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Organizing Solutions for People With Attention Deficit Disorder: Tips and Tools to Help You Take Charge of Your Life and Get Organized
ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder and ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, are prevalent in society today, afflicting about 4.4% of the adult population, which is over 13 million Americans. Four out of every five adults do not even know they are ADD, and while it is often difficult to differentiate adults with true ADD from adults who are merely forgetful and disorganized, Organizing Solutions for People with ADD outlines new organizing strategies that will be of value to anyone who wants to improve their organizational, or lack of, skills in their life. The chapters consist of practical organizing solutions for ADD at Work ; prioritizing, time management, and organizing documents, ADD at Home ; paying bills on time, de-cluttering your house, scheduling and keeping appointments, ADD with Kids ; driving them to various activities, grocery shopping and meals, laundry, babysitters, organizing drawers and closets, and ADD and You ; organizing time for your social life, gym, and various other hobbies and activities. Color photographs that capture the short attention span of the reader are featured throughout, as well as sidebars and testimonials from adults with ADD, providing numerous organizational tips, such as, the importance of dividing time into minutes or moments, task completion, how to avoid procrastination, asking for help, and how not to be a packrat.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
3121 people are currently reading
7551 people want to read
About the author
Susan C. Pinsky
6Ìýbooks29ÌýfollowersSusan C. Pinsky is the author of the best-selling Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder. She is a top professional organizer and member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. She lives in Acton, MA with her husband and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 534 reviews
August 27, 2022
I’m tired of reading books about ADHD written by authors who don’t have it, and this book is the perfect example of why I feel that way. The overall narrative of people with ADHD is incredibly patronizing and focuses heavily on how “frustrated� our family members must be with us. Maybe there’s good content further into this book, but I’ll never know because I’m not going to waste any further time reading a book by someone who constantly reiterates their opinion that I’m incapable of even remotely complex tasks.
May 31, 2019
I hoped this was going to be a little bit more "how to schedule your life" and less "how to organize physical stuff (assuming the physical stuff you have is the stuff of a 50s housewife)" but maybe that was my mistake. Anyway the tone is fun and there are some gems, but it's Very Opinionated and I was cracking up at some of the advice. Check this out:
"there is no better motivation than hunger to inspire one to wash a dish!"
LOL no this is when I fail at making real food and instead just eat peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon.
"Six pictures from any vacation are more than enough. Limit your picture taking—your goal should be to document each year in only ten photos."
Nahhhhh this is why we have iPhoto fam.
"Put borrowed items you need to return in a plastic bag in the front seat of the car. This way they are easy to hang on the doorknob of the owner’s home the next time you drive through that neighborhood."
I don't have a car, and even if I did I certainly wouldn't return borrowed items by randomly driving through someone's neighborhood and hanging them on their doorknobs. WTF??
And check out all this advice for organizing dining rooms, formal china and table linens! LMAO WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM
"all dining room support items should find a home in the dining room, which means procuring dining room storage style furniture such as sideboards and breakfronts to house your formal china and table linens."
"Do not create an unnecessarily complicated and hard-to-maintain indexing system by photographing and indexing your table linens. Instead, sort them into the sideboard, simply, by table size, not color, season, or inches. For example, a drawer might have two stacks of tablecloths—one stack fits the table when it has no leaves in it, the other fits the table when it has one leaf in it."
"If you serve formal meals, do not be misled into thinking that a china cabinet or breakfront is an extravagance. Innumerable homeowners pay me exorbitant sums to unclutter their kitchens, when all they really need is a china cabinet in their dining room."
In this alternate reality, we also all have space for more than one bureau (with a side of sexism) and individual closets for everyone in the household:
"Although men can usually get by with one bureau, most women could probably use two or more to hold all their bras, hose, purses, scarves, shawls, slips, jewelry, and camisoles."
"Remove anything in your closet that is not wardrobe related, with the exception of one set of bed linens, and anything that is not yours. That’s right, do not allow other family members to share your closet space."
Soooooo I dunno I think there was some decent advice in here but most of it was pretty silly. Definitely not targeted at millennials who live in apartments.
"there is no better motivation than hunger to inspire one to wash a dish!"
LOL no this is when I fail at making real food and instead just eat peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon.
"Six pictures from any vacation are more than enough. Limit your picture taking—your goal should be to document each year in only ten photos."
Nahhhhh this is why we have iPhoto fam.
"Put borrowed items you need to return in a plastic bag in the front seat of the car. This way they are easy to hang on the doorknob of the owner’s home the next time you drive through that neighborhood."
I don't have a car, and even if I did I certainly wouldn't return borrowed items by randomly driving through someone's neighborhood and hanging them on their doorknobs. WTF??
And check out all this advice for organizing dining rooms, formal china and table linens! LMAO WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM
"all dining room support items should find a home in the dining room, which means procuring dining room storage style furniture such as sideboards and breakfronts to house your formal china and table linens."
"Do not create an unnecessarily complicated and hard-to-maintain indexing system by photographing and indexing your table linens. Instead, sort them into the sideboard, simply, by table size, not color, season, or inches. For example, a drawer might have two stacks of tablecloths—one stack fits the table when it has no leaves in it, the other fits the table when it has one leaf in it."
"If you serve formal meals, do not be misled into thinking that a china cabinet or breakfront is an extravagance. Innumerable homeowners pay me exorbitant sums to unclutter their kitchens, when all they really need is a china cabinet in their dining room."
In this alternate reality, we also all have space for more than one bureau (with a side of sexism) and individual closets for everyone in the household:
"Although men can usually get by with one bureau, most women could probably use two or more to hold all their bras, hose, purses, scarves, shawls, slips, jewelry, and camisoles."
"Remove anything in your closet that is not wardrobe related, with the exception of one set of bed linens, and anything that is not yours. That’s right, do not allow other family members to share your closet space."
Soooooo I dunno I think there was some decent advice in here but most of it was pretty silly. Definitely not targeted at millennials who live in apartments.
