De-cluttering and organization tips?

[Anonymous]

I go through the room that needs to be cleaned up and put all of the things that need to be put away in different piles, eg; one pile for the bedroom, one for the bathroom and so on. I start from one end of the room and work my way to the other end. I am left with about three or four piles. Then I take each pile put it in it’s personal box, then put it away. This really helps to get it all organized.

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[Anonymous]

KEYS…..I’m sure there are a lot of people that have adhd lose their keys a lot. I used to always lose my keys. I would find them in really crazy places like on the dishwasher, outside on the hedge near the door, hanging on the railing outside near my horse stall and so on. Obviously, the keys were in these places because I was en-route doing something and then became side tracked and then put them down. In my mind I would say, okay, I’ll put these here for now, remember that……when I come back I’ll pick them up. Once I found my keys in a haystack. I used to get my several keys cut and would find them years later. Just the other day I found my old gym pass which was attached to my gas speedpas and my car keys and was in a box with candles in it. Go figure. I wonder what I was doing or thinking when I put them in a box with emergency candles….lol Needles to say, now I hang my keys on a hook on the kitchen wall above the daily bulletin board. I hardly ever loose my keys now. It was a simple task….that saved me a lot of pain and grief.

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[billd]

Almost worse – I unlock the door and leave the keys in the door, go inside, lock the door (keys still in lock outside.

Then the next morning – now where are those keys???

I’m anal about having some stuff put away – and other stuff sits in piles.

My workbench is a cluttered mess, but the toolbox sitting next to it has all the sockets arranged in neat rows, wrenches in special holders, in order and all facing the right direction.

Car parts stacked everywhere – but the inside of the Javelin is spotless – you could eat off the seats or floor of that car, gee, you could eat off the engine or differential they are so clean.

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[Anonymous]

As far as organization is concerned, it helps that I married someone who is not much of a clutterer herself. It also helps that I have a big house with a basement. I take Concerta. I have learned that keeping things in piles does not work, even if I know what is in the piles. I learned something called OHIO (stands for ‘only handle it once’). That means that when I get bills, I go upstairs, write the checks, stuff the envelopes, and put the stamp on and walk to the mailbox. Once a day, I make a pass through the house and get things to their proper places — all the way there, one thing at a time. Sometimes I bring three things upstairs at a time, but then one at a time, put them in their final place. I also spend several hours once a month cleaning my computer. I also have my finances set up on Mint.com. That helps me get my finances automatically anywhere and decreases stress. I have also stopped trying to slot major tasks into my morning spontaneously (like the independent film I never finished, or the three screenplays I never sent out, or the book I have two drafts of and abandoned). I keep my car clean by dumping out everything and then walking everything to its proper place. I strive for inbox zero — meaning, every email handled once, and filed in its box. Initially all these systems made the problem worse, by the way. Try setting up mint.com — it took me several days. Who knows what I neglect when I am trying to get organized. At the moment, I am functioning at a very high level and not dropping the ball. I am also attached to some things, but I do occasionally get brave and chuck things out. I have a garage sale box, and occasionally make $2-300 selling old stuff I don’t use. I keep a Google Calendar (badly) and I like to vacuum and putter about, which helps relieve anxiety somehow. Also, we have a maid once a month, and we clean before they come. That’s my routine. If I exercise regularly, it keeps me from the internet, which is a huge time-waster for me. I pay attention to my daughter and wife in the evenings as best I can, and try to minimize multi-tasking with them (like being on the internet, watching TV, or both, until my daughter is in bed and my wife wants to watch with me). It’s not a bunch of tricks, it’s a whole way of life, and you have to be pretty motivated.

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[billd]

WOW – please come to my house and show me how to get started! Cool.

BTW – humans can’t multi-task, they “toggle”……… and for each new “thing” taken on, you lose roughly 20% of the memories of that task or event.

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[Anonymous]

When I’ve had it with the clutter, the piles of paper, I take a garbage bag, toss everything in it, close the bag and stuff it in a closet. Now of course, sometimes I wonder ‘where did I put this and that?’ lol!

