3 ADHD Productivity Tips

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3 adhd productivity tips

 

ADHD and other brain based conditions impact productivity. It’s the quest to “get stuff done.” You start and are interrupted by other people, social media or the thoughts in your head.  With so much going on in your head, it’s difficult to focus. With each distraction, it takes an average of 15 minutes to regain complete focus.  It can be hard to get started on a task or to go back to a task the next day.  All of these aspects of executive function interfere with productivity.  Here’s help to address distractions and productivity.

Task batching

Task batching is multiplying the same task or do the same task repeatedly in a sequence. It’s when you bake 4 banana breads instead of 2, write 12 blog posts correlating to your themed blog calendar, or make 4 calls back to back.  The reason task batching helps is you have gotten past getting started and now you are in the flow of getting a task done.  You minimize distractions with staying focused on one task or series of tasks.  A few of my favorite task batching ideas are to answer email 3 times a day, block times of the day to respond to phone calls, or do your marketing on the same morning each week.  Task batch with any action by doing these together at the same, established time.

 

Chunk your task

Do you have items like this on your list: do taxes, send newsletter, or write a book?  Each of these tasks is a multiple step project requiring many small tasks for completion. Splitting these tasks into smaller chunks, or even micro-chunks, can help you get stuff done.  Start by capturing your task on a list.  Write the next step for the task and a completion date.  Write this as a series of steps and check these off as you accomplish each. Another option is Trello, an online task management tool, to break down a project to make it more manageable. A mindmap can help too.  Breaking a task into smaller, manageable, chunks helps you accomplish more.

 

Write it down when interrupted or the at the end of the day

You are about to finish up your day and you are in the middle of your work.  Write down where you are and what you are doing.  Writing this down helps you start back up where you left off and gives you a frame of reference for your work. If you are in the middle of your work and you are interrupted by a phone call or colleague, use a post it note to write down where you are.  It’s not surprising that these notes not only save time, and also keep you at a high pace of action.

 

These 3 options are small ways to be more productive. Here’s a daily tool for productivity!

 

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When Organizing is NOT Enough

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Declutter first, then organize

 

 

Organizing is on every one’s mind these days. If only I had time, or I need to be, or best of all, I SHOULD get organized. The thought is that if I organize what I have, I can find it and use it.  You may have tried organizing, re-organizing and then re-organizing again.  By trying different strategies,  you realize that you are not having the success at finding what you need and having access to what you want.  Being organized with all your stuff is not the solution. It’s not enough to be more organized. It’s time to make a decision about what you have ( or what has you.). That’s when organizing is not enough.

 

Breaking through Just. In. Case

What’s holding you back from letting go? It’s a moment you need to come to terms with. Is it a financial, emotional, sentimental mindset. This is the motivation factor behind Marie Kondo’s Magic of Tidying Up. If you own something, it should bring you joy. Are you ready to accept that an items needs to go if it is not serving you or bringing you joy? Can you see a real spot for this item or imagine a specific way to use it? Dig deep and see what has a hold on you to hold onto your stuff. If you need motivation, it’s time to talk through your reluctance with others and get support. Blogs,books and podcasts give you new ideas and new ways to think about your stuff.  There’s no amount of organizing that can make up for necessary decluttering.

 

Getting stuff out to the universe.

Getting stuff out is a big step in your organizing journey. You have decluttered but your stuff sits in your car or on a step in your home for too long. All of a sudden you find yourself going back into those bags. Here’s where a team approach can really help. Find online resources who come to you or answer the call to leave items on your doorstep. Find a clutter buddy who also needs to drop off donations.  Use an app such as OfferUp, LetGo, or Freecycle.org to let go of your items.

 

Declutter regularly.

We know the culprits – a birthday, holiday, shopping trip or big event coming up. We know more is about to come in. Take this time as prime time to declutter. What we also know that decluttering is ongoing that is needed as routinely as brushing our teeth. Write in time on your calendar to commit to organizing.  Check here for answers to your decluttering questions.

