Can you become an "organised person"? Any techniques? I'm talking about a complete personality change required here

[Tinker]

I think I'm beginning to get sick of myself being so disorganised. I've been off work for over 3 weeks now. At the start of the summer holiays I vowed I would have the house tidy and be organised about holiday stuff etc. The house is still a tip and I left it until yesterday to ring abour insurance, green card, breakdown cover etc - we leave tomorrow! Also, only remembered yesterday that I should have registered last Friday for exams I'm taking in December - without the good humour and goodwill of the person dealing with this I would have had to stump up £200 up front. At work I'm either in a state of boredom or panic - things only get done when I have my boss on my back.

HOW do you change to from being a person who needs deadlines to get anything done to someone who passes through life smoothly and seamlessly? Anyone have any realistic workable tips/techniques?

Thanks

I dont know, but if you find out 'how' let me know!

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I cheat Twiglett - I write and cross off stuff I've already done to make me feel better.

I swear by my palm pilot: good diary so I never miss an appt/double book + have a reminder pop up a few/days weeks before so I can prepare anything necessary + good to do list so that I prioritise what needs to be done and again get reminders. + a good paperwork system so that you never have to spend ages finding things you've filed and deal with paperwork in a timely manner.

Oh god I'm the same and it really depresses me.

I don't know about you but my worst problem is procrastination. I procrastinate because I get overwhelmed by the thought of all the things I have to do. This invariably results in me slumping in a chair smoking cigarettes and cursing myself for being hopeless.

The only cure for procrastinating is just to get off one's arse and make a start. All the usual advice - break tasks down into achievable chunks etc - do work. It's just how to get started that is always the problem for me.

grrr

There's a little book about feng shui that through orgabising your house it helps you to organise your life. I though it was bu**cks until I read the reviews. I'm an organisation freak since I have it, I would lend you my copy but this is my fifth copy as the others I have lent has never been returned by the now very organised owners

Clear your clutter with feng shui

oh god spacemonkey that sounds like me

Tinker i had to laugh at you list making skills! I am not organised to even make a list and my hand would hurt by the end of it

I got a big floral diary, a chalkboard in the hallway, wrote down everything I needed to do on the day before it needed doing, then learned to check it, for very important things I set a reminder on my mobile phone
As we're moving house I cannot afford to eff this up...
It is working
today I have been to the landfill, picked up dd's prescription, dropped ds off at cousins, ironed, done laundry and packed a box from ds's bedroom, also filed returned bank statements
So that is more than I would usually do in a week!
Best bit is never feeling guilty about leisure time then!

the very fact that i am here participating in this thread when i am sitting at my desk in the office with a big pile of stuff to do is PROOF of my inability to get on with the task in hand

These are good. Procrastination is my downfall as well sm. That and being too easily distracted. And convincing myself that I'm doing something productive. When I'm meant to be revising I'll write down lists of questions and kid myself that is still studying.

On the Calendar thing at work, I'll write things in the Task list thing but I might sometimes cross it out so it looks (to anyone looking) that I've done it. Makes me feel it is less urgent. But still doesn't mean it's been done

Part of the problem is that I think I like the image of being a disorganised, chaotic person but I'm getting fed up of the practicalities of that.

That's an interesting point. I rather like the image of it too. I worry that if I get too organised I might turn into a German

Oh, glad you said that is more than you do in a week piffle. My blood just ran cold reading that list

Also, today is the last day I get a chance to get school shoes for daughter (well, have 2 days when we get back but there'll be either no choice then or the shops will be packed) And I've not gone yet!

Tinker - get off Mumsnet now and go and do one of the things you should be doing, then you can come back for a little chat before you do the next.

(of course as I'm typing this now I should be working )

Oh this is me too. I have a date diary now after years of missing appointments My house is messy but I know where most things are.
I watched back to back re runs of How clean...the other day just to cheer myself up my DS1 said 'our house is spotless next to them mam' bless him

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What's Flylady?

I think one of the tricks with lists is to intersperse horrid things that you've been putting off for ages with a few easy, quick things. I find it motivating to be able to tick a few things off, and it somehow makes the more challenging things less daunting.

Another tip from someone who's constantly locked in a struggle against chaotic disorganisation ? have set places, where you always keep your keys for instance. Likewise, lipstick, purse & phone ? these seem to always be the things that seem to go missing in an inverse proportion to how much time I have to get ready for something.

Another flylady fan here (although I don't bother with the emails anymore) - it really has changed me to be much more efficient and organised.

I particularly found the advice of the kitchen timer useful. If I have a lot to do, I'll have a list, then set the timer for 15 minutes. When it goes off I stop what I'm doing, switch tasks to another on the list - that helps me to keep focussed and you do things quicker automatically because you know you've got a finite time. Also, knowing that it's "only" for 15 minutes means I'm less likely to procrastinate than if I know it's an hour job.

If I'm trying to juggle kids and do chores, then I'll spend 30mins concentrated play with them, then have 15 min chore time (again, using the timer - this time more for my 3 year old's benefit, so he knows he gets Mummy back once the timer has gone off!)

I'm really weird on this as I can be and am super efficient about some stuff but can get seriously unorganised about other stuff. I think it is to do with nerves - if I am worried about something than doing something about it makes me feel much better but if I'm doing stuff that I've done before (or, at least similar stuff) then I tend to be more relaxed and end up forgetting the stuff that needs to be done.

Sorry, no real help but it feels good to work out why I am the way I am.

I am exactly the same. In my head I have all these things I say I ahve to do and I WILL do them, then all of a sudden the whole day has gone by and I have achieved none of it. Then I get depressed at all the things I have left to do, then it overwhelms me, so I just sit there doing nothing, or messing on the pc, inbetween having a fag or two in the garden!

just looked at the FLYlady site and am off to declutter the kitchen! Only babysteps though

p.s. if you see me posting before 1.30 shout at me!

I think I have an inbuilt kickback against being told what to do as well,which doesn't help. Places like Flylady make me want to kill.

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You know whats funny? I'm sat here refreshing this thread (it so about me) to avoid doing jobs that are slowly and surely building up and up. I do this a lot on MN and TBH its very depressing - I wish I could snap out of it . Maybe Flylady is the answer.....

Do you think they'd let us do a Mumsnet clinical trial of this drug?