Podcast Summary: ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

Episode 323: Cas Aarssen – What’s Your Organizing Style?
Date: March 12, 2025
Host: Tracy Otsuka
Guest: Cas Aarssen ("Cass") – Creator of the Clutterbug Organizing Philosophy

Overview

In this deeply engaging episode, Tracy Otsuka welcomes Cas Aarssen, a former “super slob” turned organizing expert, to discuss how understanding your personal organizing style can transform chaos into calm—especially for ADHD brains. Cass recounts her extraordinary life journey from being an undiagnosed, “trouble” child, homeless teenager, and prison inmate, to finding self-acceptance post-ADHD diagnosis at 40 and building a global organizing movement. The heart of the conversation is Cass’s "Clutterbug" system, which demystifies organizing by aligning strategies with a person’s natural tendencies—making sustainable organization both accessible and realistic for ADHD women.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Cass’s ADHD Journey: From Chaos to Clarity

• Life Before Diagnosis

  • Cass describes feeling fundamentally “wrong” her entire life—struggling in school and at home, experiencing homelessness at 15 after rebelling against family structure, and ultimately ending up in prison as a young adult.

    “I felt like I had to work so much harder than all the people around me to just be a grownup.” (04:22, Cass)

  • She internalized labels like “stupid, lazy, disobedient,” not understanding her brain's differences (06:26).
  • After release from prison, Cass worked multiple jobs, trying to fit into adult responsibilities that felt impossibly hard.

• The Turning Point & Diagnosis

  • Cass was diagnosed at age 40, after her doctor (using a very old-school approach) prescribed Ritalin:

    “If it gets you high, you don't have ADHD. If it calms you down, you do.” (04:22, Cass recalls)

  • Cass describes the diagnosis as life-changing, bringing a profound sense of forgiveness and self-understanding:

    “I just wanted to hug that little girl and say, you weren’t bad and you weren’t lazy—you just didn’t know.” (17:23, Cass)

The Root of Disorganization: Cass’s Organizing Awakening

• Messiness, Marriage, and Motherhood

  • Cass struggled to keep up with daily home management tasks, consistently failing at traditional organizing systems set up by her “naturally organized” husband (20:28).

• Discovering Her Own System: Buckets & Labels

  • By shifting to broad categories (e.g., chucking items into labeled bins rather than detailed folders), Cass found organization achievable for her ADHD brain (21:03).
  • This simple change led to consistently tidy spaces and birthed her professional organizing career.

The Clutterbug Organizing System: Four Unique Organizing Styles

Cass explains that sustainable organization requires aligning methods with your natural preferences for sorting and storing: micro vs. macro, visual vs. hidden.
(26:56)

The Four Clutterbug Types

| Clutterbug | How They Sort | Storage Preference | Example | |--------------|------------------|--------------------|-----------------------------| | Butterfly | Macro (laid back) | Visual (see items) | Open bins, easy toss-in | | Ladybug | Macro (laid back) | Hidden | Quick to hide, not detailed | | Cricket | Micro (detailed) | Hidden | Perfectionist, files away | | Bee | Micro (detailed) | Visual (see items) | Everything on display, neat |

• People can fall on a spectrum, e.g., “butterbees,” depending on how they balance these tendencies.

“The only thing that matters is that things are being put away quickly and easily, and things are being found quickly and easily… It shouldn’t be hard.” (29:26, Cass)

Real-World Application

• Diagnosis as Organizing Style: Cass could tell a client’s style just by how their home looked and tailored systems accordingly, ending “repeat” visits and launching her online platform (24:54).
• Youtube & Media: Cass’s excitement led to a widely followed YouTube channel endorsed by her husband to contain her “hyperfocus” (25:48).

Common Organization Mistakes & ADHD Workarounds

• Biggest Mistake: Not decluttering first. People jump into organizing without eliminating excess, resulting in decision fatigue (31:32).
• Mistake #2: Creating too many piles/categories—this overwhelms the ADHD brain (33:14).
• Fix: Use the physical constraints of the storage space (e.g., “four shelves, four categories”) to dictate sorting, and make “yes/no” decisions before organizing.

