Experiencing ADDvantages

March mADDness Week 4 Winners

We wrap up our final March mADDness giveaway today! I hope these events were as much fun for everyone who participated as they were for me.

In order to be eligible to win the prize, the rules stated that entry comments must contain what you like most about having adult ADD, along with your first and last name--or, at least, first name and last initial. There were only 3 entries for the final contest, and none of them qualified as no one included their first and last name (or last initial.) What, do you people all have ADD or something?

So I could technically declare no winners this week, but what fun would that be? So screw it, everyone wins!

Stephanie, who values her spontaneous creativity, Jessica, who enjoys her own unique perspective, and Liz, who benefits from her ability to hyperfocus, are all getting a free 2-month subscription to the ADD Management Membership Program! We'll be contacting you all offline to get you setup.

Thanks to everyone who entered the four contests this month, and congratulations to all our winners!

UPDATE: Liz, you didn't include your email address either! Please contact us at coaching - at - addmanagement.com so we can set you up with your prize!

Keep Clutter Away For Good!

Last week I told you about an ADD-friendly method for getting rid of clutter. It involves 3 steps:

1. Sorting your stuff.
2. Creating systems that will work for you.
3. Planning the follow through.

Today I'd like to focus on the third step, which is about maintenance. This is the step that proves to be the most troublesome for many people. After all, what good is busting your butt to get rid of your clutter if it's just going to come back in a few weeks?

There really is a better way. Adults with ADD have to learn to approach the clutter problem differently. Although it would be great to develop a habit of putting things away as soon as you're done with them, it just isn't practical for many ADDers. We need to allow for clutter buildup, and also allow for clutter cleanup.

The problem is not that clothes, papers, and other objects build up throughout the day, or even the week. This is pretty normal for ADDers. The problem is when the clutter builds up indefinitely.

You may think the only way to manage your clutter is to never let it accumulate in the first place. But forcing yourself into a habit that doesn’t suit you won’t work, and won’t stick. What's more practical is to allow yourself some freedom to let things go a little, and then schedule a regular time to get your space back in order. That might mean a quick cleanup session each day, each week, or each month.

Not only does this system take the pressure off, but it ensures that your space will never get so cluttered that you'll have to spend weeks or months to get it back in order. Having a maintenance plan is like having an insurance policy that protects all that hard work you did de-cluttering and organizing in the first place.

So as you start your Spring Cleaning and organizing this season, don't skip the third step in the de-cluttering process: plan your maintenance!

Your comments are welcome. Happy Spring!

If Spring Cleaning and de-cluttering is on your mind in a big way, then you'll want to test drive our most popular coaching product, the Kiss Your Clutter Goodbye Coaching Toolkit. You can try it risk free!

March mADDness Week 4: ADD & Community

Well, March is just about over. That means we can soon say goodbye to basketball interrupting our television viewing schedules, and wait for baseball to take over that job. It also means that we have just one giveaway left for March mADDness!

This week, I'm giving away a 2-month subscription to the new and improved ADD Management Membership Program (a $54 value.) This program teaches the "Five Essential Skills for Managing Adult ADD" and forges community and connection among adults with ADD. One of the biggest benefits of the membership program is the opportunity to connect with your peers and coaches who understand you, and don't judge you.

To Enter: In the comments field below, tell us one thing you love about adult ADD. In what way does it benefit you?

Deadline: Comments must be posted by midnight EST on Sunday March 30th. The winner will be announced on Monday March 31.

Note: You MUST include your name, email address, and one thing you love about adult ADD in your comment. At minimum, please include your first name and last initial. Your name will be published, your email address will not be.

The winner will be chosen at random (by Rascal - see Week 1) from all eligible entries and notified by email, as well as on the blog.

Good luck!

March mADDness Week 3 Winner

The winner of our third March mADDness giveaway is David P!

David submitted his plan for the first thing he's going to tackle in Spring cleaning:

First thing I'm tackling for spring cleaning is The File Cabinets. I got my files set up and organized using David Allen's alphabetical-for-everything filing system. It's mostly worked pretty well, but now that I've been using it for a couple years, I've run into two issues: 1. There are a few things that I filed under something that seemed right at the time, but which made it absolutely impossible to find later when I wanted to retrieve it. I'm sure this rings a bell with somebody out there :). 2. I've just plain filed too much stuff. Now that I've had a couple of years, it's much easier for me to tell what exactly I need to keep handy, what can go in a box labeled "Stuff from 200_" (just-in-case stuff that will probably never be useful), and what can go straight to the trash or shredder. So I'm going through existing files and purging all of that stuff. There's also the stuff that was a good idea to file, but is now just out of date, so needs to be either tossed or archived out of the way.

