Organization | ADHD Information

The problem I have always had with the ABC prioritizing system is that most of my B's & all of my C's never get done. Is the idea that eventually they will become an A if they are not done long enough?? What about things that you would really like to do, but that are not a priority & never will be? Does that mean you will never do them? I have tried a zillion different schedules. All I know is that if I have a list of things to do, I will follow the list. But some items are do it & it is done-such as making a phonecall-& others are work on it over a long period of time. For big projects do you label it as A1 & start every day spending say 2 hr. on it & then go on to the next thing? Do you have a basic schedule outline, or make a new one for every day? How do you avoid spending too much time on "to do" preparations? I have a lot of different responsibilities & interests. There are never enough hours in the day for all I need & want to do. I also have a real problem with continuity - picking up where I left off "yesterday". I can do stuff like read 10 books concurrently with no problem. But give me 20 boxes to sort through,categorize & disperse & I get totally mixed up. Any suggestions? I think really really simple works best with me. Thought I'd start this thread so that we can share ideas about how to stay really organized. I have been reading a few books and have taken a tip from a lady at work. I also have a couple of wickedly, anal retentive type relatives that I have learned a thing or two from.

Today's Tip

Whenever my papers all pile up into a big, hairy 'ole messy pile. I just throw them on the floor and start separating them into 3 simple piles:

Read
Action
File

Read - Anything that I would like to remember to read at some point. If it's a magazine article, I do rip 'n tear. I rip out the articles that I want from the mag and throw the mag away, but staple the pages together of the article and put it in this pile. At some point, I just grab a handful from my "To Read" pile and take them with me when I have to go and sit in a dentists office or something.

Action--This is anything that I must deal with in some way (a bill, a rebate, school registration, etc.)

File - You know...good 'ole fashioned filing.

I used to be a file clerk, so if anyone needs any filing tips, I probably know a few.

This is my basic organization. I like it b/c it is simple and effective for me. Big piles of messed up papers do not scare me when I use this method.

bb

bluebird3838240.308287037

You should see my emails - I have them all organised.

Personal Letters: Mum, Dad, Sister, Ex Husband, Friends, Job Hunting Sent, Received, Letters to Magazine, Registrations: Email registration letters for forums etc.

This helps me find things really quick.

[QUOTE=HarleyMan]

Now I use a Franklin Covey Planner, and since Concerta, I ACTUALLY USE IT NOW!!!!

I has helped me prioritize daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly events. I even have a place for birthdays, anniversaries, and personal contact sheets where you know you don't want to forget certain conversations. I am so organized now, and I showed off a little at a meeting yesterday, but it covered my rear end.

I pulled up my personal contact sheet in regards to a team member at work and gave the date we spoke about a certain topic. What their response was and when the follow up took place! That was a big victory for me!

Hope this helps a little. I never misplace emails, reports, meeting minutes, or forget conversation committments now.

[/QUOTE]

Harleyjack, is this an electronic planner?

I actually use the ABC/123 method also...learned it a long time ago.

I need to know how you managed to track the conversation you mentioned, how you don't misplace emails, etc. Can you give some specifics?

Thanks!
[QUOTE=bluebird38] [QUOTE=HarleyMan]

Now I use a Franklin Covey Planner, and since Concerta, I ACTUALLY USE IT NOW!!!!

Hope this helps a little. I never misplace emails, reports, meeting minutes, or forget conversation committments now.

HARLEYJACK!!!!

Just kiddng! As far as how I use my planner now, let me break it down a little:

The planner is not an electronic PDA or anything else. It is the Franklin Covey Day Planner. I use the personal contact sheet to denote when an email comes in from a specific person or group. For example: I work for say John Smith. John sends me an email about "new pay structure." I then take that information I have read from the email and write down the date, subject, and basic information about the email within the contact sheet. Since the contact sheet is specific for person or group I already know who it came from and the date is written on the sheet. Don't worry, you will have many sheets for a specific person if you correspond with them frequently. I then determine if I need to do anything with the email. The "new pay structure" may require me to review and respond with feedback. If feedback was needed I then put a date in the follow up column on the worksheet and enter the specific task for the daily tasks section within my planner. I handle meetings, contacts, emails, etc all within my planner. I literally cannot function without my planner now. After a particular month is over I then take out all of the daily planner sheets and place them in a long term storage binder. That way I can recreate any meeting, or research any email based upon contact or specific date. Pretty easy system really when you get used to using it. I don't have post-it notes or little scraps of paper at all anymore.

