Asperger's Syndrome and Being Organized or having a System

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I have been officially diagnosed twice, but I think I have a trait that isn't quite Aspie. Or really my question is - are all Aspies neat, or, like, have a system where they alphabetize their CDs or DVDs, or put all their green beans together in one row? You get the idea. With certain things, like my movies or games or books, I tend to put them in a certain order. But the rest of my living space is usually a mess. I'm confused with myself. You know, like in the movie "Adam," he has his certain outfits or things he organizes. And it's all usually neat. Like Monk on TV too. He has things a certain way. I think I am mildly OCD, but I am also a packrat and chaotic.

And once I have things a certain messy way, I don't like them moved. Even our place, I don't like it when my husband wants to move the furniture.

Pretty much sums me up.

EDIT: Double post.

Um...I just realized this should be under General Autism discussion. Sorry, Moderators. I am only human, makes mistakes. Or wait...not "human," really. I don't feel human at times. Oh well... Another discussion for later.

Even Henriksson can make mistakes (referring to his double post ).

Yes. I have trouble staying organised at times, but I have definite ways I do things.

That's how it was for me until I got my first PDA 8 years ago. If something was related to a special interest of mine or something I cared about, I made sure it was organized. But almost everything else was meh.

For me, having a PDA has made it much easier to organize information on the go, and the more information I organized, the more fun (don't laugh) I found it to organize things in the wet ("real") world too. So I became more organized in general because I enjoyed the satisfaction that comes from knowing where almost anything is and being able to grab it in seconds. I enjoy the pleasant mental feedback that comes from having a system (or series of systems) that work.

This is no small, drudge-like thing for me. I'm one of these people that when I lose a thing I can NEVER find it on my own. Ever. And when I lose something it reminds me of my parents browbeating and punishing me whenever I couldn't find something and it can drive me to a meltdown.

So now, I have lots of systems for everything so I can get more done with less a lot less effort so I can have more time for work and special projects.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no Felix Unger. I don't impose my systems on anyone else, so I don't spend my time trying to make my husband or anyone else conform to my systems. They work for me, but I have no interest in taking on a quasi maternal role, nagging, etc. My systems work for me. My husband's method of operation is entirely up to him.

Microsoft Access (a database program) has made me perhaps too organized... Currently organizing items for a 3d program I have; up to 9,000 items, and still in category 2...

Organizing and data entry does seem to calm me, until I realize how many more @#$% things I have to organize...

I admit when I am writing my novel, I have to keep it organized. I haven't quite found a satisfactory system just yet, but I might go into Excel some time and make a spreadsheet or database of every chapter title and a brief summary of each. However, everything that is my novel is coming straight from my head or the seat of my pants. So I am improvising and struggling to organize at the same time.

I'm the same way. Workspace (desk, craft table, supply drawers, computer) and bag have to be in perfect order or I can't do anything. Rest of the house, totally trashed majority of the time (except when my great grandma come over, and then she goes on a cleaning spree and nothing can be found). I think that's the weirdest thing about it, if the rest of my house is clean I can't find anything. I know where stuff is when I just toss it aside, but put it where it's suppose to go and it's like a black hole ate it.

The only way I can seem to get organized other than on projects or with my workspace that I do those projects in is to have constant reminders. Outlook is popping up a message or my iPod is beeping at me every few minutes with reminders like, pick up the living room, do the laundry, it's almost time for bed take out your contacts, put the stuff you need for work in your purse (complete with list of needed items lol). It's a little time consuming to set up the reminders and kind of embarrassing when I forget to turn the normal at home ones when I go somewhere unscheduled, but it works for the most part. With out them I just get too wrapped up in my own stuff and forget really basic necessary things.

I'm exactly like you. I figured out that my packrat tendencies end when other people aren't around though - I was hoarding as a method to cope with changing situations. I needed to be prepared for any contingency.

Sounds pretty Aspie to me.

My room looks like a bit of a mess, but everything is actually arranged in a series or small piles or boxes, meaning I can find anything with relative ease.

I have systems up the ying-yang. In addition to being an Aspie I am INTJ on the Myer-Briggs scale. Systems is us.

ruveyn

When I was 6-11 years old I was very particular about where and how things were placed. I had a specific order for how everything was kept in my bedroom and how my bed was made. I even had an order for how food was to be placed on my dinner plate.
Now I don't have that order. My bedroom is a mess, I can never be bothered making my bed but I still have certain 'rules' about food.

I am a very messy person:D It doesn't bother me when things are disorganized at all, not even my special interest things. I only clean up when it's absolutely necessary and I don't like to systemize everyday things. So yeah..most of the time I couldn't care less what pile my stuff is in as long as its there:D Wonder how usual that is around here:D