I recently received a call from my aunt. It was a nice surprise, because we don’t speak on the phone very often. She called to tell me about a special gift she had recently received. She had just finished going through all of her Christmas and Holiday cards she’d been saving for the last 8 years and that she was donating the fronts to a local school for use in their art projects. She also shared she … Read More
Are you overwhelmed by your papers? Are they stacked all over your desk, your office, your kitchen, or your home? How well is your “filing” system working for you? How many file drawers do you have stuffed with papers that haven’t seen the light of day since you filed them? Is that bag you’re using to hold all of your important papers no longer cutting it? If you’re cringing as you read this, you’re not alone. … Read More
Not long ago I was featured as a guest ADHD expert on Ellen Delap’s Blog. It was an honor to appear and Ellen asked some fantastic questions, one of which was “What is your best tip for ADHD?” My response… When you learn something that works for you, it’s important to find a way to remind yourself of it, so you can continue to use it to support you. Unfortunately ADHD often results in us forgetting what … Read More
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” ~ Socrates Amazing to think the warning of an ancient Greek Philosopher, born in 470BC rings so true today. Earlier this year I contributed to a blog posting for my colleague, Linda Samuels. The topic was what I wanted more and less of in the new year. My response: “I’m at a point in my life where I’m actively embracing the idea of less and am pursuing a ‘smaller’, … Read More
There’s a saying that, ” you can’t buy peace of mind.” Probably true, but you can create it. In fact, creating / experiencing peace of mind has been a recurring theme for me over the past week or so. Yesterday was filled with work obligations, but the opportunity presented itself to invite my parents and Aunt Polly, who lives in Michigan and I don’t see very often, to dinner. The “old” Andrea of several years ago would … Read More
On two occasions in this blog I’ve recommended a book by ADHD expert, Ari Tuckman, Ph.D. called More Attention, Less Deficit: Success Strategies for Adults with ADHD. Last month I was lucky enough to hear Dr. Tuckman speak on “A Stronger Mindset to Overcome Life’s Challenges” at the 2013 CHADD Conference in Washington D.C. I’ve heard Dr. Tuckman speak on a number of occasions on a number of difference topics and highly recommend his presentations, as … Read More
Since becoming a professional organizer I’ve really changed my outlook on gift giving. It’s astounding to me how many unused and often unopened gifts fill the closets, basements and even entire rooms of individuals I’ve worked with. The waste can be measured not only in terms of money spent, but also in terms of the effort expended by the gift giver, and mental effort expended by the gift recipient, worrying about not using the gift. You see, … Read More
Self talk. We all do it, though some of us don’t really like to admit to it. Self talk doesn’t necessarily mean talking out loud to oneself, but it can show up that way. Instead, by self talk, I’m referring to what we find ourselves saying which results in self-limiting behavior. Phrases like “I can’t”, or “I don’t” or “I’m not the kind of person who does ___________” don’t exactly do much to encourage forward movement, expand … Read More
So you want to learn more about ADHD, but Amazon lists over 6000 results when you search “ADHD books”. Ugh! With a list this long, where do you start? Well, I’m going to suggest you start with my current list of favorites and see where it takes you. What makes these books current favorites? They’re up to date: There have been a lot of great books written for folks with ADHD over the years, but any number … Read More
I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. ~ attributed to Thomas Edison with regard to creating the lightbulb This quote makes me think about a situation I experienced while serving as a board member for a non-profit organization. I had worked for weeks to prepare what I thought was an amazing agenda for an important two-day meeting. Unfortunately when meeting time rolled around, a lot of things happened that resulted in … Read More