January 8, 2015
This is the best organizing/de-cluttering book that I've read in a long time, perhaps ever. I don't have ADHD and it was still super-helpful. This will be the book I recommend to others if they're asking about this topic. Here are my take away principles (because, yes, it was so good, I took notes):
1. storage solutions should be easy, obvious, and in the place where the stuff will be used.
2. use open shelving, clear bins, labeled (but not fancy), as little stacking as possible
3. You must use employ the "brutal purge" - reduce, reduce, reduce in order to make de-cluttering last. You should have empty space (i.e. purge until you have excess storage space); cutting back on inventory is far better than having good storage solutions.
4. Store everything as close to the place of use as possible - my action step for this? Get a bin for dishcloths and another for dish towels to put under the kitchen sink, then I'll have no need to fold them ever again. Just throw them in!)
5. everything should be efficient, simple and easy to maintain
6. Use non-lidded bins on shelves (easy to access/put away); eliminate stacking. Clear is the best (then no need for labels) or open front bins with solid bottoms are even better.
(But seriously? Does she really think I'm only going to keep 10 digital photos per year??)
Steps to organizing any room/area/space: PREPARE/SET-UP (bags for donation and trash, find space for piles like "other parts of house" and sort out the stuff that does belong in the room), PURGE, CLEAN, NAME (name the space and designate areas "plate shelf" Mug shelf", REDUCE (as necessary to have a small enough keep pile to fit in the space), PROCURE (necessary storage tools ie. shelves, bins, hangers, etc, they don't need to be fancy, just functional), RETURN (appropriate items to the space), PUT AWAY/CLEAR AWAY (all other piles to elsewhere in the house, trash, etc.) BASK (in my hard work and lovely space!)
1. storage solutions should be easy, obvious, and in the place where the stuff will be used.
2. use open shelving, clear bins, labeled (but not fancy), as little stacking as possible
3. You must use employ the "brutal purge" - reduce, reduce, reduce in order to make de-cluttering last. You should have empty space (i.e. purge until you have excess storage space); cutting back on inventory is far better than having good storage solutions.
4. Store everything as close to the place of use as possible - my action step for this? Get a bin for dishcloths and another for dish towels to put under the kitchen sink, then I'll have no need to fold them ever again. Just throw them in!)
5. everything should be efficient, simple and easy to maintain
6. Use non-lidded bins on shelves (easy to access/put away); eliminate stacking. Clear is the best (then no need for labels) or open front bins with solid bottoms are even better.
(But seriously? Does she really think I'm only going to keep 10 digital photos per year??)
Steps to organizing any room/area/space: PREPARE/SET-UP (bags for donation and trash, find space for piles like "other parts of house" and sort out the stuff that does belong in the room), PURGE, CLEAN, NAME (name the space and designate areas "plate shelf" Mug shelf", REDUCE (as necessary to have a small enough keep pile to fit in the space), PROCURE (necessary storage tools ie. shelves, bins, hangers, etc, they don't need to be fancy, just functional), RETURN (appropriate items to the space), PUT AWAY/CLEAR AWAY (all other piles to elsewhere in the house, trash, etc.) BASK (in my hard work and lovely space!)
June 21, 2024
I've read too many organizing books for this one to be anything more than white noise.
One thing I thought was interesting. I read a library book and someone had marked off "suffered from ADHD" and written in "has ADHD". This continued throughout the book. I loved the reminder that ADHD is not a curse, but a way of living. It's another way the brain works.
One thing I thought was interesting. I read a library book and someone had marked off "suffered from ADHD" and written in "has ADHD". This continued throughout the book. I loved the reminder that ADHD is not a curse, but a way of living. It's another way the brain works.
March 23, 2024
If you're lucky enough to have a 3 car garage, a basement with tons of storage space, and issues organizing your collection of rare china, this book might be the one you've been looking for. I, on the other hand, did not find the information presented to be at all applicable to the realities of life in my small, single story home.
The house the author pictures their target audience living in is clearly a huge 1990s-era McMansion, with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, floors, and tons of storage. It also either has a garage or is in a very safe neighborhood, given how many times the author mentions putting (and leaving!) things in the front seat of the car so one doesn't forget about it. Yes, one will remember to bring that box of donations to the drop-off place if the box is in the front seat of the car. However, there's no way in hell I would leave anything in my car. Not unless I really felt like dealing with a broken window and my things getting stolen. And I have no idea how the author would expect me to keep my home organized if I didn't have a car.
Overall, the advice given was unrelatable and inapplicable to my own life. The hetero normative and wealth assumptions are so offensive to be comical. The general theme of, "Just buy less stuff so you can afford to use a cleaning service and not have to worry about anything!" alone made me laugh out loud a few times.
For a more practical, accessible guide to organizing and cleaning, I highly recommend "Unf*ck Your Habitat." It's more useful and addresses neurodiversity and being differently-abled in a much more sensitive manner, and one I feel better applies to my life and the lives of most others I know. Including people who live in huge 1990s-era McMansions.
Edit, 2024: "How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing," published in 2022, cannot be recommended highly enough. I now like it even more than ufyh, which I recommended previously.
Although, naturally, I'm writing this while sitting on the couch and feeling as though I really should be folding laundry instead. Which, if you're reading this, you probably find tremendously relatable.
The house the author pictures their target audience living in is clearly a huge 1990s-era McMansion, with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, floors, and tons of storage. It also either has a garage or is in a very safe neighborhood, given how many times the author mentions putting (and leaving!) things in the front seat of the car so one doesn't forget about it. Yes, one will remember to bring that box of donations to the drop-off place if the box is in the front seat of the car. However, there's no way in hell I would leave anything in my car. Not unless I really felt like dealing with a broken window and my things getting stolen. And I have no idea how the author would expect me to keep my home organized if I didn't have a car.
Overall, the advice given was unrelatable and inapplicable to my own life. The hetero normative and wealth assumptions are so offensive to be comical. The general theme of, "Just buy less stuff so you can afford to use a cleaning service and not have to worry about anything!" alone made me laugh out loud a few times.
