GTD For Adults w/ ADD?

[mromoser]

ADD - It's a real problem with me

I have a son with ADD. Over the years, my biggest problem has been disorganization, lack of motivation, procrastination and loss of time when it comes to getting things done in my life or my work. It's only recently that I've have admitted to myself that I may have ADD, since having to help my son through this. And it's getting worse as time goes on. I am working on scheduling some time with a doctor for an evaluation and diagnosis. But, in the meantime, I am working on organizing my life, and bringing some balance to my relationship - this is starting to affect my husband and my relationship as well.

I like what I have read so far and am looking forward to start implementing all your ideas. I'm right now debating on paper vs. electronics. I'm an electronic geek at heart and love gadgets and software. But, at the same time, I don't know if I should just do paper. I use Outlook religiously for my contacts, right now my simple tasks, and as I make calls, etc. and I also have them in a paper calendar with my task list written next to it. I've been contemplating on purchasing a HP IPAQ HX2479. I never realized that I had projects, until I looked at my task list and found that some are actually projects - and that could be why I avoid doing some of them.

I started today with just poring all that I have on my mind of things I have to do today, tomorrow and down the road. I've been so stressed out and overwhelmed with having these things on my mind and then forgetting to get them done and then it's too late to do anything about it.

I believe that the first real step was admitting I have a problem and working on a solution.

Thanks and I will be visiting this site often and reading to get my life in order.

Marilyn

 

[unstuffed]

I'm right now debating on paper vs. electronics. I'm an electronic geek at heart and love gadgets and software. But, at the same time, I don't know if I should just do paper.

Hi Marilyn,

I'm a real tech geek as well, but I use a wholly paper system, except for email. Why? Because it's as simple as it gets. Because I can take out all the bits of paper and shuffle them, and somehow actually touching something makes it more real. Because all software has a learning curve, and I'm becoming increasingly annoyed at the constant demands made by that. Because data input is easy and available anywhere, and, as mentioned above, data access is too.

To be honest, I really wanted to use some cool software. I've looked around at many of them, and I've tried a few out. But there's nothing that has the immediacy of paper, and I know myself well enough to know that if it's even the slightest bit inconvenient to use my system, I won't use it. I've got to have something that's always on, always available, and always accessible.

Plus I've had some RSI in recent years, and using the mouse makes that worse. So the less mouse work, the better, for me.

I never realized that I had projects, until I looked at my task list and found that some are actually projects - and that could be why I avoid doing some of them.

I started today with just poring all that I have on my mind of things I have to do today, tomorrow and down the road. I've been so stressed out and overwhelmed with having these things on my mind and then forgetting to get them done and then it's too late to do anything about it.

I'm exactly the same, but I've been going down this path for about a year. And I can say, from the lofty pinnacle of one whole year trying, that GTD is An Amazing Thing. Sure, I'm still not at the 'Mind Like Water' stage, but I'm getting there, and I'm way better than I was. And I did have a marvellous patch of about a month, where everything was humming along, and it's an incredible feeling: you just feel so good, it's like seeing the world through new eyes. Reminds me a bit of those hippy trippy film clips from the 70s.

So keep at it, and keep popping back here if you've got any questions about anything at all.

Cheers,
Alison