Asperger's and learning basic life skills

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Quick question, has anybody here spent months in the past trying to figure out how to do basic things such as wake up on time and get organized? Idk why but I take forever- putting things off, beating around the bush, etc.

Myself, too. I'm still far from perfect in this aspect, and I could use help on it.

You need to have a better reason to wake up.

As far as things I don't like to do, I make a list and put them in front of things I like to do.
That way I think about what I'm going to do when I get all of this junky stuff done.

I hate paperwork though and I prooooocrastinate about doing it.

Dethyl, try looking up "executive dysfunction".

That's it.

This has been a problem all my life and I never understood it at all.

I used to think it was some sort of basic weakness in my being. Why can't I do what other people do? Why are some "simple" things so hard for me?

Now I understand better. There is no way to make the underlying problem go away, but you can strategize around it effectively. I try to always be early, that we I have a good chance of being on time. When I try to be on time, I will always be late. I have lots of reminder software and I email notes to myself. I still screw up much more than I would like in simple things.

The things that people think are hard--like putting together and interactive presentation illustrating a technical concept--are easy for me. The things that people think are easy--like making sure I have clean socks and underwear to put in the morning--are hard.

This also varies from day to day. Sometimes I feel like the part of my mind the does the EF stuff has something like bipolar. When it's "manic" I can get tons of stuff done. When it's down... every little thing is hard.

I use routines...otherwise I am all over the place. Ie sleeping at weird hours, not getting chores done in favour of fixating on my favourite hobbie/s and so on.

Ergo I have a regular exercise time, regular meal times, regular bed time, regular getting up time, specific days for doing chores etc. Otherwise nothing gets done.

I tried that but my family prevents any routine from becoming routine... I would rather find other ways to face the chaos than avoid my family and family obligations, so I have to find other supports.

What you have said here sounds exactly like me. I can do complicated things but not the simple things, and have bursts where I am trying to hyper-organize/prepare but as soon as I find an inconsistency or something I can't solve in the way I want to I tend to give up and fall back into a rut.

Yes, since a toddler in most areas.

Yes. It took me ages to get the shower and the brushing teeth routine. I think these are important things but I still find them difficult.

Bumble I keep coming across post upon post by you that I can so agree with and find myself saying "Yes that is me!". I need routines or feel so unhappy and lost if someone treads into them.

Yes. I have the hardest time doing most things unless they become routine.

I feel proud of myself for just doing the simplest of things that people would take for granted.

Basic life skills are something that took me many years to understand the importance of. I still struggle to fit it all in though, I just try and prioritise them.

I think I am improving.

I don't know if I will ever get those right.

I don't know if I will either. I keep striving for that and sometimes I have a few days in a row where I can keep a routine but something always throws it off again.