Crush It At Work and School Summit helping you succeed at work or school

/2 Comments/in , , /by

crush it at work and school back to school

 

August is time for us to gear up for Back to School. There is a lot to do to move from Summer fun to Fall routines. Let’s make it easier this season! I am doing something new this year! Join me and top ADHD/Executive Function gurus at Alan P. Brown’s Crush It at Work and School Summit, where you will learn proven strategies to get back into action with practical insights and strategies. My colleagues and I will help you focus on the right priorities, boost productivity, and find a flow for work-life balance. See the list below of all the courses my friends and colleagues offer.

  • This free virtual summit runs four days (August 26-29) and every day, Alan will share 5 short interviews. The videos will be available to watch anytime within that 24-hour period.
  • Registration is FREE, so click to register and reserve your seat.

Check out this list of topics and speakers.

Monday, August 26

  • The Secret to Smart Study Skills For Student Success with Leslie Josel
  • Do What Really Matters: How to Follow Through Without Sacrificing Your Life! With Lynne Edris
  • Communication Technique to Collaborate Better at Work and Home with Elaine Taylor-Klaus
  • Motivation Made E.A.S.Y. with Diane McLean
  • Find Your Rhythm: Your ADHD Action Plan to Focus with Ease, Achieve Productivity, and Harmonize Your Work and Life with Linda Walker

Tuesday, August 27

  • Finding Peace With Your Email with Ellen Faye
  • Ambivalence: Do You Actually Want to Do That? With Ari Tuckman, PsyD.
  • ADHD Activation: Overcome Stagnation and Boost Productivity with Tara McGillicuddy
  • Your To-Do List Needs a Makeover with Kathy Vines
  • The Secret to Powerful Planning with Dana Rayburn

Wednesday, August 28

  • How to Get Your Groove Back ON with Rudy Rodriguez
  • Cracking the Code: How to Tell if Your ADHD Medication is Working with Laurie Dupar
  • Why Transitions are More Complicated Than You Think and How to Simplify Them! With Brendan Mahan
  • How to Be On Time without Tricking Yourself with Bonnie Mincu
  • Problem-Solving Decoded: ADHD Executive Function Solutions with Jeff Copper

Thursday, August 29

  • Conquer Calendar Chaos: Weekly Planning on Your Own Terms with Nikki Kinzer
  • How to Fuel The ADHD Brain with Marisa Moon
  • How to Start the School Year Strong with Ellen Delap
  • How to Advocate for Yourself or Someone with ADHD in the Workplace or School with Terry Matlen
  • An Amazing Interview with Linda Roggli

As you can see, there are a variety of topics and tools. There truly is something for everyone in this free virtual summit. Be sure to reserve your seat!

 

Baby Steps to Boost Resilence

/4 Comments/in , , , /by

Baby steps to boost reslience

 

Resilience means the ability to weather challenges, recover quickly from difficulties, and the capacity to spring back into shape. In our uncertain world, we utilize this quality every day in our work, home, and life. Every day, we face tests where things take longer than expected, become more complicated, and can be frustrating. Boost your resilience through self-care by incorporating one or more of these baby steps.

 

Connect with others

Take a moment to actively seek opportunities to connect with others. Engage in small talk by asking about your colleagues’ weekend plans, inquiring about their family, or establishing common ground, such as discussing the importance of coffee to start the day. Start a new hobby or engage in a philanthropic project to find new energy and build friendships. Building camaraderie starts with these small conversations and establishes connections.

 

Plan outdoor time

Research highlights the significance of spending time outdoors. It rejuvenates our systems by providing Vitamin D, aids in disease prevention, and enhances overall well-being. Take a few minutes to step outside, whether it’s walking from the parking lot to the office or strolling around the backyard. Enjoy coffee or lemonade outside at a coffee spot. Sit outside for a few minutes every evening as the temperatures cool. Tend a container garden with fall herbs. Your time outside will benefit your sleep too.

 

Pause and express gratitude

Take a moment to reflect on one positive aspect of your day. Embrace that brief moment of joy and appreciate something that brought you happiness. Place a small souvenir from a vacation at your desk or add a photo to your screen to remind of you of your time away. Write a note to a friend, pick up a funny card to share, or text a quick thank you.