For a more practical, accessible guide to organizing and cleaning, I highly recommend "Unf*ck Your Habitat." It's more useful and addresses neurodiversity and being differently-abled in a much more sensitive manner, and one I feel better applies to my life and the lives of most others I know. Including people who live in huge 1990s-era McMansions.
Edit, 2024: "How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing," published in 2022, cannot be recommended highly enough. I now like it even more than ufyh, which I recommended previously.
Although, naturally, I'm writing this while sitting on the couch and feeling as though I really should be folding laundry instead. Which, if you're reading this, you probably find tremendously relatable.
Read
November 19, 2011Somehow, I missed the subtitle: "for people with Attention Deficit Disorder," when I bought this book more than a year ago. Consequently, I never tried reading it. Last night while going through one of my shelves, I picked it up and began browsing through the pages. To my amazement, this book is exactly what I NEED!
March 30, 2019
I'm always looking for techniques to better organize my life (see: hot mess) and this book definitely had some interesting elements to it.
However, there's also a thread of brash "don't think about the consequences; just do what needs to be done" about the recommended cleanup strategies that left me a little cold. If you need to get organized in a bad way, absolutely commit the Brutal Purge and remove a lot of sentimental items and donate or toss everything and buy duplicates and triplicates of things to make your organization system more effective—which can work, maybe, but doesn't sit well with someone who doesn't need these solutions "in a bad way". The black-and-white nature of the solutions are a little harsh for someone who just wants to handle her paperwork in a slightly more intelligent manner, you know?
Also, the over-reliance on "put it by the phone in the room" was a major tell that some of these solutions aren't going to work for younger adults who have one phone that's always in their hand. (Not a jab: my phone is literally 3" from my left hand AS I TYPE THIS, so.)
However, there's also a thread of brash "don't think about the consequences; just do what needs to be done" about the recommended cleanup strategies that left me a little cold. If you need to get organized in a bad way, absolutely commit the Brutal Purge and remove a lot of sentimental items and donate or toss everything and buy duplicates and triplicates of things to make your organization system more effective—which can work, maybe, but doesn't sit well with someone who doesn't need these solutions "in a bad way". The black-and-white nature of the solutions are a little harsh for someone who just wants to handle her paperwork in a slightly more intelligent manner, you know?
Also, the over-reliance on "put it by the phone in the room" was a major tell that some of these solutions aren't going to work for younger adults who have one phone that's always in their hand. (Not a jab: my phone is literally 3" from my left hand AS I TYPE THIS, so.)
March 10, 2013
Before I met my husband, it never occurred to me that doors can double as towel racks, checkbooks can also be used as coasters, and that Tupperware lids make acceptable plates. I am a Type A neat freak who tends to hoard books, and my husband is an easily distracted I'll-clean-when-company-comes type who would rather throw things out than organize them. (Like, filing cabinets, for instance.)
So a friend of mine loaned me this book so I could come up with some compromises that would help me keep the house presentable and him from having to deal with unpractical organization methods. Here are just some of the useful tips we implemented that have been successful so far:
(1) We've started using a tall canister on the kitchen counter so we can easily find every-day utensils like whisks, spatulas, and wooden spoons.
(2) When the lid to our laundry hamper was on, it became an extra counter to put things on - and instead of clearing it to put his dirty clothes in the hamper, my husband would just drop his clothes on the floor in front of it. The hamper would be empty, but there'd be a pile of clothes on the floor! We solved the problem by simply removing the lid.
(3) The bathroom counter was always cluttered, and I would find my husband's deodorant, razor, and cologne all over the house. Now, we have a small basket for things we use every day. That way they're within easy reach, and the basket serves as a reminder to put things back.
(4) We purge before Christmas and birthdays to make room for our daughter's new toys, but it never occurred to us to do the same for ourselves. I made two big trips to Goodwill this year right before the holidays, and it made all the difference.
(5) We've been giving our 3-year-old daughter more specific chores - like "pick up your books" instead of a vague instruction to "clean up" her room.
And we're not done. There was a useful suggestion on nearly every page. So next on the list of things for us to try are:
(1) On garbage day, we throw out the contents of all Tupperware containers in the fridge. We're pretty good about this one, but it still isn't an ingrained habit.
(2) Banning all paperwork from the kitchen to prevent pile ups next to our messy cooking areas.
(3) Buying open bins for the floor in our closet. It'll be easier to find and put away winter necessities (hats, gloves) and sporting gear (cleats, Underarmor) without having to put them in storage during off-seasons.
This is one of the few books I've read that preaches practicality above beauty, simplicity above complication when it comes to organization. And I have to say, it's working really well for us so far.
So a friend of mine loaned me this book so I could come up with some compromises that would help me keep the house presentable and him from having to deal with unpractical organization methods. Here are just some of the useful tips we implemented that have been successful so far:
(1) We've started using a tall canister on the kitchen counter so we can easily find every-day utensils like whisks, spatulas, and wooden spoons.
(2) When the lid to our laundry hamper was on, it became an extra counter to put things on - and instead of clearing it to put his dirty clothes in the hamper, my husband would just drop his clothes on the floor in front of it. The hamper would be empty, but there'd be a pile of clothes on the floor! We solved the problem by simply removing the lid.
(3) The bathroom counter was always cluttered, and I would find my husband's deodorant, razor, and cologne all over the house. Now, we have a small basket for things we use every day. That way they're within easy reach, and the basket serves as a reminder to put things back.
(4) We purge before Christmas and birthdays to make room for our daughter's new toys, but it never occurred to us to do the same for ourselves. I made two big trips to Goodwill this year right before the holidays, and it made all the difference.
(5) We've been giving our 3-year-old daughter more specific chores - like "pick up your books" instead of a vague instruction to "clean up" her room.
And we're not done. There was a useful suggestion on nearly every page. So next on the list of things for us to try are:
(1) On garbage day, we throw out the contents of all Tupperware containers in the fridge. We're pretty good about this one, but it still isn't an ingrained habit.
(2) Banning all paperwork from the kitchen to prevent pile ups next to our messy cooking areas.
(3) Buying open bins for the floor in our closet. It'll be easier to find and put away winter necessities (hats, gloves) and sporting gear (cleats, Underarmor) without having to put them in storage during off-seasons.
