Back in the 1960s, people were concerned that because of all the modern conveniences we'd have, we would have to learn to do something in our "leisure" time. In 21st century, most of us wonder, What's that? We're working harder and going faster than ever before. And because the world is so busy, we often put off tasks that we hate to do. It's that old ADD procrastination, the approach-avoidance factor, that kicks in and leaves some things unattended to.
This happens for everyone, regardless of whether they're ADD or not. But we ADD-ers have a really good rationalization skill that tells us, we'll do it later. What that really means is, "I'm going to close my eyes and hope that it goes away."
Well, it won't, and the first thing you need to decide is whether it's something you really need to do or just something that people think you "should" do. Some of that is just dumb. I mean, you "should" tie your shoes. Aside from looking neat and tidy, it helps you to keep from tripping. But is it really that important? I mean, if you like your shoes untied and you're not putting yourself or someone else in danger, do you need to tie your shoes? No. But if you've stumbled around the house and were late for work every morning because you can't find your glasses, then you have a problem with a messy house.
"Should" you have a clean house? Sure. It's nice and open and ADD people really like that, when it comes right down to it. But if your stuff keeps going missing, you need to take care of it, if for nothing else than to allow you to find your stuff.
Hire someone to help you, if you're feeling overwhelmed. An efficiency expert can help you to get organized in an ADD-friendly way. Then, hire a housekeeper to keep things under control, even when you've messed them up again. Only now, because your place is being policed regularly, it won't ever get to the level of "disgustion" that you made before.
It's easy to just sweep everything away with money, but you may not be able to afford to hire people. You're the one who has to deal with your own mess, and you don't have any idea of how or where to start.
It's easy, when you break it down, actually. Start with 5 minutes a day and you'll be surprised at how much you can accomplish. Let's say, for instance, that your kitchen pantry needs cleaning out. Take a garbage can and put it next to your work space, then set a timer. Go through only the first shelf on the first day. Take all the food out, and as you do, decide whether it's a box of stale cereal that needs tossing, a new box of cereal that you'll eat, or a can of clams that you'll never use and aren't sure why you bought it. If the expiration date hasn't passed, put it into a pile to give away. when the timer stops, you stop, whether you're finished with that first shelf or not. Don't allow yourself to go over the time limit. This will keep you from being bored and from being distracted away from the task at hand.
The five minute clutter-kill routine can help anyone because most people can focus for just 5 minutes. Plus, your mind won't be nagging you about doing something you hate instead of something you like because it won't take that much time out of your day. Fit this 5-minute routine into your schedule every single day at the same time, like when you wake up in the morning. Do it when you're at high energy.
When you've finished cleaning out the pantry, the move to the living room, and clean out the CD cabinet, the bathroom medicine chest, and so on. If you take 5 minutes to do these things daily, you'll soon run out of things to do, and hopefully, you won't need to start over.
This means you have to create a maintenance system, too. What will help you find your glasses more easily? Well, what if you put an oblong dish next to your favorite spot in the living room, one on your night stand, and one on the bathroom sink? Regardless of where your glasses come off, be sure to toss them into one of the dishes, and they'll never be lost again.
Or, have a big bin to toss your underwear and socks into, rather than a drawer. Nothing to open. Just wash them, toss them into the bins, and find them easily when it's time to get dressed. Even better if you have a bin you can toss them into at night when they're dirty. Keep laundry bins, rather than hampers with lids that need opening. Stuff will probably accumulate on the lid, if you don't. And if your bins are colored-coded, all the better. Have one for dark, one for colored, and one for white clothes. This will make laundry day easier, too.
Anything you can do to make things easier for yourself, you should do. Most ADD people just don't like complications when it comes to unimportant things, like hanging up clothes. You will always need to hang some, so be sure you have plenty of hangars and that your closet isn't overstuffed. And think "open." Tossing things is easier than opening a drawer, folding, and closing the drawer again. To some people, that's simple stuff, but to people with ADD, it can be a hassle. So, find yourself some containers that you can put non-wrinkle stuff into like baskets and bins. All of these methods will help.
But we're human and can easily fall back into our old habits of disorganization. If that happens, or the minute you suspect it's happening, go back to the 5-miute-a-day routine, and get it back under control. You'll be glad you did. You won't be running around screaming,"Where are my glasses?" again.
Tellman Knudson, certified Hypnotherapist, is CEO of Overcome Everything, Inc. Stephanie Frank is an internationally known speaker and author of "The Accidental Millionaire."