Project Eye to Eye

Have you heard of the wonderful group Project Eye to Eye? It is a fabulous public service group that helps learning disabled students by using peers that personally understand and have gone through the same struggles. Students have a mentor who they can talk to build a relationship with. " It is one of the few programs that challenges the deficit and pathology driven service model stifling the LD/ADD community, and is playing a revolutionary and transformative role in empowering  students labeled with LD/ADHD, one of the most marginalized minority groups in our society." from the Project Eye to Eye website.
Project Eye to Eye
They are currently selling t-shirts and sweatshirts from cafe press with the above caption! Being a former sorority girl and ADD lady I can't wait to get one !

Online Cafe Press store

Please check out Project Eye to Eye and consider buying a shirt to help support this worthwhile group!!

Planner??

Do you use a planner?? I have a few !! Surprise- Surprise !! I am not technically hip enough to have a smart phone but I do have an Itouch that I have downloaded a few different apps to help me remember everything that I am supposed to- with mixed results. The calendar on it syncs with my calendar on my computer so I do not have to put things in 10 different times, which is a huge help. However, shocking as this might sound I do not always have my Itouch with me. ;-] so I also carry a small day timer to be my back-up! I have not come up with the perfect system as of yet but I am working on it.

I have on my computer an app called - Opus Domini Lite which was a free app and it works like a regular paper planner but it is digital. It is also synced with my calendar so again I do not have to put things in again. I find it to be very user friendly and I actually use this one more than I thought I would.

Although my system is still not perfect and I think I will be forever improving it, I do realize that my ADHD needs it. I need to see it visually, I need to check in and make sure that I am on my track with my day and my plans. Sometimes my mind can remember every detail and sometimes it can not remember even the slightest of details. I need some sort of planner to help me navigate my day and my life!

The planner at the top is called a Bubble Planner- you can find it at...Bubble Planner

I found an interesting article from the Attention Deficit Disorder Association web site:

http://add.site-ym.com/page/day_planner

Desk???

I have a desk.... It really is under there, I swear! Paper clutter is one of my biggest organizational issues. I just can't seem to get a handle on it. My goal is to make this a working space again.  I am hoping as I clear off this space it will start to tame the frenzy inside my head and I will start to feel more in control. My problem is that I do have some systems in place but obviously not enough! I am going to dedicate 15  minutes a day to just my desk and getting to the bottom of it! I know it does not seem like a lot of time but with my trusty timer and the knowledge that I can stick with it for 15 minutes I am hopeful of the results. One of my obstacles is that I get lost in the process... I look at everything- Oh Look... I go down memory lane and instead of organizing I end up with a bigger mess and my enthusiasm is gone!

So with my new plan of 15 minutes a day, I will start in one corner and conquer that corner! I am not going to reshuffle the papers and belongings into different piles I will find a home for them. Moving across the desk until I am done! Hopefully success will breed success and I will not become discouraged but become even more motivated to finish ( a novel concept) ! Then take that success and move on to either the basement or garage! But wait I am getting ahead of myself...  Please wish me luck and if you have any ideas please feel free to pass them along.

I am open to any and all suggestions!

Bridget

Funny Quote of the day !

Sometimes this is how I feel !!!

Bridget

How organized are you?

Well it is safe to safe that organization is not my strong suit!! In fact it is an area of my life that I sometimes feel overwhelmed and out of control. How come organization is so difficult for me? Well my ADHD is not helping... in fact it could be what is behind my disorganization. Every time I try to get organized, I either don't complete the task or I do not maintain it and I am right back at square one. Then I beat myself up over not completing yet another thing and feel like a failure again. Well that is going to be my new mission.... Yes I know I am setting myself up, however if I am accountable to this blog then I think I will have better success !!

My ADHD brain needs and wants this process to be enjoyable; music will be an important component, my trusty timer to help keep me on track and keep me from getting hyper focused on one thing, and my camera to help document my success. I need to see my progress- to help keep me motivated and on track.

I am on vacation right now and am reading Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life by Margaret Moore and Paul Hammerness. It has given me some insight on inner clutter = outer clutter ! Here is a sample from Margaret Moore - aka Coach Meg.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/22/health/how-organize-your-mind/index.html#

It has helped me become more aware of how much my unorganized brain and life is costing me and my family.

Enjoy the day!

Timer !!

As I have become more aware of how my ADHD impacts my life, I am always on the look out for strategies and helpful tricks to help me navigate my crazy life. One such helpful gadget is a timer !! I love it.... I set the timer for 15 minutes and attack whatever the task is I need to. I know I can stay focused and on task for 15 minutes- well it does help that I also know that it will be over in 15 minutes :) I get a feeling of accomplishment when it is over and I actually do cross stuff off my 3 mile to do list. !! I am a professional procrastinator and this trick does help.

What tricks do you use to help you navigate your day??

Bridget