This is one of the few books I've read that preaches practicality above beauty, simplicity above complication when it comes to organization. And I have to say, it's working really well for us so far.
March 2, 2014
Susan Pinsky's other book pretty much changed my organizing life and I still follow many of her principles, so I was excited to read this book, even though I don't have ADD/ADHD. In some ways, it's a shame that this book is directed toward that subset of the population, because really, it's useful for anyone desperate to stop the endless organizing that never ends up solving the problem.
I think Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution was a better book, but there are plenty of useful tips in this one too. The one that's really sticking with me is her instruction to look at decluttering projects as an extra job. For example, if you are holding on to a bag of clothes to consign, you are taking on the job of clothes retailer. Is that a job you have space for in your life? I already have a regular full time job in addition to being a parent, cook, maid, chauffeur and all the rest. I don't need to be a clothes retailer too, or a furniture consigner, or a seamstress. I feel a sense of relief when I consider letting go of these jobs and just donating the clothes/dresser/whatever.
I think Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution was a better book, but there are plenty of useful tips in this one too. The one that's really sticking with me is her instruction to look at decluttering projects as an extra job. For example, if you are holding on to a bag of clothes to consign, you are taking on the job of clothes retailer. Is that a job you have space for in your life? I already have a regular full time job in addition to being a parent, cook, maid, chauffeur and all the rest. I don't need to be a clothes retailer too, or a furniture consigner, or a seamstress. I feel a sense of relief when I consider letting go of these jobs and just donating the clothes/dresser/whatever.
May 26, 2013
I read this book with the idea of finally discovering why I do things the way I do (I have ADD), and finding ways to change the way I operate, so I have more control of my life. Well, this book helps, but not that much. This author gives some good advice, such as using hooks, and not storing things behind doors or in opaque, lidded containers, but some of the rest of her suggestions just don't seem like they would work for me. Things like, "don't own more dishes than will fill your dishwasher," or "don't have more food in your cupboards than for one week at a time," or "don't have more than three magazine subscriptions," and "toss out last month's edition when the new one comes in, whether the old one has been read or not." No, I don't think this is a book that I will be buying. I may check it out of the library to skim it once in a while for good ideas to use, but it is not a keeper for me. On to the next organizer book. Sigh....
December 7, 2018
This book was a lot less helpful than I thought it was going to be. I guess just because it came SO highly recommended, but 1) I don't actually have add, just a bunch of similar symptoms, and 2) I live in a studio apartment, something which it's unclear if the author has ever heard of.
There were a few things that were interesting ideas, like the idea of making it as easy as possible to put things away. Like. If I had some sort of drying rack that doubled as a permanent cabinet for dishes, so I only ever had to put them away once after they get washed? That would probably be super helpful for me. But also? That doesn't exist and if it did I wouldn't have room for it.
Like, the idea of having only as many pans as fit in your cabinets? I have literally 2 shelves in my kitchen cabinets, and they hold both my dishes and all my dry goods. I can't... There isn't a way to downsize my life such that there's only one sort of dish in each cabinet. I guess I could get eat every food out of mugs? But that's not realistic. + at one point she's specifically talking about small bathrooms and says "you should keep one of every cleaning product in every bathroom" + it's like??? I have one v shallow bathroom cabinet where I literally don't keep all my bathroom stuff bc it doesn't fit!!
But there were some things that. I can see being helpful ideas if I could make something of them. The idea of never taking dishes out of the kitchen? It's good. It's impossible bc the rice cooker and the toaster have to be plugged in on the other side of the book shelf. But I can see that eating within arms' reach of the sink would make me more likely to wash the dishes. [This is mostly abt dishes bc that is my #1 household failing + also when I don't do the dishes I stop eating which is v bad.]
+ there were some things I'd already been thinking about, like I've been increasing the number of trash cans to make it easier to throw things out. It's a balancing act, and I am working on it. So I am thinking about some things, and maybe I had unrealistic expectations.
+ shout out to psychiatric medication without which I was unable to even consider solutions to these sorts of problems. SSRIs: the real mvp.
There were a few things that were interesting ideas, like the idea of making it as easy as possible to put things away. Like. If I had some sort of drying rack that doubled as a permanent cabinet for dishes, so I only ever had to put them away once after they get washed? That would probably be super helpful for me. But also? That doesn't exist and if it did I wouldn't have room for it.
Like, the idea of having only as many pans as fit in your cabinets? I have literally 2 shelves in my kitchen cabinets, and they hold both my dishes and all my dry goods. I can't... There isn't a way to downsize my life such that there's only one sort of dish in each cabinet. I guess I could get eat every food out of mugs? But that's not realistic. + at one point she's specifically talking about small bathrooms and says "you should keep one of every cleaning product in every bathroom" + it's like??? I have one v shallow bathroom cabinet where I literally don't keep all my bathroom stuff bc it doesn't fit!!
But there were some things that. I can see being helpful ideas if I could make something of them. The idea of never taking dishes out of the kitchen? It's good. It's impossible bc the rice cooker and the toaster have to be plugged in on the other side of the book shelf. But I can see that eating within arms' reach of the sink would make me more likely to wash the dishes. [This is mostly abt dishes bc that is my #1 household failing + also when I don't do the dishes I stop eating which is v bad.]
+ there were some things I'd already been thinking about, like I've been increasing the number of trash cans to make it easier to throw things out. It's a balancing act, and I am working on it. So I am thinking about some things, and maybe I had unrealistic expectations.
+ shout out to psychiatric medication without which I was unable to even consider solutions to these sorts of problems. SSRIs: the real mvp.
March 5, 2021
Didn't really enjoy this book. There are a few good pieces of advice here and there, but in today's current situation, it just isn't practical.
