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Organizing the Brain

Organizing the Brain2011-06-10T22:45:52+00:00
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  • #89694

    Carrie
    Member
    Post count: 529

    Anyone have any tips on organizing all the thoughts that flood into you head at once? When you have so many to-dos, to do, how do you start? An example, I am planning a big birthday party for my kids which is super exciting, I am starting a business for my husband which is exciting, I am trying to balance our budget, stressful… I have house work stacking up, stressful!

    So the other day being filled with excitement and stress of course causes an over load, “I could do this for the kids!!” and “Oh where to start with the business,… Ok I need to do this and this and this” “ah crap! I need to get these dishes done!” “but ooooh I need to paint this for the kids!” “OK, it will cost this much… Oh crap! The budget!” etc etc etc etc!!! All of these things need to be done by the end of this month. Well Budget goes on and on forever, Party is on the 21st and I have been preparing, but when you have so many things pulling you at once I dont know where to start or how to control the flood of thoughts! I am on medication (Adderall XR 20mg), but it doesnt seem to slow me brain down as much as Dexedrine did. When you get excited and stressed though, of course symptoms will be worse!

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    #104838

    nellie
    Member
    Post count: 596

    Hi Carrie,

    Have you tried mind mapping instead of a regular to do list? I find it helps to get things visually on paper and somehow helps me focus on what needs to be done.

    Here’s a link if you aren’t familiar with the concept: http://www.mindmapping.com/mind-map.htm

    I’m in the midst of getting sorted out for a big party on Sunday and did one today and got back on track after doing one.

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    #104839

    Carrie
    Member
    Post count: 529

    Ah thanks!! I will try that out!

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    #104840

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Cool idea. Will have to try that for my son when he struggles with essays. He’s a very visual learner and I think he’d do well with a mind map to help with planning his written work.

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    #104841

    Bill
    Member
    Post count: 227
    #104842

    kc5jck
    Participant
    Post count: 845

    Reading Carrie’s initial post here caused me to think that this may be a fear of forgetting, perhaps due to a short working memory. I’ll be doing something and see or think of something else that needs to be done and change tasks for fear of forgetting to do it later. Of course while in the new task, something else comes along.

    The result is many things started (before I forget about doing them) and not much completed because I forgot what I was initially doing or didn’t have time to complete because of all the other distractions. And I suppose many of the things started and not completed have to be began again from the start causing the time previously spent to be wasted.

    I think I’ll try this. Whenever I see something that needs to be done, I’ll take a picture of it with my iPhone. Later, I can go back through my pictures to remember what needs to be done. If I think of something then maybe I’ll … I’ll call myself and leave a voice mail or something.

    Hey, maybe when I put down my hammer I’ll take a picture of it so I’ll remember where I left it. Oh I’m on a roll now, I’m so happy.

    Thank you sooo much Carrie. You’ve solved eveybody’s problems.

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    #104843

    wolfshades
    Member
    Post count: 211

    I’ll be interested to see how folk work with theses ideas. I’ve tried every trick in the book: before digital organizers existed I attended time management seminars, used paper agenda systems, then Palmpilot agendas, iPhone and iPad agendas, mind mapping (got too frustrated trying to learn – which means I’ll have to give it another shot at least). So far…I’ve still got projects that need to be done, one of which I haven’t event started on. And yeah, I did the “take a picture” thing too. Forget to look at the photos until months later.

    Most of these were tried long before I suspected I had ADHD (before finally getting diagnosed) so as you can imagine its been a long time.

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    #104844

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    Nellie

    – your mind map is an excellent suggestion

    Carrie

    I am not medical professional. But I have learned that medication doing is very individual.

    Was diagnosed with ADD in Nov 11. My dose has been changed three times.

    From when I started medication I tried to jot down the changes (benefits and side effects)

    Then I spoke with my doctor and we discussed next steps including medication.

    The latest change in medication has been Concerta 57mg in the morning. Concerta 27mg early afternoon

    It is too soon to see a change and also I have been forgetting to take the afternoon dose

    My own learning from reading

    – The initial starter dose is very unlikely to produce the desired result

    – There has to be some fine tuning, which means you have to have access to your ADD psych

    – Medications response is different fro everyone

    Also unfortunately the medication isn’t the silver bullet and the behavioral changes and organization, etc has to be in place

    I struggle with all of that.

    i have been fortunate to have access to an excellent ADD medical clinic that also is involved in many of the new studies and latest treatments.

