Merle's Blog | A Brilliant Mess

Are you OBSESSED with organizing products?

"Those of us accustomed to living with a cluttered mind, cluttered home, and cluttered schedule understand the magnetic pull of...."

You can FALL IN LOVE with planning and prioritizing

"What time can you work on that thing you said you'd do?" "When are you free to meet this week?" "What are you eating for dinner...

The Computer is crying; should I feed it?

Lately it seems I can't do anything online without running into some mysterious tech hiccup that forces me to lose momentum on whatever...

Bearing good fruit

So much of my worldview is filtered through what I think other people think or do. Other people and their opinions have to stop mattering

WHY does everything take me so long?

I'll be honest about my blogging problem: A year ago I'd committed with my business mentor that I'd write and post one blog a week. So,...

Yesterday was great...but what happened to today? (A.K.A. "the slug monster phenomenon")

Yesterday was great. And by great, I mean productive for me. I woke up early, wrote in my journal, and without (much) delay I started...

I am doing the right thing at the right time in the right way

Yes, you read that right. I, Merle Kaplan, am, right now, doing the right thing at the right time in the right way. I'll say it again,...

Dear Executive function team--You're Fired!

If you have ADHD, like I do, most likely your toughest challenge is regulating yourself. Regulating your "attention" means making sure...

Just do ONE thing at a time (not eighty)

I dream of having a secretary. I could hire someone, of course, but how would I explain the job to them? "Hi, nice to meet you. Your...

Why do you keep doing the same stupid things if you're so smart?

You vow you'll never do THAT again (whatever THAT may be) because the wound (the undesirable result of THAT) is fresh and now you're...

using the 80/20 rule to set priorities when you have ADHD

I've always been intrigued by the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who...

Why adults with ADHD often struggle with codependency -- recognize it and break free

I've long felt there's a link between ADHD and codependency. Codependency can be defined as: "A dysfunctional set of behaviors and...