Yesterday afternoon, I was in my office looking for a few papers I thought I had. I was looking through folders and piles of papers, at least 50% of which could be thrown out. I feel real shame over this messiness, maybe because I'm also OCD. Usually when I get to point of losing something, I'm motivated to sit down a throw things out but there was something I was supposed to fax to someone by 5pm. I just stood there overwhelmed by the piles of papers. When I'm frantically looking for something, I usually close my office door so no one else sees me frantically looking for something. For a few minutes I just sat down and tried to calm down. Anyone else experience this?
Sidenote: I found a few other papers that I would have had at the same time that I had "lost" papers, and concluded that "lost" papers were something a few students had to complete and sign, but may not have given to me yet.
When the semester is over, I definitely need to take one day and just clean out my office. I work with 3 colleagues who are very neat and always have a clear desk to work on. I feel sooo good when I clean up my office, but, unfortunately, I do that only once or twice a year.

I have the same problem - but it is in every aspect of my life. My home is the worst, then my car.

Same here CoolWoman,

Right now - yes, this very instant - my room is a mess. I wish I was organized, and I (somewhat) constantly try to be. It takes discipline and determination, and all the things I DONT HAVE:D . You may want to try having several notebooks - IE - "Tests" "Projects" "Papers" "Graded Work" ect. and when you get a paper, either put it in RIGHT AWAY - or - put all papers in a file and put them in during free time or before you leave.


Just a thought ;)




PS: you might want to have a place to put those notebooks/binders so they aren't all over your desk

Actually all areas of my life are messy too, including car home, and work email inbox. I do manage to keep track of students' papers and exams. When I get them, right after class I immediately put them in the canvas bag I bring home. Occasionally, when I think I've misplaced a student's paper, I assume I've lost it and look all over for it, but when I say to the student, "I don't seem to have your paper" they always say, either they didn't do it or "oops! I forgot to give it to you."
I have folders labeled with what's in them, but am afraid to put these files in my file cabinet, afraid I'll forget they are there so I keep my "active" files on my desk. However, often when I'm in a rush, the papers don't get into the files and pile up. I have various projects going, am on various committees, am working on publications, and am coordinator of a project that requires a lot of paperwork. Much of the mess is earlier drafts of various documents which I should throw away right away.

Hee hee, this is my life! I currently can't find the notebook I have all my important home business notes in (I sell Discovery Toys) and I clearly remember seeing it a few days ago and thinking that I was glad I had found it because it was important and now I have no clue where it is again. I buy things because I can't find the one I have and then I wind up with multiples - recently I had 3 cans of non stick cooking spray. Oh well, this just adds diversity and interest to my life.

Toymom

do you have a good size office? do you have any of those stackable paper racks? What about those stackable drawers? Is there rooms for shelves?

It sounds like you need to back up and regroup girl LOL. I've learned trying to limit places certain things can go. Like if you have a habit of shoving papers in your bag at the last moment and then cant find them. then have some of those plain 2 pocket folders in different colors, to use. Students, Yellow, Personal Red, Commettie such and such purple etc. when you go to shove a paper in don't do it unless you pull out that yellow one and put it in there. if you use color coding as a system, this can help. say by using the same colors on your desk as stackable shelves or drawers.

Different color folders sounds like a good idea! I do have room for some stackable clear drawers. Good ideas! Thanks
I do have shelves. 1 1/2 years ago when we moved into different offices, I insisted on taking a long shelf unit with 3 sections of 4 shelves each, even though it doesn't go with the renovated decor. Each shelf is designated to have certain papers. Unfortunately, after 1 1/2 years they've become overwhelmed with papers.

Toymom said
"I buy things because I can't find the one I have and then I wind up with multiples - recently I had 3 cans of non stick cooking spray. Oh well, this just adds diversity and interest to my life."

I also end up buying multiples when I can't find something. Your attitude is good. I can't always appreciate my diversity, nor can others.
In my office I often end up with more than 1 folder with the same label. I worked with an organized woman a few years back and she said that she often ended up with 2 also, which made me feel better.

