Book Review: Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder
Practical, time-saving advice for those of us who struggle with procrastination, perfectionism, impulsivity, and forgetfulness.
By Susan C. Pinsky
Fair Winds Press (December 1, 2006)
Purchase Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder
Susan Pinsky, a professional organizer and a mother of an ADHD child, gives practical, time-saving advice for those of us who struggle with procrastination, perfectionism, impulsivity, and forgetfulness. Unlike the instructions in most other books on organizing, this one includes photographs that show how things are done.
Pinsky’s guiding principle – efficiency over beauty – helps ensure that an organizational system put into place by an ADDer will actually be maintained. Take financial statements, for example. Pinsky recommends simply tossing them into a box as they arrive. This system ensures that the statements stay in a designated location, in chronological order-without the tedium of traditional filing.
The book takes nothing for granted. It explains how to pack for a trip, wash dishes, and take out the trash. There’s even an easy way to make a bed (place your bed away from the walls, so you have access to all sides, and just say no to decorative pillows and shams).
Pinsky explains how excessive shopping makes it hard to get organized, and offers a stark condemnation of Americans’ bulk-buying habits: “Stockpiling is a sin.” The more we accumulate, the more we have to manage. I’ll bet all of us have at least two can openers, when one will suffice.
This book will discourage you from buying needless possessions, and help you set up systems to make the most of what you decide to keep. I highly recommend it.