The author doesn't want you to have extras of anything. She claims that we go to the store often enough anyways so why would you need extra toilet paper or toothpaste? After Covid and the toilet paper shortage, this should teach you why you should have more than 1 roll of toilet paper and a backup toothpaste/deodarant/etc for when you run out. There may be a shortage of something and honestly to me, it wastes more time having to run to the store constantly because you are running out of things all the time. The same with food. The author says you should only have the food that you are about to make, no more extras. This is very impractical, especially with covid. If I only have food for the next couple of days, what happens in an emergency? If I'm sick? Bad weather and the power is out? There are so many scenarios in which you should have more food than just the next couple of days. And if you routinely use a lot of an item to cook with, its okay to have a little extra if this is a staple for you.
The author is anti purchasing things in bulk, but if you use a lot of an item, or your family does, it makes perfect sense to buy in bulk of that item. For example, if your family eats a lot of canned beans and you cook with it all the time, you are saving money to buy in bulk from costco rather than having to run to the store every couple of days to go buy a can.
I also don't think its practical or good for your money or wallet to throw out most of your clothes and only have a weeks worth of clothing to wear. If you have a nice winter coat, why throw it out just to save space? You will need it again next year and those things are expensive.
Only taking 10 photos a year. That's crazy to me. She doesn't favor sentimental items either. Take photos, have memories. You never know when you will see someone again, so don't refuse to have photos just because it could be clutter.
The author doesn't want you to have extras of anything. She claims that we go to the store often enough anyways so why would you need extra toilet paper or toothpaste? After Covid and the toilet paper shortage, this should teach you why you should have more than 1 roll of toilet paper and a backup toothpaste/deodarant/etc for when you run out. There may be a shortage of something and honestly to me, it wastes more time having to run to the store constantly because you are running out of things all the time. The same with food. The author says you should only have the food that you are about to make, no more extras. This is very impractical, especially with covid. If I only have food for the next couple of days, what happens in an emergency? If I'm sick? Bad weather and the power is out? There are so many scenarios in which you should have more food than just the next couple of days. And if you routinely use a lot of an item to cook with, its okay to have a little extra if this is a staple for you.
The author is anti purchasing things in bulk, but if you use a lot of an item, or your family does, it makes perfect sense to buy in bulk of that item. For example, if your family eats a lot of canned beans and you cook with it all the time, you are saving money to buy in bulk from costco rather than having to run to the store every couple of days to go buy a can.
I also don't think its practical or good for your money or wallet to throw out most of your clothes and only have a weeks worth of clothing to wear. If you have a nice winter coat, why throw it out just to save space? You will need it again next year and those things are expensive.
Only taking 10 photos a year. That's crazy to me. She doesn't favor sentimental items either. Take photos, have memories. You never know when you will see someone again, so don't refuse to have photos just because it could be clutter.
June 23, 2021
Three words:
The Brutal Purge.
It allows you to streamline the things around you and counteract the attention deficit and impulsiveness that make it hard to otherwise get the job done.
The author's other huge defining rule: efficiency needs to rule over esthetics or coolness, so again, the job gets done.
Highly recommend this book if you have even twinges of ADD/ADHD in your household.
The Brutal Purge.
It allows you to streamline the things around you and counteract the attention deficit and impulsiveness that make it hard to otherwise get the job done.
The author's other huge defining rule: efficiency needs to rule over esthetics or coolness, so again, the job gets done.
Highly recommend this book if you have even twinges of ADD/ADHD in your household.
February 2, 2023
I don't know why everyone was coming for Marie Kondo when Susan "only keep two pieces of your children's art each year" "the solution to every problem is to Purge Your Belongings" Pinsky was right here. Patronizing, relevant only to specific types of families, quickly outdated in large part due to its specificity, overall extremely disappointing.
April 18, 2024
This is the second ADHD focused book I’ve attempted since my recent diagnosis. Both have felt weirdly patronizing. I abandoned the first as I couldn’t get past the author’s need to tell me over and over that having adhd doesn’t mean I don’t have value. That just isn’t something I need, especially from a stranger. This book I just found annoying and weirdly prescriptive (rather than providing broadly applicable principles.) Did I harness that annoyance to get some neglected chores done while I listened? Yes, yes I did. Did I also frequently interrupt those chores to take notes on the things that were annoying me? Oh yes. So many. Read on if you care to experience my rambling responses:
-—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä�
The assumption of this book is the possession of an oversized American suburban home and a lack of creative hobbies. It really limits the practical use of some of this advice. A lot of it. And given how she goes on about American culture being too consumption oriented it’s a surprising place for myopia.
Limit yourself to two reusable grocery bags? Then hang them on the doorknob after use?Even a small weekly shop for one person requires me to use three bags. Partly because I carry my meat home in a separate bag from my veg. And please don’t just hang them after use so you’ll remember to take them next time. For the love of all that is healthy- wash them first!!!!!
Getting rid of all dull knives? All knives eventually dull. That’s just the result of physics. (If someone is selling you a knife claiming it never needs sharpening that just means it can’t be sharpened once it gets dull. It’s a scam). If you purge all your knives that are dull, please bring me the old ones. I’ll get them sharpened and pass them on to someone who needs them. I’ll be expecting an annual donation because this years sharp knife is next years dull one.
Don’t fold or organize your socks? Opening a drawer full of stuff just thrown inside will trigger anxiety. Make things efficient instead of beautiful? Why do I have to choose?
Only having enough food for the next few days? Hopefully anyone who didn’t acknowledge the need to keep at least some food around learned better during the COVID supply chain shortages. Being prepared for at least a couple weeks of limited access to groceries is wise for anyone.
Help your child, your finances and the planet by adopting that value system that gives preferences to experiences over things
🙄 - this rhetoric always annoys me. Many experiences require things. It’s an entirely false dichotomy.
Counting on the sheets to get done by the evening so you don’t need a duplicate? Uhhh. No. It only works for me if I can make up my bed with new sheets immediately upon putting the current set in the washer. I will end up sleeping without sheets otherwise. And gross, don’t wait to wash sheets until they are gritty or grubby. If sheets are visibly dirty they are beyond filthy.
One load per week? Sweaty clothes do not work that way. Let them fester and your clothes will still stink after washing them - not just the workout clothes but also the clothes that shared a hamper with them. We should be exercising in some form every day. That means sweaty clothing should be part of the laundry equation.