 

Escort your devices out of the bedroom

A great night’s rest without blue light or interruption makes all the difference for your productivity. Sleep well with time away from what keeps you awake.

 

Share kindness

A colleague shared how a few minutes of time on the phone about a concern helped another person do so much. She declined payment for the phone time and instead that person donated to the local food bank instead. The power of helping makes a big difference. Find a small way you can share kindness in a difficult situation. It might be acknowledging that others are doing a great job while in their own difficult situation with emotional support, bringing food to a family undergoing difficult circumstances, or letting someone ahead of you in line.

 

Choose a way to cultivate your resilience through pausing, reflecting, and taking time for self-care. Squeeze in a few minutes daily for this important skill that builds emotional resilience.

 

 

Back to School: Setting up and Organizing a Home Office

/4 Comments/in /by

 

Back to school is a great time to evaluate all the spaces in your home and how these are functioning. While the debate continues on the success of working from home, we have all learned the importance and value of setting up a home office. A home office gives you a dedicated space to work productively and keep up with the details, papers, and stuff that go along with work and home administration.  There are several parts of setting up your office you will want to consider as you create a workspace that works for you.

 

Location

Decide on what space works best for you! Some families relinquish the dining room to become an office, some families work well in the midst of the media area.  Decide if you need quiet, paper management, and printing capability, and what tools you will use to work.  You are ready to set up your space after thinking this through.

 

Desk, chair, and ergonomics

Those who have worked in a dining room all this time might have back pain. Choose an ergonomic option that gives you good support. Lighting for work and Zoom are considerations. Your desk should be ample in size to not only hold your computer but also have space to work. Look at these as strong foundations for a good setup.

 

Paper management

Function and beauty are both important for your office.  Your command center with mail and actionable papers can be located in this space to keep all paper together. Establish a paper management system for your files with easy access using a file cart or a file bin adjacent to your desk. Lateral file cabinets are easy to access and can also work as a credenza for storage behind your desk.

Storage

Bookshelves with attractive notebooks, magazine sorters, and bins help you create storage for each office supply. Projects can be stored on a shelf in an attractive container. This is the spot to store back-to-school supplies for your kiddos to access. Label the storage containers and shelves for everyone to know what is stored and where to find it.

 

Technology

Technology and internet speed are crucial to your success. Be sure to have ample space on your hard drive and fast internet. Back up your computer routinely with an automated system and have a backup internet option in an emergency. Set up your printer and scanner for daily use. Corral your cords with attractive coverings.

 

Family

Multiple workspaces help everyone be more productive. School-age kids can work alongside you during homework time with an additional chair and laptop. If your partner works from home, an additional desk or partner desk can be a part of this space. You can include headphones for those who need quiet or a microphone for Zoom. Your home office can be set up for you and your family with double duty for your work and homework too.

 

Setting up your home office will give you the opportunity to be most efficient and productive at home.

Summer Digital Decluttering Checklist

/2 Comments/in , /by

summer digital decluttering

 

Summer is a great time to do your digital decluttering. Digital decluttering is editing your digital space including your computer, phone, and devices. All this extra information builds up invisibly yet continuously. Take back some of your head space and computer space with these tips.

 

Your decluttering plan

Just like decluttering physically, know what you want to accomplish for your digital decluttering. Your goals might be to streamline your devices, eliminate extra cognitive load with too many apps and social media accounts, or know more about where your materials are located. Align your intention with time blocks to help you edit. It is easiest to start with a small amount of time and a  small project. While waiting in line, delete. If you are on hold for a call, edit. You will find small chunks of time work best for these decisions.

 

Digital decluttering spots

For work:

There is never downtime for work. Set up a time this summer when you can focus on organizing your documents.

  • Drafts of documents
  • Empty digital folders
  • Your computer desktop
  • Downloads from previous projects

 

On your devices:

Your digital clutter builds up without good organization. Check these items to be sure you keep what you want and you organize it.

  • Duplicate photos
  • Downloads
  • Delete and then categorize apps
  • Review paid subscriptions
  • Social media accounts
  • Review notifications

 

With email and your computer:

Be brutal with your email.