By the way, today I was looking for some christmas wrapping paper in a closet and found one of those bags… wow I found a few treasures! I found 5$ among other things!!!

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[Craig]

Until a few weeks ago, I didn’t know what ADD was. Now I realize I’ve been struggling with organizing issues for many, many years. I’ve done well in a some areas, but have a lot of work to do in others. What I’ve done well is I always know where my keys are now. They are either in my pocket or on top of the dresser. It’s not only my keys, it’s everything in all my pockets that go on top of the dresser. Years ago, before all the airport security, I flew to Colorado Springs without my wallet. Without any money and no ID, I couldn’t rent a car or pay for a taxi. I walked to the hotel, talked my way into getting a room, and was able to have my wallet sent to me overnight. Since then, everything in my pockets go onto the dresser and in the morning, everything goes back into my pockets. Problem solved.

At work and home, I’ve had problems getting the paperwork done and on time. I love working but hate the paper work. My job evaluations included doing a good job, but falling short on reporting and late time sheets. I’m getting better at organizing reporting materials and filling out time sheets, if not every day, at least by the end of the week. At home, I open mail in one place next to a trash can. For bills, I write the amount and the due date on envelope and then circle these 2 items. I don’t know why I circle them, maybe just for emphasis. Bills are sorted, the one due the soonest is on top. The bills are in a highly visible location that is seen many times every day. This has become a good habit and the bills are always paid on time.

Piles of stuff. I’m still struggling with this one. I always thought that because I read so much and have so many varied interests, I was bound to have piles of stuff. At one time, I had two offices practically piled to the ceiling. I ignored it for a long time, but the one time I came in on a weekend to clean it up, it was a depressing excercise. I went back to my old way of only going through the piles and filing things when I needed to find a critical piece of paper. As soon as I found the paper I needed, I would stop organizing and throwing paper away.

Even worse, I still take notes in meetings and jot down notes or doodle while on the phone. I rarely look at any of this later, it just adds to the various piles. I think writing notes or doodling helps me concentrate or at least not be bored.

I’ve managed to keep a few rooms in the house almost completely uncluttered – the living room, dining room, and kitchen. When a friend came over for the first time, she commented that I was the neatest, most organized man in town. Little does she know.

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[Anonymous]

I am finding out as I get older, that I seem to be more and more unorganized. I tried Flylady, but found it very confusing and could NOT find a starting place. My organization skills seem to get stuck on trying to find a system to implement, but some how I wind up with multiple organizers and calendars and just confuse myself horribly.

About losing my keys, I did figure that one out. Tired of all the panic and delayed trips, I purchased a clip (the kind like they have on dog leashes) and attached it to my keys. Now I just clip them to my purse as soon as I take them out of the car ignition or the front door. I do have a back up house and car key hooked on my wallet too, just in case I somehow muff up. My real problem is forgetting where I put my eyeglasses a lot!

I will try to find that book Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder to see if maybe I can implement some new ideas.

Clutter is taking over my world. I find I tend to insulate myself with “stuff” (not technically a hoarder, as I’m always giving stuff away to charities) when things get rough in some area of my life. I am getting SO tired of CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome).

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[bucklipe]

Yes, when you look at the totality of Flylady it is a lot to take in. I have found her 15 minute routine very useful. However I do it in an ADD way. I plan out different 15 minute things to do. 15 minutes just looking for trash to throw away. 15 minutes filing paperwork. 15 minutes moving things into the rooms where they belong. 15 minutes organizing a closet, etc. 15 minutes for a break (for me this is once an hour). Don’t give up on Flylady’s advice. She has various strategies that we can use. I have a different take on the strategies by adapting them to my way of doing things. It feels really good to get things done. I had to learn to let go of the idea that I had failed at cleaning up if I didn’t get the entire living room DONE. It is OK to get segments of the living room done. For me any progress is progress.

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[Anonymous]

This is absolutely the best forum I’ve ever seen on organizing/decluttering on any ADD website!

