While working on my presentation on Time Management for ADHD adults, I came across an ahaa moment while reading It’s Hard To Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys by Marilyn Paul. She talks about being organized as being a dynamic between a state of readiness for action and taking action. There is a rhythm of taking action, creating the natural disorder that comes with taking the action, restoring order and thus returning for readiness for action. Most people who have difficulty with organization leave out the step of restoring order. If paying bills- getting out the basket of bills, the ledger or computer, the checkbook, the stamps is getting ready for the action. Writing out the checks, putting them in the correct envelopes, stamping them, and entering the amounts is taking action. This causes a disorder in the space you are working. Now there is a basket, a checkbook, and other items that have been pulled out to do the task. Many people feel like the checks have now been paid so they stop- have lunch- do something else and do not get around to putting everything back away, which at this point would only take minutes and therefore do not restore order. Therefore order is not restored and clutter begins. Keep skipping this last step on most of your tasks and chaos reigns.
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