If you have room for a corkboard wall you can design it in a colorcoded way to if you use your same colors you have come up with, that you can get pins in folders in, stackable shelves etc. remember you can paint anything. Say for instance you painted the corkboard say like a rainbow with your colors going from bold to faded. you can pin papers/messages according to importance and subject. Example= Yellow is students assinments Orange is Your ciriculuim (excuse my spelling) Ideas or notes etc. blue personal etc. and bold means important look at asap lighter means you've looked at it. If you limit one color of pins a month and after more than 2 or 3 colors are there go back to the first color, re-evaluate the note. if it needs to stay flag it with a special color pin just for these, those that don't need to stay, file it, or shred it.

Oh yeah! Buying things you already have(and finding them later) happens all the time (and not just with myself!). Don't worry when you end up with two or more things (unless you paid lots of money for them - take one back to the store) all that means is that you are doubly (or triply) prepared. At least you'll have an extra if needed.


No person is perfect, so occasionally people will tend to loose track of their own proceedures and soon find they did something twice. That's very normal in life.

If you have room for a corkboard wall you can design it in a colorcoded way to if you use your same colors you have come up with, that you can get pins in folders in, stackable shelves etc. remember you can paint anything. Say for instance you painted the corkboard say like a rainbow with your colors going from bold to faded. you can pin papers/messages according to importance and subject. Example= Yellow is students assinments Orange is Your ciriculuim (excuse my spelling) Ideas or notes etc. blue personal etc. and bold means important look at asap lighter means you've looked at it. If you limit one color of pins a month and after more than 2 or 3 colors are there go back to the first color, re-evaluate the note. if it needs to stay flag it with a special color pin just for these, those that don't need to stay, file it, or shred it.
Mind if I pester you down the road (after my test tuesday that is), to help me get ideas on how to organize my home for my ADD-lifestyle?

You have some REALLY fantastic ideas, and I would love to be able to pick your brain for ideas.

Thanks.

Ane

If you learn to never put down a paper unless its in the place it needs to go it will help. Have designated shelves for importance. if each shelf has the same color stackable shelves on them. Say someone comes in with something and your in the middle of something, you have a trey only for this, when you haven't the time to look at it and place it in its place. Never leave the office until you have looked in this trey and put this paper either pinned on the board, it's important and can't be overlooked or forgot. Or 1st shelf yellow trey. this is the shelf for things that haven't been read, and took care of, things go from here to either your, back pack that has colored folders also and nothing goes in here without going in the right one also. use left side for unread and right for read too. when you can.If you do everything like this, meaning what ever the case may be what ever the sorting or job. be a creature of habit. That way you never forget. left always being the unread, undone, unsure, unavaliable etc. right being the opposite, same with top and bottom, and dark to light. you will do things out of habit before you know it. After you have looked at something, graded it or whatever the case is, it now goes to another shelf, this is the shelf used for all the crap that has to go back to someone else.

do the same for when something is filed. Look at the amount of drawers you have can you do the same with the colors each drawer being one of your colors. file things in a way that fits. front to back (close=important, needs to be gotten at easier) Alphabet self explainitory, Monthly(begining of term in front). and have a list break down of everything in the drawer. Wether its a clipboard magnitized to the side of the cabinet, or just a folder that stays in the front of the drawer, Never put anything up without writing it down. And your not aloud to move anything to this final resting place unless you can. No piles aloud on top of cabinet with the impression you'll put it up later. Put some pictures or plants in these places so you can't be tempted to do this. If you limit the places things are aloud to go, you won't have so many different piles.