Basically, I’m seeing a lot of people saying they start small, focus on one small area, and concentrate on it until they get that area or task conquered. By conquered, I mean consolidated. They’ve learned how to do that task properly by mastering the skill. Dr. Jain has a video on this website that says much the same thing.

Pick a task that needs to be accomplished and focus on it constantly until it becomes second nature. Believe it or not, it will happen because I’ve used the technique to help me out. Apparently, some others are doing the same thing and it has worked for them too.

Little by little, bit by bit, is how we need to chip away at what seems to be an insurmountable task. If you’re a mom, my other suggestion is to go back to work. There is NO way to keep a house neat and tidy with three preschoolers if you are a stay- at-home mom. You need to remove the kids and adults first. Send the kids to daycare and get a job outside the home. It worked wonders for me. In fact, it was much easier working full-time than being a stay-at-home mom.

Thanks for all the tips!

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[Anonymous]

I just joined, and reaching out is even difficult for me, but this topic is one of the main reasons I sought out this site. I checked a lot of organizing sites, to the point of overload, which is another challenge to overcome. I try to tell myself, ‘Just take what you think is relavent, and leave the rest.’ Sounds easy enough at first, but I go overboard with trying to take in too many little bits of info from too many sites, and then have to determine which of the “relavent” stuff is most “relavent”. Get where I’m going with this? (One of my fears of reaching out is being afraid people won’t be able to relate or even understand what I’m talking about.)

But back to the original subject: I did join FlyLady about a month ago, and it has been hard, and I haven’t been able to make anything a habit as of yet. I am very hard on myself, and easy to criticize myself and put myself down, but I’ve kept reading the emails because I like the testimonials from other people who are challenged. I like the 15 minute timer idea, and at the end of every email it says, “You’re not behind, just jump in wherever you are.” Just that continuous message has helped me to not put myself down so much for not doing all, or any part of a daily mission. Wish Iknew a “magic bullet” for your de-cluttering problem, but as another member pointed out, getting your children involved can be not only helpful, but a great learning opportunity for them. I did just join Moms with ADD, but I can’t say whether I would recommend it, since I haven’t spent much time on there. Hope you find something that works for you, and thanks for your post, which inspired me to reach out.

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[Anonymous]

I tried FlyLady as well, but kept forgetting to do it so I never got much past cleaning the sinks. We take our shoes off as soon as we come in from outside. So the part about lace up shoes didn’t work for me. We wear sock slippers because both Mama and I have awful bunions that make it so uncomfortable to wear shoes and I can’t think well when in pain….or many other times as well. But there are some really great ideas in there.

Solved the key problem mostly by wearing something with pockets and keeping the keys in a pocket when wearing the pants or looking in the last pair I wore if I’ve taken them off. Also wear a chain with extra door keys around my neck in case we get ourselves locked out by mistake. I’ve been known to open the deadbolt and exit the house and close the door with the keys still inside in the lock. The door locks if closed with the bottom button in and Mama could easily lock me out if I just step out to get the paper. On that chain I also have a small credit card size plastic case that holds my driver’s license, Mama’s ID, a debit card, AAA card, Mama’s medical cards and a small amount of cash.

The plastic case came from 24-hour Fitness. I also put Mama’s Safe Return card in her case and she wears it all the time now.

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[Anonymous]

I figured I should sneak in and update.

I am coming up with a list of all the housework that needs to be done, and figuring out about how often things should be done. I am hoping to come up with a list of things to do so we can have a list and create a routine. Things were going great until a nasty cold found our house. I was caught up on laundry and cleaning some other areas on a very regular basis.

We went out of town for Christmas, but the house wasn’t horrible to come home to, other than the laundry. It piles up so fast with 5 people here! Especially with potty training accidents around here!

I hope we can get back into the swing of working and house work quickly! And yes, things stay much nicer if we are not working from home, but with real estate the way it is right now we can’t afford daycare. We were nearly clean the month the boys were with a sitter every day. Not sure I would give up on my current job, especially when nobody near us is hiring much right now.

