In January, I wrote the most rambly post ever about organizational and writing tools when one has ADHD. I have a few updates. Hopefully, it’ll be less all-over-the-place.

SAD Lamp: I had mentioned I was getting a huge lamp for my desk to replace the tiny pink one. Although I’m in a room that technically has a lot of windows, it still isn’t very bright. This lamp, however, totally is.

Weekly calendar: I think MochiThings has something like this, but I got a cheaper brand. It’s really helpful for the way my brain works. Not too many bells and whistles. Just a week at a glance and a small spot for high priority to-dos.

Backpack: I didn’t want something huge that I would take around if I were a student. I wanted to be able to hold my wallet, my laptop, and my pretty floral portfolio (last post) that holds all my writing notebooks/pens. This fit the bill.

Dabble: I used Scrivner back in 2015 when I started writing, but I no longer have a PC or Mac, and Scrivner doesn’t work with Chromebook. And I write a ton on my phone, which isn’t compatible with Scrivner. So I’ve been writing in Google Docs.

But recently, I was sold on Dabble, which is kinda like a Scrivner-lite with mobile support. Instead of one fee, it’s a subscription. I’m not a fan of monthly subscriptions, but I find this worth it. It’s not for everyone. Think of it as software that’s still in beta mode. Like, it only recently added the mobile support that convinced me to buy it. It exports into Word but not Google Docs. There’s a few things where it formats in standard ms format but doesn’t let me customize when I need to (I like doing soft scene breaks where I still don’t indent the first line, but I can only do that with hard scene breaks). The mobile app is…iffy. And so on, and so forth. However, b/c it’s subscription model, there’s no needing to download a new option; they just keep pushing patches and new features, and you can suggest features too and see which ones are pending.

It’s been really great, however, for drafting and organizing my thoughts, and the font/format for some reason tricks my brain into writing more. When I’m editing something completed, I still do so in Google.

The Wallet and Accessories:

One of my ADHD things is that I need everything in one place. Like, I can’t keep a purse, keys, phone, and wallet separately. It just won’t work. So my wallets keep getting bigger and bigger to hold everything I need. I’ve finally splurged and gotten a Better Together Daily Wallet form Mochi things.

I can stick my phone in it, as well as my tiny Kindle. I hook my keys on it. It has my cards and money, of course, plus my I’m vaccinated sticker and card, because of course. I keep a few extra masks in it. And the front pocket is where I can slide my soft glasses case and place my glasses when I’m not wearing them (I don’t need to wear them 24/7, and glasses are realllly uncomfortable with masks, so…)

Additional wallet stuff:

Tile: Y’all, I can’t live without this for my keys/wallet, plus a hard core key chain for it.

Notebook and Pen: It comes with a Mochi things notebook but it’s not really my thing. So I threw in my super tiny pocket Moleskine notebook, and a tiny pocket pen.