Adhd

The Launch Pad

As a self-aware ADHDer who has done some reading on the subject, I am somewhat familiar with the Launch Pad and it is part of my fairly decent ADHD Toolbox.

Launch (& Landing) Pad Areas— aka. Losing My Stuff In All The Old Familiar Places— involves setting up an particular area in your home, preferably near the front door,  where, with considerable practice, you will consistently place all your common and often used day-to-day stuff. Whenever you enter your home it is a place to empty and sort accumu, and then in the morning, retrieve all those important things  thatwillgomissinganywaysonceyoulookawayfromthem  when you leave the home.

It's also an area to place all the stuff you may or may not get around to preparing the night before which, depending on the success of preparation and a keen sense of observation, you will take with you when you leave the next day. There is always a chance that you may wonder "How did that all that stuff get there?" by the time morning rolls around.

I think it's worth giving the Launch Pad area a shot. Here's a few suggestions and some possible improvements that I just pulled out of my butt... Figuratively.

Tie all items together with some twine. If you grab one thing, you grab 'em all.
If you drive, make your car the Launch Pad area. This will work for awhile, longer if you have a really big car.
Make enough lunches to last the week and keep them in the fridge or freezer. Keep the fridge or freezer at the front door. Better still, install a walk through freezer as your foyer.
 Spread a handful of thumb tacks on the floor before the exit door. This should slow you down considerably, and while you're hopping around in pain you just see your launching pad. Note that Lego is an effective substitute for thumb tacks although Lego is a terrible way to stick a note to your bulletin board.

Things to Keep @ Front Door Launch Pad:

Keys
Wallet
Sunglasses
Map -of your driveway with a picture of your car
Lunch Bag
Lunch - was supposed to be in the bag
Shopping List
Baby
Replacement thumb tacks/Lego pieces and Band-Aids
Clean Underwear (your own)
Back Pack... scratch that- unless you packed all this crap in it
Cellphone
Tickets ( theatre or parking )
Other Stuff which I don't recall at the moment

Do NOT Keep @ Front Door Launch Pad:

Weight Sets
Egg Salad Sandwiches
Chocolate Fondue and Sterno
Pets
Firearms
Porn Collection
Razor and Shaving Creme
TV Remote
BBQ
Tool Chest on Wheels
Preset Mouse Traps
Only Copy of Fire Escape Route