Organization and ADHD

I know it's good to be organized, manage your time and manage your life. I realize that clutter can be overwhelming and can drag your energy down. I have been working on my organizational skills for my entire life. It's one of the biggest challenges I face to this day. I have been diagnosed with ADHD for 10+ years now. I have been blessed with having a good response to the meds I take. I have been through a little psychotherapy, and lots of coaching. I have read 40+ books on ADD/ADHD, and read lots of research/articles on it, taken several neuroscience classes, and participated in many online communities that address ADD/ADHD. I have read many strategies and tips for getting organized, decluttering, and so forth. They are good strategies and very effective, and they help me. However, I still have a messy room and struggle to maintain order.

I have not let my organizational challenges keep me from making a difference, go to school, receive training, get involved in the global community, and I haven't let that keep me from becoming an ADD/ADHD Coach. Dr. Edward Hallowell, talked about getting well enough organized to make your life work for you in his book Delivered from Distraction. Take this too heart because if you're like me you have severe challenges in organization, spending your life getting organized before you do anything in this world is an exercise in frustration and futility. I'm not saying don't work on it, I'm not saying don't improve in this area, or don't build your skills. If you wait until you're perfectly organized, you might never get organized.

There are organizational tips and ideals that are wonderful, but seem completely out of reach for me. For example, every thing in it's place and a place for every thing is completely beyond me. The best I can do is make sure it gets in a general area, organize small pockets of my space, organize my backpack, or organize around a project. I am not sure if this strategy or organizational philosophy is realistic for me. It might not be realistic for you either.

Some strategies I swear by are the "five easy pieces" method and using a sheet to sheath a massive pile to reduce overwhelm. I have some learned organizational strengths too. I am better at self-management and time management than I am with spatial management.  So my two cents are figure out which areas of organization seems to be doable and those areas that don't seem doable. Make the doable areas a priority to work on with a coach, a friend, doctor, therapist, consultant, or any other assistant. Then after you've mastered that area, consider pecking away at the less doable areas. Focus on what you can do and your strengths and forgive yourself for your lingering challenges.

Are you letting your organizational deficits/impairments, keep you from pursuing your dreams and focusing on your strengths?