Getting the right medication was only the first step. Getting organized is the other continual struggle. I was happy to find, as I worked on this that not only ADDers have this problem. David Allen's Getting Things Done book is a great start. If you think it's too much, a web site called Zen Habits has a simplified version of the process.

My favorite thing is my Fisher Space pen (staples for about $15) and some index cards. I now write EVERYTHING down. Just that is a big step.

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Hey I really liked zen habits. Thanks

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I just wrote about this under another thread in this topic, but PDA & paper notebook are essential.

Re home, I'm still working on that one. Many, many clear plastic shoeboxes, boxes of all kinds for everything. I like pretty boxes but I have to know what's in them, so they have to be clear. Clear plastic folders, envelopes really, 9x12 or so that have a flap and a string closure. I for some reason evolved out of regular file folders; maybe b/c I never really know what's lurking in there. So those clear plastic envelopes are essential for just about everything.

I use notebooks from Staples that are low-end versions of Levenger's Circa notebooks. They are great because they work like Rolodexes--you can use them like binders, but you can also pull out one page and put it someplace else without the drawbacks of a ring binder. These are also the same as Rollabind notebooks. Notebooks are much more reliable for me than loose pieces of paper that might end up anywhere (accidentally falling into the trash can, for example. I've lost PDAs and other things that way too.)

I'm always looking for new ideas. Great topic.

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I am also a fan of Getting Things Done and the whole GTD philosophy of a "bottoms up" approach to organization. Therefore, I always keep these things handy:

Electronic Labeler File Folders Sticky Notes Index Cards Pens Binder Clips, various sizes Moleskine or other small portable notebooks.

I also love using the web to stay motivated, inspired, and excited. Here are some sites and web tools I like a lot: http://www.hassleme.co.uk/ This site lets you put in tasks that you can then be "hassled" about in whatever pattern you want. Random, every 2 days, whatever.

http://unclutterer.com/ This is a blog about organizing everything. Usually good advice.

http://www.minezone.org/wiki/MVance/GettingThingsDone?action=print While nothing beats reading the Getting Things Done books, this is a superb breakdown of the way the process works. I keep a printed copy at my office to remind me how to deal with "stuff".

http://www.pocketmod.com/app/index.html These are super cool, customizable notebooks you can make yourself from one piece of standard printer paper. Pretty Hip!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601100035?ie=UTF8&tag=myonlnov-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1601100035 Love those Moleskines.

Another cool creative way to make your own planner/task list/to do - http://www.diyplanner.com/

http://www.rememberthemilk.com/ Remember the milk is an AWESOME to do list organizer. Totally free, you can share to-do lists with other people in your family, send tasks by mobile phone, etc. Can't recommend enough.

http://www.jott.com/ If you need to get things out of your head before you lose them forever, like me, then you need to sign up for Jott asap. Free voice recognition task service that you call from your phone. You tell it who you want to jott, what the note is, and if and when you want a reminder. It actually does a great job of translating what you said into text. Also integrates with remember the milk and multiple other services. So I call Jott, and it sends me an email reminder and automatically adds it to my remember the milk list.

http://lifehacker.com/ Great site for interesting organization concepts.

http://www.lifehack.org/ Yet another great site for tips.

www.skoach.com - This is a life management system geared towards ADHD folks. It's still in Beta and working out the kinks, but overall a good application.

Great topic!

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My best resource is www.flylady.net. They are a free resource with plans for keeping homes organized, reminders you can sign up for, etc. They also have forums and ideas for at the office. All of their advice suits adult ADHD very well....right down to setting the timer! Enjoy!

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http://www.backpackit.com is neat. I've looked at http://www.skoach.com but haven't got the hang of it yet.

I love flylady!! I love free helpful websites!

