5 Ways to Mismanage Your Time

It's no secret that time management is one of the biggest challenges for adults with ADD. And it's easy to see why! Our attention inconsistencies, distracted nature, and tendency towards stress and frustration can lead us into time-and-task-overwhelm on a daily basis!

But despite what you may have heard, there actually are ADD-friendly techniques for time management, and it is absolutely possible to have ADD and manage your time effectively!

It's important, however, to avoid some common time management pitfalls.

Here are the top 5 mistakes that I see ADDers making when it comes to time management:

1. Not using a to-do list. Your to-do list is your friend! This essential time management tool takes the pressure off by helping you keep track of your responsibilities and goals. Without it, you're forced to hold all your tasks and to-dos in your head, which can easily lead to mental overload.

Your to-do list can be contained in a notebook, a smartphone, a word processing document, or whatever works for you.

2. Refusing to plan ahead. ADDers can be really spontaneous. This quality can add a great deal of fun to a party, but it's not as appealing when it comes to time management. Trying to manage your time on the fly is sure to result in procrastination, missed deadlines, and even forgotten promises.

Planning ahead to manage your tasks and to-dos allows you to create structure and get things done.

3. Trying to do too much in the day (and week, month, year.) Adults with ADD often have unrealistic expectations about what they can accomplish in a given time period. Setting yourself up with unrealistic goals is setting yourself up for failure. (Not to mention guilt, low self-esteem, and burnout!)

Instead, spend some time observing how much time it actually takes you to do certain things.

4. Being a perfectionist. Contrary to what you might think, perfectionists leave many tasks and projects unfinished. When you're stuck in perfectionism, nothing gets done because it never seems good enough!

ADDers who lean towards perfectionism can determine in advance what will constitute a "good job" and stick to those guidelines.

5. Speeding up instead of slowing down. We often respond to stress by kicking into high gear and performing under intense pressure. But this is a sure-fire way to burn out.

In all aspects of life, we work much more efficiently and effectively when we are calm and centered--not frantic and stressed.

Are you making these time management mistakes and suffering the consequences? Tell us about it in the comments!

 

Comments

[Oritam]

Some thoughts on perfectionism and how long it takes to get a work project done...

I'm a right-brained ADD writer, working in a left-brained corporate world. Many other writers are like me in delving into hyperfocus and eventually (hours or days later!) emerging with something brilliant... or at least really clever.

However, left-brained non-ADD people's brains don't function like that. They dispassionately think about their objective, develop an outline, and systematically flesh it out in layers until it meets the objective. Then they stop. Period. They don't tweak it past the point where the boss/client says, "Good." (Not "Great.")

In my former, more creative, corporate writing jobs, my creativity and ability to capture voice and tone and personality... and to inspire readers/viewers with infectious enthusiasm... all were valued, so deadlines were more flexible. No more.

So I'm now deconstructing how my non-ADD colleagues process information and develop their work, so that I can give them what they want... in the steps they want... in the time they want.

No perfection or passion necessary. Just punctuality.

I'm realizing that neither we nor they are good or bad. We're just different. And the more we can communicate, to better understand how each other thinks, the more bridges we can build and work we can get done together.

BTW, on those rare occasions when someone needs creative writing, it now always comes to me. So people are beginning to recognize my strengths, as well as my challenges. =)

[Diana]

Thank you very much for this post! I am an ADDer and surprisingly also a study skills advisor at my undergraduate college. As many ADDers can probably relate to, it's quite easy to make a plan but following through with it is a whole other game. Two of the things I always emphasize with my students are the importance of realistically planning your time (#3 & 5 above) and socially rejuvenating your soul (#5).

Here's my stance, although it sometimes does the trick, staying-in to watch a movie (or something of the like) can often result in simply obsessing on what you need to get done and, thus, result in no relaxation. On the contrary, spending an evening with friends is more likely to get your mind off things because you are forced to engage with them by conversing, bust-out laughing, etc.

Not only does this stimulate the production of "feel-good" neurotransmitters (which happen to also increase your concentration) but you are also likely to reduce your blood pressure (therefore, reducing your anxiety levels and improving your sleep conditions). Is it surprising that the next day you'd be more focused and able to complete more?

[Drob]

I agree that Speeding up instead of Slowing down can lead to burnout if it gets to be a habit, and especially when people start to rely on it as part of their normal workflow. On the other hand, the ability to do this can function as a secret weapon in the arsenal of an ADDer. If used sparingly, it can be amazing. You avoid giving in to the rush of being a hero EVERY time, but once in a while... BAM!

I think for folks who work in creative fields the "unrealistic expectations" one is the hardest. I think it can be nearly impossible to come up with a "realistic expectation" of how long a creative task is going to take, and once you fall behind on something, other things start to stack up. The way out of this is to make sure that once you've missed your estimate you take the time to redo your planning and readjust your estimates. I can't say I'm 100% successful at this, but it's something I strive to do.

[Thulane]

Have recently started a new business and I struggle to manage my time on a daily basis. In fact weeks go by with nothing really getting done. I am starting to realise that I have to do a to-do list everyday otherwise this do not get done. Will keep working at it and strive to get something done each day.