On Decision Fatigue

• ADHD brains crave less choice, not more. Cass and Tracy discuss how limitations (like a bin or a number goal) can provide decision relief:

  “If this had poop on it, would I wash it off?” (41:44, Cass, suggesting ruthless criteria for letting go)

Emotional & Memory Attachments

• Bees especially struggle to declutter due to strong visual/emotional links.

  “They are more attached to things than any other organizing style... because they’re so visual, when they see something it invokes a memory and an emotion.” (35:54, Cass)

• Solution: Give each family member one large memory bin for sentimental items—when it’s full, you’ve reached the limit (38:33).

Turn Decluttering into a Game

• Try the “21 Item Toss”—hunt for 21 things to part with, to make the process playful and ADHD-friendly (42:25).

  “You’re just hunting like an Easter egg hunt… instead of chocolate, we’re looking for stuff that can go.” (44:01, Cass)

Identity Clutter & Letting Go

• Cass shares that her personal kryptonite is “identity clutter”—things tied to self-image (craft supplies, books, decorative pillows) (45:09).
• Reframes for letting go: “Are you really a book lover if you’re not sharing books with others?” (47:58).
• “When everything is special, nothing is special.”

Practical & Personal Strategies for ADHD

• Alarms & Reminders: Cass uses digital reminders and smart devices (“Alexa in every room”) to stay on task—an essential ADHD accommodation (49:04).
• The value of embracing “too muchness” and using ADHD’s unique strengths to create a joyful life.
• Family adaptation: Making rules that support the household (e.g., “no singing at the dinner table,” for her and her daughter) (50:17).

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Forgiveness Post-Diagnosis:

  “I just wanted to hug that little girl and say, you weren’t bad and you weren’t lazy—you just didn’t know… your brain worked differently and nobody else knew either.”
  (17:23, Cass)

• On Childhood School Trauma:

  “If I had [fidget chairs and tools], I would have been able to pay attention… being told I was bad, from such a young age… I really embraced being bad.”
  (13:40, Cass)

• On Organizing Styles:

  “Knowing how you naturally touch and put your things down, and adapting your home to catch your clutter—the way your brain naturally works—is a very effective way to set up a system.”
  (27:54, Cass)

• On Decluttering Sentimental Items:

  “Give each family member one big plastic bin... fill it with the best of the best... when it’s full, it’s made the decision for you.”
  (38:33, Cass)

• On Identity Clutter:

  “I am still a crafter without needing to keep every single craft supply. In fact, I’ll be a better crafter when I only have what I use and love.”
  (46:34, Cass)

• On Embracing ADHD Strengths:

  “I really feel so lucky to have been born with ADHD.”
  (17:23, Cass)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Cass’s Backstory & ADHD Diagnosis: 04:22–18:26
• Organizing Breakthrough: Buckets and Labels: 21:03–22:58
• Birth of Clutterbug Philosophy & The Four Types: 26:56–28:47
• Discussion: Visual vs. Hidden, Detailed vs. Broad Organizing: 28:47–30:15
• Biggest Organizing Mistakes & Overcoming Decision Fatigue: 31:32–34:48
• Sentimental Ties & Identity Clutter: 35:54–41:22, 45:09–48:30
• Decluttering Strategies: Memory Bins & 21 Item Toss: 38:33, 42:25–44:42
• Alarms as ADHD Strategy: 49:04–49:47
• Learn Your Style, Take the Quiz: 51:06–51:30

Where to Find Cass Aarssen

• Website & Quiz: clutterbug.com
• YouTube: Clutterbug channel
• Social Media: @clutterbug on all platforms

“You can take the free quiz and find your organizing style at clutterbug.com. I don’t even ask for your email because that’s annoying. Just fill out the quiz, discover your style, and get lots of free advice.” (51:06, Cass)

Final Thoughts

This episode is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the life-changing power of working with your brain, not against it. Cass’s warmth, authenticity, and humor make complex organizing concepts feel personal and achievable, particularly for ADHD women who may have internalized years of shame around “messiness.” By identifying your Clutterbug style, you can build organizing systems that actually stick—and maybe even fall in love with your ADHD brain.

For more info on Tracy Otsuka’s work, her new book, and her A-OK Academy for ADHD women, visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.