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I recently read a book that has helped me immensely. My closet has never looked better! The book is Organizing for your Brain Type: Finding Your Own Solution to Managing Time, Paper and Stuff by Lanna Nakone and Arlene Taylor. This book taught me not only how to best organize according to the way I think, but also that it is okay to think the way that I do. In other words, in this book, a difference in modes of thinking does not equal a disability or disadvantage until you try to do things someone else's way. Now my closet looks great and has stayed that way, and I gained some self awareness and self esteem as a bonus. The book is on Amazon and it is cheap.

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I recently got a smartphone that syncs (via Internet access) with my Outlook calendar and contacts from my work computer. I can also check my yahoo and google e-mail accounts on the phone. I have a bundle of software that is helping tremendously. One is for bank accounts, one's for shopping lists (amazing!!!), and the other's for secure ID type information: like names and passwords for online accounts, serial numbers, voter registration info, library card number, account numbers for loans and bank accounts, etc. All of that stuff syncs with desktop software on my home computer (not work computer), so I know it's private. I can set up a password to access each program if i want to, that way if I lose the phone, nobody can access those programs. My phone is a Palm Centro, but there are several on the market that do the same stuff. I can't remember life without it. :)

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Thanks for the websites. I'm going to use them. Hope they help. Meds don't work for me. I think behavior management is my only hope.

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cedarswarm said: I am also a fan of Getting Things Done and the whole GTD philosophy of a "bottoms up" approach to organization. Therefore, I always keep these things handy:

Electronic Labeler File Folders Sticky Notes Index Cards Pens Binder Clips, various sizes Moleskine or other small portable notebooks.

I also love using the web to stay motivated, inspired, and excited. Here are some sites and web tools I like a lot: http://www.hassleme.co.uk/ This site lets you put in tasks that you can then be "hassled" about in whatever pattern you want. Random, every 2 days, whatever.

http://unclutterer.com/ This is a blog about organizing everything. Usually good advice.

http://www.minezone.org/wiki/MVance/GettingThingsDone?action=print While nothing beats reading the Getting Things Done books, this is a superb breakdown of the way the process works. I keep a printed copy at my office to remind me how to deal with "stuff".

http://www.pocketmod.com/app/index.html These are super cool, customizable notebooks you can make yourself from one piece of standard printer paper. Pretty Hip!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601100035?ie=UTF8&tag=myonlnov-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1601100035 Love those Moleskines.

Another cool creative way to make your own planner/task list/to do - http://www.diyplanner.com/

http://www.rememberthemilk.com/ Remember the milk is an AWESOME to do list organizer. Totally free, you can share to-do lists with other people in your family, send tasks by mobile phone, etc. Can't recommend enough.

http://www.jott.com/ If you need to get things out of your head before you lose them forever, like me, then you need to sign up for Jott asap. Free voice recognition task service that you call from your phone. You tell it who you want to jott, what the note is, and if and when you want a reminder. It actually does a great job of translating what you said into text. Also integrates with remember the milk and multiple other services. So I call Jott, and it sends me an email reminder and automatically adds it to my remember the milk list.

http://lifehacker.com/ Great site for interesting organization concepts.

http://www.lifehack.org/ Yet another great site for tips.

www.skoach.com - This is a life management system geared towards ADHD folks. It's still in Beta and working out the kinks, but overall a good application.

Great topic!

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The best tip I ever read was from the Sidetracked Home Executive to Put 10 things away. If every time you see things out of place you put 10 things away, you eventually get cleaned up. I do put 10 things away to unload the dishwasher or to load the dishwasher. Sometimes putting 10 things away leads to doing the whole job, but I don't have to. The corollary to this tip is Work for 5 minutes. I set the timer and work for 5 minutes. I can stand anything for 5 minutes. I think these things help me because I have what I call "Can't get started disease". These two tips have completely changed my housekeeping skills (or created some in the first place).

Sue

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Hello all, I am looking for just such a site as I have found here....not many requirements and a little support and some interesting site to f/u on the web that I havent found yet. I have ADHD and was a grown successfull adult before I ever found that out....It sure did explain somethings thoughand give meaning to:

"working smart isn't necessarily hard" !

