ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life: Strategies that Work from an Acclaimed Professional Organizer and a Renowned ADD Clinician

Once upon a time, new Organizer slaying dragons, I read the 2002 edition of “ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life” by Judith Kolberg & Kathleen Nadeau. This was my review:“I had an unusual reaction to this book by Kathleen G. Nadeau, a highly-regarded ADD coach. This is an excellent resource for ADD-abled people because it is explicitly formatted for people with ADD - they can usually read it, when other traditionally-formatted books on the subject might not work for them at all. I LOVE to read. I had a horrible time trying to read this book. It was HARD. It was almost as if, because, at least as far as I know, I don't have ADD, the book was fighting against me. That was a VERY instructive experience. Kinda like wearing a blindfold for a day to try to understand what it's like to be blind.”Now, singed veteran, I’ve just finished the 2017 edition. 2017 is disarmingly different. Most startling, I found it easier to read- and there are reasons why. The print is smaller. The subheadings, sidebars and similar are more closely integrated into the main text. There’s less italicized copy. I’d love to grab a coffee with Ms. Kolberg and Dr. Nadeau and ask “WHY?”. I’m not criticizing the changes, which I’d bet are practical, because, for example, there’s more (new) material in the 2017 edition. But burning curiosity “WHY?” nonetheless.The most compelling changes – there are two new chapters. One goes in-depth into Financial Management, and one looks at the monster’s den that is the digital world. This edition of Kolberg’s and Nadeau’s collaboration is just as funny as the old, just as accessible. And now even more critically instructive for ADD-abled people. If you have the old edition, it is worthwhile to update to the new. If you don’t have this work at all, it is valuable for people with ADD or the people who would like to help their ADD-challenged clients, colleagues, friends and family.Lauren Williams, Certified Professional Organizer(R), Owner, Casual Uncluttering LLC, Woodinville, WA USA

Good book!

While I have read plenty of books about adult ADHD and how to handle it, this was certainly one of the best. The fact that it targets very specific areas of organization in a clear, ADHD-optimized format made it easy to absorb what I was reading. I've implemented many of the strategies suggested by the authors and have started to truly develop lasting routines and habits re: home and work organization for the first time in my life. In the past my attempts have been short lived (as many other ADHD adults will understand).The improvements I've seen in my home life have been wonderful. I am more productive and more comfortable thanks to having systems in place, and even when I fall out of cleaning or organizing for a while I can take comfort in knowing that I have solutions in mind for when I get back on the wagon. I keep this book handy right by my bed so I can glance at it as needed.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is ready to seriously commit to being a more organized, productive, and effective adult with ADHD!

Why did I give "ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life" four stars? If I only gave it three stars, then some people might think the book isn't worth buying, but it is worth buying. I didn't give it five stars because it should be concise. Some of the information is repeated, and some of the sentences should have been deleted. Being concise is especially important for the target audience--people with ADD.Another reason why this book didn't get five stars is the book says to make decluttering fun, but it doesn't give many ideas about how to make it fun. This is why I bought the book. I want to make decluttering fun.I also want to figure out which papers I can get rid of and what ideas I can use to motivate myself to go through my papers and other clutter or do anything. There isn't enough info in this book for me to go through all of my papers and figure out which papers I can get rid of. Most of my clutter is papers, so this is important info to have.I am a member of a group for people who want to declutter and one of the members recommended this book and said it is a good book for everyone, not just for people with ADD. So I thought a lot of material in the book would be for decluttering. Some of it is, but I was hoping more of it would be.There are so many ideas in this book about a variety of things that everyone should find some that appeal to them and will help them. I wasn't expecting any humor in this book due to the subject matter, but I found one thing humorous on page 111. I don't think the author was trying to be humorous.I recently read this book and I haven't yet gone to any websites recommended in this book.

I purchased this book at the recommendation of my neuropsychologist following my diagnosis with Adult ADHD. Highly recommended for anyone who’s been diagnosed with this condition because it’s a great guide to making behavioral modifications that will help you better manage your condition, lessening the negative impact ADD/ADHD can have on your day-to-day life. The best part about this book is the design and layout of the book. It’s noticable, that while writing this book, the authors took into consideration the difficulty people with attention deficits have when reading a book. You do not have to read the entire book front to back to get the take home messages. Instead, the book is divided into chapters and easy-to-read subsections where readers can parse at their own tempo, referencing the table of contents, jumping to whatever section they find most pertinent, and getting the information they need. Great reference book!

I recently got diagnosed and this book saw right through me!! They definitely understand the ADHD mind and I've been putting some of the tips to use already. Not only that, the book just makes me feel better, less alone, and understood. The book knows me better than I know me!

I have lots of books on organizing and ADHD, this is my favorite so far. I find this one very well organized and clear. I am going to use it as my handbook and get my life in order.

I listen to ADHD audiobooks and podcasts all the time - none of them have really helped. This was the first that resonated with me, so much so that I bought a physical copy to accompany the audiobook. I like the specific, tangible tips and somehow the little sayings inside don't feel patronizing, but they do help me shake off certain tendencies or modes when I get stuck. The authors refer to the tendency for people with ADHD to go EAST, where we try to do Everything At the Same Time, and I catch myself reminding myself not to "go EAST" and instead to choose just one task and get it done before moving on. It might be different for different learners, but for me (multimodal learner), pairing the audiobook (which I borrowed for free from the Libby app) with the physical book works best.

I started writing this review 3 hours ago, and most of that time I spent wondering what I was supposed to be doing.

I juste needed 3 things to get started: a Bluetooth and noise-cancelling headphone, a paying Spotify account and that book.It's easing to read with well-aired paragraphs, underlined main points and a summary and the end of the shorts chapter.It a feel-good-with-your-ADHD book and packed with doable goals and advises.A.must read when you finally decide to tackle the piles of stuffs at home, in your garage etc.

I can't even lend out my own copy of this book, because it's so pencilled, highlighted and dog-eared from my zillions of "Yes!" moments reading it (and re-reading specific chapters by topic to glean further help). Jam-packed with practical tips, revolutionary tactics, and NO JUDGEMENT. I spent decades not knowing what was behind my clutter, confusion, procrastination and self-sabotaging last-minute-itis, and got little help from preachy "Just do it" or vague "Maybe it's your childhood" advice books. When I finally stumbled onto this handbook, it was truly life-changing. It is PRACTICAL, DO-ABLE, and SIMPLE. It has helped me organize my house and office, streamline my chores, simplify my routine, and accept myself ADD and all. Thank you!!

I only read half the book so far but it's already the best book on how to get around all those little difficulties during a normal day as an ADD gifted person. Love it! Super easy to read and perfectly structured. I adore those "Review"-boxes at the end of each chapter. Already helped me a ton!