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I've got plenty that needs to get done, and the day off, but I can't seem to decide where to start. I think it all got off track simply because of this. I woke up earlier than I intended just to go to the bathroom. I planned to go back to bed. But my son woke up and after fixing him breakfast I decided I might as well stay up. Because I strayed from my original intention, I am consequently stuck in first gear, metaphorically speaking. This is not the first time I've experienced this. Everything gets thrown out of whack because my little groove didn't start in the same place. I've wasted whole days because of this. Does anyone else have trouble reorienting/ There's no reason why I can't, except I can't.

yes, if I get a phone call or someone comes to the door or something it puts me out of allignment and I end up doing nothing all day as my routine is put out. I find it very hard when I have guests round as it puts me out of my routine.

I can say "yes" for me too. If I get thrown off my course, then I often get lost in the things that need to get done. Many times I have had projects or chores to do, then end up not doing it because something else sidetracked me. At night, before going to sleep, I get on the laptop computer and think I will work on my novel, but I end up thinking I will play one round of FlipWords---then, I play more rounds and get sleepy. Then, my novel sits with nothing else done on it.

I think this is probably a problem with most people, autistic and NT alike. But, I do believe those of us on the autism spectrum might be more apt to have challenges with this since we like routine. This routine can be the way we think things will work. Then, when something changes that course, we are thrown a bit. I know I am. Our challenge is to find a way to put ourselves back on track.

I wish I had advice to offer here, but I am quite challenged by this myself. Anyway, Happy New Year to all of you.

Part of the problem is difficulty in prioritizing. The only thing I can do is do what right in front of me. Which at this very second is the computer. Someone posted once about the problem with fatigue because of visual overload. I think this is my problem. I should make my New Year's resolution to de-clutter.

I can agree with that Aimless. The same here---I have other things I could be doing, but I am covered up with a blanket on the couch with the Rose Bowl parade on (it's cold here in Ohio today) and with my computer sitting on my lap. My wife is asleep on the couch, and the kids are playing upstairs, so...it's just me, the TV, and the WrongPlanet at the moment.

And just as I am typing this, my autistic son has just entered the room from being upstairs playing with his brother and says he is hungry. Since my wife is tired from being up early this morning making a great dinner, I am going to take care of getting him a plate. Then, I will be back on the couch watching the parade and visiting the WrongPlanet.

Oh my... I can very much relate. If one little thing in the morning is not as it should be, my whole day is off, wrong... and I cannot seem to get it back on track and end up doing nothing besides sitting on the couch or meandering around my house in a confused way trying to figure something to do and accomplishing nothing at all. Most days I feel like I am just treading water or spinning in circles... It can be so frustrating. I feel bad about it the next day if I had things to do that never got done, but having the things I did not do in front of me throws that day off as well. It is a nasty cycle.

I also do that whole, if it is not in front of me I do not do it, thing. It is like the world outside of my sight is not really there. I was supposed to make an important call to a lawyer yesterday, but since the paper was moved, I did not call. I remembered the lawyer last night around midnight when my husband turned on the television and some team of lawyers popped up insisting they could get some woman thirty five times as much money on her claim.

I woke up late today and now it is like there is no point to take a shower or pick up as it is already nearly 1:30 and I have done nothing except have two cups of coffee and lurk here while trying to fully wake up. It would have been nice to do some laundry, get my dishes done... I wanted to bake bread over the holiday break, and while it seems like a simple task, I feel so off today from waking late that I doubt I will do more than sit on the couch and mess around on the computer... a thing that is my default comfort zone when the day is messed up for me.

There are so many times when I wish I was not like this. I try to make myself lists and as long as no one is around, no one calls, I get up when I should, manage to eat breakfast like I want to, get the right amount of time to wake and relax before starting off on my tasks... then I can follow my lists. If my wake up routine is messed with, I get nothing done. Unfortunately, something messes me up most days, so I am not all that functional or productive overall.

I tell people that I need a certain way to wake up and if they disrupt me, I am shot. I wonder how it is that people can just roll with these interruptions and be ok. It is a trick I have yet to master.

Emotion seconded and carried.

I actually got up and prepared to go out and carry a plan through this afternoon - and just between getting ready and actually leaving, I decided to see if I had any relevant email (since I have no friends, that's a rare offchance) and next thing I know I'm here on WP and two hours have passed. Finally, the person I was supposed to meet and run around with calls to cancel for their own reasons and I'm actually relieved, as I'm no longer in expedition mode and don't want to go anyway.

Hope this isn't presaging the new year...but it probably is, since most of the years of my life have gone pretty much by that exact pattern.

I can definitely say yes. If I get a phone call when I'm supposed to be watching my soap opera, even if I try to watch it while on the phone, it's as if I didn't, as I can't quite concentrate on it. Same for anything else. If someone comes over unannounced, and I'm forced to go downstairs and spend time with them, that can throw off my entire day, and I may end up not doing any of the things I had planned.