Write the date and time to review these on your calendar or in your planner, and go over your bank accounts, investment accounts, and retirement plans. Schedule a quarterly review of investments - with yourself. Your body double will create a productive atmosphere by sitting quietly and doing an unobtrusive task, like affixing stamps to envelopes or clipping recipes from a magazine. Use a “body double.” This is a friend or family member who sits with you as you tackle mundane chores, like balancing a checkbook, filling out a job application, or reviewing financial statements. If you tend to lose yourself on eBay for hours at a time, you need this kind of help. Set an alarm clock, kitchen timer, or computer alert - or arrange for someone reliable to call you at a specified time or times. (For a high-tech approach to to-do lists, see To-Do Lists That Really Work.)įight hyperfocus. You’ll accomplish more, feel less frustrated, and manage your time better. (List any additional items on the back of the card.) Once you have done those five things, refer to the back of the card to create a new to-do list - and discard the old one. Using big, bold letters, make a list of no more than five tasks on an index card. People with ADHD tend to spread themselves too thin. If you agree to join the school fund-raising committee, for instance, give up the neighborhood watch committee. For each new commitment you make, give up an old one. Focus solely on that factor when considering your decision.įight the tendency to over-commit. If you’re deciding which new cell phone to buy, pick a price cap and ignore more costly phones.Īlways identify the most important factor to consider in making any decision, whether it’s price, convenience, aesthetics, practicality, or something else. If you’re choosing a summer camp for your child, for example, set a deadline, and make the best choice you can by that date. Speed the process by setting a time frame or a budget cap. Set time limits for decision-making. Adults with ADHD can spend days agonizing over decisions that others make in minutes. They may just become your new rules for life. Read on for a list that outline powerful ways to get your days in order. The good news is that seemingly small changes can bring big improvements in your life - less clutter, fewer hassles, and greater tranquility. Life is capricious, and get-it-done strategies that work well today may prove useless tomorrow. But there is no such thing as perfect organization. It’s a matter of perfectionism: We’re unable to do what it takes to get even a bit more organized because we worry that we won’t become perfectly organized. So why do so many adults with attention deficit disorder fail to seek the help we need to get organized with adult attention deficit disorder ( ADHD or ADD) and achieve a more streamlined life? It sounds straightforward, right? In reality, it is a key step in reaching bigger, better goals.