I am almost of the opinion for anyone that is going through workshops and what not who has ADHD, this would be a nice little project to show individuals how to organize themselves. Those of us with ADHD or ADD know that organization was NOT a trait we had before, and now we can. It's a good confidence builder too.

[QUOTE=HarleyMan]

HARLEYJACK!!!!

[/QUOTE]

OMG!!! HEEHEE - Need any further proof that I am ADHD? (Those DAMN details -- like a person's NAME!!!) I am practically unemployable I tell you.

I think HarleyJack is the name of another user at a different website that I frequently visit.

Ok, now I'm going to ingest your last post and hopefully some of it will really sink in.

Thanks, bb

Ok, I think I get it. I may have to keep bugging you for more specific instances. Ugh...this happens to be a big, ugly problem for me at the moment. Even as I write, my boss is waiting for a response to an email. It said,

"I asked you to look at doing some release notes for the <x project>. That will go out as a service pack next week or later. Like I said we need some documentation because the user interface has changed. The help can be changed for the next major release but we should put something in release notes, including screen shots that explains how to use it."

Yikes! How on EARTH did I miss this email or conversation? OMG. I can't even respond to his email yet b/c I have to dig through and see if I can find more info. just so I can respond intelligently...which as you can tell is a tightwire act for me.

Can't wait to try your system. I needed it yesterday, last year, the day I was born.
bluebird3838240.5259490741

[QUOTE=bluebird38] Ok, I think I get it. I may have to keep bugging you for more specific instances. Ugh...this happens to be a big, ugly problem for me at the moment. Even as I write, my boss is waiting for a response to an email. It said,

"I asked you to look at doing some release notes for the <x project>. That will go out as a service pack next week or later. Like I said we need some documentation because the user interface has changed. The help can be changed for the next major release but we should put something in release notes, including screen shots that explains how to use it."

Yikes! How on EARTH did I miss this email or conversation? OMG. I can't even respond to his email yet b/c I have to dig through and see if I can find more info. just so I can respond intelligently...which as you can tell is a tightwire act for me.

Can't wait to try your system. I needed it yesterday, last year, the day I was born.
[/QUOTE]

OK then...

Really simple.

Franklin Covey sells online, a lot of offices already have accounts so it may not even cost you anything for the "Starter Kit." Don't get the compact size, just get the regular size or whatever they call it.

Another specific example would be to put specific projects within the numbered tabs of your planner that way a specific project will always have your notes and other relevent information. I still use the contact sheets though in regards to the people and the items that are discussed. It is a VERY easy system to get the hang of, and within a few hours you will be alright.

If you had a planner and used the contact sheets you would be able to go through and read your entries based upon the "Email" type of contact within the "type" column, and track it back from there. Sorry I can't help anymore than that though.

I would be nothing without my PDA. I loose paper calendars. My wife tried for years to get me to use one (pre-diagnosis) and they always got left somewhere. But my electronic gadgets... Those I can keep in good order. My life is on this thing. I even found a 'hack' that reminds me to take my meds, counts down how much I have left, and reminds me to refill.

Before my diagnosis my wife just thought I was Super-Geek, now we lok at it as a coping skill. (OK, I'm still a geek and proud of it!)

[QUOTE=bluebird38] Yesterday, I took a tip from a lady at work who uses a PDA (personal digital assistant) to keep her entire life organized. Right now, I carry around a big, fat, full-size day planner. I'm lucky if I even open the thing to look at it.

So, last night I opened up Outlook Calendar and tried inputting all of my appointments and tasks from now until the end of the year (thanks for the motivation Adderal). I'm quite attached to using the paper method--have mistrusted electronic ways of doing things, but I'm going to give it a try.

