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A symphony of tools for creating peace, order and connectedness in daily life...

Issue#2 by Viveca Monahan

Dedicated to kindred spirits in the creative ADD/HD community

IN THIS ISSUE: Create daily rhythm with 10-Minute Intentions

• IDEA: Ten minutes now gives you back an hour later
• TOOL: Gently add order to your day with this simple process.
• RESOURCES: 3 books about 'organizing' that calmed me and were fun to read.

IDEA: Ten minutes now gives you back an hour later.

Once upon a time there was a mother who had a busy practice, seeing several clients each day.

One year this mother homeschooled her son. And one of the things he learned to do was climb on a chair several times a day holding up a large drapery, thus concealing the rest of the house from the curious eyes of strangers. The mother casually carried a light sweater to toss over the shabby sneakers inevitably peeking out from under that drapery...

And the son got an 'A' that year, and ice cream every day.

At their house, you open any closed doors at your own peril and if you stick your hand behind the cushions of the sofa, you deserve what you get. This woman's To Do list includes a whole section called "Things to Locate", and reminders to feed her family.

To reclaim her dignity this smart woman came up with a system to help her stay on top of things. She discovered that if she only spent 10 minutes a few times a day doing certain tasks, she could eliminate a lot of anxiety. And with the money the family would save from washing and storing their socks and underwear, they could take their dream vacation!

TOOL: Gently add order to your day with this simple process.

The 10-Minute Intention:

1. Make a list of things that cause you regular anxiety. Circle the top 5.

2. Get a small stack of index cards.

3. On the top of an index card, jot down something you could do in 10 minutes toward eliminating a regular anxiety.

4. Place the cards somewhere you'll see them often.

5. At the beginning of the day, decide how many cards you want to agree to doing. (one, three, six?...) and then choose which ones. Or, if you prefer to be spontaneous, choose them in the moment.

6. Honor your agreement and do them.

7. Keep a score card giving yourself credit for keeping your agreement.

RESOURCES: 3 books about 'organizing' that calmed me and were fun to read.

• Time Management for the Creative Person by Lee Silber. Right-brain strategies for stopping procrastination, getting control of the clock and calendar and freeing up your time and your life.
• Time Management from the Inside Out, by Julie Morgenstern. Take control of your schedule, connect the activities of your daily life to your most important big-picture goals, and live the life of your dreams.
• Organizing from the Inside Out, by Julie Morgenstern. A simple organizing plan that starts with understanding your individual goals, natural habits, and psychological needs, so that you can work with your personality rather than against it.

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