ADHD Solution Deck: Organization & Productivity: The Guide to Leading an Organized & Productive Life

by Lily Beacham

Do a speech-to-text brain dump (mind map). There are many computer programs that can help you to do this, or you can do it by hand using a pen and a sheet of paper. Write down or capture everything that you’re thinking of in connection to your task. Don’t worry about whether it’s in the right order or not. Just talk (or write) about everything you need to do in the project and what the potentially different steps may involve. Once you’re done with your brain dump, you can go through it, organize it, and plan your first step. If you don’t feel like doing a specific task, think of the smallest amount of time you’re willing to spend on it. Then, schedule that time and work on your task. Even if it’s only five minutes, you’ll be able to get five minutes’ worth of work done and get you closer to achieving your goal. Remember, any progress is good progress, no matter how small it may be.

Choose the task you’re going to be working on and know what your first action step must be. Set the timer for 25 minutes and start. Only work on that task for that time. Don’t check your phone, make coffee, or even take a bathroom break during this time. If you find yourself doing something else in these 25 minutes, start the timer again and start all over. When the timer goes off after 25 minutes, set it again for five minutes and have a quick break. Try to drink some water during this time to refuel your brain. After your break is done, set it again for 25 minutes and get back to work.

Use See-Through Containers There are many pretty baskets available in shops that are said to be ideal for organizing your home and keeping your spaces neat. Unfortunately, most of these wicker or colored baskets aren’t ideal for people with ADHD. I’ve found see-through containers to be most effective for organizing. You can see exactly what’s in every basket, and you’ll know exactly where to put something when you open a cupboard. Finding things is a lot easier if you can easily see what’s in a container. If, however, you really want to buy decorative baskets, make sure you label them properly so that you don’t waste hours searching through them to find whatever you’re looking for.