Here are somemore ideas for ya, when you need a change... One of the biggest things things I notice with homes that are small is lack of shelves. A lot of space is wasted higher up. Most of the things in the rooms tend to be on the floor and then other things get piled on top and then when no more can go on top, people tend to start a new pile on the floor. Before you know it you have little walking space left. Bring things up. If you are not or don't have anyone that can build you shelves. Buy used, from yard sales or thrift stores. Old shelves can be took apart and redesigned for your purpous. Corner shelves are great too. Old dressers can be used for the wood also and the drawers if not to deep can be adjusted to be used under beds, or chairs, or couchs. Remember not to have wasted space. They sell these things you can put under the corners to make for easy moving or rolling. Just level the drawer, either by sawing the bottom lip of the drawer off, or just bring the back of the drawer up, any little scrap piece of wood or two and a few short nails and you made it a couple legs put your little roller things on them and your good to go. If you have room under your couch for a drawer, you'd be surprized the coach junk you can store here from remotes to blankets or magazines. etc. and if you worry about dust, Junk material and velcro. Remember old clothes and house hold materials, can be used to make other things out of. When your at a yard sale don't just look at an object for what it is look at it as what else it could be used for. 90% of the things I have came from this kind of thinking. I don't have a lot of money just a lot of imagination. Have you ever done macromae, Like those long plant holders? It's not hard, and You don't have to limit your working material to macromae cord, and a plant. Other things such as strips of material glued together with sewing glue can be used. You can get very creative this way using some old clothes you can't seem to part with. Just don't make your strips to wide. use common sense, depending on the thickness of cloth. You can make these holders to hang from the ceiling and hold anything to be used as a table. or fish bowl or whatever you come up with. I see old serving trays at goodwills all the time these can make the neatest table for your holder. Cudzu can be used for braiding and such. Just pick live cudzu you can do this by scraping the bark if its green it's living cut down as much as you need rinse it off with a hose and let it dry in sun on pavement for a day. after that it's very workable. You can basket weeve with it and all sorts of things; very strong and pliable stuff. In cabinets don't forget about the unused space here to. small hooks can come in handy here. Don't forget hooks in the ceiling and some chain and your on your way to somemore hanging shelves, there are other things that can be hung on chain links, like my cheap sunglasses, I have about 40 pair, some jewlery, necklaces, hook earings. scarves, ballcaps....You'll be surprized what can slide through those links. There is plastic chain avaliable too, don't forget. If you have lots of things pictures and stuff to hang but don't know where, don't forget you have a whole wall; all can be used thats exposed, from very low next to the floor to up high next to the ceiling, and don't forget the ceiling. great place for art. and mirrors. them cheap floor 12x12 vinal tiles with the sticky backs, don't have to be used on the floor. Great alternatives to painting the ceiling, easpecilly old homes were the seams show, You can pick em up here and there on sale, and stick em up in a mosaic pattern.

Making Macromae "storage" hangers can have so many uses. Make one for by the door, you can braid them big plastic hooks into it to hang coats, hats, umbrellas have various size bowls used in it smaller at the top larger in the middle etc. these can be used as the catch all. designate a different bowl for different things or people.

Hi coolwoman

How to throw out old things can be so hard, we can have a sentamental attachment to it, or just the memorys we get from looking at something, or wearing it. If it's cloths you have to go through the rule to thumb is if you haven't worn it in a year, gotta go. If it's out of date but you really love it, well what comes around goes around, If you think you'll still be able to wear it yrs. up the road, Put it up. If you just hate you haven't wore it, maybe someone you know would like it and get more use of it, at least it's still around, And don't forget about sewing glue, it comes in so handy for mending and you can take a couple of old garmets and make you a special and unique one. I do this all the time. If you have something you like but it just isn't getting it, in it's present form, change it, make it so you'll use it again.

