manager prefers me to write lists, just in case I'm not around, she'll do some of it for me.
I do have a cleaner now, which really helps me out. Dh is just so disorganised at times, I will double check with him to make sure he's done the stuff with dd's i.e.homework when I'm away with work, and that they take their stuff into school etc.

I'm another that hates knowing things need doing and so just crack on until the jobs are done. So tomorrow, I know I want to go to the gym, clean the house, go shopping and wash my hair before the kids get home from school. Not hugely important things but stuff I need to do to to feel better (I love my Friday gym session and have to have a clean house before the weekend so maybe a touch of obsessiveness?)

I'll drop the kids off at school, go straight to the gym (bag already in the car) come home and shower and grab a coffee before going to the shops. Then home and dust / hoover straight away before I grab something to eat. I won't sit down between 8-4 tomorrow but I'll know that everything's done that I want to get done.

I have friends who faff all day, pop out for coffee and feel they've achieved something if they've cleaned the bathroom. Fine if you want but then don't moan that you've got loads of jobs to do and no time to do them. You've had a full school day but chose not to get on with anything!

Routine so open post, sort, action as needed and dispose of when get in whilst having tea and discuss with DH doing same.

Tidy before cleaner weekly
Sort clothing night before
Set up washing machine night before on timer
Bimonthly check of finances - done after a huge project to sort it out 12 years ago and still reaping the benefits (yes YEARS)
Handle matters once if possible if not determine a time and plan it in diary
Annual events in diary with appropriate reminders in advance
Tasks with dates on phone/outlook
JFDI attitude, see it sort it. Saves time and effort later

I've got an app that holds my to do list. It has sub-lists and crucially you can assign dates to tasks. So I can look at all tasks or just work tasks or everything due today. I can also set reminders.

I try to schedule tasks, not just shove them on an ever lengthening list. Or just do them straightaway as mentioned by pp.

Routine works really well for me too. First thing I do every morning is put a load of washing on. Then unload the dishwasher.

I also think that if you're not naturally very organised you're not going to morph overnight into a super organised person. Better to pick one thing to get more organised with first whether that's washing or paperwork or food or whatever. Get that under control first and then pick the next thing to tackle.

Lists and a physical incapacity to let time go by between idea/task and action

Here to learn

I was forever putting things of,it started with secondary school and homework and carried on right through to my GCSE's and course work.

What stopped me(when I was an adult and had children)was that dreaded feeling I kept getting when I knew that because I'd put something of instead of just doing it there and then was going to cause me problems and would/could cause hold ups for others.

From then on I started making lists,at first they were to big and I'd feel really fed up when I hadn't managed to get everything sorted out in those lists in one day and then I'd give up again and the dread would start all over again.

Now I'm realistic about what I can and can't get done within a day or a week and every time I feel like putting it all of to another day(which still happens all the time)I just remind myself about the dread and that gives me the kick up the arse I need.

And when I'm being hard on myself because I don't feel I've done enough or done it quick enough I remind myself(that well known saying)Rome wasn't built in a day,it's corny I know but it's become like my mantra and it's really working for me.

Because of the fear of the dread and the mantra I've managed to get lots done so far this week alot of which had been put of for ages.
Here's my list.
Visited my Dad,deep cleaned his kitchen and bathroom and sorted out some paperwork to do with him being charged money for something he doesn't have to pay for.
Sorted out a large double food cupboard,a drawer in the kitchen,a large cupboard under the sink.
Sorted through a large 3 door,3 drawer entertainment unit,sorted through the hundreds of DVD's and CD's it holds,sorted all the 5DC tablets and 3DS's and all the chargers for phones,games and portable DVD players,sorted out a drawer that's used for the girls hair bands and hair brushes.
Did a big food shop and made a meal plan for 9 days.
Got our 3 dogs bathed and groomed.
Groomed the cat.
Got stuff taken to the tip.
Got some school stuff put into the attic.
Sorted something out with one of the schools.
Helped my second oldest DS with his CV.
Bought new gloves and scarves for all 5DC and bought new coats for our 2DD's.
Made appointments for myself and 4 of our DC to get our hair cut.
Ordered new hutches for the Rabbits.
Sorted out a large cupboard under the stairs.
Looked for and sorted out our holiday for Easter.

Massive post sorry,but I hope it helps.

Lists, spreadsheets and knowing that an hour before midnight is worth two hours after.

Washing/Clothes

We have enough clothes to last the working week - two washes Friday night - one dark, one light.

Wednesday - wash towels

Sunday - wash bedding

Saturday early evening - ironing watch pre-recorded TV and drinking wine. Minimal ironing - most items can make do with a shake.

Sunday night - make up a complete outfit for everyone for every day - including socks, underwear and shoes. Put outfit on hanger.

Food

I have a spreadsheet with a 6 weeks cycle of menus - winter and summer - with shopping lists attached.

Make packed lunches whilst preparing evening meal.

Visit the supermarket on Friday night - they will be quiet and fully stocked.

Buy fresh fruit and veg whilst walking out at lunchtime - combining exercise with shopping.

Housework

Saturday morning - clean bathrooms, hoover and dust everywhere else. Wash kitchen floor.

I deep clean each room on a rota on Sunday mornings.

I keep a shredder near the front door. I deal with post as it comes in or it gets shredded.

Calendar on the fridge with everyone's activities.

I never go upstairs or downstairs without carrying something.

You don't need to be relentlessly efficient.
Just don't go on mumsnet or switch your laptop on till you've done what you need to do.

Sorry, that should have read there is post that needs dealing with

Sorry, I wrote quite a long post and managed to lose it. So much for being efficient!!

The gist of it was that I take everything (post, life admin, returns) to my office where it gets done with the rest of my work. I'm a Project Manager so I have a neverending task list every day.

