Struggle to get started

N

Nick

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Hello everyone,

I am trying to help my girlfriend to get better with "getting things done". In personal life as well as with work. Unfortunately she is struggling a bit to even get started. She read the book multiple times and even started to write everything done, however all of that is getting lost inside countless notes and she can't discipline herself to organize them. I am constantly trying to remind her, but it doesn't seem to help much. Even with my reminders, she forgets. I'm not a phycologist, but may be some people aren't made for being organized? She doesn't have an official ADD diagnosis, but I fear that she might have one. In case she does, should we even try to improve those skills or we're better off seeing a phycologist?

Any tips, suggestion comments will be greatly appreciated.

She is a great caring and loving person and lack of organization affects her life. She worries about it all the time. I genuinely want to help her, but all of my tactics seem to be failing. That's why I wanted to reach out to the world and seek help from you, my fellow great human beings:) Two minds are better than one.

Thank you all in advance!

Nick

P.S I apologize for the grammar mistakes if any. English is my 3rd language.
 
Hi Nick,

I had a similar situation with my mother. When she could not get the process started on her own for whatever reason, (I guess that can be when you don't have that clear head reference point yet) I set aside an afternoon with her and took her through the basic implementation process; which was a first for me, but hey, being coached by an enthusiastic GTD amateur has to be better than not getting started at all. I suggest you can reference the implementation part of the book for suggestions. And there is also a video in which David coaches a TV moderator through the process somewhere on the internet, which can serve for inspiration. Make sure she has the required tools available (Inbox(!), Pending and Outbox), sticky notes, paperclips, blank paper, electronic or paper tool to get the system started, filing system.

Maybe being shown can help her more than having "get organised" as an additional "should" in her head...
 
If ADD is a possible issue, I'd suggest that she read "Driven to Distraction." It might help confirm (or not confirm) that idea.
 
As a starting point it may be useful to have her get a notebook that she loves and that is small enough to carry everywhere.
Then have her develop the habit of writing everything down in that one place. Call it a GTD baby step :)
If she has a tendency to distraction, a paper system may be better than a digital one.
 
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