ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life

There are so many books on organization, and ever the optimist, I have bought a lot of them with the wide-eyed belief that that particular book would be the magic bullet to transform my clutter and piles of paper into the minimalist I know I am deep inside. And of all the books I have bought on organization, I think this one is the best because it is so specific to the organization and time-keeping challenges so many of us ADDers face every day. I found my habits and behavior described to a "T" on almost every page which made me feel more like a valued member of the club than depressed and overwhelmed. But most important, the authors offer specific ideas that address our special way of thinking and doing things. I use it as an ongoing reference book and wake-up call, especially when I'm looking to improve some area of my life. In fact, there is an excellent reference section in the back of the book that lists ADD organizations, professional organizers and more. I recommend this book be part of every ADDer's library.

Most of these books for women with AD/HD is written for who has family and children.I understand they need to write,but article is no use.
This book is different.this book taught me how to deal with every panic I may have,
Worthlessness,comfusion,and strong desire to want to know what affect me like this.
This place..Tokyo is very diffrent from US.I am living small apartment(one of friend said"like a collage doom")
and we don't have many helping person."Professional organizer"is just a dream.with many non-fit information,this book is so useful,espesially how to deal with situation.
And I've read many books.I can say this works for me and you,and this book is rather thick,but see,"a Japanese can read".Written in easy-to read English.

I have read probably half-a-dozen organizing books, and this one has the most readable, usable format of any I've seen. Let's face it, many of the people who have trouble with organizing have elements of ADD, if not full-blown, diagnosed ADD. This book offers lots of suggestions on ways to look at and tackle organizing tasks, and while organizing will always be a challenge for some of us, the tools offered will make it more accessible. One thing that I wish was covered in more depth is the tendency to hoard.

This book is a gift to adults with ADD. I have only read 2 chapters and it has already made a big difference in my life. As I read, I recognize myself on each page and then I get suggestions on how to better cope with different issues and situations.If nothing else, this book has given me hope. I strongly recommend it to any adult with ADD. It is a great tool.

This book addresses the challenges that adults with ADD face every single Day. There is a section in each chapter called: Is this your history? It is if you:
1. Find that forgetfulness and lack of planning add to your daily stress;
2. Resort to making an impulsive decision just to get it over with;
3. Allow people or circumstances decide for you;
4. Let escape activities interfere with your responsibilities;
5. Tend to hyperfocus and lose track of time;
6. Live in crises, reacting to circumstances;
7. Thinks that everything is a "A" in your priority list;
8. Rarely step back to consider what really matters;
9. Have difficult to remember and follow future tasks;
10. Has a cluttered house, bedroom, or office.
You will find yourself in the stories related in this book and will find solutions for your problems. I did not give five stars because I do not agree with some "Level Three Solutions-Help from Professionals", but the book is good.

I read this book as part of a research project. This particular book is both funny and sad. You will fall down laughing at some of the bull that the authors try to feed readers. Everything most people do at one time or the other is blamed on ADD.
Like to channel surf... it is ADD. Tend to drive fast.. it is ADD. Pay your rent late cause you lost the bill...it is ADD. Enjoy daydreaming about that cute guy/girl at the office... it is your ADD.
The flip side of this is it is just another example about how people in this society are not encouraged to take responsibilty for their own shortcomings. We have gotten so politically correct that we can no longer tell anyone that their behaviours are just plain wrong.
In this book I took a particular dislike to one the examples,a middle-aged, overweight woman with unpaid bills, a filthy house,a dead end job, and credit cards run up to the hilt. But according to the authors it is not her fault.. she needn't feel guilty or bad about how she is living her life. Poor girl she is just misunderstood... she is just suffering from undiagnosed ADD.
Medication,support, and coddling will make her all better.Gee can I get this disorder.If you believe this book, it gives people an excuse to eat like pigs, spend too much money, not go to work on time,not pay bills, and not wash their dishes. I could use this so I can just lay around and feel sorry for my self. God forbid these so called damaged diseased people take responsibility for their actions. And don't dare call people like this undisciplined, out of control, lazy, lacking ambition etc. According to the authors these poor souls brains just aren't wired the same as most people.
Anyway.. this is a great book for folks looking to excuse themselves from the adult responsibilties in life.