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[vikki9]

Because I am a Feng Shui consultant, let me offer you a different take on where to begin your clutter-releasing process. Clutter acts like a weight to slow us in our tracks and stop forward motion – the more we are able to release or organize, the more our lives will flow. Sometimes the best place to start facing clutter issues is before you find an empty box.

Let me say that the suggestions I’ll mention here are connected to the energy of your space and may sound a bit odd if you are new to energy work. If a tip resonates with you, please try it and if this is a bit too Woo-woo, that’s quite all right.

Rather than approaching your clutter issue by jumping in to move stuff around, step back from that being Step 1. Instead, prepare your space to express a willingness to be organized. (I know, sounds weird.) Begin with the bed you sleep in by removing any thing you have stored underneath it. Depending on the quantity you find, this could actually temporarily add to your clutter situation – no worries, remember temporary. This allows energy to flow around you during a more restful, rejuvenating sleep and is a powerful first step. Next, as you are ready (this may be tomorrow or next week), do the same with the other beds in your home – afford everyOne an improved rejuvenating experience. An intention might be: I am grateful for improved sleep knowing it serves to enhance my waking hours. (Use your own thoughts and words if this doesn’t feel spot on.)

In Feng Shui, windows are the eyes of a building. To improve the ‘view’ of your situation, grab a spritz bottle of window cleaner and a microfibre cloth to clean your windows and sills. If you can get to the out side of the windows, all the better. If you can get help with this sparkling work, better still. Your intention might say: I am grateful for an increased level of understanding when I look at my surroundings.

Breathe. Life is good.

Back to the inside with spritz window cleaner and a fresh microfibre in hand. Give all of the mirrors in your home a cleaning. When you are done, go back to your bedroom and cover any and all mirrors in that space. When the clutter-releasing/organizing task begins, you will start in your bedroom. Mirrors wear many different hats when used with Feng Shui, one of them is to expand what they reflect. If you are reflecting the flowers in your garden drawing that energy of beauty and growth into your space: very nice. If you are reflecting horizontal surfaces covered with too much dusty and unorganized stuff… well… who needs two of that? Your possible intention: I am grateful to consciously choose what I surround mySelf with.

Take a breath. Take your time.

Go through your space again and look at the images/art you have on display. Does it support You, order, opportunity, harmony? Does that photo of an frozen ice breaker describe how you feel about making progress? The desert print of a cactus and animal skull might encourage you to feel isolated. The comic strip about clutter on your refrigerator is sooo not funny anymore. The images that do not support can be removed and items that do support you can be cleaned. Intend: I am grateful to display images in my home that lift up everyOne who lives or spends time here.

Take a breath. You are not in a hurry.

The Water element in Feng Shui represents money and opportunity. When water flows, so can money and opportunity – here we intend opportunity, but perhaps there is a financially successful garage sale in your future as well. To ensure this flow, check your plumbing, drains, fawcets – where water enters and exits your space. Please remedy cloggs, drips, and leaks. Your liquid intention: I am grateful to appreciate the flow of All Good for me and from me.

After employing these initial remedies, you will feel a shift in your space. This movement may very well nudge you toward spending a bit of time on a regular basis releasing items you are holding onto which no longer serve you and putting in order the rest.

As you move through this process or try different tools, remember to be kind and patient with yourSelf. The clutter and habits that attract it did not appear over night so you have more than over night to address it.

I hope you find this information helpful to your process.

Thank you.

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[Anonymous]

After figuring out that my AD/HD husband was going to continue to pile his freshly folded laundry on TOP of the dresser instead of INSIDE the drawers . . . I purchased plastic stacking bins. He now has his daily “work clothes” in plain view (still on top of the dresser)

and not toppling over! The bins are cut low in the front so there is no “rooting around” to see what’s available. He has jeans in one, t-shirts in one, socks in one, underwear in one! The things he doesn’t wear on a daily basis remain in the dresser. This is not the most decorative way of doing this – but after his recent diagnosis, I decided to stop trying to get him to conform to MY way of organizing and find a way that works for him! No more opening and closing of drawers either!

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[Author]

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