• Are you frequently late to meetings?
• Do you miss important appointments?

Time management is frequently a challenge with ADHD.  Implement the following strategies to help you get places on time:

Set 2 Timers

Set one timer to sound at the time you need to leave your house, office or other location.  This is the time when you must leave.  Set the other timer for 10 minutes before you need to leave.  The first timer to sound is your reminder to transition to leaving for your meeting or appointment.  When that first timer sounds, you need to stop whatever you are doing and prepare to leave.

Double the Time

Estimate how long it will take you to walk or drive to your appointment or meeting.  Double that estimate to determine when you need to leave.  (Take a book with you in case you get there early!)

Use Technology

Set reminders for important meetings and appointments on your smart phone or computer calendar.  I use Cozi calendar which allows me to set up to three reminders for each appointment.

Use Low Tech Reminders

In addition to setting electronic reminders, you can also use sticky notes or other notes on your wall to remind you about important appointments.  When using low tech options, make sure you only use a few.  More than three will crowd the wall and all of the reminders are likely to get lost in the shuffle.

If you apply these four time management strategies, you’ll have more success getting to those appointments and meetings on time.

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Have trouble managing your time?  Does it always feel like you are running in circles?

Quick Tips

Apply these 4 quick time management tips to start getting your time under control.

Set a goal

Grab a piece of paper and write down one goal you have for yourself regarding your time.   Don’t over think the goal, but do make it specific enough to know when you have achieved it.  An example is, “Arrive at all of my meetings prepared and 5 minutes early”.  The more specific the better!

To do list

It can be very tempting to jump into your work every day and start fighting fires.  Instead, take 5 minutes at the beginning of your day to write a to do list.  This will help you stay focused on what is important today and feel less chaos.

Use 2 timers

Use 2 timers to help yourself get to meetings and appointments on time.  Set one to signal when you need to start preparing  to leave your office/house.  Next, set the second one to sound when you need to leave the house or your office.  This transition time can be really helpful in getting places on time.

Image: Graeme Weatherston / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Limit interruptions

Being interrupted by co-workers, friends or  family members can make it difficult, or even impossible, to get work done.  Counteract this by  working to limit your interruptions.  You can put a sign outside your cubicle, turn off your phone (okay, at least turn the ringer to silent!) and close your email program to limit those troublesome interruptions.

That’s it – I promised they would be quick!  Give them a try and let me know how it goes!

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If trying to maintain balance in your life makes you feel like a tightrope walker, you’re not alone. Most of us have so many demands on our time and energy, life can feel like a three-ring circus. Add Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to the mix and it the circus can feel even bigger.  Take this quiz to see how well you are meeting responsibilities, while also recognizing and fulfilling personal needs and wants.

True or False?

1. The only way I can successfully manage my life is to take care of myself physically and emotionally.
2. Nurturing myself enlarges my capacity to help others.
3. I eat healthfully and exercise regularly.
4. I get physicals, go to the dentist, and take preventative precautions.
5. I set aside personal, quiet time for myself, whether I’m meditating or simply letting my thoughts drift.
6. I experience the gifts of each season: ice skating, sledding, bundled-up beach walks; gardening, hiking, more time outside; camping, swimming, barbeques; harvesting the bounty, gathering wood, spending more time inside.
7. Creativity nurtures me, too. I do what I love, whether that’s cooking, drawing, painting, writing, dancing, singing or another creative pursuit.
8. Reaching out to others enriches my life. I spend quality time with family and friends.
9. Contributing to the world provides connection and purpose, so I give my time, energy and experience where it is most useful.
10. I notice and heed the emotional signals that tell me I’m out of balance: irritability, overwhelm, resentment.
11. If I feel that I’m catching a cold, I realize I may have stressed my immune system with overactivity, so I stop and take care of myself.
12. When I need or want to, I say no to requests for my time.
13. I listen to and honor the requests my body makes for such things as a nap, a walk, green vegetables, hot soup.
14. If I have something planned for myself, I don’t just toss that aside when someone makes a request of me.
15. I’m busy, but I find time to do the things I want to do.
16. I’m happy. I regularly experience well-being, contentment, even joy.

If you answered false more often than true, look at the questions to which you answered false.  How can you incorporate something of its message into your life?
I would love to have you share it below!

Author’s content used with permission, © Claire Communications

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