The same applies to our paperwork. I have frequently heard, “I organized that file in 2010 and never looked in there again.” Get information on what to keep and how long to keep it. Then set up a daily triage, weekly admin time and annual file maintenance reminder on your calendar.

 

It’s a whole new way of thinking about organizing. When you know organizing is not enough, it’s a perspective change that changes everything about what you own. Your stuff no longer owns you. So long, saiyonara, and toodles!

 

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Feeling stuck? Here’s how to get started organizing!

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Feelng stuck? Here's how to get started organizing

Feeling stuck?   Have personal paralysis? Are you procrastinating?  It’s common when it comes to organizing.  It can be overwhelming and difficult to get started organizing, especially if you have a brain based condition such as ADHD. Making decisions, creating a plan, and initiating are all challenges that interfere with getting started.  There are ways to get unstuck and get started organizing.

 

Set a date and a time to organize

Setting a date, that is an appointment with yourself, gets you started organizing.  It’s just like all other appointments. It is on the calendar, your time is reserved, and you are committed.  Choose a time that is good with respect to low distractions and high energy level. Plan on 1 -2 hours to work on this project. If you still feel overwhelmed, start with the smallest amount of time.  When you work for 15 minutes, you know you have accomplished a baby step.  Like any appointment, even if it’s easy to procrastinate, follow through with your date.

Get support for your efforts

Support is critical to getting started with an organizing project.  According to a recent NAPO survey, the a major reason for not getting organized is not asking for help.  Both support and help making it easier whenever you start any project, whether it’s exercise, nutrition, or any lifestyle change. When you know that you are not getting started, look around for support.  Support can look like a friend who cheers  you on and shares how hard it can be to make decisions.  That person can have the role of a clutter buddy.  It can be a team to work with so there are many hands to do the work.  You can find support in a professional organizer, coach, or therapist who help you define new perspectives, create a plan and support you in your work.

 

Have a compelling reason

A personal, specific reason to get organized gets you started.  It’s the WHY of getting started.  Why will being organized make a BIG difference in your life?  The word compelling is critical because the more important this reason is, the easier it is to get started.  Your compelling reason could be emotional well being and less stress, but why that makes a difference every day will help you get moving. It’s powerful emotional and mental starting point for you.  I invite you to share your compelling reason here, to share it with the universe, and get started organizing today!

 

 

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The Secret of How a Reset Helps You be More Organized

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reset your home, office and life

 

Days and weeks take a toll on our organization and productivity. We work hard and play hard. Some times our organization suffers because we are too busy.  That’s why a reset can make a difference.

 

What’s a reset?

By definition a reset is when you get back to your baseline, get started fresh and get back in order.  It is typically a verb that shows the action of placing back. It means to move (something) back to an original place or position. However, let’s think of it as noun to help you restore order.

 

When do I reset?

It’s a best practice to reset daily and weekly.  A daily reset is getting your bags emptied and reorganized, your kids’ backpacks uncluttered, and  your clothes in a hamper or hung up.  Each evening take 5 minutes (with your family) to reset your home. That is to restore order to important bags, spaces and spots to have a fresh start for the next day. A list can help you be sure you reset all the areas that are important to you.

 

Make your your week starts with a weekly home reset ion Sunday. It’s your preparation for having a great week.  Take 30 minutes to check your calendar for the week so you know what’s ahead..

 

A weekly office reset is best on Friday.  At this time you are most in touch with your projects and tasks. Capture information, get your desk back in order, create files for loose papers and tidy up your space at this time.

 

What else is behind a reset?

In the book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg explains small changes in behavior and the impact. With a reset, you are applying the science of change to your life in a way that can make every day better. Life with new habits requires reminders and practice. Build in support for this new habit with baby steps, attaching your reset to an existing habit, and acknowledging how important can be for you.