this wa sthe BEST book i could have read!!!... at the time i was so confused adhd is a big part of my life big this book shows how to use it to your advantage and to be in a routine. it is excellent i tell everyone about it and i read it over and over all of the time. get it if you need to look at your life and change some things aound. You will be SO satisfied, has things my doctor could never have told me LOVE IT

These ladies clearly know first hand what it's like to live with ADD by any name. Their approach to the problem is easy to understand and effective in that it teaches you how to work within the limitations of this condition and play to it's positives. A very useful and practical approach.

Too many books read like the author just copied articles on a subject and crammed them into a so-called book. This was one of those. There just wasn't any helpful information in it and I thought it was a waste of money.

I've not read the entire book yet, but I already know this book will change my life. (No, it isn't a cure all. We all know there isn't one, though we secretly wish one could be found.)

I just finished reading Chapter 5, "ADD Decision Dilemmas". This chapter wonderfully describes problems I've always classified as "procrastination", but really aren't. I'm 40+ now and being introspective, I've really figured out some of my behavior patterns and partial reasoning for it, but this book really nails it. Not only will this book help you identify those behaviors earlier, it provides suggestions that will help you deal with it!

Being the typical ADDer, I couldn't just read the book cover to cover. I've been skipping around (and this book is wonderfully arranged so that you can). I loved the suggestion about having a few files with labels like "I can't believe I haven't called about this!" and other file titles determined by your reaction to the task. (Chapter 17, Fear of Filing) How lovely! I've started countless piles of "things I need to take care of, and soon", that end up just being shoved in with other junk so I can clear a space... Well, now I've got a new plan for that. I'm going to order the "filing crate on wheels" or similar, also from the book, so that I can create files like "take care of this or I'm screwed". Of course, I still have to work on getting to the 'taking care of it' part. But with better organization, the rest should be easier. I'm sure I'll find a good suggestion or two in the book.

I disagree to some extent with the reviewer that rated the book 3 stars because so many of the suggestions involve others. It is true, there are a lot of suggestions involving others. That isn't the book's weakness; That is just a fact of ADD and of life. Lets face it, having more people around to help us deal and remember is simply handy (especially if they don't also have ADD.) I'm single and live alone. Lots of these suggestions can be adapted. You can make use of helpful people that don't live with you. My sister visits from out of town from time to time, I have friends at work that are understanding, etc. Some suggestions may even be adaptable to remote interactions - telephone conversations and emails. As I read the book, I try to think of how these ideas could be adapted. Don't get me wrong, if another version came out with more suggestions targeted toward singles, I'd buy it again!

Bottom line - if you've struggled with organization/disorganization, get this book! Especially if other organizational books haven't helped you. After all, ADD, like everything, is a matter of degree. Besides, you don't have to be diagnosed with ADD to find techniques crucial to ADDers helpful.

I really don't get the one-star reviews for this book. I have read the entire book in a couple of sittings (which says something for someone w/ADD) and have found it very helpful. One criticism is that it often recommends the services of professionals, but I find the "permission" to hire someone to help me very freeing when most people only make me feel guilty for not being able to do this on my own. It also gives lots of tips and techniques of how to handle a lot of things myself and I have found several of them to be things I hadn't thought of or read before, even though I have read several organization books. I particularly like the parts about the specific ways to enlist the help of friends and family for different jobs. I highly recommend this book for those w/ADD trying to get organized.

I bought over 10 books on ADD and organizing, and only kept two: this one and 10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD. This book's format and prose was written with ADD readers in mind, and the solutions are spot-on. Other books had overly simplistic or complicated ideas that seemed absurd or impossible. This book's ideas are very specific to the way an ADDer's brain works. I refer to it time and time again.

I am a mental healh therapist and found this book extremely practical for people coping with ADD as well as professionals working with them. The tips are excellent and relevant to life in our fast paced world. The book could also be helpful for those who simply have trouble being organized and who are not ADD.

