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?

oliversmummy. Life sound very hard at present - I'm sorry to hear it.

A tip I am taking away from this thread is to buy a shredder and to put it in the porch, next to the paper recycling bag so that extraneous stuff that identifies can go straight in it. We both waste time tearing up and taking stuff to work!

I like to start and end the day looking at the list of things I meant to do but didn't.

Then I decide whether those things get bumped to tomorrow, next week or get abandoned.

For example today I was going to shop and get a haircut while I was in town, but the weather is nasty, so the shopping gets delayed to tomorrow, and the haircut to next week. Cleaning the oven however just got moved to today.

Oliver so sorry about your DP,I I hope your both getting some support from friends and family.

My life is as far removed from your friends as possible I think,we have 5DC and 2 of our DC and myself are disabled.

We don't have any back up or support at all,were the one's that are looking after and sorting out things for my Dad who's disabled and seriously ill now despite one of my brothers and nephews living with my Dad.I end up going up there and spending an hour or two tidying up,cleaning and picking up after all 3 of them with my Husband and not surprisingly my DH is fed up with it,he doesn't mind doing anything for my Dad he loves him and he loved my Mum,he just hates the fact that I'm doing it instead of the two men(brother and nephew) that could do it.

With the starting jobs and keep getting called away could the children not come to you?I used to always go to our 5DC when ever one of them called me but I had to stop when I became disabled and my health started getting worse.
I'd hate having to start and stop all the time and I know I would loose the momentum and end up getting sod all done.

We've got the broken sleep nearly every night as well,our youngest DD8 is autistic and has a lot of health problems and some physical disability as well,she can still have months and months of sleep like a newborn,we still have to use a baby monitor for her and I can't see that ending any time soon.Our oldest DD12 has started having fits at nightime,not every night thank God they're horrendous when they happen to her and we have a sleepwalker DS17 best one ever was when his Dad caught him climbing into his wardrobe trying to stick his legs through a sleeve and the head hole of a jumper and insisting he was putting his tracksuit bottoms on and not having a clue what his Dad's problem was with this,that was at gone midnight.

Your not alone Oliver,if you ever feel like you need a hand hold I've got one spare. I hope things start settling down for you soon.Fingers crossed for you that one day the only thing you'll have to worry about is your DC waking up before 7 am on a weekend,I've still got my fingers crossed for that day for us as well

Plan your meals at least a week in advance, then shop accordingly. Knowing what you need to buy, and what you're having erases that scrabbling around for food ideas at 5pm (and saves money).

In the evening I'm preparing dinner, plus simulatenously making packed lunch and breakfast for the next morning (I start work 8am so eat it there).

I second the idea of reminders on phones, I also use an app called Paperless which you add ticklists to, its v.therepeutic marking things as 'done'. I also use the good old post-it notes, keep a pad of them in the car, work and house. I stick reminders on my steering wheel for things I need to do when I get back in my car at the end of the day.

Olivers I'm sorry your dp is ill.
I can assure you I don't have a nanny! :)
In the 3 weeks before xmas I had one day where I wasn't looking after sick kids or rushing my mum to hospital and hospital visiting :(
Luckily because I am organised everything was done...gifts bought and wrapped, cards sent, ordered.
I have the broken sleep too. You are not alone there.
One thing that screams out at me from your post is that you need to know it's ok to say "I'm busy at the moment please come and ask me in 10 mins/when I'm finished"
My dh will be flying to the U.S. tomorrow for a week. My kids understand we have to help each other when he is not here.
I hope your dp gets well soon

One of the things that's been well worth time investment was typing all addresses for family/friends up and saving on computer meaning I can print labels really quickly and easily for Christmas cards and thank you letters. I copy and paste the relevant ones, print as labels and them know how many I've sent/still have to go.

I've shopped for next Christmas in the sales. I've bought Christmassy jumpers/socks/hats at ridiculous prices, as well as a nice outfit a gifts for all dnieces and nephews. I enter these on oh god spreadsheet so I don't duplicate and can keep an eye on totals spends. I've bought all Christmas cards in the sales too.

Can this be moved to housekeeping please. Would be a shame to lose all these great tips!

I travel a lot - hence my mums net usage and I find I get a lot done regarding bills and phone calls and emails while travelling.
I am also rather a proud person and like to keep up with myself in terms of control of my life. I just cannot let things slide.
I realise I sound like a nightmare!

The best thing I ever read which was about successful people is that they don't care how they feel they just think if the end result. So they will clean when they're tired or get something done when they don't feel like it. It's being a slave to our feelings which prevents us from getting things done and procrastinating apparently! It does help me sometimes (although I do struggle)!

I agree with that jw. Hadn't thought about it but it resonates with my earlier post.

Get up early and do an hours worth of stuff before anyone else gets up!

People that get things done often feel like they want to put it off but they know that it feels better to get it out the way and relax rather then leave it and dwell.

I used to majorly procrastinate, I'm slowly become more of a do'er due to this :)

1. Lists
2. Prioritisation
3. Delegation and clear responsibility for who owns a task outcome and if any consultation is required. I don't need to know what birthday present for child x got bought; I do want a say on which builders we short-list (short-listing was my DH's job).
4. Routines
5. Electronic resources: shop online, bank online, pay bills by DD etc.

