A Simple Trick For Staying Organized With ADHD

by | May 24, 2016 | Organizing ADHD | 0 comments

Order - Chaos signpost in a desert road backgroundYou’re about to learn a fantastic trick for staying organized with ADHD. Use this organizing trick consistently and, overtime, much of the clutter in your home and office will disappear.

Living with clutter and disorganization burdens most adults with ADHD. Staying organized requires focus and consistent action; traits ADHD adults definitely lack.

There’s hope. People with attention deficit CAN become organized so they stay that way. I’ve done it. Many of my ADD coaching clients have done it. It’s not a quick fix, but it is possible.

The secret is getting organized in a way that suits ADHD’s impulsive and spontaneous nature. That’s why I like little tricks that make organizing practically natural.

My Favorite Trick for Staying Organized with ADHD

I call it the Two-Minute Rule. A surefire organizing trick to help even the most unfocused of us conquer disorganization and get things done.

The Two-Minute Rule is incredibly simple: when you notice a task you can do in two minutes or less, do it when you think of it.

That’s all there is to it.

How To Conquer Procrastination With The Two-Minute Rule

  1. You notice something that needs to be done.
  2. Quickly decide if it can be done in less than two minutes.
  3. If you can do it in two minutes or less then you do it!

The Two-Minute Rule makes life easier both at work and at home. Papers get filed, phone calls get made, dishes get rinsed and put in the dishwasher, junk mail gets recycled, clothes get hung up instead of tossed on the floor.

With a bit of awareness you can follow the Two-Minute Rule and greatly reduce ADHD procrastination.

Here’s An Example

You remember you need to make a dentist appointment. The typical ADHD approach? Do it later.

The Two-Minute Rule approach?  Look up the number, pick up the phone and schedule the appointment. When you’ve made the appointment, instead of waiting to add it to your calendar, you do it on the spot. After all, it will take less than two minutes to do. (Wondering how you’ll find the dentist’s phone number and your calendar? Since you’ve been following the Two-Minute Rule, naturally, they’re right where they belong!)

What if you really don’t have two minutes right then or you know something will take longer than that to do? Write it on your To Do List. Don’t have a To Do List? You need an ADD coach! Don’t wait any longer. Learn out about ADD / ADHD coaching here.

However, adding a task to your To Do List is the last resort. Why put something on your To Do List when doing it takes just a smidgen more time? Follow the Two-Minute Rule and take care of things when you notice them.

The Two-Minute Rule has made a powerful impact on my life. If you’ve followed ADHD Success for long, you know over the years I’ve learned to be fairly well organized. But, the Two-Minute Rule has made it much easier to do things when I notice them.

I think it’s the two-minute time frame. That makes it so darn simple to filter out what I can do immediately and what I can save for later.

As I’ve tested out the Two-Minute Rule over the past few months, I’ve been reminded how organizing is like a muscle. The more you use small organizing tricks the stronger your organizing muscle gets.

Just don’t get discouraged and give up. With a trick for staying organized with ADHD like the Two-Minute Rule you can build stronger habits and learn to banish the clutter and chaos from your world.

 

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