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| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 2/21/2008 10:29:02 AM | | SpecialLady, I think I know what you were trying to say, you just didn't present it in a positive way. I think what you are trying to say is that if you are an unorganized person nobody can come along and 'fix' you, but I don't think the OP is expecting anyone to do that, she is simply looking for new suggestions. The reason people are jumping on you for your response is because you didn't give any suggestions, you just gave criticisms. You basically called the OP selfish and self-centered, and told her to start caring about other people. I'd like to know where in the original post you got that the OP was an uncaring, selfish and self-centered person. OP, one of the simple things I have always done at work to keep the paperwork organized is to colour code things. Whether it be coloured file folders, or coloured stickers or highlighters I've always found it a quick and simple way to keep paper organized. | |
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| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 2/21/2008 12:15:08 PM | Kudos OP for realizing that you recognize your need for a change.
I struggle with this as well. In my world chaos reigns.
I recently attended a seminar given by Jose Hobday. She is an native American Franciscan nun who encourages all to declutter and simplify their lives.
Her philosophy is more of a way of life in a discernment about prioritizing one's life.
It, in essence, is freedom from and freedom for. Freedom from materialistic things gives us freedom for what is important to us.
If you approach your clutter with the mindset that when you have completed your restructuring you will have more time to persue relationships with others, the peace required to sit back and read a book without feeling guilt, or take off and visit a friend whatever it is that you would prefer to be doing rather than the constant cleaning/straightening/rearranging that's a byproduct of our need to accumulate.
I agree it can definitely become overwhelming if you choose to look at the overall big picture all at once. As others have stated, start small. A friend that attended with me started with her key chain on the way home.  Insignificant to some perhaps, but to her it was the beginning.
She has since completed the decluttering of her house.
Me ??? I am still a work in progress. I too, find it hard to stay focused on one thing at a time, and am easily distracted. One step at a time, no matter how small, as long as it's in the right direction, is a positive thing.
As for appointments, I find what works for me is to keep my calendar in the bathroom, as it is the one place that I am sure to be.
trying to be diplomatic
Key word ... trying. Me thinks you need a bit more practise.
Sometimes the truth hurts
It's all in the delivery.
It's called "prayer". You might want to try it sometime
Low blow. You may want to consider beseeching for tact, reverence and tolerance the next time you bow your head for a supplication session. | |
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| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 2/21/2008 12:42:36 PM | I think one thing is key- realising what kind of person you are. There are two kinds- filers, and pilers. Some can have everything behind closed doors filed neatly away, others of us need to be able to see things to remember them at all. Out of sight out of mind is a common occurence...
I am a piler. (We are the ones known to be messy! ;)) I have a dresser I use for things like socks, bras, hosiery, etc., and gym clothes, but everything else is hung in a closet- so I can SEE them. You do have to figure out which you are, and figure out a system that works. Be it a BIG wall calendar with notes written on it, post it notes, baskets, whatever.
However, as mentioned, no matter how good your system is, you need to be disciplined, and that is a choice, and something you learn by doing. (Just like patience).
And I can attest, as someone else suggested, I worked at making the bed every day, and then I took the effort to keep my kitchen cleaner. It was just a natural progression... | |
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exxess
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Joined: 1/31/2006
Msg: 29 | |
| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 2/23/2008 12:20:24 AM | Hi Greeneyedmisfit
Ya, you are right I was dianogised with ADD. The funny thing is that I never wanted to acknowledge it as a child so. I just learned to cope with it. being a adult with ADD, it's been difficult as I admit I can be scatter brained but I can say one thing. Acknowledging is a start and I've been in the process of changing my life for this. And thank you to everyone thats provided some positive tips. I've taken some of the tips, like cleaning out my office. So I'm definetly on the road. | |
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| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 2/23/2008 7:11:57 AM | I think it's very important to acknowledge and understand who you are before you can do something about it. Owning the fact that you are ADD is a start.
I was reminded in reading this post of a book I saw returned yesterday at work. 'You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with ADD' by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo.
Our copy is well used, and the reviews at Amazon are very good.
Check it out.
Dev | |
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| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 2/23/2008 1:12:56 PM | Years ago my company sent me to a seminar about using your diary, I came back a total convert. When working professionally, all the "to do" list goes on the right hand side of the A4 page in a boxed section. I then number them in priority order, and not in the least unpleasant order either! Crossing off completed tasks feels really good.
