Question for those that carry a bag | ADHD Information

This goes for anyone that carries a purse, briefcase, computer satchel, backpack, etc.

Do you find that after about 3 months you are looking for something in your bag and discover a few months worth of documents, receipts, assorted other crap, and still can't find what you needed? I carry a backpack to work. I discovered today: a croceting project I never finished, old train tickets, receipts galore, my makeup bag, bus schedules, magazines. On occasion I might have a snack on the bus because dinner is so far away, and don't want to be impolite throwing wrappers on the bus, so I hold them to throw away later. Eventually, I open my bag to realize I have empty food wrappers in it. GRR >8(

Bag?  Hell, my pockets are like that!

Mark -

YES
and papers dont survive the bag treatment....... cant keep anything neat
in there.... and cant put everything back in some particular compartment
that is suppose to keep the bag organized...... my organization is that the
small thing tend to fall to the bottom. Clean out when the bag is getting
to bulge. Real blackhole....

And I cant switch bags because always something gets left behind that I
need

receits....are from the devil

fi

Once a week or so, I come in my office and empty my purse on my desk.

I have a big satchel with file folders in it and I sort from there.

But BOY do I collect stuff!

Don't carry a bag but I agree with the pockets comment.  In the winter it gets really bad all that pocket room in my jacket is a nightmare. 

I think my car is my bag after a few months wish I could pick it up and just shake all the crap out lol.
< =""> I usually get mould on my stuff... a 3 month old banana can be a real pain...Ew, moldy banana??! That's pretty funny!

I incorporated "purge purse" into my weekly FlyLady plan and I now do it on a specific day a week. And wierdly, it seems to be working!

Yup!  One for work that has months worth of papers in it (no wonder it is so heavy!).  Another for son's soccer practice, that I find moldy snacks in if we miss practice more than once.  oh, then there are the pockets.....

yes, my purse is soo unorganized. I rarely clean it. Loads of little papers and trash start building up in it. It's horrible. I need to learn to clean it and KEEP it that way lol.I am so glad that I'm not the only one who has a hard time with the frig!! Do you guys find it hard to throw things away too. Or is that just me being a pack rat? I do go through things and toss alot but sometimes it's almost painful for me!Whenever I go to a store and am ready to pay for something, I do a sort of clown act taking everything out of my pockets, bags, shoes...whatever carries my garbage that day carries an amazing amount of stuff until I finally find a crumpled bill or credit card at the bottom. 

I used to routinely apologize for the minute or so it took to undump the stuff.
I would say something apologetic with a sweet smile like "Wow, I have to clean out my pockets tonight" and shrug.

One day my pockets were super clean and I was proud of them. I had done a massive cleaning. I was actually prepared to buy a train ticket. I handed my 3.75 over to the cashier with a sort of smugness. No apologies needed.

She said something like - Don't you have a wallet, girl? Whenever you come here I have to straighten your damn bills. You don't know how to treat money right.

Since then I have never apologized about the mess in my pockets, bags, etc. Made me wanna crumple them more.

Yep, bag is always FULL of stuff, so I got a bigger bag, and now that one is FULL of stuff!

 

 

Every single day I come home with multiple alcohol wipes, gauze pads etc. I find I NEED pockets to get by at work on a busy day, otherwise you'll end up needing something for a patient and not have it. Then again, my pockets are deep and get so full of crap that I'll be digging around for my keys for 5 minutes and throwing pens, wipes, notes with vital signs on them, even syringes sometimes (but at least I don't put used ones anywhere but in the sharps bin!)
 It's ridiculous, and no, my bag is no better.... I should actually organize it before I move next week. Hehe.

this reminds me of my refrigerator....i have tons of stuff sitting in there molding that I had forgot I had bought....

most of the stuff i bought on impulse and then forgot about....

Ok - I have a couple of purses around the house that are crammed full of papers, business cards, pacifiers, loose change, pens, old gum, etc etc etc. When I buy a new purse I just abandon the old one and start over. (Well, I transfer the money, credit cards, etc.) Usually when I am at the check out I have to dig and dig and dig before I find the right card. It is so embarrassing.

It is such a satisfying feeling to declutter. I just cleaned out my email account of 3000 emails received and sent. Feels good! I wanted to keep them all, but I'll probably never look at them again anyway, and who cares if I was organising to meet someone for lunch 3 years ago.

I've read that ADDers have difficulty with dwelling too much on the past, and not letting go of bad stuff. If I get rid of the past (i.e. old useless emails) I can look forward to the future. I did keep special ones, that's allowed I think.

Back on topic of bags, sometimes I go out with a clean bag packed with only the bare essentials, and find it necessary to throw in extra junk on the way out the door. Otherwise i feel naked.

I never go anywhere without a book. What would happen if I found myself with 2 minutes to spare and nothing to do except sit. Eeek!

Gives people the wrong idea though..."what, like my company is so bad that you brought a book along, just in case you got bored???!!"  Erm, well yes, something like that actually!

Oh yes! My purse, diaper bag, drawers, car, etc are like that. I have to force myself to clean them out once in a while and always find goodies like food wrappers, etc. But I can usually find what I am looking for. My Husband is shocked by that. Oh yes! Same here and I too carry a backpack. I also go through them and seem to wreck them sooner then later so I have a few leather ones now, a black and brown one. I keep my smaller purse in there too but yes to food wrappers, sometimes old food, junk, reciepts etc...OH YES! Amen to that one.[QUOTE=sonya_h]

this reminds me of my refrigerator....i have tons of stuff sitting in there molding that I had forgot I had bought....

most of the stuff i bought on impulse and then forgot about....

Ah, tis better to have forgotten about it then have eaten it

Marlene[

/QUOTE]

I finally bought an organizer bag....annnnnnnd I'm too busy to use its features. LOL. BUT the little key ring holder thingy in it is FABULOUS. I only like lose my keys once a week now, instead of maybe 10. Nine West has really good roomy bags that may help keep ya a tad more 'together'

I used to carry a purse until I ended up cleaning it out at least once a week.  That doens't seem so bad but the crap that I would take out of it amazed me!  It was only a week ago I cleaned this!!  So I figured I would bring a  zippered case with me when I did my errands, ya know, kinda like a wallet with one pocket.  Just enough room for my license, credit cards, etc.  What a joke that was, by the end of the week I have grocery lists, receipts, notes jammed in this little bag.  Trying to clean it out every week but such a little task takes so much time to work up to.  Why is that????? 

ok now I do feel better!! I have purses with stuff in them too. when I was a tennager and first started to carry a purse that would drive mother CRAZY!! I'm glad I'm not alone!