 

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Using Your Strengths to be More Productive

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Using your Strengths to be more Productive

 

I recently completed Coach Approach for Organizers coaching class named Strength Based Coaching.  I have always thought about using your strengths to maximize productivity and organizing.  A strength based effort felt right, much more so than focusing on weaknesses.  Strengths capitalize on success, while weaknesses may make us feel like we are not capable. While learning, I thought of my clients and how they focus on strengths to get more done.  Here’s 4 ways to use your strengths to be more productive.

 

How do I know my strengths?

When you look back at your schooling, what did you find worked well to learn?  Did you see it, hear it, do it, talk about it, write about it, think it through or just feel it was right?  There are many modalities we use to learn with and those are the same strengths we use as adults.    Look back and reflect on what was easiest for you.  Whether it’s learning new technology like a smart phone  or learning new tasks at work, we are always learning. For me, I learned that I am a visual and tactile learner. I like to see information to learn it and write out information to solidify my learning.  I use my cognitive modality to create frameworks and systems to incorporate learning.

 

How do I use these strengths for planning?

The debate continues for paper or digital planners.  Look to your strengths to help you decide what works for you.  A paper planner works well for visual and tactile learners.  You can easily see all the details on paper and write in your dates and tasks.  A digital planner works well for auditory learners.  Auditory reminders make it easier for auditory learners.  For verbal processors, that being people who like to speak to process, setting up a family or work meeting helps.  Verbal processors are talking through the upcoming dates and plans.  Setting a consistent date, like every Sunday evening, commits you to planning as well.  Think through the ways you can use your strengths to determine your planning tools.

 

How do I use my strengths for maintaining a task list?

There’s oodles of choices for list making.  With a visual or tactile strength, a basic notebook can help you get started.  Post it notes can be an option for kinesthetic modality.  You write one task on one note, post them, and then tear them up once completed. If you are an auditory learner, using reminder chimes help you get tasks done.  If you a cognitive processor, one who thinks through the options,  you want to categorize your list.  It’s easier to be productive with a framework. A verbal processor will want to talk through the list as it is created. For cognitive processors who like a framework, establishing a system for tasks is just what’s needed.  We can all approach tasks differently using our strengths to be successful.

 

How do I use my strengths for organizing?

An organized person is a productive person.  Getting organized is a basic step for being more productive.  What does organized look or feel like to you? That’s the key!  Organized is different for each of us. For those who are visual, it can be a minimal environment with few distractions or a lovely aesthetic.  For auditory strengths, you might have classical music in the background.  Based on the kinesthetic strength, you may want a standing desk.  Keeping aware of your modality helps you maintain your organized space too.

What about all these other things I am not getting done?

When your productivity is lagging despite using your strengths, delegating and collaborating are options. Find an assistant , team member or colleague who has strengths that match your weaknesses.  When you delegate, start with a small, specific, deadline driven task.  When you collaborate, be sure everyone knows their specific job and when it is due.  Keep your deadlines short so you can communicate and stay on track.

 

I have not shared all the modalities we explored. To learn more, check out Denslow Brown’s book, The Processing Modalities Guide. I know it will create curiosity and interest for you.

 

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Healthy and Organized: Setting up for Success Getting Dinner on the Table

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ADD and ADHD Healthy and Organized

 

Setting up for Success

Getting Organized to Get Dinner on the Table

 Register at www.adda-sr.org

Saturday, January 28, 2017

9:00 – 11:45

Memorial Drive UMC, The Gate

13194 Memorial Dr    Houston, TX 77079

 

Is your new year challenge to eat a healthier diet or have dinner together more often? Do you struggle with how to organize your pantry or kitchen? What about foods that help or hinder the symptoms of ADHD and related disorders? Can supplements help?

 

Join Certified Professional Organizer and Family Manager Coach Ellen Delap to learn about healthy food options, supplements, meal and grocery planning, organizing your kitchen and pantry and better family routines.

