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?

Bullet journal isn't complicated, honest! Nor can I take the credit for linking to it - I only found out about it the other day on this thread from another poster.

Anyway, I don't want to keep going on about it because it makes me look like a saddo not everyone on the thread is keen. But I might start a thread on it in Chat and say how I've set mine up, just in case anyone is interested and wants to be able to start their own bullet journal without bothering to read all about it on the website.
Off to do that now. Will call the thread Bullet Journal. Maybe see a few of you over there or just waffle on quietly to myself surrounded by tumbleweeds ?

merciful I'm thinking I should do the same for GTD to avoid sounding like a loony zealot.

Hey all. I've got a thread running in AIBU if anyone can give me a kick up the ass for this last push!

building2016 - I like the look of the GTD thing too. Might wander over to your thread if you start one! Just started mine...

Break big jobs down and just face up to each bit I work from home a lot and make deals with myself (an hour doing X means I can have half an hour on mn)
Declutter I do a drawer/cupboard crap zone every day
Regular cleaning days
OHIO (only handle it once) don't put stuff down unless it's in its permanent home/dishwasher/laundry bin/recycling/rubbish
Ask for help my dh doesn't see what needs doing but does whatever he's asked to do (twice if he does it badly the first time)
I procrastinate about the tax returns but I reward myself with an expensive treat for doing them.

merciful

If you start a thread about it would you do it in "Hood Housekeeping" (or whatever it's called) and PM a link please?

*Good
Not Hood!!!

One thing that's helped me a lot is timing how long jobs take. So, emptying dishwasher I know takes less than 5 mins, hoovering the whole house can be done in around 20, etc etc..means when I'm pushed for time I know what I can fit in, and makes the jobs less "big" in my head. This thread is fan, so many good ideas!

Zing - oops sorry! I have already started my thread in Chat. Will pm you a link though.

fiesta I am rubbish at estimating how long things take and getting my head round that has really helped me. I think it is a hangover from having really tiny children around, when suddenly unloading the dishwasher takes INFINITELY LONGER THAT YOU THOUGHT POSSIBLE. I just didnt adjust very easily to actually being more in control of my time.

Yes same here, that's a really good point. It wasn't just that thigs took longer, I was never sure if I started something that I'd actually finish it before my time was taken up with children Again. Not adapted. I can now say I've got three hours and I can get x, y and z done and barring emergencies, it will happen. They won't wee on the floor or poo up their vest :) they won't have a feeding session that lasts an hour and a half and then refuse to be put down. They're 9 and 6

So they should be past that stage ;)

Ooh another thing I have is a spreadsheet of meals to help with meal planning. Across the top is the main ingredient eg chicken, veg, beef and down the side is categories like 'one pot', 'with rice', 'freezable', 'slow cooker', 'soup', 'with potatoes' etc. Just need to actually use it more!

I've thought of another couple of things:

I order loads of 'stick-ins' and keep them in a drawer in our hall. When I sort washing, but any new uniform/kit if the children put something in their bag for show & tell/dress up day etc I whip out a sticker and label everything before it leaves the house. They work on anything and everything. I ordered one batch with just our surname on too so I can use them for lunch boxes or folders for work too.

I have the Snapfish app on my phone and regularly update and print photos using it. When I go to Ikea I always but a few Ribba frames that match our decor and so can always frame a photo when I want to. I also buy certificate frames in funky colours from Wilkos and dc1&2 have a wall in their room where we put up certificates/awards - having a couple of spare frames means I always do this when they bring things home and before they get bent/marked.

Hi all - we're going to pop this over to Housekeeping so we don't lose it.

May I join too please?

I'm not 'relentlessly efficient' but we as a family are much more in control now.

I work from home and different 'jobs' have different colour files and document wallets, a separate drawer of the filing cabinet and note book.

For home, I've found that little things like printed correspondence cards (which are simply printed 4 per sheet on cream card using the laser printer and guillotining) for writing quick notes to school etc; having a cash tin with enough cash for the DS's pocket money, cub tuck, tooth fairy and small school bits for a few weeks means I'm never scrabbling about in my purse for non-existent change.

I also have some laminated sheets - usually A5 or smaller which notes and lists are written on with a felt tip pen. They can be blu-tacked to the front door or kitchen door and mean they're reusable.

More will come to me I'm sure!

Charming, stick-in's sound like something I need to invest in!

lucysmam I am also never without stikins. I get them printed with just our surname so I can hand down easily and don't have to pick which sticker to use. Perfect.

