There are approximately 10,000 ways I could commence, and my brain is aware of each and every one of them, and they are all vying to be the one. They are all screaming, pick me! And they all shout at the same volume — loud. And with the same tone — demanding.

I’m so ridiculously good at some things in academia. When I really sit down to focus on a task pertinent to my special interests, I don’t just do it — I do it fast and I do it really well. And yet, I’m so ridiculously behind my peers in other areas of work.

Productivity apps, fidget toys, countdown timers, and of course, ADHD planners: it seems everyone has the perfect tool to help neurodivergents get organized, amp up their productivity, and tick off that to-do list. But our brains all work differently — so it makes sense that we’d all need to develop our own systems of organization. Here are some of our readers’ top organization strategies.

Every time I buy a dated planner, I’m filled with hope. The neat boxes, each with a purpose, speak to my desires for order and structure. I enter appointments and tasks in their respective boxes, looking ahead excitedly at the year of productivity to come. But each time, I abandon it by April. 

I used to love watching people’s daily routines on TikTok — until I stumbled upon the 5 AM corner of the internet. Forget the 9 to 5. It was all about the 5 to 9 for these “no snooze baddies.”