  • Sort your inbox and establish rules to move information into folders automatically
  • Delete and unsubscribe to email newsletters or advertisements
  • Review passwords
  • Delete files and organize your google drive

No matter how much you declutter, remember that the safety of your computer and devices depends on backing up. Set up an automatic backup system, being sure these run at least nightly, to keep your information current and safe.

 

 

Happy Collaborations

/4 Comments/in , , /by

Happy project collaboration

 

Did you know that individuals who work in collaborative settings at work are more than 50% more effective at completing tasks than those who work independently? There is great research that suggests that working collaboratively and collectively leads to better on-the-job performance rates, according to a Stanford study. In addition,  those who collaborated were 64% more likely to stick to their assigned tasks than their solitary peers. That is great evidence for creating a structure for easy collaboration!

Creating a collaborative environment

A collaborative environment brings the best of all skills and efforts to a project. For you, you must first recognize and be confident in your own abilities, skills, and experience. Also, you and all the collaborators must be there for a win-win for everyone on the team. Have a clear and specific agreement on expectations and roles so that everyone can contribute and communicate effectively. Be sure that all parties are open to positive feedback as needed. These are the best practices for collaboration.

 

Set common work agreements

Start your project with work agreements about communication, roles, and expectations. I recently started a new project in collaboration with three team members. We worked together on different projects and knew each other’s strengths. What we needed first was to set up common work agreements with guidelines for roles, which we allocated by strengths. Then, we mapped out communication and project management for the course of the project. Next, we wanted to set expectations on when we worked, how we communicated, and when we communicated. During those first weeks, we tested our system of a set meeting schedule, email requirements of who to copy when, and documentation hosted on google drive. Each week we have tweaked out system. The initial investment in communication paid off well.

 

Choose easy to use collaboration tools.

There are so many options for collaboration tools. Most require a little learning to ramp up. Choose collaboration tools that are easy to use. Everyone has a favorite tool, while some people have tools established by their workplace.

 

Establish routine meetings that fuel momentum

Establish meetings that assist moving the needle forward and steering the project. For many of us, that is a weekly meeting with a specific agenda. That agenda includes updates on the project and new information for momentum. Host your meeting at a time what works well for everyone’s productivity, however gives opportunity for real work to be done throughout the week. Always be sure everyone has the opportunity to provide input.

 

Share feedback and successes

Give a shout out to those who are doing work that is insightful and above and beyond. There is not enough celebration for what is going well. When correction and redirection is needed, be specific about what is not working. Take time to chat with a team member who needs to share more about the work itself.

 

Every project has bumps in the road. Working as a team helps you overcome these challenges together and finish up strong. If you are unsure if collaborations works for you, look for a team member who has the qualities you need to finish up a project.

 

 

 

 

 

How to Create a System that Works for You

/5 Comments/in , , /by

how to create systems that work for you

 

“I need a system!”

Creating systems is one of the best ways to be organized, save time and maximize productivity. A system is a method or process that you create to carry out repeated actions in a consistent way. Even better, systems can be automated and streamlined to maximize efficiency. A system is the best way to save your sanity.

There are systems to implement in all areas of your life. Home systems include meal preparation, laundry, and cleaning. Work systems include onboarding a new client or payment methods. Use this step-by-step method to create systems that work for you.

 

Reflect and take stock of the systems that are working

Take a step back and reflect on your current goals and projects, as well as self-care. Where you feel productive and energized, that’s a system that works for you. When frustration and fatigue bubble up, that’s an indicator that a system will help you. Review where there is an obstacle in your home tasks. That’s another area that can use an improved system. Start small by starting only one new system at a time.

Example: Your laundry piles up but your dishes never do. What’s holding you back with the laundry?

Example: You meet with clients daily but you have trouble billing them regularly. What’s the obstacle to billing?

 

Assess your working systems

Use your successful systems to create new ones that work well. Analyze what you are currently doing that leads to success. What and how many steps are you taking? What tools and strategies are you using? How can you simplify an existing system, improve it, and apply it to another area?

Remember that simple, easy systems with few steps make it more likely the system will work and be consistently used.

Example: What’s working? Dishes go directly into the dishwasher.

