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note pads from hell hell hell!

note pads from hell hell hell!2012-05-24T04:52:40+00:00

The Forums Forums Most X-treme! Organization note pads from hell hell hell!

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  • #90768

    markusinteruptus
    Member
    Post count: 6

    “write it down, keep a list of things you need to do….”

    ya right!

    I have MANY note pads all with little bits of info in them, never the right bit of info but info just the same!

    i start a new one, i lose it, start another it gets misplaced … you get the idea!

    so when they say right it down in a note pad I just laugh!

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    #114535

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    What type of note is it you are taking?

    Chores?

    Appointments etc

    Chores you can just use the eyes to see what needs to be done….

    Appointments just set a calender a day before and perhaps 3 hours before ( get there early ;))

    Take the strain off yourself a little and trust, yourself more…

    WOFH

    Pete x

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    #114536

    ipsofacto
    Member
    Post count: 162

    I was recently diagnosed at 55. Like so many others here, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the past and two pivotal moments in my life were 1) when I bought a Filofax (personal planer) and 2) many years later when I lost it. There were things about the Filofax personnel planer that made it easy for me to use, week to view calender, fold out year calender, note pads, and most importantly the size was perfect. The aesthetic quality also made it nice to carry around and use. At the time I lost it, they were not easily available in the US, and there was nothing of similar size or quality. It’s taking a bit of effort to get used to using one again, but it’s really helping to have everything in one place including all the list I need to make. A digital planer would be nice, but at my age seeing the screen is hard and I can write much faster than I can type on a PDA.

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    #114537

    mbadd
    Member
    Post count: 3

    I have an “Uncalander”, which is just unstructured enough to be useful to me, but structured enough that I have a place to write stuff down, etc.

    I keep trying to use just one notepad for notes for phone conversations, etc. Sigh. I just have to laugh at myself some days!!!

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    #114538

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    “just write it down” is what my husband says. Yes that’s the easy part…finding which notebook I put it in is the hard part. Or I’m notorious for putting these things such as planners..notebooks and so on in a safe spot and never finding them again! Lol Intention is always good I find…although remembering is difficult. I do find them after searching for something else except the information is useless months later. :) I think I’ll try two calendars to separate parents appointments and children’s activities. When I look at the calendar with everyone’s schedule I truly feel overwhelmed…Which obviously doesn’t help the circumstances. Still in the beginning process of “finding what works” Thank you all for your recommendations! Have a great day!

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    #114539

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    I’ve found it helpful, though not a perfect solution, to put tasks and reminders as all day events on Google calendar and of course all appointments go into the calendar with reminders at days , 1 day 4 hours and 1 hour and sometimes 15 minutes. Reminders are set to test me. This way I can always see my schedule on the computer and on my Android. When I forget to check, I get text megs that bus my phone.

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    #114540

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Todays “modern” lifestyle is totaly alien to almost every generation, going back 1000’s of years!

    Why beat yourself up about notepads and having to try to emember EVERYTHING….

    Its a little like you not being able to drive and everyone saying you should buy an automatic!

    HEY WORLD I CANT DRIVE ( hypertheticaly speaking)!

    I hope you find a middle ground where you can let some of the stress go and see, just how simple life can be…

    I also hope some, even a small fraction makes sense

    WOFH

    Pete x

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    #114541

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    You raise a good point Pete in regards to today’s lifestyle being alien to previous generations. I was reading an article on stress that said we have to stop glorifying stress. At first I thought – who on earth would glorify stress? But we do – lots of us anyway, almost competing over who can be the most stressed, who can get the most done, which families can never eat supper together, how many nights a week we have meetings … That’s not supposed to be how we live. How much of ADHD is really overload? When there’s too much crammed into my head, stuff starts to fall out of my ears.

    I am convinced that the reason I have leukemia is my inability to handle stress well.

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    #114542

    Scattybird
    Participant
    Post count: 1096

    I think you’re both right – Pete and Bellamom. Apart from the amount of work I (and my colleagues) have to do, and the continual assessments of performance (with constantly changing goal posts), the biggest stressor is email.

    I get so many that I can’t read them all – that’s just the work ones. And the senders all expect immediate action. So I can’t read them all and then that causes problems.

    So yes, the modern life is a stressor for some ADHD brains – my old coping mechanisms don’t work anymore which is why I got diagnosed in the end. Like you Bellamom, my brain gets full.

    But re note pads – I make appointments in my BB diary with tasks and that works quite well providing I am realistic with what I think I can achieve. But there are only so many hours in a day so I usually have to carry stuff over to the next day/week/year!!

    :)

    Bellamom – are you feeling OK now?

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    #114543

    Wgreen
    Participant
    Post count: 445

    Markus’s point is well taken. There are innumerable books out there with tips galore for the disorganized. There’s even an “organizational” industry that’s sprung up. But for the ADDer, much of this stuff is a waste of time. It’s not that the ideas aren’t good. It’s just that they don’t work for the seriously organizationally challenged.

    Here’s the rub: Organization gurus assert that the answer lies in a “process.” Once one learns and embraces a magical “process,” life’s problems sort themselves out. Well, No. These people misunderstand the etiology of the problem. While there’s no question that ditziness has a role to play, the central problem is one of the will—we do not possess the willpower to organize our daily lives (or read a book, or pay attention, or countless other things). Our willpower is neurologically impaired. If we had the will to make daily lists and execute them with consistency we would. We all try… and then fail… over and over again. What irritates me is the world’s insistence that we could lead different lives if we only would just try hard enough, or if we adopted the right organizational strategy.

    Here’s what I’ve found works:

    1) Medications

    2) Somebody constantly standing over our shoulders insisting we do whatever it is we need to do.

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    #114544

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Scattybird, I’m feeling so much better! Thanks for asking! Of course now I’m extra stressed because now my assignment schedule is even tighter. (But everything that I get back has a great mark and really good comments throughout, so I am happy about that. I’m able to submit assignments a little less “perfect” – or my image of perfect and I’m less stressed about whether they’ll be good enough.)

    But I am told that I will be susceptible to cellulitis because my leukemia meds are compromising my immune system. Hmmm – Personally I think stress is compromising my immune systerm – I’ve been on this particular med for 4 years and I’ve never been prone to anything before this year. I think my key is to learn not to get so stressed in the first place – therefore, learn not to procrastinate so dammed much, and to find better coping tactics. (My last paper was on stress – big learning curve.) Back to my paper on domestic abuse and shame. Ugh.

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    #114545

    Scattybird
    Participant
    Post count: 1096

    Hi Bellamom – I am glad you’re feeling better and they found out what the problem is. I am glad your worst fear was not the problem.

    I think you are right – stress cannot be good for you! It’s not good for any of us but you need to take care!

    It’s fantastic that you are getting great marks – it makes it all worth while. But maybe you can hand in the job done, but not perfect and let the odd mark slip? Unless that would stress you more?!

    :)

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