With ADD ADHD We Need Strategies, But – There’s Puryear’s Principles of Human Nature #1:
When you struggle and struggle with a problem and you finally find something that works, the next thing you do is stop doing it.
The Rule
I need to keep my to-do list, which is on my red index card, down to five things. Otherwise I feel overwhelmed, can’t decide where to start, and procrastinate.
The Problem
But I started putting everything on the red card – to-do’s, people’s names or phone numbers, ideas for the blog – anything that I needed to jot down. I tried to stop doing this but I couldn’t. My rule wasn’t working. The red card was the easiest one to pull out of my pocket and the one with the most empty space and the one that isn’t semi-permanent.
Stuck
So I thought of the strategy of getting a different colored card and using it for writing things down. Then later I could transfer them to the right card, or do them, or whatever. But there are only so many colors and they were all assigned to some function. Stuck!
The Strategy
Then I realized that my appointment book is always in my pocket also and it’s easy to find.. So I put a yellow sticky in the front of it. Everything that needs jotting down goes on that.
Brilliant!
The Principles
1. If you can identify something specific as a problem you can come up with a strategy to solve it.
2, When what you’re doing isn’t working, do something different.
ADD ADHD Appointment book and cards. Essential tools.
doug
Note: OK, you’re probably using tech for this. How can you apply the strategy and keep your to- do list short?
Bonus Link:
from Pat- 10 things to do with your family – good understanding of people with ADD ADHD, and if your kid has it you may have it, too, and vice versa. That’s genetics!
ADDadultstrategies 
Ah! The story of my life!
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ken me too
thank you for commenting
doug
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Dianne – and i thought it was just because I’m old.:)
i agree – we can do wonderful things with technology that we couldn’t do with out it, but some things are easier and simpler the old way.
thank you for commenting as always
doug
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I use most of the things you mentioned! I always have Post-It notes in my planner. I have a pad of notes in my handbag. I have sticky notes by the phone, the computer, in the bedroom, in the living room… Since I am always carrying my phone, I stick the notes to my phone until I can get to my desk and deal with them.
Technology is great, but it can also be tricky. My planner never needs charging. My phone does link to my laptop. My tablet is in the living room and the laptop is in the office. The tablet also links to the laptop. All my devices feed my planner, but that is done manually, which explains why the sticky notes are so useful.
Index cards can be hole-punched and put into the planner. if I punch the holes a certain way, the card acts like a page finder. That is a bonus!
Technology is great, but it is not always the best answer or the most convenient. I think you have hit on something here.
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