Post 4418812 - (Schedules vs poor organizing skills)

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Schedules vs poor organizing skills

Wrong Planet Autism Forum Index -> General Autism Discussion

Ddddd
Deinonychus

Joined: Dec 28, 2011
Age: 21
Posts: 380
Location: Belgium

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:17 am Post subject: Schedules vs poor organizing skills

I read a lot of you have daily schedules, planning out everything you do. But I also read, have heard, and seen people with Asperger's who can't keep any order at all. Can someone explain to me why people, who often like planning, making schedules and lists, also have problems with organizing?

Alexender
Dodo bird
Phoenix

Joined: Jan 03, 2012
Age: 20
Posts: 1194
Location: wrongplanet

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:19 am Post subject:

I usually don't have a schedule and I am very disorganized. I think of it as the schedule is to stop disorganization

Who_Am_I
almost human
Phoenix

Joined: Aug 28, 2005
Age: 29
Posts: 10532
Location: My body is in Brisbane and my mind is in the gutter. :D

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:47 am Post subject:

I have a schedule because I'm disorganised. Without the rigid routine, nothing would get done. _________________ Music Theory 101: Cadences. Authentic cadence: V-I Plagal cadence: IV-I Deceptive cadence: V- ANYTHING BUT I !!!! Beethoven cadence: V-I-V-I-V-V-V-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I -I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I! I! I! I I I

Dillogic
you know how it goes
Phoenix

Joined: Nov 25, 2011
Posts: 3328

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:21 am Post subject:

Without a routine and plan, it's pretty much impossible for me to do things. I don't know exactly why that is, but I know that it is. _________________ Just a simple man trying to survive (who's asocial and doesn't accept PMs).

OliveOilMom
Queen of cans and jars
Phoenix

Joined: Nov 12, 2011
Posts: 6783
Location: Living in Faulkner's nightmare

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:25 am Post subject:

I have somewhat of a schedule because I have a lot to do and if I don't schedule it, I won't get it all done. I do my housework on a sort of schedule, ie; things I do every day, and things I do on certain days, like dusting, windows, changing bed linens, etc. I write things down and make a daily list because if I don't I'll forget things. The AS doesn't make me forget, I used to never have a memory problem. It's the hormonal imbalance thats going on with my perimenopause that's causing it, I believe. Also, I just started back on my antidepressants and the Wellbutrin is terrible about causing me to forget. So when I'm on my meds, I always write things down. I'm pretty organized overall, and always have been except when I'm depressed. I enjoy getting things done and knowing where everything is. That may be because I grew up in total chaos. I dislike getting off my schedule though. I don't feel "right" until I'm caught up. Like yesterday, I was at the hospital all day for my mothers surgery. I had done most of my housework before we left at 6am, and finished the rest when we got back at 5pm, but yesterday was Monday and on Monday's I mop the whole house, not just the kitchen. I did not do that. I also didn't do any laundry. So today in addition to my regular housework, and today is a baking day so I have to bake as well and it's Tuesday so I dust the whole house, cobweb the corners and dust the ceiling fans, I also have to mop. Plus do things at my Mothers house because she's in the hospital. I'll make my list when I get my caffiene levels back up to normal. I just got up. _________________ Frances What if Jessie's girl was Stacy's mom and her number was 867-5309?

lostinthewoods
Tufted Titmouse

Joined: Feb 19, 2012
Posts: 37

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:43 am Post subject:

I am a total mess with ordinary tasks and have never been able to plan anything. But I'm never late on meetings if someone else is involved and I can't bear people who are always late and think there's nothing wrong with that. _________________ "What exactly is a dream, and what exactly is a joke?"

Joe90
Phoenix
Phoenix

Joined: Feb 24, 2010
Posts: 8251
Location: Great Britain

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:25 am Post subject:

I am pretty organised in most things. Well, I'm just average there really. But my only problem is, I leave things to the last minute before the deadline. Like for job-seekers, I have to write what I've done in relation to job-searching in the last 2 weeks, and I leave it all to the night before my appointment to write it down. I can memorize roughly what I have done, which is good. _________________ Real gender: Female From: East UK Age: 23

werewolf
Tufted Titmouse

Joined: Oct 24, 2010
Posts: 42

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:39 am Post subject:

I see these two as natural whole in myself. Having lists is soothing. When for some reason there can't be a list it makes me disoriented and not productive. I hold on to a list because I don't want this to happen.

arko5
Raven
Raven

Joined: Jul 19, 2010
Age: 24
Posts: 107

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:17 pm Post subject:

I'm hopelessly bad at staying organised, so constant timetabling/lists for me. I was actually given an iPod touch by the uni/dsa people to help with keeping track of things which is pretty awesome. It's weird though, people think I'm incredibly organised just because from their perspective I'm always on track of work, finish stuff way before deadlines etc. They don't see all the planning I do to make sure those things happen. I guess this is kind of why I was told I couldn't have aspergers a couple of times, they just see the modified behaviour without considering all the energy it takes to modify it in the first place. _________________ Your Aspie score: 146 of 200 Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 51 of 200 You are very likely an Aspie (confirmed w/ diagnosis)

btbnnyr
Rabbit In Cat's Clothing
Phoenix

Joined: May 19, 2011
Posts: 3113
Location: Lost Angleles Carmen Santiago

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:37 pm Post subject:

I am good at the kind of organizing that involves putting and keeping everything in its assigned position in my room. I am not good at the kind of organizing that involves doing paperwork or going around talking to people to get something out of them.

alexi
Deinonychus

Joined: Dec 26, 2010
Age: 31
Posts: 328
Location: Australia

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:54 pm Post subject:

I need things to be planned in my life to reduce the overwhelm. But I am not very good at being able to break things down into a plan. Information comes at me in giant insurmountable slabs.If I can't break it down then I just freeze overwhelmed and can't achieve anything.

NarcissusSavage
Phoenix
Phoenix

Joined: Sep 03, 2009
Age: 31
Posts: 656

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:19 pm Post subject:

My home and office are both organized...to me. I know exactly where everything is to the millimeter...but everyone else who looks at either my home or office swears I'm hideously disorganized. I get slightly agitated when people move things though, because everything is a reference for the location of everything else, and it is like someone walking into someones office and switching all their file labels. If I do not keep a schedule for my daily activities, I will lose track of time and "waste" the day in some random nonproductive manner. Potentially forgetting to eat and/or sleep or remain hygienically sanitary. The schedule is thus important. I lost a job once because my car was broken into and my daily organizer was stolen (my cell phone too, among other things)...I was unable to adjust to the situation fast enough to prevent my employer from getting frustrated with my lack of productivity or attendance. NTs probably see us as both rigidly organized and unorganized in different facets, because we have differing organization protocols compared to them. They are likely unable to see the function of our actions and behavior. _________________ I am Ignostic. Go ahead and define god, with universal acceptance of said definition. I'll wait. Maybe you are too?

Cogs
Phoenix
Phoenix

Joined: Feb 13, 2012
Age: 21
Posts: 830

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:03 pm Post subject:

I can't work to a schedule or plan at all. However my stuff/things/papers/documents are all neatly categorised/filed/sorted.

Wayne
Deinonychus

Joined: Nov 16, 2009
Posts: 365

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:11 pm Post subject:

I don't really try to schedule things, because I know from long experience that I'll have to change things as I go along... something will take longer, or someone will tell me why I shouldn't do X and convince me, or items involve other people's participation and they behave unpredictably. I guess it's all or nothing thinking... if I can't stick to the schedule 100%, then why have one?