I didn't know there were such forums! I should have joined *years* ago.

I have a huge problem with organizing, properly cleaning, etc. The only excuse
I have is that I'm extremely ADD. Scatterbrained to the max!

I start on something and I get sidetracked 98% of the time. I'll see
something that needs to be done,
and if I don't do it RIGHT NOW, I'll totally forget it. So then I start
on that other 'something' and it happens all over again.

I get sidetracked.

I have all these ideas in my head, and in my mind I can see them
getting done, but I just can't stay on one thing long enough and
I just can not get anything organized. I can't focus on anything
long enough to accomplish anything.

So, that's me in a nutshell. I hope to get some ideas and pointers
on how to get stuff done.

Betty

Hi Betty,

Welcome! I was laughing as I read your post. I can totally relate. I love this forum and it has helped me to start to see my floor!!

Good Luck you will get great ideas. I'll leave the advice giving to the others but I am so your cheerleader!

Hi Betty. Welcome to GON! So glad you found us and decided to join us! You have come to the right place. We are all on the road to getting ourselves decluttered and organized!

I am going to give you a list of the "tricks of the trade" we use to get ourselves organized. Feel free to adapt it to your needs.

The Master List:

This is a list of ALL the projects you want to do around your house. This might be a LONG list, but don't let it overwhelm you. You don't have to tackle each and every project at once.

This would be the place to write down all those things you feel you need to do at once lest you forget them. Once they are written down, chances are you won't forget them. This way, you can keep the getting distracted to a minimum.

Start a new list for each room. Be specific.

This will also be a sort of "wish list" as well. Put your lists in a binder, or store them in the computer, for reference.

As you accomplish an item on your list, make a notation of the fact and keep the lists in the binder or computer. They will become your accomplishment lists. Anytime you feel like you haven't accomplished much, you can check your lists and realize just how much you have done!

Baby Steps/15 minutes:

You don't have to organize the entire room in one go. You can do one area of the room, you can organize one closet or one piece of furniture. You don't even have to do one bookcase or cabinet, either. You can do one shelf or one drawer. Break your bigger projects down to individual, baby steps. Instead of listing "organize dresser", you can list "declutter and tidy drawer #1, declutter and tidy drawer #2, dust the surface, polish the mirror" and check off each baby step as you accomplish it.

We also work in 15 minute sessions. Set the timer for 15 minutes and work on your project. When the timer goes off stop and REWARD yourself. Have a cup of coffee, give yourself some computer time, or do something else you enjoy. Then you can set the timer again for another 15 minutes or quit for the day. Your choice.

Declutter:

It cannot be stated often enough - one can't organize clutter. So, before you try to organize anything, try to declutter as much as you can. Get rid of the obvious trash and junk, the extraneous stuff that is taking up space. Keep only what you love, is useful, and makes you happy. If there are any items that you want to keep which needs some repairs done first, add them to your Master List and incorporate them into your daily to-do lists. If there is something you think might be useful, then, box it up or put it aside to reconsider in 6 months' or 1 years' time. If you haven't used it in 1 year, ask yourself why you are still keeping it.

ETE/PUPA:

ETE stands for Eliminate The Evidence. That just means to clean up after ourselves as we go. If you make a sandwich, for example, put away the fixings (the bread, the butter, the sandwich meats, etc.) and wipe down the counter - don't leave the evidence of your sandwich making out!

PUPA stands for Pick Up and Put Away - sometimes, certain things end up on horizontal surfaces, for various reasons - perhaps someone didn't ETE or it wasn't practical to ETE until a project was completed, etc. So, periodically, we do a PUPA to return items to their homes, especially after we complete a project or before we clean up a room.

ETE and PUPA help you keep the rest of the house under control while you focus on one project from your Master List at a time.

Do feel free to post on any of the forums and threads. Looking forward to hearing from you again.

Hi Betty, happy to meet you and let you know you are not alone in your struggle. If you tell us what bothers you most, we're happy to offer various suggestions that you can adjust to meet your particular circumstances.

The 1st thing I learned was that if you repeat an action for 28 days, it will become a habit. In those days we had to organize 'search parties' to find things like keys or the permission slips that had to go back to school. We picked one issue each week and repeated it until it became a habit. We initiated a 9 PM ETE which means Eliminate the Evidence. The timer was set on the stove for 15 minutes and everyone in the household spends that segment of time putting a room in order. The little kids did age appropriate tasks. In the living rm. anything that belonged elsewhere was removed...dishes were returned to the kitchen, newspaper to the recycle bin, cushions straightened, pillows fluffed, throw folded, magazines returned to their bin etc. In the kitchen dishes went to DW, snacks to pantry, and anything out of place got put back. The change was shocking!

Hi Betty, welcome! It seems to me that the problems you describe mean that you are perfect for doing "babysteps". Where some of us might get bogged down in trying to do all of a major task, you can do those 15 minute blocks and then you've done something! I go along with Bless when she recommends keeping a note of what you actually achieve. You may surprise yourself!

Great to see you here, too, HudBud.

Hi Betty,

Welcome to the forum and GON.

Try before and after pictures as a motivator.

Also if you get distracted make a list of all the little things that you see that could be done instead of stopping and doing them.

Hi Betty:
WELCOME TO GON!!!! I'm so happy to meet you.
You sound like me when I first joined. I can certainly relate.

I started with the Master List and Baby Steps. They worked great for me. I also made simple morning and evening routines. The evening one included gathering up everything I needed for work in the morning and put it together and setting out my clothes for the morning. It made my mornings so much easier.

Keep us posted on how you are doing so we can continue to help you and cheer you on.

I'm so glad you have joined us.
Again a big warm cozy WELCOME.

Hi Betty

Welcome to GON! I agree with the ladies lists and baby steps (15 minute blocks of organizing/cleaning etc)are a great way to start.

Good luck with getting started!