Difficulty scheduling and getting things done

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I’m having a hard time scheduling and getting things done.

I’m posting this on the School and College sub forum because the biggest thing I’m struggling with getting done right now, is my online university course, but I have a lot of other things I’m struggling to get done as well. I have moved in to a new townhouse back in Autumn and I still haven’t unpacked (mainly because I’m focused on my university work.) I don’t think I have vacuumed the downstairs of place since the start of winter, and I have not vacuumed the upstairs yet. I struggle really hard to get my chores done, and often end up having them delayed. And on top of all that, I almost always find myself side-tracked by various things, right now I’m struggling with getting just one small part of my university course done, which I was hoping to get done last Friday I think; but because of issues on my computer that are too long for me to go into detail on here, I can’t get it done until tomorrow at the soonest!

How do I get all this in order?

Research, google Executive Functioning. It's a big deal for us. There are books on it.

Then get a bunch of Popsicle/craft sticks. Write down all of the things you need to do on the sticks. One chore = one stick. Before going to bed, choose the chore sticks you'll need to do tomorrow. Place them in a vertical display in a prominent position. Between waking up the next day and going to bed, focus on doing the chores on each stick. Remove each stick and place it back in the non active pile once the relevant chore is completed. Make sure that you choose the next days chores before going to bed. Indeed, you can make a stick to remind yourself to do this. Either add it to your daily vertical display, in which case it will be the last stick standing, or blue tac it to the wall above your bed.

You can paint or dye your sticks to add a little color to your display.

^ I love it!

Greatshield, this has been an overwhelming problem in my life. I have tried many recommended organizational tools and they all work for a little while and then succumb to chaos.

In spite of all this, I have managed to get along in life with employment, etc.

I have never tried the Popsicle trick, but have tried lists and lists of lists and various apps that are supposed to help you organize your life.

Tip: urgent and important are not the same. Learn the difference and do the important things.

When things get out of hand in my life, I do "schedule" by deadlines. For example, if I have to pass a biology test in the morning, I do study the night before. Keep in mind that 90% of what you are going to forget, you will forget in the first 24 hours. Last minute cramming really does work.

Housekeeping and unpacking are about last on my list. If it isn't bad enough for the health inspectors to shut you down, it's good enough.

I'm back from break, thanks you two.

I do have plenty of cardboard leftover from various packages I've ordered, so I guess I'll cut up some strips and write down what needs to be done on them.

I have had a bit of improvement in these last couple of weeks, but I still need to keep working at this.

Hadn’t heard the popsicle stick one before: sounds like a great way to work.

I have a four week rota of things that need doing regularly on my door*, and a desk diary that I note irregular additions in: it’s taken a while to fine tune the system, but it works for me more often than it doesn’t.

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*did try having it on the wall, but no: it has to be where I’ll definitely walk past it regularly to remind me to look at it

Make it fun!! !! ! Put on some great music you love then set a timer for 10, 15 or 20 minutes, etc. See how much you can get done in one area focusing on one thing such as vacuuming. You will be surprised how much you can get done in a short amount of time and it didn't take as long as you thought. Once you complete one item on your to do list take a short break then repeat with another area or task. I get overwhelmed thinking about how much I need to do so breaking it down into small "projects" helps me get through it because it's only a few minutes and one thing at a time.

You can also try doing something during commercials, you don't have to complete it during on set but perhaps by the end of your show you'll have made a dent or completed one project.

Good luck.

Good to see you back, Greatshield.

I'm sorry I didn't reply to your PM; it takes me considerable mental investment to write back to people personally.

Executive functioning can be a very important thing to accomplish; do try to see if you have any friends around. You remind me of Rutherford from seminary. He was a great student and used to do all his works on an old Olympia typewriter without ever bothering to check for spelling--then just hand them in.

He wasn't so great at executive functioning either but was an awesome person whom I'd very much like to catch up with again. He succeeded by giving himself goals & deadlines to succeed.

Some great tricks here. I'm also glad to see that you're doing a bit better with this.

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned is to take into account the circumstances of our global situation. We are in the middle of a public health and economic disaster of epic proportions. Some things will go off the rails. Be sure to congratulate yourself on the things you're doing well, and try not to kick yourself too hard for the things that aren't going the way you want them to.

Nobody said that any of this will be easy. Sure, put forth your best effort into improvement on your goals, but keep your criteria for success realistic and look at the times you fall short in a healthy way.