ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life: Strategies that Work from a Professional Organizer and a Renowned ADD Clinician [Paperback]

I'm writing the review having read up to chapter 13 of 20. This is a large, well-laid out book. The paragraphs are clearly labeled and there is a clear summary at the end of each chapter.
There is so much great stuff in this book that it's hard to pick which examples to give in this review.

I'll start with "ant's view". Also known as hyper-focus. This is when you are so into a project or form of attention that everything else is barely seen. This can extend over months or years depending on the subject.

For instance, I only recently self-diagnosed myself of ADD about 4 weeks ago. This was my third book on the subject(I've nearly hyper-focused on ADD-books now as I'm on my 6th one at the moment). Up until I realised I most likely have ADD, I was searching furiously to 'overcome' my quirky and patchy ability to focus consistently. Many, many books have been stuck under my nose trying to find that 'magic moment' where I get the 'aha' to this self-destructive set of traits.

Extremely frustrating is watching myself get all pumped up and going strong only to lose focus completely after 3 weeks or less. All the self-help books(on getting things done; organisation; developing good habits etc) out there are next to useless to someone who's unaware they have ADD or ADHD(more unlikely to not know). What happens is one goes right back into the ADD traits and all is back to square one.

Everyone can suffer from Distraction but ADDers REALLY suffer from it. If I take myself as an example, I have been going well into a project, almost there to completion, then a mini crisis arises from somewhere and I lose all momentum sometimes up to 4-6 weeks!!

Staying still with hyper-focus. One can then take the new crisis and hyper-focus on it. So now wheels fall off with other important areas of one's life. So the extreme frustration is going from one extreme focus to another and losing focus of the whole picture of running a balanced life.

So once one reads about all the different traits one has it's really great to then read great tips on how to stay focused. One learns to be very aware and 'watch out' for slipping into one of the 'focuses'(Hyper-focus, Micro-focus) without awareness that one's in that focus.

It's all about being informed and having great ways to tackle everyday living.

My most useful tip is being aware of what hyper-focus is. I've had this partial tuning out of reality around me for nearly 20 years. I've been chasing a 'fix' for myself for over 30 years without knowing properly what the problem is. I fad in and out at times but life keeps you on your toes and can trigger hyper-focus at the drop of a hat. So the tip is to practice de-activation after an activity. For instance doing a job for an hour or two then come out of that focus completely. Be completely aware of either a complete break, new activity or thinking itself. This practice has made such profound changes in an incredibly short time(4 weeks) I can't stress it enough to start practicing.

Although there are so many other tips in this book for certain 'traits' here's one to conside, OOSOOM. Out of sight out of mind. This means without lists you'll forget little stuff or even bigger stuff like paying bills.

I've bought into lists. Without them what else is going to remind me? I can't afford a 24 hour secretary. I've tried lists in the past but they just don't work somehow. However, with a little more commitment and work they are brilliant and most useful. You have to decide that 'it's important' and not give up on them. I've got a little flip diary(that takes refills) and in the first 7-10 pages I've listed what's important to me like goals, clutter tips, focus tips, what motivates, getting out of being sidetracked and other stuff. I've made it a top priority to create a new habit to look at it every day and more. I didn't check it today and have just spent 10 minutes looking for it!! And this is exactly the sort of thing that always can happen to a newly forming habit.

So this book is like a giant reminder diary full of tips, guidance and lots of positive vibes about having a very productive life.

If you feel you are totally under-achieving; too stressed; in the middle of chaos in many areas; this is a fantastic book to have in your hands.
Use the 'Search Inside' on Amazon and check out the Contents. It's all so good.

I do believe in being very well-versed and researched on a topic so get some other books on the subject. I'll be reviewing the better one's as I finish them.

update 05.12.10
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I recently read How To Be Smart With Your Time: Expert Advice from the Star of Dragons' Den. Its the best book I've read on identifying where your time goes, getting focus and identifying your passions. Read my review as I've covered in depth my personal journey as well as the book contents. You'll notice the ADD mind in the behaviour :o)

Creator of the Beginner Tai Chi (DVD)

It's about time a book specifically about ADD and organizing was written. This book was well worth the wait!

I was pleasantly surprised that the size of the book is larger than many other ADD books and so is the Print itself.

The set up of the book is VERY "ADD Friendly". Main ideas are bulleted and highlighted. There are also review sections at end of each chapter. There are some very useful charts and even some a few pictures of specific organizing tools.

The ideas and suggestion given in this book may be be very helpful to people with ADD. There are some great suggestion that seem too easy to help but as somebody who has used many of them, they do help

My teenage daughter and I both have ADHD so our lives get a bit chaotic at times. Lots of the information about ADHD / ADD can be quite negative or patronising. This book gave practical ideas, case studies and also explained the background to some of our more frustrating organisational habits. Well worth the money.