Anonymous wrote:OP I’m very motivated in the morning. I can get a lot done…. But it’s now not even 7pm and I’m in my Jammie’s with my bra off waiting for my 11yo to get home from soccer so we can watch Survivor together then go to bed. I’ll get nothing productive done this evening.
I do well with lists and goals for the day. Even if it’s a mental list and not written..

Oh bra off, I can relate. That’s when I’m closed for business and settle in.

Some people are better than others at estimating time. My husband always thinks errands, like stopping by a store for one thing, will take him 15 minutes, but its actually closer to 40 between parking, finding the item, checking out, etc. I think it's too depressing for him to think about it actually being 40?

But if you have a very realistic sense of time, it's easy to plug errands into your schedule.

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand this either, OP. Me getting things done depends too much others. Slow drivers, slow cashiers, everyone is too slow.

Especially the dentist. That seems like it could create a delay.

I don't understand this either, OP. Me getting things done depends too much others. Slow drivers, slow cashiers, everyone is too slow.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will never be me. Errands before a 2 pm seminar? Heck no!

I need to arrive at the seminar by 1:30 or else I feel late and it gives me anxiety. So arriving by 1:30 means I need to leave by 12:45. Leaving at 12:45 means I need to eat lunch at 12. Eating lunch at 12 means I need to either make sure I eat breakfast before 7:30 or skip it altogether. Making sure I'm up early enough to eat breakfast by 7:30 stresses me out the night before so I don't sleep well. I wake up cranky and tired. The eggs taste too eggy and the toast won't get crisp enough. During the hours of 8 am to 11:30 am I sulk about having to even go to the seminar until I realize if I don't get my butt in gear, I'm going to show up looking a hot mess.

See? Could never be me.

Uhh, are you actively treating your anxiety?

Is that anxiety? Two posters have now called the above anxiety. Not the PP, but it describes me exactly. I don't feel anxious, but maybe I am?

It’s absolutely anxiety. Not the backing into what needs to be done when but stressing and worry about it. Not being able to sleep because you have to be up by a certain time to get everything done? Absolutely anxiety.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will never be me. Errands before a 2 pm seminar? Heck no!

I need to arrive at the seminar by 1:30 or else I feel late and it gives me anxiety. So arriving by 1:30 means I need to leave by 12:45. Leaving at 12:45 means I need to eat lunch at 12. Eating lunch at 12 means I need to either make sure I eat breakfast before 7:30 or skip it altogether. Making sure I'm up early enough to eat breakfast by 7:30 stresses me out the night before so I don't sleep well. I wake up cranky and tired. The eggs taste too eggy and the toast won't get crisp enough. During the hours of 8 am to 11:30 am I sulk about having to even go to the seminar until I realize if I don't get my butt in gear, I'm going to show up looking a hot mess.

See? Could never be me.

Uhh, are you actively treating your anxiety?

Is that anxiety? Two posters have now called the above anxiety. Not the PP, but it describes me exactly. I don't feel anxious, but maybe I am?

Anonymous wrote:This will never be me. Errands before a 2 pm seminar? Heck no!

I need to arrive at the seminar by 1:30 or else I feel late and it gives me anxiety. So arriving by 1:30 means I need to leave by 12:45. Leaving at 12:45 means I need to eat lunch at 12. Eating lunch at 12 means I need to either make sure I eat breakfast before 7:30 or skip it altogether. Making sure I'm up early enough to eat breakfast by 7:30 stresses me out the night before so I don't sleep well. I wake up cranky and tired. The eggs taste too eggy and the toast won't get crisp enough. During the hours of 8 am to 11:30 am I sulk about having to even go to the seminar until I realize if I don't get my butt in gear, I'm going to show up looking a hot mess.

See? Could never be me.

Thank you, friend!

I guess it depends on what responsibilities you have at home or work that you don't name but have to do.

I work full time and have a a teen and am married. I live 35 minutes from work.

I could very easily drop kid to school at 7:30 then take an exercise walk in my neighborhood, returning home at 8:30
...grab a Yeti of coffee and run to the dry cleaners and grocery store (back home by 10:30 at the latest)
... shower, dress, hair and makeup done by 11:30
...order a salad on the Chopt app, drive to work and grab it, be at my desk by 1pm.

If I had to fit the dentist in there I could. Would just have to cut errands or exercise. Or maybe not, but I wouldn't risk that.

"gone to the dry cleaners, grocery shopped, went to the dentist, grabbed donuts and coffee"

This should not take more than 2-3 hours.

Anonymous wrote:OP I’m very motivated in the morning. I can get a lot done…. But it’s now not even 7pm and I’m in my Jammie’s with my bra off waiting for my 11yo to get home from soccer so we can watch Survivor together then go to bed. I’ll get nothing productive done this evening.
I do well with lists and goals for the day. Even if it’s a mental list and not written..

This is me. I get so much done between 7 am and 4 pm but I pretty much park myself on the couch in the evenings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you do it and make it to scheduled events on time?

Example: At a seminar and one of the people at my table had gone to the dry cleaners, grocery shopped, went to the dentist, grabbed donuts and coffee and was able to make a 2pm session.

I don’t know that with any amount of scheduling my day could run so concisely. Even if I start at 6am, I find that I am either cutting into running late or unable to accomplish a list of errands in full before going to something scheduled like that. Traffic also will slow down my day.

Are there just fast people and slow people in the world with time management? Is it the locations and distances? I think I just must move too slowly to get things done. I’ve encountered this before also where people come to a kids party after going to 5,6 places beforehand and can manage without being late.

I do all that and get to work at 830am.

NP. Could you share any tips, please?

I am a highly compartmentalized, organized, and time-conscious person, and I create lists for everything. Plus, having four (grown) children forces organization to some extent.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thank you all and to respond to a few questions about my background. I work in Operations Management hence the Seminar and hilariously the fact that I cannot seem to “operate” my life into a swift enough order to accomplish multiple tasks🤣 I also work outside of the city but commute in and out including for things like medical appointments and dry cleaning which probably delays me on those days. Think Dentist in McLean, Office in Bethesda, home in AU Park. Add to that the fact that I have the issue of going to my old stomping grounds for things like cleaners and medical professionals which can be out of the way.

If work and home aren’t close, you have to start scheduling services that are close to one or the other. I have a 1:15 minute commute now. I use the dry cleaner near work. Medical services are near home because I’m more likely to need those services close to home. Pharmacy is the exception, but prescriptions are easy to transfer from a pharmacy near home to a pharmacy near work. I have groceries delivered so I can do shopping from anywhere. Hair salon is near home because I do that on days off. Nails and similar services are near work because I like to stop in for a mani pedi after a long day. Gym near work. I couldn’t deal with going to multiple locations every time I need a service or to make a purchase. That takes too much time. I have adhd and I need things to be easy and streamlined. If I’m driving all over and something doesn’t go the way it’s supposed to, it throws me off and I won’t be able to finish the rest of the tasks I need to do.

I am a fast and efficient person and I can do a lot in a little time. I’ve always been good with time management and have a lot of drive. I think it’s my nature.

OP I’m very motivated in the morning. I can get a lot done…. But it’s now not even 7pm and I’m in my Jammie’s with my bra off waiting for my 11yo to get home from soccer so we can watch Survivor together then go to bed. I’ll get nothing productive done this evening.
I do well with lists and goals for the day. Even if it’s a mental list and not written..