Interruptions and ADHD can be a difficult combination. Stopping, or at least minimizing, interruptions is important for time management. In a recent episode of Practical ADHD Strategies, I shared tips that you can use to stop and minimize these troublesome interruptions.
If you don’t see the Blog Talk Radio player below, go directly to Practical ADHD Strategies to listen.
Have ADHD? It can be difficult to get places on time. I share 3 of my favorite tips in this episode of Practical ADHD Strategies. You can incorporate these strategies to start getting places on time tomorrow! Listen directly below or at the Practical ADHD Strategies channel on Blog Talk Radio.
What do you think? Can these strategies help you get there on time?
Disorder can cause trouble when you have ADHD and need to meet deadlines. Transitions between tasks can already be a challenge with ADHD and disorder causes us more transition time because we spend time looking for something that we need to accomplish. Worse, we might lose something that needs to be completed. Both of these issues cause trouble when trying to reach deadlines.
Start small when trying to get more organized. Pick one room, one stack of papers or one drawer to start. There is temptation to tackle the whole office or house at once, but this typically adds to our stress level. If you focus on one small step, maintaining it and moving on to the next small step, we are more likely to be successful in staying organized.
Here are some small steps to get you started…
Set up simple file folders that work for you. Label them in bright colors and use them! Color code to prioritize email by the sender. This way, you can see emails from your priority customers, family members and bosses first. Taking care of priority emails will help keep your email organized.
Make an appointment with yourself to organize. Spend 30 minutes or less at first. Any more time can get overwhelming. If you have ADHD and can make hyperfocus work to your advantage, you might want to plan ahead and schedule a block of a few hours in one day. Check in with yourself – how much time works best for you?
When you start organizing, set timers to sound 10 minutes before you need to move to your next assignment. Use these 10 minutes to clean up your current organizing project.
Set up a simple system for yourself when going through mail whether at home or the office. Give yourself a few options such as File, Toss, Do and Delegate. If you have trouble setting up a system for yourself, hire a coach or partner with a friend to figure out a system that works for YOU.
Identify a reward for yourself when you accomplish a small organizing goal. Anything that will keep you going and that is affordable for you is a good idea.
I know it can be hard to focus on eliminating disorder when you have ADHD. You would not have this challenge if it was easy! To limit distractions when you are getting organized, turn off your computer and don’t answer the phone. This will help you focus on your organizing goals, which will allow you to complete them sooner.
Let me know below which of these tips you will implement to help you reach your deadlines!
ADHD and ADD lead to time management challenges. Do you joke that you would like to add more hours to your day? I propose that you can do this!
Okay, I’m not able to change the clocks, but by implementing some of the tips below, you can create more productive hours in your day.
Start by planning your day. If you know what you need to accomplish and identify when you can accomplish it, you increase your odds of getting it done. Don’t feel like you have time to plan? Start with 5 minutes for your daily planning. Even just a small amount of planning can really help.
After you plan your day, estimate how much time each task will take. This is a great double-check on your planning. If you have planned 16 hours worth of activities into your workday, chances are, you cannot get it all done. No one could! It is a sign that you need to prioritize what gets done and take a few things off the list.
The most powerful part can be when you go back at the end of each task and note how much time each one actually took you to complete. You can develop more accuracy in your plan and become more realistic in the future.
Use a prioritized “to do” list instead of giving every activity equal weight. During your weekly planning time, take a minute to assign a priority to each task. This will help to ensure you don’t waste time on low priority tasks
Email uses a lot of time. To control the amount of time you spend, consider checking your email only a few times each day. If you check your mail each time you get a new message, you time transitioning between your current task and checking that email. You’ll spend less time on email if you check it in chunks of time. I do this and spend about 50% less time on email than previously.
What do you think? Can you add more productive hours to your day?
You have ADD / ADHD and you want to manage your time better. Check out the Adult ADD Time Management Intensive for the help you need.
If you’re thinking that time management courses only work for people WITHOUT the added complications that ADD / ADHD throws in the mix…
STOP RIGHT THERE!
I am partnering with ADD Classes to offer the 4-week Adult ADD Time Management Intensive to prove you wrong!
Check out all of the details today so you don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity…