Most recently I have ordered a planner that started out as a new phone search.....hope it comes today. I hate to read directions so it is always a challange to master new skills unless I can figure it out by manipulating the pieces. Of course once I know how things work twith the "body-mind" t he directions make perfect sense. ( and I love computing...) but am a nurse by profession. Guess thats enough for now....nice to meet you all and i sure hope that I am not to late for the party Sanleesan

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it never to late to find a friendly place for ADD/ADHD . I am also a nurse who has worked in the ER for over 20 years. This site especially the magazine has great ideas for organization Just yesterday they had 33 of them. You also will find people very welcoming and always willing to help if they can. WELCOME! (Judi N ) ADDRN

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OMG, thank you all soo much for all these great sites and tips! :)

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hopeakers said: I recently got a smartphone that syncs (via Internet access) with my Outlook calendar and contacts from my work computer. I can also check my yahoo and google e-mail accounts on the phone. I have a bundle of software that is helping tremendously. One is for bank accounts, one's for shopping lists (amazing!!!), and the other's for secure ID type information: like names and passwords for online accounts, serial numbers, voter registration info, library card number, account numbers for loans and bank accounts, etc. All of that stuff syncs with desktop software on my home computer (not work computer), so I know it's private. I can set up a password to access each program if i want to, that way if I lose the phone, nobody can access those programs. My phone is a Palm Centro, but there are several on the market that do the same stuff. I can't remember life without it. :)

Are you talking about the SPLASH products? I use the Splash ID which ROCKS--I keep my prescription info in it (I start each one off with an asterisk so it comes FIRST in the list!)...a lot of information in Splash ID...plus it syncs with my desktop application.

I've used SplashShopper...but usually I'll just jot my shopping lists onto MEMO pad--default application in the Palm Centro.

What I like about the Palm Centro is that I can assign 'shortcut' keys...for instance, for my hubby, I just hold the letter S down and it will dial his number...for memo's, I hold down the letter M.

I call my Centro my BRAIN!! I've had Palm products since..2000 and it has helped me tremendously with all the stuff that I'd would have to remember otherwise! My hubby who was just diagnosed this year with ADD has a Palm phone as well (Treo) and I'm teaching him 'shortcuts' for getting organized with the PDA phone.

I told him, "It's just easier to put it in this thing than have to try to remember it and then berating myself when I forget it. My mom always heard, "if it's never written down, that means it never happened." She's a firm believer in writing down things to help jog her memory and she just turned 78!

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This is just something small that works for me. When I wake first thing in the morning my brain is racing and I cannot keep up. I need to use the restroom right away sooooo..........

I glued a small magnet onto a dry erase marker. I stuck it to the side of my medicine cab/mirror. I grab it an write all over the mirror an write it all down. It wipes of easy. Then I can sort it out and write it where it needs to be - in the planner.

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I like your tips in organizing. Especially about how you manage your loan and bank related things.It is also like finance management.

http://instantloan.net/instantpaydayloans.php

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I am currently trying http://www.lifetick.com . I really like the way it's set up, but the test will be whether I stick with it. I'm using the free version until I decide it's worth paying for the full version, which is cheap at $20/year. I'm not using it for actual organization so much as goals to get organized and set a routine that will help me keep organized.

For example, I set the goal of paying all bills on time every month for a year, starting with January's bills. My first task under the goal was to set a day each month to pay bills. Then I set a task for each month to pay bills, with a deadline of the day I had set for each month.

I like that you can connect lifetick to Microsoft Calendar in Vista, but unfortunately it doesn't create pop-up alerts, so I have to go back to Calendar and do that. E mails are too easy for me to ignore. They don't have the same impact as a pop-up alert.

Another thing I like about lifetick is that when you create a goal, you enter a reason for the goal. It really helps me focus and think about why I want to do something, which helps me focus on breaking it down into manageable tasks.

