The 5-Minute, Open-Palm, Exploding Mess Technique

In the mid- to late-60s, schoolchildren were taught that we'd have so much leisure time in the future that we'd have to come up with a plan on how to spend it wisely. I seems that the sixties futurists were wrong. Instead of slowing down, we've sped up. This isn't bad for ADD people because they go at this pace 24/7 anyway, and it seems like it's more 28/7, right? And that's great, as long as we're doing something we like to do, that's fun for us. However, while we're concentrating on stuff we like to do, the stuff we hate to do is being neglected.

This happens to everyone, whether they have ADD or not, but adults with ADD find this frustration compounded by procrastination or just plain inaction. What can you do to release the anxiety you may be feeling over your inability to complete the things you know need doing?

The very first thing you should do is decide if it's a task that needs to be done or just something that you've been wanting to do for a long time. Brain dump it. Keep a notepad nearby and write your brilliant ideas down. That way, you won't have them nagging you at the back of your brain because they're out on the paper. Or, is this something that the people in your social circle think you "should" do. Those things are probably not that important. Let's take house clutter, for instance. Society says you should have a neat, clean house. And you may say, "Well, I just won't invite people over. Then, I won't have to worry about it." But if you can't find your contact lenses for three days in a row, you have a problem.

In this case, it's a need, not a want, and not something that other people think you "should" do.

Hire someone to help you, if you're feeling overwhelmed. An efficiency expert can help you to get organized in an ADD-friendly way. Then, hire a housekeeper to keep things under control, even when you've messed them up again. Only now, because your place is being policed regularly, it won't ever get to the level of disgustion that you made before.

But if you're on a tight budget, you probably can't hire anyone to do these things for you. You have to do them yourself. And wherever will you find the energy?

Simple. Don't try to do things all at once. Start by taking five minutes a day. It's amazing what you can do in that short span of time. For instance, do you have a desk drawer that's overflowing with bills, things that need taken care of, your checkbook, etc. Take five minutes and clean out that drawer. To make sure it's only 5 minutes, set a timer. If you aren't finished when the timer goes off, stop. Don't allow yourself to go any further, no matter how far into the task you've gotten.

This technique will help you to avoid the procrastination because everyone can do just about anything they hate to do for 5 minutes. And because you know it will only be 5 minutes, you won't be too concerned about taking the time from something else that you see as much more important. You won't be avoiding it, either, if you set yourself up to do this every single day, right after breakfast. When you've finished the drawer, move to the top of your desk, the top of the dresser, the living room floor, and so on. If you do this every day for 5 minutes, you'll clean it all up.

This means you have to create a maintenance system, too. What will help you find your glasses more easily? Well, what if you put an oblong dish next to your favorite spot in the living room, one on your night stand, and one on the bathroom sink? Regardless of where your glasses come off, be sure to toss them into one of the dishes, and they'll never be lost again. Or, have a big bin to toss your underwear and socks into, rather than a drawer. Nothing to open. Just wash them, toss them into the bins, and find them easily when it's time to get dressed. Even better if you have a bin you can toss them into at night when they're dirty. Keep laundry bins, rather than hampers with lids that need opening. Stuff will probably accumulate on the lid, if you don't. And if your bins are colored-coded, all the better. Have one for dark, one for colored, and one for white clothes. This will make laundry day easier, too.

Anything you can do to make things easier for yourself, you should do. Most ADD people just don't like complications when it comes to unimportant things, like hanging up clothes. You will always need to hang some, so be sure you have plenty of hangars and that your closet isn't overstuffed. And think "open." Tossing things is easier than opening a drawer, folding, and closing the drawer again. To some people, that's simple stuff, but to people with ADD it can be a hassle. So, find yourself some bins that you can put non-wrinkle stuff into like baskets and bins. All of these methods will help.

But we're human and can easily fall back into our old habits of disorganization. If that happens, or the minute you suspect it's happening, go back to the 5-miute-a-day routine, and get it back under control. You'll be glad you did. You won't be running around screaming,"Where's my stuff?" again.

ADD counselor Tellman Knudson is a certified hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner and CEO of Overcome Everything, Inc. He has helped many clients achieve better lives by working with ADD, not against it. To learn more of his fascinating secrets for dealing with ADD, visit his website InstantADDSuccess.com at http://www.instantaddsuccess.com/