A posting on Facebook caught my attention and I eagerly clicked on it. It was an advertisement from a Virtual Assistant for "Stickies". Post-it notes for your computer windows. It is a very advanced, sophisticated, free program that almost sucked me in! But let's face it, whether it is a physical slip of paper or a virtual piece of paper, it is NOT organization at it's best and it is NOT helpful for people with ADHD. OK, that is my opinion but it is also a hard lesson learned over and over again. They are so darn convenient.
Fast and efficient are often opposites. Grabbing for a post-it quickly to write down information can mean another unfiled piece of paper hanging around, or worse, a lost or forgotten number or date which equals a lost opportunity. Taking a deep breath and saying to yourself or to someone else, "give me a minute to get my planner or PDA out so that I can put it in the appropriate place" can be rewarding on so many levels. It cuts down on the step of re-entering the info. It insures that you do not loose the info. It reduces anxiety and brain-strain. It is the self-caring thing to do. "Stickies" are not. Here's a tip; before checking your phone messages make sure you have your 'message book' in front of you. It cuts down on the hastily grabbed scraps of paper, back of envelopes and post-it notes that pile up and get lost. Be kind to yourself. mindfulness matters!