Example: What’s not working? It is easier to meet with a client than stay at home to create the invoice.

 

Plan a new system

Now you are ready to create a process that streamlines your task. What’s the result you are looking for? What’s the least number of steps to achieve this goal? Would a checklist or template help if there are multiple steps? Is there a better tool to use for this than what I have currently?

Example: Could the laundry skip the sorting stage and go directly into the washing machine?

Example: Could you bill the client immediately at the end of the session?

 

Execute the system

Now you are ready to put your plan into action. Think of it is as a practice session for the first few times you work on your new system. Apply the process you created and evaluate the results. Make any adjustments as you work on your system.

Example: Did the laundry get started? Did the laundry get completed and back into closets?

Example: Did you receive payment regularly from clients with this process?

 

Continuous improvement

Now your system is working however there is always room for improvement. Are there ways to make this system even better by adding technology or delegating this to someone else? Once you have created one system, you may be ready to add more systems to your life. Small improvements keep your system functional and consistent.

 

Some of the systems that my clients have shared with me might be helpful to you!

  • Plan a Door Dash night every Friday night.
  • Cooks most proteins on Sunday.
  • Host a “cafeteria night” every Thursday with leftovers.
  • Do one load of laundry a day, every day.
  • Store your kids’ clothes in the laundry room instead of storing them in their rooms.
  • Every kid has a color. That means we all know that the pink cup, the blue folder, the green lunchbox, the orange towel, etc have a rightful owner.
  • If your family is very resistant to helping at home, hire help for cleaning and picking up.
  • Always check when you’re leaving a room for something that belongs elsewhere and take it with you.
  • Every Sunday I gather and review my notes for the last week to ensure I haven’t missed any action items. It’s part of my planning routine which has a checklist for places to look.
  • Have a permanent donation box.

 

Once you are ready with your system, back up your system with habits. Habits are the actions that follow through on the systems you have established. Systems and habits work together to make life easier.

 

3 Ways to Make a Disorganized Day Better

/2 Comments/in , /by

three ways to make a disorganized day better

 

There are days that start frazzled and disorganized. You know that a little organizing will help you be more productive and feel more in charge.  Here are three quick and easy ways to get on track.

Add all your dates and actions to your calendar and capture tool.

Let’s face it when you have meetings back to back, there are many dates and tasks that are left behind. You did not have time to capture this information and put it where you can find it.  The first way to get organized is to gather this information and add it to where it goes on your calendar and your task list. Knowing that you have gathered and consolidated this information helps you move forward with the next steps. It also ensures you are on top of the details.

 

Prioritize your list.

Having a list, a lot of sticky notes, or a digital task list can be unsettling. You have a lot to do! What to do first? Go through and determine the three most important tasks (MITs) for the day and the week. Some people know by deadlines what are the priorities. Some people know that there are tasks that are never getting started because these require more information or need to be sequenced to be completed. Find three tasks that you know will align right away with making money or making connections to be your priorities for the day. Prioritizing ensures you are doing the right tasks for the day.

 

Clear your workspace.

A disorganized desk is disorienting. Spend five minutes recycling and shredding what is on your desk, then filing the rest. If you are using visual cues of papers as reminders, switch the details to a task list instead. A clear workspace keeps your head clear.

 

Step back and pick one of these ways to improve your day with a little organizing. Your day will be more organized and productive.

 

 

How to Improve Motivation with Executive Function Challenges

/5 Comments/in , , , /by

how to improve motivation with executive function challenges

 

Finding the motivation to start and finish a task can be difficult for all of us. Executive function involves processes that are essential for behavior regulation and impulsivity, time management and planning, and problem-solving and decision-making. Where there are Executive Function challenges for initiating, planning, organizing, prioritizing, and sustaining attention, motivation is a bigger factor. There are many reasons why getting started on tasks is difficult. Focusing on specific strategies helps improve motivation.

 

Difficulty initiating or getting started

When tasks pile up, getting started can feel overwhelming.

  • Break your tasks into baby steps or chunks. Work on starting just one of these chunks.
  • Remember that done is perfect. Perfectionism is often paralyzing. Know what the end of your project should look like to complete it.
  • Create an initiation “warm-up” strategy. That is a way to ramp up to get started. This can be getting on headphones for quiet work, moving to a new space with a clear desk, or gathering all your materials together.