 

Often the biggest challenges we face in the new year are our goals for health, wellness and organizing.  Take a first step in creating new ways to meet your goals with this event. Leave the class with new tools and tips for wellness, as well as new perspectives on getting dinner on the table.

 

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Happier Holidays with ADHD

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happier holidays with adhd

 

The holidays add extra activities and extra stress to already busy lives.  It’s a marathon of gifts and giving, baking and sharing, and decorating and wrapping.  There’s planning and executing of lots of activities. The joy intended can often devolve into obligations.  How do we keep the happy in happy holidays?

 

On Dasher, on Dancer: Continue on self care

Keep up with your self care through the holidays. Get to bed on time.  Attend your pilates class.  Drink plenty of water. All these ways you take care of yourself keep your spirits and energy up.  These activities also keep your routine in place during this busy time.

The Twelve Days of Christmas: calendar it all

Your planner is crucial during the holiday season. Add all your invitations, special events and activities right away.  Next add in dates for cookie baking, gift shopping, decorating and other holiday related tasks.  Finally add in time to rest and rejuvenate. A calendar can be your guide for all holiday actions.

 

Silver Bells: Stick to your budget

During this gift giving season, it’s easy to justify extra gifts and purchasing.  Start with a financial plan and stick to it while you shop. It’s especially easy to overdo your purchasing online.  Make it easy to stick to your budget with a gift giving list. Homemade gifts can help you stick to your budget too.

 

Santa Claus is coming to town: Find your elves to delegate

One of the most important ways to get through a long holiday list is to delegate.  Start with small things, like purchasing cookies.  Add on a helper who can wrap.  Gather your family and ask who wants to do what job and post the list to check off. Be creative about who to delegate to and when to delegate. Delegating can be the hardest part of the holidays but the benefits of a team effort makes it worthwhile.

Dreaming of a White Christmas: Let go of perfectionism

We have an idea in our head just how perfect every part of our holiday season might be.  It could be the delicious food, the 10 foot elegantly decorated tree, or the gifts wrapped with big bows.  Think about the one thing that makes this holiday so special for you.  Host a family meeting for your family to find out and share what’s most special to them. By simplifying your holiday and prioritizing what’s most important,  you share the joy of the holiday season.

 

More tips on holiday organizing, planning and productivity here!

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Organizing: Streamlining or Unearthing Treasures

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organizing streamlining or unearthing treasures

 

What’s organizing REALLY about?  Working together with my clients I see two different ways we work.  I also see the goals of our work in two different ways as well.  Organizing while both strategies accomplish what my clients want, each process differs slightly.  Here is my concept of organizing as letting go and organizing as unearthing treasures.

 

Organizing is streamlining and letting go.

You are overwhelmed with stuff.   Your goal is to have less, organize it and then keep your space maintained.  The first step  in your organizing project is to review what you have.  Then you assess it’s value. Do you use it or love it?  If neither applies, it’s time to eliminate this item.  As Marie Kondo says, “To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose.” Working on having less is often the most motivating reason to get organized.

 

Organizing is unearthing treasures.

Your stuff is overwhelming you, but just culling out is not enough.  Your goal is to keep what’s most valuable to you.  Organizing can also be about finding and unearthing treasures. You can take the “treasure hunt” perspective where you sift through items to find what is most valuable to keep.  In choosing what’s most valuable, only you can be the judge.  It may be a long lost trinket or a check.  Organizing can be unearthing items that have been buried in what’s not important.

 

 

unearthing treasures

We found this treasure while working together! What treasures have you found while organizing?

 

When you unearth treasures, whether it’s financial or sentimental, you find real value in organizing.

 

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6 Ways to Pause in our Busy World

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6 ways to pause in a busy world

 

I recently spoke to a group of 20 women business owners. I said, “who’s busy?”   Everyone raised their hands.  Not surprising, right?