This book has lots of great ways to organize your life if you have ADD. There is a lot of general advice in each chapter followed by a quick summary. The book is divided into the following sections:

Getting Started
Taking Charge of Add
Thing Organizing
Time Organizing
Paper Organizing
Conclusion
Resources

What I found most useful were "no-brainer" tips like the following:

Pre-pack a lunch;create a "launchpad" by the front door; only buy matching socks; organize your wardrobe around one color; pare down the clothing in your closet.

This last one has been very helpful. I used to rummage through clothing that I was keeping around "in case" I lost weight or that I hadn't worn in years; now my wardrobe is a lot thinner but less time-consuming. Women tend to have a lot more "upkeep" than men and it's easy to get bogged down with extra makeup, beauty products and other detritus.

Caveat: I definitely agree with the reviewer who said this book was geared towards those with roommates or spouses who can help with reminders, assist in organizing, etc. The book mentions ADD coaches, which sound great--I'd love to have one-- but they are not affordable for the vast majority of ADD-ers out there ($200-$400 a month for someone you speak to weekly).

In summary, this book is filled with lots of insights and general organizing ideas for ADD-ers, but you have to read and absorb the book and decide what applies best to you. It's not a laundry list of tips. that you can grab and implement within seconds. The best advice in the book (for me) was SIMPLIFY.

I'm not ADD, but recognized some of the traits within myself - taking on too many projects at once with no focus, gathering, piling, cluttering and never making sense of the stuff, etc. Thinking this book might help out, I gave it a try. By far one of the best organizational books out there, if not THE BEST!!! It gets right to the root of the problem from two angles - 1)tips for the actual organizing, and 2)addressing the issues behind your clutter and overwhelm - what causes you get in these situations in the first place? Works both sides of the equation to give you a great opportunity for success! Written in a straight forward manner, clear and concise - appeals to the eye, and to the limited spare time we all face in our lives - strictly the facts and information you need, no fluff. I've read it many times and highlighted throughout, referring to it again and again. USEFUL FOR ANYONE, not just ADD. Great, great book!

As an adult with ADHD,,, I am not sure I will ever finish this book. But I will say that it is very very easy to read. It has some worthwhile ideas for organizing your life with ADD.
Worth buying!

After trying many 'get organized' books without much success (but acquiring a nifty assortment of filing bins/ folders/ labels/ dust-collectors in the process), and having my (very orderly-minded) mother despair of persuading me to use budget books or create tidy files, I finally found a book that addresses all the ways I'm disorganized in my life. The chapter on how an ADD-challenged person's financial systems can fall apart if any other part of their life spins out of control really hit home, and I'm going to spend January working out ways to implement the authors' suggestions. The only other volume that helped me, especially re: my business life, was "Organizing for the Creative Person: Right-Brain Styles for Conquering Clutter, Mastering Time, and Reaching Your Goals," by Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Dolores Cotter Lamping. I'd recommend them both.

I could not put this book down. It was co-authored by a person who does organizing as a profession, and noticed that some of her clients could not make traditional organizing methods work. The other co-author is expert in ADD. They describe the problems that ADD person faces in clear, simple terms, and provide prescriptions at three levels: (1) doing it on your own, (2) doing it with a support person, and (3) doing it with help of a therapist. A lot of the advice is available elsewhere but I found this book particularly insightful and useful. I ended up making a summary of the tips most important to me on the inside front cover, as I was reading.

"ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life" is a wonderful book. Speaking as a person who has struggled with ADD-caused disorganization, procrastination, lateness, financial problems, missed deadlines, forgetfulness, ever-growing "to do" lists, etc., I found this book immensely helpful. It was like the co-authors were living with me, or following me around on a typical day.

Not only is it very helpful to see many of my problems explained in clear and simple language, relieving a heavy burden of self-criticism, but it is equally helpful to read the co-authors' practical suggested solutions to the problems, designed to match the abilities and limitations of an ADD person. So many organizing and time management books are not designed for ADD people, but this book is designed specifically for ADD people.

