ADD: To Distracted To Get Organized

You can overcome this barrier by following a few simple tips and working with your Attention Deficit Disorder. It can affect anyone. Only a doctor can diagnose you. There are things to look for if you suspect that you or someone that you know has ADHD. They include easily distractible, a lot of unfinished projects, forgetting where you have placed things, concentration problems, and impulsive behavior. If any of these statements sound familiar you should find a doctor who specializes in diagnosing ADHD and find out if this could be affecting you.

Now that we have talked about finding out if you are ADD/ADHD let's see what you can do to get and stay organized with it.


I have worked with many clients that have ADHD. We have worked together to come up with a plan to help them to work with their ADHD and still be organized. The main keys to being organized with ADHD are as follows:

• Structure
• Maintenance
• Be Creative!

You need structure to be able to stay on task and focused. I have sat down with clients before and made plans for each and every hour of their day in order to help them stay organized and on track. Maintenance is required to make sure that the systems put into place stay in place. Being creative involves working with your ADHD to find creative ways to get and stay organized. Consider the case study below of a client of mines.

Case Study: Doctor Under Fire

Problem: Needed time to write and research, and needed structure to day.

Background: A Doctor client of mine who held two positions at two hospitals needed time to write as part of the doctor's job. The doctor was overwhelmed with backlog at work and not being able to stay focused enough to get the writing done that was needed in order to fulfill the research grant requirements. The doctor also needed time to do exercise in order to stay off of medication for the ADHD.

Solution: We were able to come up with various creative solutions in order for the Doctor to write and meet the three paper a year quota. We were also able to carve out time for exercise. One creative solution we used was putting sticky notes everywhere. This helped to remind the doctor of important tasks of the day. We also set up a "launch pad" at the doctor's home and office and car. The "launch pad" was used to put things that would be needed everyday like files, car keys, and the palm pilot. The doctor also used the kitchen timer and the PDA timer to stay focused on certain tasks and writing. The doctor started with 15 minutes and worked up to 1 hour. We filed paperwork on the doctor's desk at home according to task name. We used the plentiful file cabinets at work to file other projects. But because the doctor would forget what was filed away we drew a sketch of the file cabinets and put what was in each drawer so that the doctor could see at all times what was filed where. We also set a person in place to hold the doctor accountable for the writing that needed to be done. Goals were set and steps to achieve the weekly goals. We also cut out extra activities that did not contribute to the goal of writing. And as a final help for helping the doctor to feel comfortable and focused writing, alternative locations were set up for writing. The doctor found that going to the park or Starbucks for an hour or two to write really helped with staying focused.

As you can see from the above case study I was able to help the client come up with creative ways to organize and stay focused based on creative solutions. You can take some of the above solutions to help you organize despite having ADD/ADHD.

I also highly recommend the following books for more information and solutions to organizing with ADD/ADHD. You can be organized and stay organized with ADD/ADHD. Be creative and get started!

ADD Friendly Ways to Organize by Judith Kolberg

Crazy Busy by Dr. Hallowell

The Floor Is Not An Option! by Sheila G. McCurdy

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