 

There’s not much time to pause in our busy world.  At work there are tasks, projects and deadlines.  At home we focus on our family.  There’s the rush of thoughts and feelings when something went off kilter. At times we think we should forge ahead and just get on with whatever we are doing.  There’s much to think about and no time to think about it.  A pause could make a difference in your stress level, in your decision making, and in your happiness.  It’s not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, an intentional pause and reset, or a new route to start to see new options and new possibilities (Kristin Armstrong). Here’s some ways to pause.

Breathe deeply

Maybe you haven’t thought about breathing and how it affects our brains.  When we take a deep breath and let it out slowly, we are slowing down our body mechanisms and our brain.  Controlled breathing “may be the most potent tool we have to prevent our brains from keeping us in a state of stress, and preventing subsequent damage caused by high stress levels.”  Creating a pause physiologically helps us.

Say a prayer

A client shared with me how she recites the “Serenity Prayer” when she needs a pause. Whether it’s her kids fighting or a decision to make about work,  her prayer gives her a pause and helps her focus on what’s important to you. It may be a few words or something memorized, prayer is centering and mindful.

Drink water or get a snack

It’s difficult to hydrate sufficiently.  Our bodies require more water than we think about regularly.  Pausing to drink water gives us a physical lift too. When we think of the benefit, add a sip of water as a pause.  A protein filled snack can do the same. It’s a break to fuel.

 

Make a connection

Whether it’s a smile, a hug, a text or a phone call, making a connection is a pause.  Connections yield self-confidence, empathy, empowerment and positivity.  Keep connected during a pause with tools like your phone.  A connected person is a happy person.

 

Talk a walk

Getting up and moving around is a physical and mental pause.  Getting outside in the green space does even more to give you a pause.  Taking a walk gives you time to reflect, engage, create new perspectives and go back to work ready.

Take a nap

A nap is the ultimate pause! When you are tired, your brain is stuck and you have no energy to proceed, a nap is the best way to pause.  It’s my favorite way to pause!

 

How can you create an awareness of when to pause? Is there an emotion you recognize with anger or fear? Is it a feeling like a clenched jaw or stomach pain?  Start to recognize when a pause can make what you are doing easier and more in line with your values and needs.

 

why pause

 

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12 Secrets To Better Work Life Balance

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12 secrets to work life balance

 

 

Work life balance is a conversation heard around the “water cooler.” We think about how we can equalize our work and our play.  But perhaps it’s how we keep our professional life in check and prioritize our personal goals.  Recently surveys show that less than half of us are feeling that we are successful with this. A recent survey shared that 40% of men and 33.2% of women were satisfied with their work life balance. It seems this is an area where we aspire to have better strategies.  Which one of these will help you create more work life balance?

  • Write it all down, then schedule

    My favorite quote, “the biggest lie I tell myself is that I can remember it all.” When it comes to work life balance, writing it all down is the best first step. When you write it ALL down, you see where you are spending time and getting stuff done. It’s a “time audit” of where you spend your time and how in balance you are. The secret to writing it all down is to schedule your work and your play. It might be surprising but you must schedule your play time too.   Research shows that we are happier with scheduled time away from work.  Vacations and mini-vacations improve happiness, health and connections.  Write it all in to insure you are reinforcing your work life balance.

 

  • Use your one best tool (planner)

    Having a planner is the first step. But the secret to using your planner for work life balance is scheduling transition time. A busy schedule requires time to transition. It’s important to write in your transition times, like the time to travel between meetings or picking up kids.  Also write in preparation time for upcoming meetings and homework time for classes you are taking.  It’s not just the appointments that matter; it’s the time in between.

 

  • Keep the big picture prioritized

    Not sure what’s most important? While most of us think of getting all tasks checked off, prioritizing requires keeping a big picture of what 1,2 or 3 things make the most difference in our work and life.  Most of us would say our family is our priority and making money at work is a priority. The secret is to not get too bogged down with all the little tasks.  All the little tasks can be overwhelming and stressful.  Everyday make a deliberate effort at these 2 priorities in some small way.  You are on your way to balance.  Put away your perfectionism too.  It’s getting in the way of you acknowledging your successes.

