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Time Management Struggles with ADD / ADHD

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Recently, Tara McGillicudy and I spent time talking about the time management struggles that adults with ADD / ADHD face on a regular basis.  We talked about how ADD and ADHD affect time management personally and professionally.  Listen below to gain valuable insight…

Listen to internet radio with ADHD Support Talk on Blog Talk Radio

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How Students With ADHD Can Use Tickler Files to Get Organized

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I recently started a discussion on linked in about an article I wrote earlier this year.  The article title is Start a Tickler File to Get Focused.  A special education teacher in the group was wondering how she could use something like this with her high school students who have ADHD.

I think this concept can definitely help students.  I have a couple ideas that students with ADHD can use tickler files to get organized and manage their school work.  I would love your ideas and input.  I think these ideas have merit, but I think they may need more detail to be ready for implementation.  Please add your comments and suggestions below!

Accordion Files

In my original article, I described a process where you would use an accordion file, numbered 1 – 31 to keep track of paperwork (i.e. bills) at home.

  • When you receive a new piece of paper that is time sensitive, write the date that you need to take action on the top of the paper.
  • File the paper in behind the tab with the corresponding date.
  • Check the tickler file once each day to see what paper needs to be handled.

Can this work for students?  I think YES, but I think it needs some adaptation.  I think the 31 day accordion file either needs it’s own plastic container or it needs to stay in one classroom.  If this accordion file ended up in a backpack or locker, I have visions of papers falling out, getting lost and leading to missed assignments.  Not what we are shooting for!  By keeping the file in one classroom, a homeroom or specific subject teacher could teach the students how to use it and help them build the habit.

Zipping Binders

If leaving a 31 day accordion file in a classroom or keeping it in a plastic container isn’t realistic, consider adapting a binder with a closing zipper to use as a tickler file.

  • The binder will need to have folders inside of it that go into the binder rings.
  • Label each folder can be labeled with the dates of a specific week.
  • Each time the student gets an important paper or assignment, have them put the paper in the appropriate week.
  • Every day, the student should review the files for the next two weeks to see what assignments need work and planning.
  • Every week, the student should review the files for the next six weeks to see what longer term assignments need work and planning.

Using a zipping binder will help to keep the papers in place while still tying the papers to when they are important.

Other Adaptations

How else could the concept of a tickler file be adapted for students?

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Goal Setting 101

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What resolutions did you set at the beginning of 2011?  Which of those resolutions are related to your ADHD?  I prefer goals to resolutions as you probably know.  Clear goals that use the SMART acronym do more to move you towards success than any number of New Years resolutions.

Take some time to review your goals or to set some new ones.  Whether it is getting organized, staying focused, starting a new project or something else that I have not contemplated, you owe it to yourself to get focused.

To start, take some time today to make sure your goal is SMART.

  • Specific
    • Making goals specific give you a better idea of where you are headed.
    • Take the example of getting organized.  Saying I want to be better organized might move you in the right direction, but saying that you want to clear all of the extra clutter from the file drawers in your home office is likely to motivate you more.
  • Measurable
    • When you set your goals, make sure you can measure them.
    • Having measurements lets you keep track of whether or not you achieve your goals.
  • Attainable
    • Goals need to be attainable.  Many times, when talking to clients, I learn that their goals are often set in a manner that makes them unachievable.  As you  know, this can be frustrating.  When looking at your goals, look at them to make sure they are attainable.  If not, break them into smaller steps.
  • Realistic
    • You must be realistic when setting your goals. If ADHD tends to make you impulsive, it is especially important for you to focus on setting realistic goals. When you set goals, double-check to make sure you are being realistic.
  • Timely
    •  When you have ADHD, it is important to set timely goals with deadlines to help you keep focus on the goals.
    • To reinforce the deadlines you set for yourself, I recommend that you write them down in your planner or calendar.

To learn more about goal setting strategies, register for the teleclass I am offering in August with my coaching colleague Dale Davison.  Goals and ADHD: Practical Strategies that Work for You!

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Goals and ADHD: Practical Strategies that Work for You

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Goal setting can be difficult when you have ADHD.  Join us – Certified ADHD coach Dale Davison, M.Sp.Ed and me for an introductory class where we will share practical strategies for setting and achieving goals that work for you – the adult with ADHD.