Apparently, I can share information between my computer and the PDA by just plugging it in and "synching" it. I'm a Johnny Come Lately about this for sure, but looks promising...especially since I can set alarms and post electronic sticky notes.

My mom is the QUEEN of sticky notes. I swear, I'll take a picture and upload it here sometime. Too funny. BTW, this weekend for the first time, I really took a look around her house--it's a disorganized, cluttered disaster. I'M more organized that she is now. I have been the one that we have labeled "ADHD" but as I started to question her about organizing HER place...HOLY POOSTORM! I didn't realize the elaborate system of denial that she uses to cover for herself and get people off her back. She got really mad and said things like, "I'll get to it sometime (she 67)," "do I come over to your place and try tell YOU what to do? (yes), "I don't have time for that (she spent 4-5 hours "rearranging" my place), and "it's not a priority" (Umm...yah). She finally acknowledged that she has a hard time with "grouping" in her mind--it's all messy in her head. Hmmm....do I have an ADHD friend now?
[/QUOTE]

Now I use a Franklin Covey Planner, and since Concerta, I ACTUALLY USE IT NOW!!!!

The planner even allows for prioritizing specific daily events. The A's (have to get done), B's (pretty important), C's (if you get time). You even number the A, B, and C events as well. A1 (do first), A2 (do second), ... the B and C categories work the exact same way.

Hope this helps a little. I never misplace emails, reports, meeting minutes, or forget conversation committments now.

Yesterday, I took a tip from a lady at work who uses a PDA (personal digital assistant) to keep her entire life organized. Right now, I carry around a big, fat, full-size day planner. I'm lucky if I even open the thing to look at it.

So, last night I opened up Outlook Calendar and tried inputting all of my appointments and tasks from now until the end of the year (thanks for the motivation Adderal). I'm quite attached to using the paper method--have mistrusted electronic ways of doing things, but I'm going to give it a try.

Apparently, I can share information between my computer and the PDA by just plugging it in and "synching" it. I'm a Johnny Come Lately about this for sure, but looks promising...especially since I can set alarms and post electronic sticky notes.

My mom is the QUEEN of sticky notes. I swear, I'll take a picture and upload it here sometime. Too funny. BTW, this weekend for the first time, I really took a look around her house--it's a disorganized, cluttered disaster. I'M more organized that she is now. I have been the one that we have labeled "ADHD" but as I started to question her about organizing HER place...HOLY POOSTORM! I didn't realize the elaborate system of denial that she uses to cover for herself and get people off her back. She got really mad and said things like, "I'll get to it sometime (she 67)," "do I come over to your place and try tell YOU what to do? (yes), "I don't have time for that (she spent 4-5 hours "rearranging" my place), and "it's not a priority" (Umm...yah). She finally acknowledged that she has a hard time with "grouping" in her mind--it's all messy in her head. Hmmm....do I have an ADHD friend now?

bluebird3838240.3174652778

bluebird, that file action, read thing actually has really helped me organize my sheets and stuff for college, thankyou!

Hi everyone! Those were some good ideas, but my problem is sticking to a plan. I start off really intent on going my filing and day planning and I don't know what happens but it only lasts a few days. I will start piles of paper get an idea to do something else and the pile sit there for days. I have lost 2 day planners. Tried to reorganize my desk to make it easy and now I get mad cause I can't remember the new places I put the stuff. Any suggestions on how to make a plan last more then a few days?

Thanks,

Scats

[QUOTE=Scats]

Thanks,

Scats

[/QUOTE]

This is going to sound mucho simplistico but the way to stick to a plan is kind of like the way you learn to ride a bike or anything else you can fall off of--get back on: fall, get up, fall, get up, fall, get up, etc. I hope this doesn't come across in a bad way, but that really is the way to do it. Of course the plan has to be good(i.e. executable, streamlined, and organized) and the motivation has to be there(e.g. this is for a million bucks--I'm on this like white on rice!!!). Otherwise just be persistent and allow yourself to make mistakes--you're only allowed to give up when your dead.

kronicdaydreamr38319.0564814815