Congratulations, David! We'll be contacting you offline to get your address and send you our coaching toolkit, Kiss Your Clutter Goodbye. I'm sure you'll find it very helpful when you begin tackling those filing cabinets!

Our next March mADDness giveway contest is coming up - stay tuned!

The winner of our third March mADDness giveaway is David P!

David submitted his plan for the first thing he's going to tackle in Spring cleaning:

First thing I'm tackling for spring cleaning is The File Cabinets. I got my files set up and organized using David Allen's alphabetical-for-everything filing system. It's mostly worked pretty well, but now that I've been using it for a couple years, I've run into two issues: 1. There are a few things that I filed under something that seemed right at the time, but which made it absolutely impossible to find later when I wanted to retrieve it. I'm sure this rings a bell with somebody out there :). 2. I've just plain filed too much stuff. Now that I've had a couple of years, it's much easier for me to tell what exactly I need to keep handy, what can go in a box labeled "Stuff from 200_" (just-in-case stuff that will probably never be useful), and what can go straight to the trash or shredder. So I'm going through existing files and purging all of that stuff. There's also the stuff that was a good idea to file, but is now just out of date, so needs to be either tossed or archived out of the way.

Congratulations, David! We'll be contacting you offline to get your address and send you our coaching toolkit, Kiss Your Clutter Goodbye. I'm sure you'll find it very helpful when you begin tackling those filing cabinets!

Our next March mADDness giveway contest is coming up - stay tuned!

Your Thyroid and ADHD

Posted by Sharon Howell, ADD Management Group Coach

I read a great deal about hypothyroidism (under active thyroid) because I have an undera ctive thyroid. Some of the symptoms are fatigue, depression irritability and memory problems. Sound familiar?

Last week I received my monthly newsletter from Dr. Christiane Northrup, who is in my opinion the guru for woman’s health. She was talking about the secret ingredient to jump start thyroid health. It is iodine.

Now, I have been to many doctors complaining of fatigue for years, both before and after being diagnosed with ADD. No one ever said anything about iodine. So checking my iodine levels and making sure I have enough (Dr. Northrup says that about 80% of women are deficient) could enhance the function of my thyroid, thereby reducing some of the fatigue, depression and irritability.

The reason I am writing about thyroid is this: Since some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism are the same as those of ADD, you could have an under active thyroid and not be aware that it is making your ADD symptoms even worse. Thyroid problems in women usually do not show up until after age 35, but like most things, it is not an exact science. Make sure that your T3 and T4 are tested. You can learn more about this subject on Dr. Northrup’s website.

Uh-Oh, It's Spring Cleaning Time!

Happy Spring! This is a great time of year - the days are longer, the colors are brighter, and we tend to have a lot more energy! It's also the time of year that many of us look around and actually want to get our physical environments in shape...and that means getting rid of clutter!                     

So many adults with ADD are plagued with clutter. Our desks are covered with papers. Our sinks are full of dishes. Our floors and counters are covered with "stuff." 

Where Does Clutter Come From?                      

Clutter builds up  easily for many ADDers. Sometimes, we get distracted and just place a paper or an object wherever it's convenient. Other times we find that, despite our best efforts, we just don't know where to put something, so we put it anywhere. Other times, we just don't care what goes where and why, and we shun the idea of "organization."

No matter why your  clutter builds up, one things is clear: clutter affects the mind in a negative  way.                       

How Clutter Affects the Mind

Looking at your  clutter can often zap your energy on the spot. You get angry with  yourself for letting it get to this point...and then you feel bad.                      

You want to clean  up, you want to be organized, but you just don't know where to start...and that  makes you feel bad, too.

Because you don't  know where to start - and because cleaning and organizing is not your   favorite activity - you procrastinate...and that makes you feel even worse.                      

The result is that  your clutter sticks around, untouched. And if you do manage to make some headway, chances are you'll be feeling bad again when the clutter quickly comes back. What an awful cycle!

What to Do                      

There is a proven, ADD-friendly method for dealing with clutter, and it's a 3-step process

1. Sort your stuff. This means going through all that clutter and figuring out what you have, what you need, and what you can get rid of.     

2. Create the  systems. After you've successfully sorted all your stuff and know what you need to keep, you'll need to figure out where to put it all! This is the point where you start thinking about how to work with your ADD to keep your stuff organized. It means developing systems based on what  will work for you, and NOT based on that organizing show you saw on TV.

3. Plan the follow-through. No matter how great your organization systems are, your clutter will come right back if you don't put a plan in place to use your systems consistently!                     