Throw out your ironing board and just use the table in the rare occasions you need to iron?! You canNOT comfortably iron clothing on a table. And that assumes the presence of a table large enough (my small apartment table certainly wouldn’t work)
Ebooks are not the same as physical books. I read a lot in every form. I learned quickly that if I want to study and truly learn from a book I must read it in physical form. Studies have since backed up this for me - I’m not the only one whose brain works that way. Organizers who tell me to get rid of my books will always get an eye roll and a drop in my estimation of their credibility. I love my ereader. But my bookshelves and books will always be part of my life.
Assuming a 45-minute makeup routine is the standard reason people are rushed in the morning is really presumptuous and means your advice will not be useful to the many many people who don’t spend that kind of time on their morning routine.
Medications should not be stored in the bathroom - too much humidity in there.
“No member of the family should have more than 3 coats.� 🙄 This only makes sense in places where seasons don’t really affect people.
Women need two or three bureaus?!? Again with the preaching less consumption while assuming and validating so much consumption. Also assuming a big home.
-—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä�
The assumption of this book is the possession of an oversized American suburban home and a lack of creative hobbies. It really limits the practical use of some of this advice. A lot of it. And given how she goes on about American culture being too consumption oriented it’s a surprising place for myopia.
Limit yourself to two reusable grocery bags? Then hang them on the doorknob after use?Even a small weekly shop for one person requires me to use three bags. Partly because I carry my meat home in a separate bag from my veg. And please don’t just hang them after use so you’ll remember to take them next time. For the love of all that is healthy- wash them first!!!!!
Getting rid of all dull knives? All knives eventually dull. That’s just the result of physics. (If someone is selling you a knife claiming it never needs sharpening that just means it can’t be sharpened once it gets dull. It’s a scam). If you purge all your knives that are dull, please bring me the old ones. I’ll get them sharpened and pass them on to someone who needs them. I’ll be expecting an annual donation because this years sharp knife is next years dull one.
Don’t fold or organize your socks? Opening a drawer full of stuff just thrown inside will trigger anxiety. Make things efficient instead of beautiful? Why do I have to choose?
Only having enough food for the next few days? Hopefully anyone who didn’t acknowledge the need to keep at least some food around learned better during the COVID supply chain shortages. Being prepared for at least a couple weeks of limited access to groceries is wise for anyone.
Help your child, your finances and the planet by adopting that value system that gives preferences to experiences over things
🙄 - this rhetoric always annoys me. Many experiences require things. It’s an entirely false dichotomy.
Counting on the sheets to get done by the evening so you don’t need a duplicate? Uhhh. No. It only works for me if I can make up my bed with new sheets immediately upon putting the current set in the washer. I will end up sleeping without sheets otherwise. And gross, don’t wait to wash sheets until they are gritty or grubby. If sheets are visibly dirty they are beyond filthy.
One load per week? Sweaty clothes do not work that way. Let them fester and your clothes will still stink after washing them - not just the workout clothes but also the clothes that shared a hamper with them. We should be exercising in some form every day. That means sweaty clothing should be part of the laundry equation.
Throw out your ironing board and just use the table in the rare occasions you need to iron?! You canNOT comfortably iron clothing on a table. And that assumes the presence of a table large enough (my small apartment table certainly wouldn’t work)
Ebooks are not the same as physical books. I read a lot in every form. I learned quickly that if I want to study and truly learn from a book I must read it in physical form. Studies have since backed up this for me - I’m not the only one whose brain works that way. Organizers who tell me to get rid of my books will always get an eye roll and a drop in my estimation of their credibility. I love my ereader. But my bookshelves and books will always be part of my life.
Assuming a 45-minute makeup routine is the standard reason people are rushed in the morning is really presumptuous and means your advice will not be useful to the many many people who don’t spend that kind of time on their morning routine.
Medications should not be stored in the bathroom - too much humidity in there.
“No member of the family should have more than 3 coats.� 🙄 This only makes sense in places where seasons don’t really affect people.
Women need two or three bureaus?!? Again with the preaching less consumption while assuming and validating so much consumption. Also assuming a big home.
December 31, 2015
Well, I'm not sure how much good it really did, but the fact that I spent 10 bucks on a self-help book seemed to spur me to actually organizing my office. (Well, my version of organized anyway.) So 4 stars just for that!
April 10, 2023
Summary: Your system must be simple and efficient, with no more stuff than you actually use. Rely on ingenuity, not gadgets. Having fewer things and fewer activities is key to being able to manage your schedule - but there is some advice on keeping a calender.
This book is very helpful for the right person. No one needs to read it cover to cover. Peruse the intro, and then follow the author's advice of reading those chapters that apply to problem areas in your home. As other reviewers have pointed out, many of us don't have a lot of these things, like lawn equipment, and boxes and boxes of Christmas ornaments. But ADHD people are prone to overbuying, so it's still worth those sections being there.
I've read a lot of organizing books, many of which acknowledge that your environment needs to be designed around your life, not the other way around. This is the first one to be brutal about it. If we don't put our clothes in the dresser, have open shelves with bins and toss them in by category. It will still be an improvement over keeping them in the "clean" bin hoping to one day put them in the drawer. When in doubt, arrange things to be as efficient as possible, and store them where we use them.
This attitude is helpful, whether or not the specific examples apply. I read this after The Hoarder in You and pairing the two worked well for my brain. Pinsky says ADHD people aren't as sentimental, and the problem is more that we don't know how to decide what to keep or haven't gotten around to getting rid of the thing yet, which I find to be fairly true of me at least. Both books address the kind of wishful thinking and creativity of believing you will need that when you have a bigger space, or that you'll get around to it someday. Having a project bin is acceptable, but accepting that everything you own has to fit comfortably in your space is key. You don't know the future, so you have to organize your space for right now. Only buying things on your shopping list is also excellent advice. Between the two books, I may be able to be a lot more careful about what comes into my house. And I have finally accepted that if I can't see things, they mostly don't exist.
