helpful book | ADHD Information

If you havent seen this book, you might want to get it from the library and take a look at it. It gives really practical, usable, "well, duh, why didnt I think of that!" type advice for organizing your daily life. I've made some changes they've suggested and its really helped streamline my day.

"ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life" by Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau

It's readable in chunks, too, which was helpful.

[QUOTE=Simi]Is there a chapter to teach someone how to stop putting papers into piles?  (LOL)

Simi
< =""> [/QUOTE]

simi you must be creative, seems creative type have piles. we knwo where everythig so we think we do.

the general idea is to migrate from piles to folders. organize.com & dayrunner.com had aome grat articles to start with for free and on line. good luck!

vikki61938421.4842708333When you have a piece of paper in your hand, think O.H.I.O. - Only Handle It Once. Deal with it and put it away.

Easier said than done, I know. I have piles of paper everywhere too. Half-read magazines and catalogues on my coffee table, my CURRENT magazine or catalogue sitting on the couch, mail that I haven't opened on the dining room table, and all my statements, bills, and other papers piled on my dresser. Eventually these make it into a file folder, but it usually takes at least a month. LOL.
<simi you must be creative>

Interesting how did you know?  The only thing in my home that is obsessively organized are my art supplies.

BCGirl...I hear you.  I will transfer the pile somewhere else.  Usually by the time I get to it, 90% of it goes into the recycling bin!
< =""> [QUOTE=Simi]The only thing in my home that is obsessively organized are my art supplies.[/QUOTE]

LOL! I'm the same with my craft supplies. All my cross-stitch and plastic canvas is stored in a big, flat tupperware bin that slides under my couch, and all my sewing notions are sorted into little tupperware containers (pins, threaders, buttons, etc), all my fabric scraps have a bag, and all my whole fabric has a bag. LOL - but then all of it is shoved in a corner on the floor.
Is there a chapter to teach someone how to stop putting papers into piles?  (LOL)

Simi
< ="">

I'm debating whether or not to have my husband read this post.  Piles, piles, piles don't you just hate those piles.  Piles of paper everywhere, but in my mind the piles are sorted into: file away things at a later date, throw these in recycling, I'll read those later, keep those, well not sure why but can't decide what to do with them.  I really like the O.H.I.O.  If I can remember I will make a sign for my kitchen and frame it.  I'm going to check out this book.  I just started meds today for the first time and any other help I am willing to take.  I know the meds alone won't do it. 

I do have my creative stuff together, kind of, well good intentions anyway.  Rubbermaid galore, I even bought a labeler so my containers look nice and neat.  I want to be organized, but it does not last.  I don't always, ok ever, put things back so my counter ends up to be one big pile.   I become obsessed, clean it off, it's ok for a week and the pile returns.  I get in my craft room and look at all the fabric and projects nice and neat in labeled boxes, piled to the ceiling. Ready to be started or finished, and I become overwhelmed.  For me overwhelmed means . . . starting another project.  Does anyone else do this?

[QUOTE=mojaks23]For me overwhelmed means . . . starting another project.  Does anyone else do this?[/QUOTE]

I am notorious for having several projects on the go at once. I see all these great projects in craft catalogues and I can't help thinking, "now THAT would be fun to do! And what bragging rights I'll have when it is on display in my home!", and I end up buying it. Then it sits. And sits. And sits a little longer.

Sometimes I have amazed myself. One of my bestest friends got married last August, and I thought it would be wonderful to give her a real gift from the heart. So, the previous October, I bought a cross-stitch kit of a celtic wedding prayer (she is VERY into celtic things), that you could personalize with the bride and groom's names and the wedding date. This thing was 11 by 11 inches square, and had an extremely intricate celtic knotwork border, plus a few very intricately scripted letters in the verse itself. I planned ahead and took my procrastination into account - I told myself, if I don't finish it, worst comes to worst, I'll personalize it with my own name if I ever get married. LOL! For that reason I saved the name and date parts for last. Long story short, I finished it with 2 weeks to spare, and the look on her face when she saw it was worth every second of those nine months of determined work.

But here's the difference - I had motivation other than my own sense of accomplishment at finishing something. My own sense of accomplishment can wait years. The look on a friend's face when she opens a wedding gift only comes once (hopefully!).
Section Three of the book- "Thing Organizing" and Section 5 is "Paper Organizing"

It actually has some good ideas for pile reduction.

Between this and Fly Lady, I may actually have a presentable and organized home one day (or at least make a dent into it )