 

  • Weekly planning time

    The secret to keeping calm is planning.  Your weekly planning time reinforces your values and priorities.  It’s when you take a big picture view of your week and take note of all the tasks. It really pulls together your calendar and helps you prepare for your week.  When you know what’s ahead you are ready for a successful week.  No more surprises when you have weekly planning time.

 

  • Align energy and task

    I follow the Energy Project, a resource that believes that “science tells us that we perform at our best when we move regularly between expending and renewing energy.” The concept applies to how we align our energy and the task.  The secret to work life balance is that when you are working at a difficult project with high energy, then you are at your most efficient.  In addition, the Energy Project reinforces the idea of playing hard too. It’s about renewing your energy to be ready to tackle difficult projects.  It’s a secret time saver and productivity tip.

 

  • Create routines and themes (daily, weekly, or monthly)

    Developing robust routines makes for work life balance. Routines help us get stuff done regularly and consistently.  You can have Money Monday or Financial Friday when you focus only on finances that day. You might have a checklists for your morning. You might have a weekly  routine of Gym time on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  In our home we have Gigi Friday every week where the grands come play that afternoon.  Check out what holds you accountable to your routine and why that works.

 

  • Host a Pajama Day

    We all want a day with no makeup and nothing to do.  Host a pajama day at least once a month and possibly once a week. That’s the day you stay in your pajamas and just relax.  It’s a day with no demands and no schedule.  You will be amazed how balanced you feel at the end of the day.

 

  • Intentional start to your day

    Prayer, yoga, and exercise are all intentional ways to begin your day. Starting your day in a centered, mindful way helps you maintain balance throughout the day.  Prayer helps us be grateful and mindful of our blessings.  Yoga and exercise center us in the moment, breath deeply and feel our being. Choose a mindful practice that boosts your brain and helps your work life balance.

 

  • Eat dinner with your family and have a date night with your honey

    Dinner time is our time to connect with our family and friends. Dinner is when conversations big and small take front and center.  These conversations are a break from the daily  grind.  Eat dinner with your family or friends to stay connected and in the know.  Weekly date night keeps the spark going in a relationship. Research shows when couples share an evening together there is improved communication and commitment.  A simple date night can be a walk or bike ride. Date night reinforces why you and your partner met and mingled.

 

  • Control technology

    Taking control of technology is required for work life balance. Technology is everywhere all the time.  The secret to disconnecting is setting boundaries.  No tech times include overnight, meals together or whatever you know to be one on one time.  Choose a common charging spot not in your bedroom to support restful sleep. Check your email 3 times a day to work on it and not be overwhelmed by it.  Be present and keep your tech in control.

  • Go team!

    A team approach helps everyone. Your team can be collaboratively, working together on a project.  You can delegate and share a responsibility on a task. You can have a coach who helps keep you accountable and helps you navigate your responsibilities. These are all ways to engage with others to do your best work.  How to create a team? Find resources in your area such as American Business Women’s Association, a local chapter of the industry you are in or the Chamber of Commerce.  Go online to check out additional tech tools such as Dropbox and Join Me. Attend a local conference to connect with those in your industry and learn more.

 

  • Keep it simple sweetie (your time, your space, your thoughts)

    When things get complicated, they get out of whack. It’s easy to over complicate and over think our home, work and life.  Keep it simple sweetie by doing what’s easy, what’s simple and what’s needed.  Keep in mind that the simplest answer is often the best.  If you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s time to step back and assess simplicity.

 

Remember, our work and life balance starts with the choices we make.  Keeping it all in balance is a work in progress and that at times our balance needs to shift between work and life.  Keeping it in balance requires us to spin many plates at the same time.

 

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