If I could give the book more stars, I would.

This is a very good book that shows a true understanding of ADD. The ideas are easy to follow and very beneficial to anyone with ADD. One of the best books I have ever purchased. In short it explains you & your thoughts & holds you a countable but in an easy to do ADD way of operating.

A well-written guide for adults with ADHD or those of us who are overwhelmed. The book is formatted in a highly readable style that uses bullet inserts to draw your attention and summarize the tips on the page, then you can read the text for the details. Clearly written, extremely helpful, practical advice.

This is the best organizing book I have read, and I have been reading them since the 1970s. This is the first time I have felt compelled to write a review. This book is specific for those of us with ADD. There are very simple solutions to everyday storage and home management problems as well as time management, which are directed to those of us with ADD. We no longer have to live in a mess!! There are user friendly ideas in this book. I have had piles of papers cluttering up my tables, my floor and my life. I am in the process of sorting through "stuff" and simplifying and I am looking forward to seeing all my furniture and floors again. One drawer at a time, one table at a time, one room at a time. This book is quite inspiring. I will refer to it often as a reference book.

This book should be on the top of the list for anyone who has ADD or works or lives with someone with ADD.

Using ADD and ADHD to get further ahead along with great ideas to fashion a successful life is a great message and I am so glad that it is finally been written in a book that is easy to follow.

This book does not waste too much time telling the ADD person why they can't do things but how to do them, and in many cases how to do them better using your ADD to your advantage.
º For the person with ADD you will walk away with a much better understanding of yourself.
º For frustrated spouses and parents it will help relieve that frustration and allow them to help the ADD person in their life be more successful.

If you only read one book on this subject this should be it.

Amazing book with really great ideas! I love this author Kathleen Nadeau, everything I've read of hers is helpful. And the large print is great too!

I'm so glad to have found this book! Most of the others I have read talk about ADD and how it affects your life in general, rather than giving very specific suggestions of how to cope with it. This book is full of things you can do in the real world to cope with ADD. I highly recommend it.

This book has great ideas not only for those who cope with ADD but also for those who deal with an overloaded schedule. I am a single mom juggling a toddler, an often 10 hour work day, an ailing father and a developmentally disabled brother. My mom (who used to split these duties with me) died suddenly 18 months ago, and I was left with both shares of the tasks. Therefore, I often don't have time to even wash a dish. This book helped me to set up routines, schedules etc. for household chores and time management that helped me get my sanity back. I highly recommend it for all people who feel overwhelmed for whatever reason.

Please make a CD version of this book! I drive 40+ miles to work each way and would love to be able to return often to this gem as a reminder in the morning or a "how did I do today" in the evening. Many thanks to the authors for much needed and greatly-appreciated guidance. If you have ADD and have room for only one book about organization on your bookshelf, this is the one.

As I read this book, I found many ways to simplify my own life (and those around me!).

As I read this book, I found many ways to simplify my own life (and those around me!).

The only bad thing about this book is you have to use it. And if you have ADHD that's difficult!

This book was recommended for my husband and he really found the book helpful. He felt that many of the books he has read on getting orgnized or on time management were written for people without ADD. This book addresses not only many of the frustrations of having ADD and provides great solutions to each problem area with examples, but it is written in an ADD friendly style geared to how a person with ADD thinks. Also, as his partner, I found the book helpful because it identified behaviors that I hadn't previously attributed to someone with ADD which was insightful for me. Further, it also provided some helpful tips on how I could support him. So all in all, a useful book.

I bought this book with my adhd 8 year old in mind. I have been trying to streamline our house and structure our daily routines to help him, and was looking for suggestions as to what needs to be done. However this book is mainly for adults who are dealing with ADD, not kids. This book has fantastic strategies for time management/awareness issues, getting distracted while cleaning/decluttering, money management, decision making, and when to ask for help with certain projects. I found a lot of helpful suggestions for myself, but not what I need for my young child. It did help me to see that I am "chronically disorganized" and would recommend it to anyone else who needs this kind of help, add or not.