And there's one more missing piece to this puzzle that trips up many ADDers: To make this process work, you must step back from the problem in  order to create the solutions.                       

It's nearly impossible  to find a lasting solution to your clutter challenge  when you're standing in the middle of  it. You've got to detach from - both physically and mentally - to keep from getting overwhelmed by it.

Don't Judge Yourself                      

Lastly, don't judge  yourself because you tend to accumulate clutter. It's a common problem and it does NOT indicate a character flaw! Just know that when you are ready to  deal with it, you can successfully get rid of your clutter!                     

Kiss Your Clutter Goodbye Coaching Toolkit

If Spring Cleaning and de-cluttering is on your mind in a big way, then you'll want to test drive our most popular coaching product...with no risk!                      

Kiss Your Clutter Goodbye is a breakthrough program that is helping countless adults with ADD get rid of their clutter - for good.

Kiss Your Clutter Goodbye contains a 4-track audio CD with over 55 minutes of practical solutions and 26-page booklet that will guide you through each step. 
The audio CD walks you through this ADD-friendly process in a lighthearted and fun manner. You can listen to the CD at your convenience in your car, on your computer, or on your stereo.                      

The companion booklet guides you through each  step, covering all the material in depth, so that everything you need to know about this process is contained in a handy reference guide.

In this  ADD-friendly, step-by-step process, you’ll:                      

• Pick  the right area to begin de-cluttering
• Tap  into the motivation that will help you stay focused
• Establish  realistic goals and expectations
• Stop procrastinating and get  rid of your crap
• Create  ADD-friendly organizational systems that will work for you
• Develop  structure that will allow you to keep your clutter from coming back

Plus, following this method ensures that you won’t succumb to overwhelm when you bust  through your clutter.                      

AND, this product is backed with  a 110% Unconditional Guarantee. Try Kiss Your Clutter Goodbye for 90 days. If you’re not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply return it for a full refund of your purchase price, plus an additional 10%. You can test drive the product with no risk!

Get more info or order your coaching toolkit at www.ADDclutterbusters.com.                                          

I hope you are enjoying the first week of Spring.  I know I am! :-)

For Your Distraction: A Lost Theory

I'm highly distracted today because, well, it's just that kinda day! I've spent the last hour studying this incredible theory of the story that will be revealed on my absolute favorite obsession show, Lost.

Warning, only click through to that link if:

1. You live for Lost.
2. You have an hour to kill. (And I really do mean an hour to kill. If you're procrastinating on something important right now, save this distraction for another day!)
3. You actually want to read what could prove to be a major series spoiler.

If you meet the criteria above, then enjoy!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

For Your Distraction: Peep Show

From the vortex known as icanhascheezburger.

March mADDness Week 3: Spring Cleaning

I think I've heard the word "bracketology" more than any other this week. I've never been a sports fan, but somehow I always did alright in basketball and football pools when I worked in a corporate office! It used to really piss off my friends who lived for sports when I made my picks based on which uniforms I preferred and which team had the fiercest sounding name. But it often worked!

I do miss the March Madness festivities though, so this year I've created my own. So far, I've given away an autographed copy of my book and a coaching toolkit to readers who comment on my blog posts. This week, in honor of Spring, I'm giving away our most popular product (not counting my book), the coaching toolkit Kiss Your Clutter Goodbye!

To Enter: In the comments field below, tell us the first thing you're going to tackle for Spring cleaning.

Deadline: Comments must be posted by midnight EST on Sunday March 23rd. The winner will be announced on Monday March 24.

Note: You MUST include your name, email address, and your Spring cleaning item in your comment. At minimum, please include your first name and last initial. Your name will be published, your email address will not be.

The winner will be chosen at random (by Rascal - see Week 1) from all eligible entries and notified by email, as well as on the blog.

Good luck!

March mADDness Week 2 Winner

The winner of our second March mADDness giveaway is Kristin C!

Once again, Rascal couldn't resist grabbing something that didn't belong to him, so writing the names of the eligible entries on scraps of paper, mixing them up in a cap, and nonchalantly placing them on the floor continues to work for randomly selecting our winners.

Kristin submitted this tip for managing ADD in the family environment:

In our house we use checklists for everything. A checklist for bed time, a checklist for wake up time, a checklist for chores and a checklist for homework. And thats just the kids!

Hmmm...makes me wonder what Kristin's checklists look like! :) Congratulations, Kristin! We'll be contacting you offline to get your address and send you our coaching toolkit, Taming the Family Circus: Solutions for AD/HD Parents with AD/HD Kids.

Our next March mADDness giveway contest is tomorrow - don't miss it!