Four Steps to Clean
Step Two: Find What Works and Make it Easy
Let me tell you something, if something isn't easy? Us ADHDers are not going to keep it up. Period. Organization for us needs to be simple and smart. Sometimes I will look at organizational porn on Pinterest (you know, the place we all go to look at organizational porn) and I get the willies just seeing the meticulous systems being used by Type A personalities. Yeesh. That stuff makes me squirrely.
So instead of trying to live by someone's version of organized, I found my own way that works, as can you. The top of my media shelf (remember, bookshelves are for stuffing, and media shelves are for keeping books organized!) used to be stuffed with crap. Now, I have a streamlined, and organized top with items that make sense to be there. 1) I have a container for my sunglasses. I can take them off my head and plop them in. Easy! If it was a covered box? I'd lay them on top of it instead. So the easy part is plopping them in. I used to keep them in a drawer and they ended up being a mess all over my house instead. 2) I have container for my highlighters. I use them often. So they are right out where I can get to them. 3) I have pet medicine, like ear cleaner and cotton balls stuff into a mason jar. I use this all the time and now I have a dedicated and easy space to get to them (and to put them away). I keep my keyboard and my mouse for my gaming laptop right in the front where it's easy accessible and easily put-away-able. Under my pet meds I have hercules hooks. They are in a see through pencil box. I need these a lot, but not all the time. So they are okay under something. I have a medicine bottle full of paperclips in front, too. Now, I don't use these. So they are going to go on the shelves above my table where office supplies go. And that's it. I have items I can easily get to, and easily put away.
That's the trick: putting it away again. If you can get to something, that's fine and dandy, but can you easily put it away again? You have to make every system you use easy, both ways. Otherwise, it's not a system at all. It's limbo. Because that's where everything ends up when it wants to run away from its home.
So you have to keep finding what works, and make sure it's so easy, that you can do it when you're tired, frustrated, annoyed, sad, sick, or in pain. That it's so easy, even a toddler can do it. We aren't toddlers, but us ADHDers, kind of have brains like toddlers. We are easily distractible and kind of run on a motor. Which is why you have to be gentle on yourself if a system isn't working for you. You have look at your failures as a way your brain is saying "Hey, this isn't how I work. Try again." Because learning how your brain works isn't failing. It's learning.
So make that shit easy, y'all. Because you have so many better things to do with your day than think about where something goes. Make it so easy that it becomes a super simple habit to keep up with.
Check out www.Clutterbug.me for some great ideas on how to get organized in a easy way!
Check out Minimalist Mom on Youtube for some super great ideas on organization in a minimal way!
Check out The Joy of Less by Francine Jay for some wonderful tips on getting organized!
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