This book is very helpful for the right person. No one needs to read it cover to cover. Peruse the intro, and then follow the author's advice of reading those chapters that apply to problem areas in your home. As other reviewers have pointed out, many of us don't have a lot of these things, like lawn equipment, and boxes and boxes of Christmas ornaments. But ADHD people are prone to overbuying, so it's still worth those sections being there.
I've read a lot of organizing books, many of which acknowledge that your environment needs to be designed around your life, not the other way around. This is the first one to be brutal about it. If we don't put our clothes in the dresser, have open shelves with bins and toss them in by category. It will still be an improvement over keeping them in the "clean" bin hoping to one day put them in the drawer. When in doubt, arrange things to be as efficient as possible, and store them where we use them.
This attitude is helpful, whether or not the specific examples apply. I read this after The Hoarder in You and pairing the two worked well for my brain. Pinsky says ADHD people aren't as sentimental, and the problem is more that we don't know how to decide what to keep or haven't gotten around to getting rid of the thing yet, which I find to be fairly true of me at least. Both books address the kind of wishful thinking and creativity of believing you will need that when you have a bigger space, or that you'll get around to it someday. Having a project bin is acceptable, but accepting that everything you own has to fit comfortably in your space is key. You don't know the future, so you have to organize your space for right now. Only buying things on your shopping list is also excellent advice. Between the two books, I may be able to be a lot more careful about what comes into my house. And I have finally accepted that if I can't see things, they mostly don't exist.
November 13, 2010
So I didn't realize, when I picked this book up at the library, that it is for people with ADD. So imagine my initial skepticism, then alarm, then giddy delight at seeing my very house-- nay, my very SELF-- described on every page.
The utensils fornicating in the jammed drawer! The avalanche of mismatched tupperware and yogurt containers raining upon the head of any who dares open the cupboard! The stacks and duplicates of Things saved just in case!
The author's solutions are fantastically practical and user-friendly. Basically 1. Reduce inventory via BRUTAL purging and 2. have a place for everything and 3. minimize steps. Take lids off of bins, take doors off of cupboards, take toilet paper rolls off of spring-loaded booby traps. Also, establish routines, and have realistic expectations.
And I am quite happy to know that I am not hopelessly disorganized, lazy, or slack-jawed. I just have ADD! Yaaaaaaay!!!!!!!
The utensils fornicating in the jammed drawer! The avalanche of mismatched tupperware and yogurt containers raining upon the head of any who dares open the cupboard! The stacks and duplicates of Things saved just in case!
The author's solutions are fantastically practical and user-friendly. Basically 1. Reduce inventory via BRUTAL purging and 2. have a place for everything and 3. minimize steps. Take lids off of bins, take doors off of cupboards, take toilet paper rolls off of spring-loaded booby traps. Also, establish routines, and have realistic expectations.
And I am quite happy to know that I am not hopelessly disorganized, lazy, or slack-jawed. I just have ADD! Yaaaaaaay!!!!!!!
December 7, 2023
Written for a suburban mom, really, with an assumption that the person with ADHD is someone else in the household. Several good insights and concepts and general rules, but it elides the really hard questions: what if everyone has ADHD? What if everyone has too much stuff? The purge is a necessary step, but how do you make it happen?
Perhaps the third edition is more valuable and specific.
Library copy
Perhaps the third edition is more valuable and specific.
Library copy
August 21, 2016
I flipped through this pretty quickly. Thought there might be some useful tips, but it really is aimed for people with ADD. Lots of useless (to me) information and tips, including:
Document your year in 10 photos only, even if you use a digital camera � Seriously? No need and not happening.
Hire a housekeeper � Unrealistic and I am fully capable of cleaning my own house.
Have less dishes and use paper plates - Again, just no.
Reduce your clothing inventory to just enough to get by the week (including underwear) - Ick and incredibly unrealistic, especially if you work or ever leave the house and interact with people.
Document your year in 10 photos only, even if you use a digital camera � Seriously? No need and not happening.
Hire a housekeeper � Unrealistic and I am fully capable of cleaning my own house.
Have less dishes and use paper plates - Again, just no.
Reduce your clothing inventory to just enough to get by the week (including underwear) - Ick and incredibly unrealistic, especially if you work or ever leave the house and interact with people.
Read
August 28, 2015I found this book so helpful even though I don't have ADHD. This spoke to my right-brained tendencies. Many times throughout the book I thought--yes, this! Like, for instance, putting things in nice covered bins or boxes never works for me. Once it's out of sight or under a stack, it's dead to me. I will never remember what's in there and I won't go digging through it. And if things get stored in the back of my pantry, I may as well throw them away. If I can't see them, they no longer exist.
There's a lot more than just putting things in sight in the book. It's a quick read with lots of pictures and a ton of great tips. Some are on the extreme side (like only having one towel per family member), but there's way more good stuff to takeaway than stuff that didn't resonate with me. And it plays into the minimalist mentality as well. So if you're looking for something that's going to tell you how to organize a tone of STUFF, this isn't the right book unless you're willing to purge.
But if you're more of a right-brained thinker (and/or ADHD), you'll probably find many thing in here you can use. If you're highly left-brained, this book will probably give you hives though. So be warned, lol.
There's a lot more than just putting things in sight in the book. It's a quick read with lots of pictures and a ton of great tips. Some are on the extreme side (like only having one towel per family member), but there's way more good stuff to takeaway than stuff that didn't resonate with me. And it plays into the minimalist mentality as well. So if you're looking for something that's going to tell you how to organize a tone of STUFF, this isn't the right book unless you're willing to purge.
But if you're more of a right-brained thinker (and/or ADHD), you'll probably find many thing in here you can use. If you're highly left-brained, this book will probably give you hives though. So be warned, lol.
April 22, 2017
I have NO IDEA what it says about me that I had this book out from the library from September until April. I may have renewed it 9 times. I can neither confirm, nor deny.
Anyhow, this is a great book. I read the updated version that says it's for ADHD. Wow! Some great tips, and different from some similar books I have read where style/ascetic is placed above than functionality. This book offers solutions that value efficiency over beauty and helps you simplify. It doesn't matter how gorgeous your storage bins are if your children, or spouse, or you, constantly dump things on the floor.