One thing I haven't found yet is how to deal with recurring tasks. Lifetick does not have a way to be able to mark off a task as complete for, say, a day, and have it come back up the next day or next week at the same time. You can be reminded every day or every week, but I feel like I need the satisfaction of marking something as complete in order to reinforce a behavior enough to make it habit.

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I've evolved a personal organization system over the years, and about two years ago people suggested that I put it up on the web for others to see. It's brutally simple, requires no software, and doesn't require reading a whole book before you're ready to get started :-)

I found it's very useful for managing time and schedule when the brain won't do it for you. It's at utilware.com/gsd3.html

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I've really gotten some fantastic information from this forum...thanks!

Wanted to add that my iPhone has single-handedly changed my life in helping to streamline the zillion things I have to do as a stay-at-home mother (with ADHD). I utilize Remember the Milk (rememberthemilk.com) for task management, and there's a corresponding application for my iPhone that has made it even simpler for me to access it. I was a complete and total Daytimer Girl. Never wanted to give up that paper calendar. SO glad I did!!

Other applications and features that are immensely helpful: Clock/timer/stopwatch: great for reminding me to do those things that have to be done on a daily basis. (i.e. taking medications and supplements, making phone calls). Great for helping me to not hyperfocus and STOP doing a particular task so that I can move on to another. Was great for potty training...reminded me to remind my son to pee ;) Shopping List Applications...various free shopping lists applications available through iTunes (many for free) have helped me to get "things to buy" off my cluttered mind. I can even email lists to my husband to have him make grocery runs. Also tallies costs to help you to budget your money. Binaural Tones** These are available on CD's if you don't have an iPhone, but if you do have an iPhone I use an application by Jakub Koter called MindWave that features binaural beats specifically designed for ADHD! And they actually work...was skeptical at first, but these tones really help me to focus. Google "binaural tones" for more information. Having all my contacts/phone numbers/addresses in one place. With the click of a button you get directions to a contacts house. No more sticky notes for me! Weight Loss...got a great application called Lose It! that enables you to log the food you've eaten and exercises you've done. It keeps track of calories and goals and has really helped me to slow down, pay attention to what I eat and exercise more. Notes: there's an application that comes with your iPhone where you can jot down random notes as you go about your day. Voice Recorder: same as above, but in voice format E-mail: not having to be tied to my computer (being able to check my email and send email on my phone) has been very liberating for me, especially since I have little kids. Weather: don't have to stop and find a TV channel (or watch the news - which I don't) to know how to dress the kids tomorrow. Camera: I constantly forget my digital camera. My iPhone takes excellent pics and it's always with me.

I could go on and on...

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I pulled into this site while looking for some helpful tips for a student (I'm a school counselor), and found this great wealth of information, resources, encouragement, etc. Wow, had I had this type of site when I was learning to manage my own ADD, it might have been easier on me and all those in my life - not that it was terribly difficult.... but you know. :) I will visit many of the links you all have posted and look forward to gleaning what I can from your knowledge. Thank you!

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That is a classic! Yep, thats what I have. "Can't get started disease". Gottaluvit!

Thanks for the tip! :) MK

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redartglass said: The best tip I ever read was from the Sidetracked Home Executive to Put 10 things away. If every time you see things out of place you put 10 things away, you eventually get cleaned up. I do put 10 things away to unload the dishwasher or to load the dishwasher. Sometimes putting 10 things away leads to doing the whole job, but I don't have to. The corollary to this tip is Work for 5 minutes. I set the timer and work for 5 minutes. I can stand anything for 5 minutes. I think these things help me because I have what I call "Can't get started disease". These two tips have completely changed my housekeeping skills (or created some in the first place).

Sue

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That is a classic! Yep, thats what I have. "Can't get started disease". Gottaluvit!