If I have to do something, I won't be able to forget it about it - I might as well do it there and then, and I can move on to the next thing.

However DH is master procrastinator and undoes all my hard work

I run our house very efficiently, but only because I really enjoy it. I was born to be a housekeeper

1. Use a diary faithfully, and share it with your husband.

1. If you don't have a handy DIY person in your house, have a carpenter come for 1 day every 3/6 month whatever, and keep all the stuff related to his visit in one spot so that you don't miss it.

1. Go to the dump and goodwill at regular intervals.

1. Do not let piles accumulate.

1. Use Ocado or similar.

1. As you move from one room to another, exploit your location. Never go from one room/floor to another without picking stuff up and putting it back. Use your stairs for piles and train everyone to pick them up.

1. If at all possible, make a home office spot with drawers. If you can actually find this fun, all the better - get a label maker, get to Wilco and build inventories- I find it weirdly satisfying when our printer runs out of paper and I'm able to lay my hands on the replacements within seconds.

Get yourself on Ebay and find the best sellers of things like printer ink so you never have to rush to Rymans to buy ink that costs 3x what you can get it for online.

1. I am up an hour before everyone else most every day. This is my most productive hour by far, sorting through laundry/cleaning the fridge/getting the dog out for a quick walk.

1. Use YNAB for all financial-related stuff, it creates rigourous habits that will be carried over into your non-financial life.

A pp mentioned getting sick of chasing your tail. This is so true for me.
interesting how most of the replies are from previous layabouts who found it all too stressful. I am ultra organised now, basically from the build up of so much stress and horror from being the opposite.
My tip would be think ahead of the game too, what can you do now to make life easier in the long run. So at work I'm keeping a list of "stuff I've donr" for my appraisal or if I ever go for another job so I'm not scrabbling about thinking about stuff to write about.
my boss emailed yesterday asking me to cover a very important meeting for her. Once I'd checked my availability with dh I replied to her, to the meeting organisers, blocked time in my diary and set up a pre meeting for her to brief me.
Still to do - Check with parents they can be on call for child illness (dh really can't at the moment), book train and hotel, iron suit (urgh). Yes I still have tasks to do but in the past I wouldn't have even had them clear in my mind and would have got to the day before with suit in the wash, no train etc, desperately trying to call boss to see what she thinks. Stressful and inefficient.

I could make all the lists in the world but nothing would get ticked off. I can be doing the washing up. I will have washed one plate then I get called to another area of the house to help with a homework question from dd. I will return to the sink only to be called to another room because there is an important question that Ds needs answering. Then it is back to the sink then back to dd then back to the sink then Dp needs something. I look on in awe at people who say it only takes 1 hour to clean their entire house. It seems to take me that to wash up.

Then the post will arrive and I will have to sort through the mountain of crap (parking tickets from a car I don't own, court letters for bills I have paid and had thank you for payment letters from said company). Then there is the fixing of things that have suddenly stopped working.

Every time I think I have nearly cleared the decks something comes along to put a spanner in the works. This Monday I was going to make a call to a college my dd is interested in to organise going round it and handing in the application forms. Monday morning brought a doctors appointment with dp then spending the rest of the week and the foreseeable future in hospital with dp, I have another thread running about what has happened.

I have realised that those that are super organised have time when they are on their own in the house with no one to disturb them or want anything from them.

The only person I know who thinks she is super organised lives on her own in another country to her 1 child, her child lives in a large detached house with 2 nannies and goes to see her father every other weekend. Although he is rarely there because he too is another super organised type so she stays with her step mother and her step brother.

I don't know how you get things done when you have a house full of people who want your attention every single moment of the day. I frequently get woken in the night because children want things or dd is sleep walking.

Oliver

Sorry to hear about your DP, don't know what happened there, but I hope he will get the help/treatment he needs and will get better soon.

Never finishing a job, chasing your tails - all too familiar.
I call it the "Chinese plate spinning", you know that circus act in a Chinese circus, where there are a bunch of sticks lined up, and the guy starts to spin a plate on each stick. By the time he gets to the end of the long line, the first plateis about to fall off, so he runs back to the first one and spins it again and so the whole process starts again.....
(although why they never line the sticks up in a circle is beyond me)

And that is me. Haven't even finished one thing I'm already looking at starting it all over again - hoovering a house only to find out that the first room you'd finished has cereal on the floor already because one of your kids knocked over a box sounds familiar?

unless you live alone or have a very small house and hardly anything in it, it doesn't matter how organised or tidy you are, the people you live with will always mess it up and will distract you from whatever you are concentrating on.

Mission impossible

Olivers definitely. I couldn't have managed it when the children were tiny , it's just since they've got older and physically need me less. It only takes one thing to go wrong - child minor illness or car problems - to set it all off course. So I completely agree that it must be impossible when there are real problems in the household. We also have money to throw at problems and I hope to never take thay for granted.
I hope things improve for you soon x

Sorry Olivers I don't know your story but Hope things get better soon.

Life always gets in the way but I think having semi established routines/systems helps you to get back once the crisis is over. I think one if the reasons we have a large shared diary (always on kitchen Worktop so can be checked if a delivery company rungcetc) is because dd2 was v poorly for months and had several hospital admissions at shirt notice. Having the week's plans written out meant DH/my mum/friends could keep the show on the road for dd1. I think it's influenced me quite a bit actually as that's why I get party presents wrapped and ready when I RSVP to something as that's the kind if thing DH wouldn't think of in my absence. He'd take them as per the in invite but he wouldn't do the extra stuff.

I think you're right SPB - money/resources help hugely - I have a smartphone which I use incessantly to online bank, shared online calendars, email, grocery shop etc and would be lost without it. We have a cleaner regularly and I have someone I can pay to walk the dog if life overtakes me.