 

Lack of motivation leads to poor planning and time management

You think a task will take five minutes, but overall it takes two hours. Lack of time awareness can deter motivation.

  • Use visual tools to create a workflow for any task or project. A dry-erase or paper calendar helps you plan out the steps.
  • Assign tasks to time blocks. This assignment indicates what needs to be accomplished and when to do that.
  • Plan with the end in mind. Start backward and assign times for completion.
  • Use an overflow day to catch up and finish a task or project. That day is open just to have extra time available.

 

Disorganization of materials and due dates

Projects need organization in order to proceed. If you have trouble organizing the materials, it is difficult to start.

  • Set a time daily to capture information in your planner. Use the end of the day to review email, text, or other communication to add dates to calendars.
  • Organize your materials in a way that you feel is easiest to access. For some, that means printing and placing it in a notebook or keeping digital files. Use consistent naming to keep your system easy to use.
  • Maintain your system by including time to get your materials updated and put away at the end of the project.

 

Clear priorities help motivation

When everything seems important is the time to establish clear priorities.

  • Make a list of your top 3- 5 priorities. Be sure that your tasks match up with these priorities. This will help you define how many projects are not on this list and may need to be eliminated.
  • Use a daily focus list to keep your daily priorities clear and easy to see.
  • Often there are two competing priorities simultaneously. You want to finish up your work for the day and have dinner at 6 pm. Giving yourself a boundary or rules to follow help you stay on track rather than decide at the moment.
  • Make a list of what you can delegate to help you do your best work.

 

Keep on keeping on with sustained attention

There is hyperfocus and not enough focus.

  • Limit distractions by silencing devices and blocking pop-ups. Use an internet blocker to stay on track.
  • Use the Pomodoro method of alternating work and break times to maximize attention.
  • Body doubling can help you stay tethered to your tasks. Invite another person to work in your space while you work on your project.
  • When your attention wanes, look for positive ways to gain traction with productivity. Take a walk, get some water, and re-assess your next steps.

 

Knowing your WHY can be the most important factor in motivation. If you feel your work is compelling or interesting, it is much easier to get started. Take a look at your assignment and see if you can make it more interesting by approaching it with curiosity.

 

 

Getting Derailed and Getting Back on Track

/4 Comments/in , , /by

getting derailed and getting back on track

 

You are moving forward, being productive, getting stuff done, and taking care of yourself. Then all of a sudden – poof! – this vanishes. It could be from being overwhelmed, being unprepared for life’s circumstances, being unmotivated, or just because. All of a sudden, after so much effort, you feel derailed and unsure of what to do next. So what to do to get back on track?

When you get derailed by too many projects

Additional projects are added to your responsibilities at work. In your enthusiasm, you add on more home chores like repairs and home renovation.

Use your task list wisely. If you are overwhelmed, make a list of all the responsibilities and tasks. Then assign these to time blocks for getting these started and completed. At home, take on no new responsibilities until you feel more in control. There are many project management apps that can help you organize your projects and time. 

 

When you get derailed by a lack of motivation

Lack of motivation can occur when you feel overwhelmed or lack purpose behind a project. You might start with a lot of interest and enthusiasm, and then those emotions wane.

Break projects into small steps to feel consistent success. When you see your success, it builds in motivation to continue. If you come to a point where you don’t remember or see the end goal, use a mind map to reconsider the outcome and what is important to you about the completion of the project. Bring in additional team members to add interest and motivation.  

When you get derailed by vacation

You have really enjoyed your time off, and now it is time to get back to work. There’s so much to do and you are not ready to roll.

Set up for success with a catch-up day. On the first day, you return, establish a no meeting policy. Set a time to catch up on email and connect with colleagues on projects. Use a task list continuously or start now to keep a list of all responsibilities. 

 

When you get derailed by “life happening”

“Life is happening!” That is when there is a new relationship, a loss of a family member, a job change, moving to a new home, or multiple circumstances happen simultaneously.