Join us for 30 minutes to learn how to

  • set powerful goals that you can actually achieve
  • set goals that will motivate you
  • set goals that will increase your focus
  • set goals that will increase your productivity

This will be easy  and convenient…  Call from either your home or office on

Monday 8/22/11  2:30 – 3:00 p.m. EDT  (1:30 – 2:00 p.m. CDT)

or

 Tuesday 8/23/11    9:00 – 9:30 p.m. EST or  8:00 – 8:30 p.m. CST

We really encourage you to join us live so you can get your own questions answered, but the recording will also be available for those of you who can’t make it to either of the teleclasses.

Cost:  complimentary / free
Register by:  9 a.m 8/22/11 to receive call-in number and password

 

 

Interested in more strategies and support that work?  Join us for our group coaching by phone starting August 29.  Go from Turmoil to Tranquility!

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Procrastination Strategies for ADHD

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In May, I led a teleseminar at ADD Classes titled Procrastination and ADD/ADHD: Strategies for the Real World.  I shared some great strategies to help you overcome your procrastination challenges.  In this article, I summarize the strategies that I shared during the teleseminar.  You can purchase the teleseminar directly from ADD Classes.

Strategies For Work

  • Volunteer for projects that interest you.  For example, I LOVE talking about strategies to help with procrastination.  Even if you don’t control all of your work assignments, volunteering for something interesting may help with other areas of your work as well
  • Practice Prioritizing.  ADHD can make it difficult to prioritize.  It can be really overwhelming to look at a laundry list of work to be done, especially if you have not prioritized.  This then leads to procrastination.  To move past procrastination, you can work on building the skill of prioritization.  See my related article, Prioritizing and Procrastination with ADHD, for more details.
  • Plan every day so you know what you need to do.  Sometimes procrastination looks like forgetting to do something.
  • Break big projects into smaller chunks to help each step of the project seem more manageable.  For example, if you have to develop a new process at work, it can be pretty easy to procrastinate because it is literally a HUGE process and assignment.  If you can identify smaller chunks and try to focus on one chunk at a time, it can be easier to get started.
  • Work on your hardest project or task first thing in the morning.  I had a client who procrastinated about making any type of phone call because she just does not enjoy making phone calls.  To counteract her tendency to procrastinate, she made a commitment to herself that she would make one difficult phone call every morning by 9:30am.  Once she made that phone call in the morning, she felt more confident that she could tackle all of her challenges that day!
  • Start with just 10 minutes.  Set a timer and just get started on the project.  If you find yourself saying you don’t have time to get started, just work on something for 10 minutes.  When the timer goes off, make a conscious decision – STOP because you are just working on it for 10 minutes or KEEP GOING because it really isn’t so bad after all!

Strategies to Use At Home

  • Develop routines or write out a checklist to help you through the mundane tasks you just hate doing every day and/or that you procrastinate about.
  • Make a game of things and play race the clock, either with family members, roommates or yourself.  If you have kids, it can be tremendously helpful in getting them moving as well.  I think it is the adrenaline that helps here.
  • Play your favorite music.  Tasks can be more fun and the music can be distracting in a good way.  Experiment with different kinds of music to see what helps you be the most productive.

Strategies for Your Personal Life

  • Do your personal activities interest you?  You are less likely to procrastinate when you are excited about doing an activity.  This can be especially true when it comes to exercise.  If you find yourself procrastinating on your personal activities, consider how you can get more interested in them and/or what activities you can add in to get more excited.
  • Keep a procrastination log  and consider what gets in the way.  If you keep a log or journal about your procrastination, you are likely to see themes regarding what is getting in the way of your procrastination.
  • Give yourself a reward for STARTING a project.   I recently started running again.  Running is not something I enjoy, but it is helpful for when I play soccer and just getting me in shape.  I bought myself a new piece of running clothing when I first started running again.  I was barely making it a quarter of a mile, and I already earned a reward!
  • Delegate where you can – who can you hire to plant your flowers, can the kids take out the garbage, can a friend edit your resume?

Which of these strategies can you implement today?  Don’t wait!

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