A couple uses for some things you tend to throw away..... Treys frozen food come in the black plastic square and rectangel smaller ones do great in junk drawers, instead of everything scattered all over these things can help organize them, and I have found some of the fillers that come in boxes, with appliances or electronics, etc. not the peanuts, but the pressed cardboard stuff, sometimes, they are different shapes and sizes and work well it situations, like this, I have a couple flat like boxes, not very big, books have come in the mail in, I use these to put mail in and one is for coupons and my Avon books. they can be covered to look nice if you desire, clearence wallpaper and material works good. Left over shelving material, that non-stick rubber kind, I covered small pieces with material from an old shirt, that was a black lacey thing, to small but used over this stuff they make great coasters. And they can be washed. That stuff is pretty cool stuff but isn't the best to look at, so I covered it with something I liked to look at and looks ok sitting around. Those of u that like "butt wipes" I use those boxes all over the house, q-tips to nuts and bolts, are in them. If your bad and forgeting to get to wash out of the washer or dryer, like me, forever running my power up because of fluffing. I bought a cheap little timer and set it to remind me of my minutes flying by. And if you've never used Downys wrinkle reducer spray, put it on the shopping list, great stuff and it lasts a long time to, I roll my clothes that are in drawers, get more room out of space doing this towels too. Sometimes if I haven't had something on long and it's clean, I just give it a couple squirts of Downy wrinkle stuff , couple good shakes fold in half and roll up for next time. Don't forget peg boards, they aren't just for the garage anymore, you can paint them up and you'll be surprized at the stuff taking up space around the house you can hang on your cool peg board. My mom taught me to wrap remotes in suranwrap, that really helps, with the abuse these can go through sometimes, it can protect it from dust, to drinks that get spilled, dirty hands, teething kids, and more and if you drop it it can't go flying in different pieces, either. People always trip on that one. I save old juice bottles or gaterade bottles, I fill these with kool-aid, tea, or water, I like these ones cuz ice can fit through the top. Doing this always gives me one for the road, so I won't waste a buck for a drink of water, if I'm out or just around the house, plastic silverware, paper plates and bowls. will also help keep the kitchen sink under control.

My very first job I had a scattered desk. My grade school desks and high school lockers-whoa, disasters! At my present job, my desk space is neat, and I'm doing a half way decent job at keeping some things organized there. It's a challenge though, and I have a couple of colleagues who would make snide remarks if it looked messy, so I would guess that's part of the incentive. But it is still a struggle-I have to consciously think about it-non ADDers do not know the energy it takes just to get by!! Oh my gosh at home, look out-cyclone central. And my cars in the past have been absolutely horrid. Right now I made a vow to keep my car clean, and I'm managing. But my house is so out of order and it overwhelms me to tears to try to think how I will EVER be able to keep it neat and in order. And I do go through spurts where it's cleaned up relatively well, I feel great, but then it all goes downhill again. It just somehow always does. But now that I know have ADHD, I understand better why I just can't seem to "get with the program" as much as I really want to be an immaculate housekeeper. I now know that NO, it's not laziness and lack of motivation. Still leaves a messy house though, and with people stopping by for holiday visits likely, yikes-I'm already thinking where am I going to get the energy from?? Then again, I always know how to get the house together for "appearances"; embarassment is an incentive there. But the underlying clutter is still there, unchanged.
Have to chuckle about the ending up with multiples! It's so totally the way it is with me too. And of course I almost always find the original at a time when I don't need it anyway!! I can't even begin to estimate the number of everyday items that I've misplaced or lost. My house is a Bermuda Triangle!
I like some of the ideas here. I've been thinking about a cork board or dry erase type board. I just bought a 31 slot bill organizer and when a bill comes in, I open it, mark the due date on the envelope, and stick it in the appropriate number of the month. At least it's an effort to get some of this under control-I hope I stick with it.

Growing up with 6 kids in the house and a clean/org. freak like my mom, helps. If you were in my moms veiw and got up headed somewhere, she'd ask where you were going, and according to your destination, she'd hand you anything in the area, that didn't belong for you to put up while you were going that way. Lord forbid you headed off leaving somthing of yours behind, "TAKE IT WITH YOU!" don't you people ever learn she'd say. Well to this day if, I get up I look around to see if anything needs to go with me. There is no reason to waste a trip to another room and not take something that belongs in it,with you, By doing this its like killing 2 birds with one stone, You don't end up makeing a special trip there just to put that thing up. It may take time to install this way of thinking, It was pumped in my head for years, just like shutting off a light when I leave a room, I have a many of time turned one off, someone else was using. just habit. Once you get things in there place, try never to leave them out of there place, You use the toothpaste don't leave it laying on the sink put it back in the medicine cabinet.(well at least thats where mine goes) LOL. You can change your habits,,,,,,,,,,, Hell to my Mom I'm still a slob, and by the way my car use to could get pretty bad, then I learned everytime I'd stop for gas or something, I'd never pull off without glancing to see if there is something I need to throw away. And I never get out at home and leave things in it saying I'll get it later NO get it NOW !!!