I'm another one that does things there and then, and if I have a spare moment then I can just do something.

I catagorise emails as they come in, marking those that need a response, those that need me to add something to my calendar, moving stuff to folders if they are just for information and deleting things that are not useful.
I do the same with the post as I open it and recycle what we don't need straight away. I have a folder with 12 compartments and I file things according to month, so all the bank statements and bills are in one place, and then at the end of the year, they all get collected in an A4 envelope with the year on and stored for 6 years.

I have a stock of cards and wrapping paper in a drawer as well as a stock of children's birthday presents for unexpected occasions.

I online shop when I am short of time and try to meal plan every week (doesn't always work out but I try to have a running idea of what is in my freezer).

Lists!!! And a good memory. And a want to just get on and do it. Some people have this, others don't. I'm happy to accept it needs doing, do it, and then move on to the next. Once it's all done I can relax. DP is polar opposite and will do it when he wants is sick of me asking or I finally break him. It took him 3 hours to put a bin liner in. I refused to do it out of stubbornness.

I do switch off. Just when I'm happy I've done all I need to do. I enjoy my down time more knowing I've done it all.

If it's cleaning, I do it all before I shower, then I feel like I'm kind of ready for my day. If it's chores that mean going out, I work out the best order to do it so I can work my way back home. The mentality of it just makes me feel better.

Don't know if that answers or helps

I'm not super organised but one of the ways I've found to remove angst is to think hard about something JUST ONCE, then stick with your reasoned choice.

For regular shopping, I know the products I like and the price I want them to be (so my Panten shampoo at under €2.50 for 250mls or equivalent is a good buy).

I know which clothes match and wear that outfit without dithering in front of the wardrobe in the mornings. I'll leave mixing and matching clothes to when I have the time.

I've also made lifestyle choices which may cost more (like using a weekly laundry service at 30% more than doing it at home, all costed out) but which give me less stress and a more enjoyable home life.

Obviously direct debits for bills and a knowledge of your expenses is fundamental, but if your brain is free of mundane decisions you can take a crisis in your stride.... Hopefully!

Oh, and a knowledge of what you're capable of is helpful, too! For example I know I can do most DIY jobs except painting. From previous failures I now realise I have to call in the professionals! There's no shame in delegating.

bobochic are you a spy?

BertieBotts I have encountered you on several threads (under different name) and I just wanted to say that Getting Things Done has very very useful things to say about precisely the problems you run into with lists. It is just SO USEFUL. And I don't implement the whole system but I am several steps up from where I used to be in terms of organisation. And I have ME and cognitive problems that come from that so I really do need it.

I agree with everyone who says lists - this is great for sharing to do lists:

www.wunderlist.com/home

Dh and I can both add to it and tick things off

I'd describe myself as pretty efficient at home and very efficient at work

At home:

Bills all paid by direct debit
Cleaner 3 times a week (does all washing, beds, tidying, bins etc)
Wunderlist for bigger things
Folder for bills that come by post (mostly paperless though)
Clear post every day
chores lists for kids too at weekends, eg get their stuff sorted for school
Shop online
Deal with school letters ASAP

At work:

Emails: I do it, delegate it or delete it
I only keep stuff in my inbox that needs action, usually less than 30 emails
I have a master spreadsheet with projects, tasks, deadlines
I check meetings 2 weeks ahead to make sure I'm prepared
I list everything to do in the morning before I leave for the day
Anything unfinished is transferred to the next day's list
I document actions in meetings on a spreadsheet as we go along
or I email them out immediately after the meeting (where they're my meetings, obviously)
I say no when I need to

And yes to the lovely hard back A5 book!
Paperchase do some lovely ones.
Also...do make sure if you have an iPhone that you fill in the medical id section in case of emergencies, especially if you have allergies.

I have a toddler, so I used to make lists. Now I have a 3 year old and a huge Golden Retriever puppy. WHO EATS MY LISTS. #aagghhh Suggestions?? #NeedABlackboard

I do love stationary.

These are for you Carbon (stationery addict high five)

An example...
Ds1 has come home with a trip letter - a trip he would like to go on.
Also he is doing food tech again so a list for next week of ingredients needed.
What I've done:
Filled out trip form, included payment, put it in my diary and put the slip in also to remind me of pick up times.
Letter and form and chq now in an envelope,in his bag for Monday (first come first served trip)
I have checked what ingredients I have already and I only need to buy a lemon and baking powder. I will buy these on Monday and pack the ingredients the night before.
Done.
took less than 5 mins.

Thanks Zing . I used to buy all the fancy stationery shit in January and whilst it would look nice on my desk it was never actually used. Anyway how are all the little zings doing?

One of the most efficient people I know has three kids, a mega-stressful job and is a part-time writer. She told me her secret: a MEGA LIST she created a few years ago (it took her a full week to do it and it listed every glitch, annoying must-get-round-to-it thing, task and snag in her entire house). Then she set about crossing off the list. She made the list in September and by December had done EVERY single thing on the list. Her life has flowed more smoothly ever since and she is a paragon of efficiency because she cleared out clutter so she wouldn't have to clear it away, put routines into place, fixed broken things she needed and chucked out anything that wasn't working. I have got as far as making The List... watch this space...