This is a brilliant thread, hopefully I will keep coming back and picking up tips as I organise myself.

One thing I'm getting better at which is helping me to get more organised is decluttering. It's actually quite addictive and I'm doing the 30 day declutter challenge in January (slightly lost count but am almost certainly over so far, as I've been clearing things out by the box load!) Doing little jobs eg. Today I will reorganise my kitchen crap drawer (does everyone else have one of these too?) Tomorrow I will organise my dresser (haven't been able to see the top of it since November!)

Last week I finally stuck all the little recipes I've cut/ copied out of magazines etc into a little ringbinder, organised by starter/ main/ dessert/ snacks & party food. Means I can ditch lots of paper and ultimately I plan to copy some recipes from my books into there and ditch the cookbooks I don't use (or only use one or two recipes from).

I do need better systems in place but it's a lot easier to be tidier and do stuff when there aren't piles of junk hiding what needs to be done! I still feel like I'm drowning in junk and very conscious that I have a looooong way to go and that I'm the only person in the house who is willing to part with things, let alone take the time to sort through them. We may have to move later this year and if it comes to that I will be forcing DH and DS 1 & 2 into action. DD (almost 2) isn't much help, though I caught her trying to 'clear up' this week, which involved taking her cutlery off the table and binning it! Maybe won't ask for her assistance...

Sugar, maybe hold off on asking your dd for help just yet...

I've been clearing out this past few weeks - did 2 black bags and a couple of carriers to hand on to other people last week alone. Tin cupboard today - I did it about 3 months ago so nothing much in there to get rid of. I did find sushi rice which hasn't been used in ??? years so will use that to fill a few beanbags for Rainbows as I make them.

We might have to move this year too so I want everything as easy to pack up as possible. Am off to the butcher tomorrow to ask him to save me some egg boxes (big ones that the little cartons come in) so I can go through the garage just transferring from one box to another as I go.

Might tackle paperwork one day this week. Maybe. That's the one job I dread!

That's a great idea about the recipe books, I must admit I do like to read them sometimes esp. Elizabeth David ones, I'd keep them of course!

I meant the above post for SugarMice ! Aah bless your L.O.'s attempt at tidying up!

Hilary I hope you are still feeling inspired :) I had a similar thought today. I was standing next to the wardrobe thinking, uggh I am SO BORED by doing the laundry and putting it away, I wish I could use my brain, I feel terribly restless in this role. Then I was thinking if only this was something I could be all creative, efficient and projecty about, I think it would be better and then it would make me feel like I was at least doing something worthwhile, too.

It motivated me for about five seconds then I got bored. So I designated the few tasks I would do and then jump on the computer. I actually have some work prep and other householdy kinds of documenting to do on the computer anyway. So I should probably do that rather than MNing

The bullet journal thing doesn't really appeal to me but pinterest for recipes does - I have a little randomising program on my computer which I can amuse myself for hours writing little scripts for, so I have one for meals, I categorised each type of meal into the time taken and allocated which meal types I can make on which day. Added something which chooses me three random seasonal veg for the week, and that's the basis for my meal plan. I can spend hours procrastinating and browsing when I want to, and when I want to look up a meal, I just go into the category and pick something which looks nice. Then the recipe is stored too so I can look on my phone while I'm cooking, I have a weight/volume conversion app on there too so it's nice and easy. I do have cookbooks, but end up using online recipes more often.

I started a Mega List yesterday.
I think someone mentioned here to write tasks, weekly repeat stuff or things that happen often on sticky notes, what a great idea!
I have things like "Shopping" "Post Office" "Play for Piano" "Grandma picks up DD from playgroup" "DS3 walks home with friend" etc, so much quicker to transfer from one day to another, especially when plans change and tasks need reshuffling

And then it hit me - RECIPES!!!
I can do this with dinner planning!
So on 1st note I wrote : mince meat, tom sauce, leeks, celery, carrots, garlic, pasta, frozen veg, cheese
2nd note : tuna, mayo, cucumber, sweetcorn, pitta bread, spring onions (pitta pockets)
And so on.

This way I can plan what dinner to make each night (and swap things round easier if need to) AND when I go shopping I can run through "recipes" to check what ingredients are misding and add to list.
I'm very pleased with this idea. I've written out about 20 "recipes" so far.

I'min love with sticky notes

marking place for a good read through later