I still found a few items were dated, but still, so much useful stuff! I might get this from the library again.
Reading about organizing is practically the same thing as being organized, right? Right!?
Anyhow, this is a great book. I read the updated version that says it's for ADHD. Wow! Some great tips, and different from some similar books I have read where style/ascetic is placed above than functionality. This book offers solutions that value efficiency over beauty and helps you simplify. It doesn't matter how gorgeous your storage bins are if your children, or spouse, or you, constantly dump things on the floor.
I still found a few items were dated, but still, so much useful stuff! I might get this from the library again.
Reading about organizing is practically the same thing as being organized, right? Right!?
October 24, 2018
It's October. I'm reading spooky books, but am also at my wit's end trying to streamline my house for my ADD husband. This wasn't intended to be a spooky book, but this book still spooked me. The militant voice ushering in an era of minimalism, efficiency over beauty, and multiple contained messes throughout the house gave me cause to think of my future in this wretched hellscape. Could I probably learn to be Zen enough to sacrifice my beautiful bunny knick knacks for this ultra efficient lifestyle? Maybe, if you pointed a gun to my head. This book sounds helpful for people who are institutional unstable because of their ADHD symptoms. But upon reflection, this isn't my life...yet. I have the tools now should it ever become my life.
Don't make me throw out all the bunnies. Please.
Don't make me throw out all the bunnies. Please.
April 18, 2023
You know what? This is good, but not great. There are a lot of hits and misses just like any other organization book. Some of the tips I can really use, but there are others that are completely unrealistic for a person that has ADHD. This book doesn't really create the system you need, it just tells you how to do it like a professional organizer would organize for a person with ADHD. And look, things can be more complicated than that. Glean what info you can, throw out what you can't use.
May 12, 2023
(I had the 2nd edition)
First part was pretty good, but the second part had a lot of dated and sexist references/examples. It was fine if you can take the overall concepts away from it and aren't stuck on the specifics.
First part was pretty good, but the second part had a lot of dated and sexist references/examples. It was fine if you can take the overall concepts away from it and aren't stuck on the specifics.
June 28, 2015
If you are an adult who has ADD/ADHD then I recommend you read this book. I can be difficult for many people to keep up with organizing. However, as quoted from the book "for someone with ADHD even the simplest take takes much more energy than it take for others." Another quote from the book that I feel is true is, "to shower, get dressed, and get out the door in the morning can require the kind of care and concentration that the average person expend over their entire day." I feel like the author really understands the everyday difficulties that people with ADHD go through. Therefore, she gave wonder techniques and broke them down to easy to understand steps. This book was very helpful. It not only made me feel like someone finally understands, but it helped me to accomplish to organize my house and life in a way that worked for me. A+++ book!!
December 27, 2016
Even though I do not have ADD, I found most of the information to be quite helpful. The overall theme of the book is to reduce what you own and make things as simple and visible as possible. Everything should be designed to only require one step, not to look like it came out of a magazine. Efficiency over decorative. Every chapter after that takes you through the house, one room at a time, and gives very specific ideas (with photos) to accomplish this goal. The book is straightforward and concise making it easy to read and easy to implement. Not every bit of information was relevant to my particular situation, but I did appreciate the author tackling so many potential problem areas.
May 24, 2018
The tips in this book are FANTASTIC. I think they could work for a lot of human people, but they are especially relevant to this hot mess ADHD sufferer. It was really rewarding to see that I have already employed many of the author's guidelines. It gives me confidence that applying new strategies will have a higher success rate than past attempts at getting my &$*% together.
Read
December 6, 2017Though I have never been diagnosed with ADHD, I am an INFP and this book was strongly encouraged by a popular INFP blogger as the book that changed her life and made her appear as if she is a "J" (read: organized--a place for everything and everything in its place). I was looking forward to enlightenment, and this book has worked for plenty of other people. But it didn't really work for me. It's pretty basic (reduce A LOT, put things you need within your line of sight in the place you'll need them, etc.) But since I wasn't the exact target audience of the book, perhaps that's why it didn't agree with me.
If you are a creative who relies a lot on the right side of your brain and if you have trouble with organization, then I strongly recommend _Organizing for the Creative Person_ instead. That author spoke to me and my quirks in a way that resonated. After reading it, I quit berating myself for preferring hooks and stacks of paperwork to closets and filing cabinets. It's a book I pick up periodically when my space gets chaotic and I need inspiration for ways to make my stuff and space work for me instead of trying to make myself fit expected organizational norms.
If you are a creative who relies a lot on the right side of your brain and if you have trouble with organization, then I strongly recommend _Organizing for the Creative Person_ instead. That author spoke to me and my quirks in a way that resonated. After reading it, I quit berating myself for preferring hooks and stacks of paperwork to closets and filing cabinets. It's a book I pick up periodically when my space gets chaotic and I need inspiration for ways to make my stuff and space work for me instead of trying to make myself fit expected organizational norms.
March 31, 2023
This is a good book for anyone who is wanting to be more organized, whether they are ADHD or not.
The suggestions and examples were clearly written, with photos showing the types of bins the author describes, storage solutions, accessories, etc.
As I was reading the book, I was making a mental list of all the rooms and spaces that I want to apply these techniques to. I know that my house needs a really good purge (do I really need my high school year books from 20 years ago, especially when I have no real fond memories of high school?). I will be following her advice to block off chunks of time to tackle a room or space, divide things into a few piles, and then let go of things that I don't need, don't use, are broken, obsolete, or could easily be replaced if I do have need of them in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advance copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
The suggestions and examples were clearly written, with photos showing the types of bins the author describes, storage solutions, accessories, etc.
As I was reading the book, I was making a mental list of all the rooms and spaces that I want to apply these techniques to. I know that my house needs a really good purge (do I really need my high school year books from 20 years ago, especially when I have no real fond memories of high school?). I will be following her advice to block off chunks of time to tackle a room or space, divide things into a few piles, and then let go of things that I don't need, don't use, are broken, obsolete, or could easily be replaced if I do have need of them in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advance copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
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