Thanks for the insight on this book Lisa, sounds like something I might read and gain some benefit from! I guess we have Chronic Disorganization Syndrome! I am going to check it out!

Yes, Stacey, I played at a pro level for a while, however, my ADD caused me too many issues with concentration and consistency that I never really ‘made it’, but who knows–I might rejoin the fray eventually!

~Bryan

The author is a professional organizer. She has made the connection that some people see organization in a unique way. So she sets about to help each client in the way, she observes is the way they think about things. She realizes that emotions play a part in organizing these people, so she allows for that. For example:

She has a lady who can’t throw anything away, a packrat. Judith comes to her house and they start going through her stuff. Judith notices that if the “lady” picks up a item and touches it, she cannot part with it. If only “Judith ” handles the item, the lady is willing to part with it. Judith notices the pattern and calls it , “Kinetic sympathy”, which is the act of organizing without actually touching the items. She notices that “touching” a thing can set off a emotional response, for chronically disorganized people.

This is just a example, I don’t claim all ADD people have this problem.
The point is is that she recognizes the different style people have, she doesn’t try to fit us all in the same box. The book was not written for ADD people even. It was geared toward the people who had great success in many areas of their life, just couldn’t organize their stuff. That is me in many ways. She has many other examples. The book is definitely worth getting if you need a fresh new way to look at things. : )

I ordered a watch from a catolog that was made specifically for ADD people. You would set the timer for specifics tasks that were programmed in. It was light up with hints such as, ” pay attention” , “talk a walk,” “check your messages”, “regroup yourself.”

While the idea was good, the watch was large, bulky, and I kept needing to change the battery so I gave up on it. I wish I had kept it…

Timers work better for me then lists. I’ve thought about getting a little voice recorder that I can carry around with. My only fear with doing that is I’ll repeat my pattern. Buy something new, use it for a short time, then find a reason it doesn’t work. Or lose it.

Lists, the one tool that always comes up as being helpful to others, does nothing for me. The truth is my organization skills (or lack of) does not include the secret to making and keeping track of lists.

I just bought a book called, Conquering Chronic Disorganization”, by Judith Kolberg. Although generally, books on organization DO NOTHING for me, I felt this book explained why “conventional methods” will not work for me . I do not respond to conventional organizing methods, such as filing systems, storage systems, and time management. Those things have a certain logic to them that do not fit with me. That is why I failed so many times with those methods. I have beat myself shamefully, over the head, with trying to convince myself, if I tried harder, those things would work for me.

This book explains why those methods don’t work. Although I have not implemented any changes with my filing style yet, the book has offered me some comfort to know there is a reason for my “madness”.

Great topic Bryan, I would also love to hear what works, (or doesn’t work) for other people.