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Organization. It’s a big buzz word. Organized living is an ideal we strive for. And a huge frustration for ADHD adults, causing us to see ourselves as disorganized failures.

It’s true that being organized doesn’t come naturally to people with ADHD. It didn’t come naturally to me. But learning to be organized isn’t rocket science either.

It isn’t rocket science to see that clutter gathers because we leave things out after we’ve used them. Papers, files, shoes, mail … the list could go on and on.

And it’s no surprise that people who are naturally organized put things away when they’re finished with them.

This habit, putting things away, is what separates the organized from the disorganized.

You’re probably thinking, “Yes, I know. But it’s so hard to constantly put things away.” You’re right!

But what you didn’t know is there’s a secret to organized living.

Do you know what it is?

Organized people don’t just put things away, they create the secret habit of making it easy to put things away.

Have you ever thought about WHY you don’t put things away? I’m not talking about the supposed character flaw you’ve likely been told you have such as, ‘you’re lazy’ or ‘you’re a slob’. I’m talking about the real reason such as, ‘it’s hard to do’ or ‘you’re not sure where something goes’.

Like many messy people with ADHD, I grew up thinking I was lazy.

That seemed to be why my bedroom was a disaster area of strewn clothes, toys and books. One day, when I was an adult, I made a huge discovery: If something was easy to do there was a good chance I would do it.

Wow! I wasn’t lazy after all! The problem wasn’t me. The problem was my organizing system.

So, one of the ways to increase the chances that you’ll put things away is to make it easy to do.

We want to make it almost as easy for you to put something where it belongs as it is for you to leave it sitting on the counter, the chair or the floor.

My secret for staying organized: Make the things you use the most the easiest to put away.

What I like best about making it easy to put things away is that even when I let the clutter gather a bit and it is still amazingly easy to clean up the mess.

With well-thought-out, ADHD-friendly organizing system, a desk piled with papers and files can be straightened out in a matter of minutes. A kid’s room littered with toys and clothes can be acceptable in a flash.

So even if you aren’t a naturally organized person, you can live like one without having to break a sweat.

We do things differently than naturally organized people. We utilize different tools. And we may work harder at finding the system that works for us. But we CAN be organized and we can reap the benefits of organized living.

Join the thousands of others who are learning how to live successfully with ADHD!

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