I had this problem as a kid. My mom described it as always "being off in la la land." I still have a hard time being organized today, but one thing that helped when I was a kid was a written list. My mom would write down everything I needed to get done, and I would cross it off as I went down the list. For everything that I completed, I was given a reward like money, or a special treat. If I didn't finished the list by a certain time, then I lost something, like being able to watch my favorite TV show. As long as my mom went through it with me everyday, I found it easy to stay on task. Just one day with out following the schedule, though, and I would fall apart and go right back to being messy and disorganized. This still happens to me. If I go one day with out following my schedule, then it takes real effort and maybe a few days to get back on track. And that's if I'm able to work up the motivation to do it. (Harder since mom no longer controls whether or not I can watch my favorite shows.)