A Simple, ADHD-Friendly To-Do List
From Dana Rayburn, Adult ADD Coach

ADDed Success is ADD Coach Dana Rayburn's monthly newsletter about living
successfully with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Welcome to ADDed Success!
Many people with ADHD successfully use a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), such
as a Palm Pilot, to manage their to-do lists.

If you don't have a PDA, or choose not to use one, ADHD can make keeping track
of the tasks on your to-do list as challenging as climbing Mt. Everest.

My buddy, ADD coach Mary Jane Johnson, has devised a delightfully
easy way to manage a to-do list with no more than a file folder
and some Post-it notes.

Read on for details of Mary Jane's Plain and Simple To-Do List.

The Plain and Simple To-Do List
by Mary Jane Johnson, PCC, ACT
The planners on the market today can sometimes be too
cumbersome and overwhelming for adults with AD/HD - especially
for people initially trying to get better organized. I have devised
what I call "The Plain and Simple To-Do List" that can be made up
from items most people already have in their homes.

Supplies Needed

• 1 manila folder (or colored if you prefer)
  
  
• 1 1/2 x 2" Post-It notes (assorted colors)

Directions
Open up the folder and lay it flat on your desk. At the top of the
left side write "Ongoing To-Do List." At the top of the right side
write "Daily To-Do List."

Using the Post-It notes (I buy different colors for variety) start
writing items down that you need to do (say over a period of a
week) - only one item per Post-It - and place these Post-Its on the
left side of the folder. This is your Ongoing To-Do List that you can
add to as you think of things that need to be done.

As you plan each day, take some of the "To Do" items from the left
(Ongoing To-Do List) side of the folder and move them to the right
(Daily To-Do List) side of the folder. Line up the Post-Its you have
transferred to the right side, in priority order. Think about what
you need to do first, second, third, etc.

What is so great about this system is that you can easily change
your priorities throughout the day - depending on how things are
going - just by switching out Post-Its to different positions on the
right side of the folder.

Once each item is complete, remove and discard that Post-It. This
process clears your plate for the next day (or some things can be
carried over or returned to the ongoing list if necessary).
Remember, try to be realistic about how much you can actually
accomplish in any one day.

For people who like to see items on their lists disappear to feel
success, this is great - just remove items as you complete them!
For those who need to see items checked off of their list to feel
success, you can move the completed items to the backside of the
folder (or onto another piece of paper) where you can look at them
at the end of the day and see what has been accomplished.

Once you have become accustomed to using the to-do list in this
way, you can customize it to your own personal needs. Here are
some suggestions:

• Use two separate folders, one for personal, one for work. Or
  you can do divide your pages in half (horizontally), top half for
  personal to-dos and bottom half for work to-dos.
  
  
• Section off your to-do list into "morning" and "afternoon" to-dos.
  
  
• For things you do on a weekly or monthly basis (i.e., groceries,
  pay bills, get gas, go to post office, etc.), make up a Post-It for
  each. Mark off a small section of your ongoing list, write the
  word "garage" in that space and park those Post-Its in there to be
  used over again each week or month.
  
  
• Use different color Post-Its for different categories
  (i.e. yellow for appointments and meetings, blue for phone calls,
  green for car errands, etc.), or use different colors for the activities
  of other family members (i.e., yellow for Dad, green for Joey, blue
  for Susie, etc.) Just beware of over-complicating your system.
  
  
• When running errands on the weekend, use a more portable
  version of the "plain and simple." Stick your Post-It notes on the
  inside (front and back) of an old checkbook cover, fold it up and it
  is just the right size to stick in your pocket or purse.
  

This is an easy and inexpensive "Plain and Simple Daily To-Do"
system that almost anyone can use. When the folder is closed it
looks like any other folder and can be taken with you anywhere
you go. This is also a good tool for helping your children with
their first To-Do lists.

(c) Mary Jane Johnson, 2005

Mary Jane Johnson, ACT, PCC, is a Professional Certified Coach
that works with women who have ADD and are struggling with
organization and time management. She was on the founding
board of ADDA (1989) and is currently Vice President of
Programming. You can reach Mary Jane by email at
mjjaddcoach@Yahoo.com


The Last Word
Planners overwhelm me and I don't like PDAs. That's why I use a
Week-At-A-Glance calendar to manage my appointments and a to-do
list on my computer to manage my tasks.

My system works pretty well, except when I'm away from my
computer. That's when I get distracted, forgetful, and tasks
sometimes fall through the cracks.

Mary Jane Johnson's "Plain and Simple To-Do" system keeps
me on top of my to-dos when I'm away from my computer.

I keep the manila folder (I use yellow) behind the front cover of my
calendar and stick the day's Post-its on the calendar's cover where I
can see them.

Give Mary Jane's system a try. I hope you find it as helpful as I
have!

To Your ADDed Success,
Dana

PS. - Trouble Staying Organized? No Problem! Reserve your copy of 'Organized
for Life' at the special 'early-bird' price.

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