Someone with ADHD disorder wrote this:
What in the world do I mean by that?
Well, I guess I really mean that I have an almost complete lack of follow through on dealing with important papers, filing, cleaning out closets, ‘straightening up’ my work area, cleaning the basement, keeping the car neat and tidy, etc. Put simply, I find that I have other things I want to do with my time and don’t spend any energy on these types of activities. Even when I WANT to do the work, I have an extremely difficult time getting going.
I’ve recently read that my inability to start a project may be due to a desire for perfection (ha, I never thought it possible!) and, since I know the task will be difficult for me, I choose NOT to do it because I will not be able to achieve this goal of perfection.
my workspace’s surfaces are cluttered, the floor is used for filing, and things are generally all over the place? People ask how I can get anything done in this environment… I wonder how I could get anything done in a clean one!
Seriously, this may be part of some obscene defense mechanism, but I have many issues up in the air at the same time, and keeping the related paperwork readily available helps me to find the information when I need it, and even reminds me that it is something I have to deal with. When I file things away, I forget about them, and I will fail to follow through.
My boss left me a note a few weeks ago that said “Clean up your work space – It’s embarrassing.” My first reaction was anger, but he has a right to want his office space to look a certain way. I guess I have to find a way to work within his desires, and meet my needs.
I’ve started using more and more sticky notes to remind myself of things I’ve tucked away and out of sight. But, this kind of thing adds to the visual clutter, which does not necessarily solve any problems.
What is interesting is that I used to be something of a filing geek when I was younger. I was always organized and could quickly pull things out of my files that surprised many people. What is puzzling to me, is that I’ve lost this skill. This, and so many other of the traits of my Attention Deficit Disorder have grown more obvious since my late teens. I wonder what mechanism is at work to cause this?
It is that the past is the past, and the future can be improved. I have to make a choice to do something before my ‘stuff’ gets out of control and I lose my job or lose important papers inside a pile of documents. I’ve recently purchased two books that I think will be able to help me. The first,
“You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?!” is written in an engaging style and provides a lot of self affirming information about the kinds of things that are difficult for those of us with Adult ADD. This book has LOTS of good information. This is a VERY in depth book that looks at all aspects of life for adults with Attention Deficit Disorder. It will take commitment to read it thoroughly… So, be warned!
The other book, “ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life” is more to the point of how to organize life and yourself. It is written by a prominent ADD clinician in cooperation with a professional organizer. I’ve only had the chance to glance through this book so far, but it appears to have LOADS of stuff that hits home to my personal issues. For instance, it suggests that our personalities desire LOTS of stimulation, and we do not like working alone, and we need some external motivation…. So why not enlist the help of someone (“A Clutter Companion”) to work with you when it is time to clean out those closets or your car? At first I thought this was silly, but then I considered the fact that I really would do the work more consistently if I had a buddy with me. It’s so obvious, yet so profound… Why didn’t I think of this before!?!?!? I think that this book could really help me with the BIG PICTURE and how to organize my life (or, at least organize my office).
Anyway, I offer both of these titles for those of you that would like to learn more about why the Adult ADD mind seems to short-circuit when it comes to organizing clutter.
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