Self-care is the key to getting through situations. First, start with a good night’s rest and get support. Support can be meeting with a therapist or coach, seeking medical attention, adding a team member to your work group, or delegating to a paid helper. There are times that there is too much for us to handle. 

 

When you get derailed in general

You are a marvel at your task list, getting to the gym, and eating healthy. Then you stop.

Everyone gets derailed at some time. Don’t fret about it –  just do it (whatever that was) and start again!

Hybrid Work Productivity Strategies for ADHD

/5 Comments/in , /by

hybrid work strategies for adhd

 

The only things we can count on right now is change at home and at work. That is the current situation with working from home and working at the office.  There is an evolving hybrid work plan in most companies with days at home and days in the office.  As the uncertainty continues, start planning now for your organizing and productivity in  hybrid work spaces.

 

Tools of the trade

Start with trusted tools for your work, at home, office or hybrid. Your access to these tools ensures your success regardless of the location. Good organization makes it easy to transition between work spaces.

  • Pick a planner that works for you. You may choose digital as the way to go with planners and documents.  Thanks to Microsoft we can access Outlook in the cloud and on multiple devices. It’s easy to access online wherever you are and have alerts pop up on your devices as reminders. With Google and gmail, there is a suite of options available to assist you with planning your time and managing your resources.  If a paper planner is what is best for you, the Planner Pad gives you options for yearly, monthly, and weekly scheduling. There is space for notes and strategies for list making. You can add a TUL notebook for extra notes.
  • Create multiple sets of organizing supplies needed for work. That includes cords, chargers, pencils or any other supply you use frequently. Having these in both work spaces eliminates frustration and helps you get started on your work. A well established set up helps you get started on work.  If you need an additional set in your car that can help too!
  • Choose a work bag with compartments. One compartment is dedicated to your device, another to supplies, another to cords and chargers. Keep it compact and easy to carry. Use your setting up time as a an initiation strategy for work. Be sure to pack you bag each night in preparation for your transition to the office.

Managing projects

If you have lists of lists, it is time to think about a project management tool. Whatever the tool, it has to be easy to capture and categorize tasks. There are strategies like Getting Things Done with categorized lists or Kanban with To Do, Doing and Done. Asana, Trello and Click Up are digital tools to create and categorize tasks.  Whichever tool you choose, your frequency of use and agility with the tool make the difference.

 

 

Managing time and energy

The more you use your planner, the more productive you will be. It is your guide for work. Add every event consistently and use your Weekly Planning Time effectively.  Use your weekly planning time to assess in what space you will be most productive given the work that week. The variety of spaces can be a bonus in productivity. Add a 30 minute recap time each evening to be sure you have added dates and information that came via email, text and other communication.

It seems like the amount of time we have and the speed at which things are happening are changing. This change feels unsettling. Have you notice how everything, from school drop off to meeting times, take longer?  Take this information and add extra time for this and transition time into your schedule.  Be sure you have accounted for the extra steps that we don’t remember like parking your car and walking to the office.

 

Managing communications

There is a greater need for empathy as hybrid work unfolds. Everyone is “going through something” right now and that empathy will help support you and those around you. Take extra steps to share how things are today, since every day is very different right now. Expect that some days you are going to need Plan B and C to feel productive.

Your home and office teams are going to need more support with general communication. Now is the time that family meetings are especially valuable. As things change so do responsibilities at home. Be sure your home team works well together by creating partnerships. Take extra steps to communicate goals and deadlines with easy to use visual tools such as charts. Be sure to include deliverables, responsible parties and deadlines.  Share these frequently to help your colleagues  manage deadlines and work in chunks.

 

Incorporating self care

Transitions create evolving self care. The bandwidth you have depends on the self care you do. Continued self care will help you through this transition and other changes that are coming daily.  Be sure to calendar in the time you end the day and the days you will take off for vacation.  If possible, give yourself the gift of one day to have no plan or time line.

 

Your mobility is a positive for energy and productivity. Your agility is an asset as you move between spaces to use the energy of that space to get work done. Being organized helps with high energy, positivity and productivity. It is all a work in progress as we transition, find patterns and look at new ways to be productive in multiple environments.  Most importantly give yourself time to adjust and ample self care.