What's great about the book is that opens each chapter with another patient example. It's great because, if you're like me?

You can relate.

The book makes your organizational problems and problems with time management more functional to the ADHD mind. It just does. When I think of all the "just make a list and follow the list" advice I got, or, "just set an alarm and stop doing the work when the alarm goes off," I start to realize that people have been talking down to me and my issue here. I don't like it. The 'list', in conventional terms, isn't for everybody.

What I like best about the authors approach, is that they try to ground their organizational tactics in narrative, and in patterns, and in people helping you achieve this goal, and in... in some many avenues that your crazy ADHD mind has no ability to avoid it. It encounters a self-symmetrical pattern every direction it turns that brings you back to your goal, and your plan, and your schedule.

For some people, that takes seven seconds in the morning. For some of us, it's taken a lifetime to begin to achieve.

Thank you doctors.

This is one of the most helpful and practical books on ADD I have ever read. The descriptions of the effects of ADD are done in a clear and light-hearted manner. I found myself nodding with a strong feeling of identification to many of the anecdotes. There are wonderful suggestions on every page. The book itself is ADD-friendly: organized for easy skipping around, lots of bold type for headings and important notes. I particularly liked the hints on avoiding being overwhelmed when faced with a lot of organization to be done. I've been able to put a number of suggestions into use immediately, with good results.

I am living with someone I suspected had add - at least symptoms. This book not only told about the characteristics in a very - this is what it is type way - then it gave 3 ways to deal with it. I found it to be helpful and gave me lots of ways to assist the struggle of time management, micro focus etc...
The frustration of saying the same thing over and over again is now replaced with a skill I learned to get things done for our household.
I really, really recommend this!

For anyone with ADD or ADD tendencies, this book is a definite addition to your resource library. Written in an easily browseable fashion (targeted at the habits of its intended audience), "ADD-Friendly Ways..." does not advise you how to change the things that come with ADD, but suggests ways to use your unique characteristics in a positive manner. Unlike most organizational tomes, the book gives practical methods that are not overwhelming and rigid, allowing the person with ADD to take on a few things at a time so as not to set you up for failure because you can't do it all at once.

If you have ADD or ADD tendencies, this book will speak to you like a knowing therapist. Just the acknowledgement of others, described in the book, is comforting in that what you experience is real and OK. I find myself returning to browse through the book to remember methods and suggestions on a daily basis.

They keep the chapters short, sweet, and to the point. They also give a quick overview at the end of every chapter. They help you identify and recognize your problem areas with ADD symptoms and various ways to re-train yourself to work with and around these symptoms. It has helped me become more organized and stay that way the more I read it.

This book is very good and well written. It gives some great ideas that are basic, but perhaps not even thought of. Very helpful worth the money and a good read.

I loved this book. It was easy to read. I could skim and skip parts, but mostly since she has written it in a very ADD friendly way, it was easy to get through and there are lots of good ideas which I have used. I read it and then bought a copy for my sister too.

Great examples and solutions. A great starter book but I wanted more. I guess the authors discussed the issues they have seen the most or they just wanted to prime people for a second book. The book is designed for adult situations. Buy the book if you want help. It will help.

this book is a life saver!!! i have such a struggle keeping up with my home and with life, but now,thanks to this book, i am learning new strategies for getting my life in order. strategies that are specifically designed for my add brain. nothing else i ever heard or tried helped me. i am soooooo blessed to have read this book. i continue to refer to it as i am learning to incorperate these strategies into my daily habits. if you struggle with organizing your life then this is the book for you!!!

If you can get only one book on ADD, this should be the one. (Heck, even if you get 20 books on ADD, you'll end up dog-earing this one even as the rest are collecting dust on the shelf.) Every single chapter is like a nugget of gold, filled with incredibly logical and helpful advice for working around the different challenges and problems of ADD. Finding this book was like grabbing hold of a lifesaver just when I thought I was drowning.

I have since bought it for three other people (all relatives) who are also struggling with ADD and have no idea how to cope or even where to begin. I recommend it constantly, and I know of at least 5 other people (friends) who got it on my recommendation and came back later to thank me. (Two of them are not fully ADD, just a little scatterbrained and in need of help--and they both loved it too.)

