Just 15 Minutes Each Day

In my organizing business, I have had several clients with adult AD/HD. Clutter has taken over their lives. They actually want to be organized, but because of the AD/HD, they procrastinate or they have no task persistence and can't stay focused.

I've found the best way to deal with these people is to get them to only spend 10 to 15 minutes each day organizing. They can pick an area or a box or a closet, go at it for about 15 minutes and then stop. I encourage them to use a kitchen timer. If they do this every day for a week, they give themselves a reward. The reward can be a multitude of things, such as a nice dinner out or a movie. The reward absolutely does not need to be another piece of clutter to bring in the house.

I also encourage them to take the bag of give-away items that is a result of the 15 minute session to the thrift store right away. If the bag sits by the door, they are tempted to go through it and take stuff out to keep.

Everybody can spare 10 or 15 minutes each day. It may not seem like much, but over a month or so, those minutes add up, and before you know it, you're organized!