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    #104845

    Bill
    Member
    Post count: 227

    I think I have an allergy to to-do lists. I start with good intentions and if I can get everything done in a day, it works. But a running to-do lists ends up getting ignored.

    But I recently found something that is working. We put a small magnetic whiteboard on the fridge where both my wife and I put stuff that has to get done. So far, so good. I think the fact that it’s shared is helpful. It’s not just my chores. And I think the fact that it’s a small board is helpful as well. If I want to put something more on the list, I have to do one of things already on the list to make room. Logically, that doesn’t make sense, but it’s working.

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    #104846

    ashockley55
    Participant
    Post count: 229

    Gosh, the more I read on here, the more I find myself saying, “That’s me!” I go around in a million directions, completely in a panic because I start to do one thing then come across another thing to do. I feel pulled in a million different directions and overwhelmed. I think this is where the lack of motivation comes from – who can motivate themselves to do one thing when it’s *never* *just* *one* *thing* is it? And I’m such a perfectionist, I can’t handle just doing a little bit of something. Oy! I just wanted to say I can relate.

    I have, however, become more gentle with myself lately since discovering that I think I have ADD, and *will* allow myself to do a little bit of something – that provides me with enough motivation to actually get done more than I planned! It’s kind of like lowering my expectations allows me to exceed my expectations, if that makes any sense? I tell myself, “You don’t have to clean the kitchen perfectly before work, just wipe it down a little bit.” And I end up getting the kitchen wiped down, and a few other things done to boot. I’m learning that stuff doesn’t take nearly as much time as I was obsessively worried about it taking if I just go ahead and get started and, again, this is key, lower my expectations for myself.

    Oh, and I have the little wipey board on my refrigerator too, Bill! It’s kind of my catch-all for to-do’s and important stuff I need to write down.

    Anybody out there trying to keep up with two calendars? Ha ha! I have a home calendar hanging in my cabinet in my kitchen, and then a travel calendar I keep in my purse, and I drive myself bonkers wondering and worrying if I’ve got everything down on both calendars, or if I forgot to put something on both calendars. Lord, I shoot myself in the foot sometimes!!!

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    #104847

    nellie
    Member
    Post count: 596

    My first response to this post was 7 months ago – wow time flies! I haven’t used mind mapping as much but still do on occasion. I still find it a great tool when I’m stuck. So far what has consistently worked for me is one paper agenda. I’m on my 2nd calendar year and was impressed that I wrote in every single week when I looked it over after the holidays. I’ve been using it since almost a year. I gave up on my digital one since out of site = out of mind for me. Once it’s literally in the computer I may as well have erased it.

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    #104848

    Bill
    Member
    Post count: 227

    Food for thought – Henry Miller, the writer, wrote these commandments to himself in 1932:

    1. Work on one thing at a time until finished.

    2. Start no more new books, add no more new material to “Black Spring”

    3. Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is at hand.

    4. Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!

    5. When you can’t create you can work.

    6. Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers.

    7. Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.

    8. Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.

    9. Discard the Program when you feel like it – but go back to it next day. Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.

    10. Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.

    11. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

    [from Henry Miller on Writing (New Directions, 1964) p 161.]

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    #104849

    ashockley55
    Participant
    Post count: 229

    Wow, Bill! That was awesome! I really needed that! Thank you!

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    #104850

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 14413

    I approach these things in a shotgun manner to start off with.

    I write all my scattered thoughts down as they come to me, hopefully all on the same piece of paper. (usually lots of bits that I carry around as the day or week goes on but hey, I try)

    Writing them down seems to make things more concrete and less abstract, disorganized and scary. I keep thinking that I’ve forgotten something, refer to the notes and viola!

    When I get tired or sick of thinking about all of these things, I put it away for a day or so then come back to it when it’s not so exciting.

    For some reason after it’s all written down, my brain works slower and I can begin to organize.

    I list and relist quite a few times but from the outset I give myself a time limit, otherwise this can go on forever.

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