Thanks for the tip! :) MK

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redartglass said: The best tip I ever read was from the Sidetracked Home Executive to Put 10 things away. If every time you see things out of place you put 10 things away, you eventually get cleaned up. I do put 10 things away to unload the dishwasher or to load the dishwasher. Sometimes putting 10 things away leads to doing the whole job, but I don't have to. The corollary to this tip is Work for 5 minutes. I set the timer and work for 5 minutes. I can stand anything for 5 minutes. I think these things help me because I have what I call "Can't get started disease". These two tips have completely changed my housekeeping skills (or created some in the first place).

Sue

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1--I also tried www.skoach.com . It is a time mgt software that visually lays out and time maps your whole week. I don't know if I'll go beyond the free trial, as I can get too bogged down in the details, but the color-coded time map is awesome!! Once I filled it in with the things I have to do (shower/get ready/travel), ought to do (1/2 hour cleaning-pick a task) and want to do but can't ever find the time (exercise) it made me realize how much time I really do and don't have. No wonder the taxes have taken me so long and projects never seem to get done!

2--One Note from Microsoft. It's a stand-alone that can be added to the Office software bundle and integrates seamlessly. Also has a free trial, but worth the $60 many times over. It's like a big bookshelf with as many notebooks with as many dividers and pages as you'd like. I'm forever cutting things out or even bookmarking a site as a "favorite", but forgetting to go back and refer to it. You can take a snapshot of anything on the web and drop it into any category you make. I made "notebooks" for each member of the family as well as home stuff like recipes/food notes, research, travel, to buy, etc. Totally flexible and has tons of online resources for tutorials, etc.

3--WinAlarm--http://www.snapfiles.com/screenshots/winalarm.htm A free online popup reminder service that I have set to go off every 30 minutes to see if it's time to change tasks (huge hyperfocus issues) and every 15 min to stay on task and not get sucked in by an email or by following some link.

4--Planner Pads paper planners--https://plannerpads.com/concept.asp --I get the full size looseleaf variety so a)it's harder to misplace under papers on my desk, and b) easy to add dividers and folders to hold papers I'm working on instead of them getting lost in another pile. I have used countless planners over the years. I loved Franklin Covey but now my life has changed to have more projects and to do's than actual appointments. It shows a whole week on 2 pages, each column about 2" wide. The top third is for CATEGORIES of things you need to do--like the roles/big rocks idea in Franklin Covey. The bottom third of the pages is for appointments. The middle third is where you write the things you plan to do on that specific day, with regard to how much time you actually have due to being able to see your appointments just below. On each day, it's easier to stay focused and not overwhelmed because you only write down what you really think you should and CAN do that day. You only have to transfer the undone items from the master category list at the top over to the next week. It's very visual and works best for me. I loved the idea of the palm, but I'd forget to sync it and it took too long to enter things on the fly. Also, showing only a dot to indicate I had something on that day didn't help me since I also have to note things like a party my kids might be going to, but I have free time between dropping off and picking up. It also helps save on gas money as well as time since I group all my errands in one category and usually do them all on one day or when I'm near a specific area anyway. Great for those not-so-important things you want to remember to pick up next time you're at the hardware store, etc.

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For really big messes, I like the giant zip-lock storage bags that are sold in the trash bag aisle. I tackle a big pile by sorting into categories and stuffing each in its own bag. They can be opened and dealt with (maybe) later; at least the mess is contained and portable. My to-do list has to be in a really obvious spot; I use lined post-it notes and stick them to my coffee maker. I put my grocery list in an outside pocket of my handbag, which hangs next to the door. <a href="http://www.drugstrategies.org/Treatment/Tennessee">Tennessee Drug Treatment Centers</a>

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anjaylah said: This is just something small that works for me. When I wake first thing in the morning my brain is racing and I cannot keep up. I need to use the restroom right away sooooo..........

I glued a small magnet onto a dry erase marker. I stuck it to the side of my medicine cab/mirror. I grab it an write all over the mirror an write it all down. It wipes of easy. Then I can sort it out and write it where it needs to be - in the planner.

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