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You don’t have time to deal with elaborate ToDo list systems. Other task management systems offer their own takes on organizing to be more productive, but ofttimes the ADHD mind is put off by meticulous systems—or maybe it’s more likely that meticulous systems are put down by ADHD minds. Sometimes, I need another, quicker system to fall back on when chaos rules, and let’s face it, with ADHD chaos is a constant companion. However, if you are relying on your ADHD-riddled memory and forgetting important tasks in the process, maybe it’s time to fall back on these tried and true techniques.

It is also important to remember that if you live with somebody, this visual reminder technique may drive them bonkers. An empty bottle or a thin stack of papers isn’t going to annoy people much, but if you start piling multiple projects by the door, all you’ll achieve is creating a new place for clutter. If you don’t take care of the item immediately, the visual reminder becomes visual noise, which you can stop seeing even after a short while. Used in tandem with other reminder techniques, such as GPS aware reminders on your your phone, the visual reminder will give you the nudge you’d need to remember the things you typically forget.

One trick I’ve come up with is to create wicked fast ToDo lists by using my iPhone’s camera when I don’t have time to write items down. Instead of that happening (with my ADHD brain, that feels like every stinking time), I recommend snapping a photo of the items before heading out the door. If you use cloud services and don’t want to clutter up your family stream with these ToDo photos, I recommend using a camera app that keeps its photos separate from the system camera roll. I used to use a photo booth app to make my photo reminders, but that was indulging my geeky vanity, as if these photos needed to be works of art!

The second printout looked great, so I clipped the shipping label out and prepared to tape it to my package. Although I have never mailed a package out to the wrong person, it is precisely because I am prone to careless mistakes like this that I double-check myself. It would be just like me to mislabel a package, just as it’s just like me to hurry off to the post office without my wallet—or worse—without my package. In fact, I’m surprised I don’t double-check everything in my life.