Main-te-nance (noun): work that is done regularly to keep a machine, building or piece of equipment in good condition and working order.

Considering the classic car in your driveway, the issue of a tune-up is a no-brainer. No one would risk ruining such a finely crafted machine by neglecting routine—but critical—maintenance.

Ah, but when we turn our attention to the finely crafted “machine” reading this article, YOU, the “tune-up” might now sound so logical.  The same principles apply though: Maintenance is what it takes to keep us “in good condition and working order.”

Step #1 in any productivity tune-up has to start with a quick assessment of where you stand today.

• What’s frustrating you?
• Where do you feel you are failing, or just failing to achieve your potential?
• What are the sources of stress?

Next, take a hard look at the source of these problems. Or, as productivity expert Julie Morgenstern puts it, answer the question: “Is it me, or is it them?” Taking a hard look at these issues will help point out what needs attention. You can often trace your productivity challenges to ADHD, but I still encourage you to dig deep and learn more about what is causing your challenges.

• Is there too much on your to do list?
• Are you unable to focus at work?
• Are you unclear on your priorities?
• What else is going on for you?

Then consider some of these tips and resources from well-known productivity experts to identify ways you can accomplish more while reducing stress and putting some enjoyment back in your life.

Keep track of your most important commitment—the one you make to yourself.

Productivity guru David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, contends that commitments to yourself are qualitatively different than those you make to others because your conscious mind can essentially “lose track” of them. While your boss will remind you of your commitments to her, your mind doesn’t know your email address. What Allen calls your “mental RAM” (also known as working memory) will continue to expect those commitments to be fulfilled, but you may have forgotten about them amidst the clamor of your work life. The result is the worst kind of stress, because you feel the pressure but you can’t quite figure out where it’s coming from. In his most recent book, Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life, Allen offers several effective tips for capturing these “open loops” and closing them, either by completing, canceling or renegotiating them.  My favorite is to cancel the lower priority items.  You make your to do list smaller and you don’t even have to do anything!

Invest in Your Health

This goes without saying, right? Actually, for most of us, it also goes without doing. Yet, apart from the obvious benefits of better health, increasing your physical well-being can yield tremendous benefits in terms of your productivity at work. In the view of Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, authors of The Power of Full Engagement, it is managing your energy—starting with your physical health, including diet, sleep and exercise—that is more important than managing time in improving your personal productivity.  Pretty bold statement, but it makes sense as a foundational element of productivity doesn’t it?

USE One Planning System

How many different places do you squirrel away information? Email? Yellow pads? Daily planner? PDA? Post-it Notes around your computer screen? All of these different sources of information are distracting and make it impossible to prioritize the things you need to do.  Each of the productivity experts referenced here, and the hundreds of others in the bookstore, will claim their system is the best. But most of them also acknowledge that any system that you actually use is going to be better than no system or the hodge-podge that so many of us fall into. As Allen puts it, in choosing an organizer, whether high-tech or a stack of 3×5 cards, go for “simplicity, speed and fun.”  (Don’t forget to check out my guide to choosing a planner if you need help deciding.)

Fun!?

Wait, did that I just say “fun”? Another important tune-up is to get reconnected with what’s happening to your personal life. Maintaining your personal relationships, relaxing and—gasp!—having fun are critical to your mental health, which, in turn, affects your energy, creativity and productivity.

But the most important tip of all is to build a regular “Tune-Up” into your calendar. Schedule it. Place it on your  priority list, assign time to it, and give it your attention. Your time will be well spent.

Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications

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Register today for the ADD Time Management Coaching Group to accomplish more in your day, get to meetings on time and improve your time management skills.

I recently finished a Practical ADHD Strategies radio show on planning projects with ADHD.  I don’t have to tell you that ADHD can make it difficult to plan and start projects.  Projects can be overwhelming which can lead to procrastination.  Listen in as I share some quick strategies to get you started on your next project.  Whether your projects are related to work, volunteer activities, family and/or home; they all need to be planned and managed. .

If the player above isn’t loading in your browser, you can listen in at the Practical ADHD Strategies radio show’s page.

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Register today for the ADD Time Management Coaching Group to accomplish more in your day, get to meetings on time and improve your time management skills.

Does over-commitment cause you trouble with time management?  Is it hard to keep track of the commitments you have made?  Listen to Laura’s recent Practical ADHD Strategies radio show where she shares details around the Practical ADHD Strategy of Saying No.  Learn strategies for avoiding over-commitment and focusing on your priorities.

If the Blog Talk Radio link above isn’t working in your browser, you can listen directly on our Practical ADHD Strategies show page.  From practicing the art of saying no to sharing your commitments with someone close to you, Laura drills down to simple steps that you can take today.  What strategies can you implement to help avoid over-commitment in the future?

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Register today for the ADD Time Management Coaching Group to accomplish more in your day, get to meetings on time and improve your time management skills.

Listen to my Practical ADHD Strategies episode where I shared key time management strategies in one package that you can use every day. ADHD brings with it time management challenges and often working memory issues.  I  review key strategies and teach you how to use your fingers as memory tools.  You will be able to remember and use these strategies for improving time management with ADHD!

I discuss Time Maps, Managing Interruptions, Saying No, Recharging and Planning.  Can’t see the Blog Talk Radio player above?  Listen directly at Practical ADHD Strategies here.

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Register today for the ADD Time Management Coaching Group to accomplish more in your day, get to meetings on time and improve your time management skills.

These days a chorus of thousands has taken up Henry David Thoreau’s advice to “Simplify, simplify.” And for good reason. Few among us would deny our lives are too complicated and filled with too much stress.

Simplicity is about eliminating clutter – from your mind, your home, your relationships and your lifestyle. Add simplicity to your life to help you gain more focus on your priorities and pay attention to what’s important.  Following are ten ways to begin.

1. Get a clear idea of what you want your life to look like. This picture will help you discover what you must eliminate. Use your creativity to create an actual picture or just visualize it in your mind.
2. Let go of projects, roles or self-imposed obligations that take up time and keep you away from what you really want.
3. Say No to what you don’t want in your life. Say Yes to what you do want.
4. Schedule “break” days for yourself where you don’t do anything but what you really want. Don’t cancel them.
5. Make a “to do” day and get all those chores and errands done in a single day.  List them all before you start so you don’t forget!
6. Create space. File away or toss out; give away, sell or trade.
7. Make and return phone calls only during certain hours.
8. Shop only when you have to. Question your purchases. Consuming less is good for the planet, too.  This can help save money too!
9. Ask for and accept help. Delegate chores. Hire work done when possible.
10. Remember to breathe, to ground yourself and be physically present.

A gratitude list will help you discover what really matters to you. Simplifying means making choices that will improve the quality of your life.

What do you think?  Can you use these tips to simplify your life?  How else do you simplify?

Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications

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Register today for the ADD Time Management Coaching Group to accomplish more in your day, get to meetings on time and improve your time management skills.