I sometimes break larger tasks down into smaller ones. I cross each page off at the end of a day, boxing and highlighting anything not completed. On the fresh day in RED, I write a cross reference to refer to any items from a previous date.
At home I keep a student diary, anything important goes in there. I refer to it daily and it is always on the table. When a bill comes in, I may fold it into the back cover, so it comes with me on my next outing if I am not paying it by phone. My shopping list goes there too.
Throwing out/ clearing out clutter in your home life, actually gives your mind a big helping hand at relaxing. The more visual stimulus you have on a desk or in your home with lots of "things" , the more scattered and tense your thinking is likely to be.
Well I had my own experience of short attention span problems last year with a dose of viral meningitis. Until I experienced that, I would never ever have understood just how hard it makes everything. It also knocked out my planning ability as well.
I found if I alternated between two tasks as the attention waned on one task, I got two tasks done instead of none.
As a teen, I procrastinated until I read about what it really means at a personal level. (For me, it was not wanting to face up to a "completed" accomplishment, because it was then that my family would be extremely critical or destroy art work). Realising that root cause changed my life forever. I would also recommend a book called 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (I think). It is in a very readable format, and it was an international best seller for many years. It was a book I would normally have read in 2 hrs, took me a year because of the fundamental concept changes it brought me.
I am absolutely appalled at the negativity of the comments you have received OP. I hope the speaker makes attempt to bring some beauty into her life, perhaps a statue of Mary? Internal pain is often expressed as unkindness towards others, pardon but your "slip is showing"...
A high five to you OP for not accepting to cop these comments. I have found in all my working experience those who are the most critical are the least creative and the least flexible, I am sure OP you have wonderful creativity and flexibility, guess who will live a healthier life for longer? Our world would be a greatly poorer place without our brilliant folks with ADD, it sounds like your company are lucky to have you. | |
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exxess
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Joined: 1/31/2006
Msg: 32 | |
| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 2/23/2008 2:20:24 PM | | Thanks Quicksilver - I find dwelling on the negativity actually works against me so I just ignore the poster who have nothing constructive to say, but I do acknowledge the posters that have given what I asked for good advice. I've find people who make such negative comments assume people with ADD will never account to much which is quite contrary. I've done very well for myself in my life, I have an education, a home and everything an person would want. In fact one of the reason's I'm asking for help is because of the accumulation of work that I've taken since I started project managing at my company has caused a some chaos in my life, because of the time constraints. M ot because I'm self centered in and irresponsible. Being irresponsible is denying something it exist. | |
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| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 2/23/2008 5:48:23 PM | | Using ADD w/a negative attitude and an excuse will get you nowhere. exxess, you might want to try a some "positive" cognitive thinking excercises. I hope all your warranted responses are useful and helpful to you. You asked for it, you got it, now use it. | |
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| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 6/16/2008 3:13:44 PM | | I've found that breaking large jobs into smaller ones really helps. Instead of cleaning out the bedroom closet, clean one shelf, then the other, then the left side, then the right. Make it into many smaller jobs. Somebody I know used to make a list of things that need to be done. Okay. Mine usually went up to about 4,000, then nothing got done. Make a list of three things you want to get done at a time or that day. That's not so overwhelming. When those three things are done, add only three more. You feel like you're accomplishing something! | |
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| Call all POF'ers Tips to uncluttering my life
Posted: 6/17/2008 7:23:41 PM | I am a writer. One of the things about creative writing is that your whole story doesnt usually come at once. You get fragments as the muses allow.
I dont know if your familiar with the concept of "story boarding". Storyboarding is crucial when writing and filming a screenplay. I have never been on a film set where one wasn't used.
When you write a scene, you put a 5x7 index card with a depiction of that scene on the board. In my home office I have one entire wall covered with a cork bulletin board.
On that board are my cards for the scenes I have written, also things that relate to my story. I find it helpful to say...tear photos out of magazines to depict characters. Pieces of fabric, souvenirs, trinkets...whatever might make the character more fleshed out and make me more creative.
I can then sit back, look at my wall and see my entire story laid out before me.
Now that I am not actively writing a play, I tend to fill that space with calendars, bills, to-do lists and other trivia that keeps me organized much in the same way it keeps my story organized when I am writing.
Get a giant bulletin board or do a whole wall, then lay out your priorities where you are confronted with them every time you use the wall.
At the very least, you could use an inexpensive dry-erase board.
My 2 coppers. | |
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