By your teens you need some way, any way, of answering one question: given that it is this time on this day, what should I be doing? A plain system that answers it beats a beautiful one that does not.

What the research says

A systematic update of the evidence classified behavioural parent training, behavioural classroom management and behavioural peer programmes as the psychosocial treatments with the strongest support for children and adolescents with ADHD. All of them work by putting structure and cues outside the child rather than asking for more effort inside them. It covers children rather than adults, so the transfer to your own diary is by analogy.

Strength of evidence: one line of research. A single study, or a theoretical account.