Get it, whatever your situation is. You won't be disappointed.

l have not finished reading this book. BUT lt is helping me already !
The design is VERY ADD friendly. You can start using advices IMMEDIATELY without reading it all.
l started reading the BOXES in every chapter and when convinced that l have ADD l started reading from chapter one. This book offers SOLUTIONS and lt emphasizes how to work With your ADD and to use ways that suit you not try so hard using methods that works for every one else.

l will add to this review if at the end my opinon of the book has changed !

Easy to read, actually fun, explains why conventional time management and organization techniques don't work with ADHD and what to do about it. Contains a slew of practical and creative strategies for adults with ADD to put life in order and keep it there! Easy to tailor to your own specific challenges.

I was pleasantly surprised that the size of the book is larger than many other ADD books and so is the Print itself. The set up of the book is VERY "ADD Friendly". Main ideas are bulleted and highlighted. There are also review sections at end of each chapter. There are some very useful charts and even some a few pictures of specific organizing tools. The ideas and suggestion given in this book may be be very helpful to people with ADD. There are some great suggestion that seem too easy to help but as somebody who has used many of them, they do help.

Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

This is one good book, one really good book!

First, the authors, an organizer (Judith Kolberg) and a psychologist (Kathleen Nadeau), explain and clarify what ADD is and how it affects your ability to live an orderly life. By the time they finish sections one and two you say to yourself, "Wow! These people really understand!" And having read their explanations, you understand better yourself. Many "Ah-ha" moments punctuate your reading.

The book is thorough. Organizing is a stool with three legs that must be firmly in place for it to work. They are organizing THINGS, TIME, AND PAPER. The authors take the second important step and cover these important issues well in practical terms with down-to-earth applications and strategies.

The third benefit of this book is that they have designed the book for easy access. In each topic they offer a tier of approaches. You are told how to approach the problem yourself (Level 1), with friends and family (Level 2), and with help from a professional (Level 3). They have other little visual tricks that make it fun to read and inviting.

This book is a powerful contribution to the world of organizing for the person with ADD or characteristics of distractibility. Thanks to the two of them for the good information they have made available.

Review by Sandra Felton, The Organizer Lady

I got this to help me help my daughter with her finances. The book offered many useful tips on that subject as well as good general advice on paper, thing, and time organizing. Kathleen Nadeau is widely respected in the medical community for her knowledge and down to earth strategies for those with ADD/ADHD. The professional organizer, Judith Kolberg, has broken down everyday problems that everyone faces into easy step by step plans. I highly recommend this book for both those with and without Attention Deficit.

I love the book; when get all the time i need, i will soon get organized. Thanks for the suggestions!!Mildred Rickett

I was pleasantly surprised that the size of the book is larger than many other ADD books and so is the Print itself. The set up of the book is VERY "ADD Friendly". Main ideas are bulleted and highlighted. There are also review sections at end of each chapter. There are some very useful charts and even some a few pictures of specific organizing tools. The ideas and suggestion given in this book may be be very helpful to people with ADD. There are some great suggestion that seem too easy to help but as somebody who has used many of them, they do help.

It's been over two months now for me since I gave up coffee, and I feel great. I gave it up because of many reasons, one of which was the way it made me feel; racing heart, nervous, and it made me feel so dependent on it. I read a book called "The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote it Deceive us and What We Can Do About It. The book really helped me realize most of my problems do stem from caffeine. Without the caffeine, I really feel my health is better, my concentration is improved and I'm not ricocheting off the walls anymore. :) I highly recommend it, and encourage those who are aspiring to this goal.

Love the book! It has great ideas for me. If I could just stay focused enough and sit down long enough to put these ideas to work. I think it will help me get my filing, medical records and projects finished along with getting my house in order and hopefully uncluttered; all in time. I have tried other oganizing books but when you are ADHD, Some of those methods don't work and this has ADD User friendly and helps you work with the issues at hand.
LP - Simpsonville, SC