STOP TRYING TO BE PERFECTLY ORGANIZED
Let go of perfection, break the organizing rules, and do it crappy!
Yes, you ready that correctly. Here’s why…
Real change happens when you let go of perfection and start doing it anyway—even if it’s crappy, messy, half-assed, or so small it barely seems worth doing.
Perfection is what’s been keeping you stuck. Doing it “crappy” means you started. And getting started is one of the hardest things for ADHD brains.
And ADHD brains don’t do rules. Am I right? So stop trying to follow them. The best part of ADHD-friendly organizing is that we break the traditional design and organizing rules and do things your way. Not the way some “expert” tells you to.
You should also know that ADHD organizing isn’t some mythical superpower. It’s just a skill. And yes, you can learn it!
Who better to teach you than an RN who understands the science behind executive function, has a Master’s Degree in Education, and has been on this quest herself?
¡Hola! I’m Lorinda Dishington Ortiz – RN, ADHD Organizing Specialist, Decluttering Coach, & neurodivergent woman.
NOT SO FUN FACT
Did you know most professional organizers have no ADHD training?
In fact, there is no training (of any kind) required to become a professional organizer.
That’s not to shame them or talk down about them in any way. Most organizers were simply born organized. It comes naturally to them, so they’ve never needed to study it. And most of their clients are neurotypical, so they’ve never needed to be experts on ADHD.
But unfortunately for you, as a neurodivergent woman, most organizers have no idea what it’s like to struggle with executive dysfunction.
What feels obvious to them can feel impossible to you. Because you’re not speaking the same language.
And when their systems don’t work, you end up feeling like the problem. (YOU’RE NOT!) But you may still end up feeling worse as a result.
That’s why working with a professional organizer trained in ADHD matters.
(If you want to skip to the boring part where I list my credentials, click here. Otherwise, keep scrolling for the fun stuff.)
YOU ARE WORTHY AND…
You deserve an ADHD professional organizer who:
Doesn’t think you’re weird for wanting a basket for socks in your entryway or a second set of toiletries in the kitchen.
Understands why scribbling reminders on your bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker can set the whole day up for success.
Gets why you dread checking the mail because it might be another collections notice for something you actually had the money to pay… but forgot about.
Encourages you to break the organizing and design rules because she knows ADHD brains don’t do traditional.
Teaches you that trying to be “perfect” is what got you stuck in the first place—so go ahead and do it crappy because that’s how you overcome task-initiation paralysis.
I’m sure you can relate…
… to the way I felt as I sat there in the middle of the mess, crying and wondering how I could be a Registered Nurse with a Master’s Degree in Education—someone responsible for human lives—but I couldn’t even open my closet door because it was jam-packed with useless crap.
Meanwhile, all the clothes I actually wore every day were piled on “The Chair.”
It took a lot of courage for me to ask for help. And I know how much it took for you to be here right now, reading this and thinking about doing the same.
I don’t just “get you”—I am you. The only difference is that I learned how to work with my brain a little sooner than you have. But it’s never too late to start. Actually, you’re not behind at all. You’re exactly where you need to be.
So breathe, amiga. Be gentle with yourself. You’re not alone. I’m here when you’re ready.
I’ll say it again because it is so important, you are worthy, and you deserve it.❤️
SINCE WE’RE ABOUT TO BE BESTIES
It’s only fair that you know these randomly whimsical facts about me:
THE GUARDIANS OF MY GALAXY
My two Great Pyrenees (they are 100+ lbs of fluuuf). That’s Aurora in the picture. She’s the little one. Her brother, Luki, is even bigger!
CHILDHOOD LORE
I’m the only child of multilingual, Latin-scholar parents… meanwhile I speak English, Spanglish, and a tiny bit of Sindarin.
(IYKYK. If not, just pretend you didn’t read that last part.)
NERD LORE
These are a few of my favorite things (did you sing that line or was it just me?): Fantasy literature, comic cons, cosplay, and a solid Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
TOP 5 FAVE VOLCANOES
Because doesn’t everyone rank volcanoes? Here’s mine: Vesuvius, Eyjafjallajökull (bonus points if you can pronounce it!), Katla, Stromboli, and Etna.
BAD DECISIONS I WOULD PROBABLY MAKE AGAIN
Getting bit by a monkey in a Honduran rainforest. And returning the next year to cuddle with more monkeys and get eaten alive by sand fleas.
MUNDANE, BUT RELEVANT, FACTS YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW
My Education as a Nurse & ADHD Professional Organizer
My Nursing Education
– Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Rivier University in Nashua, NH
– Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Rivier University in Nashua, NH
– Master’s Degree in Education from Cambridge College in Cambridge, MA
My Professional Organizing Education:
– Level I & II ADHD Organizing Specialist through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD)
– Level I Foundation Certificate of Study in Challenging Disorganization (CD) through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD)
– Certified Organizational Specialist through Cassandra Aarssen’s Clutterbug program
– Certificate in the Simple Systems®: Professional Organizing method by the American Society of Professional Organizers (ASPO)
– Certified Decluttering Professional by the National Society for Decluttering Pros (Dawn from The Minimal Mom’s training program)
My Professional Organizing Memberships:
– National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) – My Profile
– Institute of Challenging Disorganization (ICD) – My Profile
American Society of Professional Organizers (ASPO)
