Category: ADHD
Well - I found a way to make a lot of progress...
By blocking out time
AND
Setting a 10 minute alarm
The task of going through my open TO DO LIST is now complete!
YEA!
So I really have to store that concept of blocking time and a constant alarm
as a way that currently works for me.
So the task list is now down to 105 items.
Still FAR TOO MANY.
And I know that because I don't even want to look at them.
I started reading them this morning and got bored / tired / overwhelmed / who knows.....
Today I'm going to set aside some time to try to vision how I want this to work.
I know that there are still a ton of tasks, but I dont' want to see them.
The goal is to work from a list of less than 40 tasks.
I'm setting that goal because thats what fits on ONE PAGE of Outlook Task List Printout.
OK...
Now it's off to block out the time on the calendar and start my REAL WORK for the day. |
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Happy Friday!
It's amazing to me that I went through Thursday without doing a damn thing on my To Do List.
Actually - it doesn't amaze me at all.
I'm rather used to this.
Quick update is that I spent a little time late on Wednesday handling the task list items,
but I still wouldn't consider it anywhere near done.
Here's what I've learned so far:
Blocking out time is a good idea (I blocked out two hours on Wednesday)
BUT...
It's NOT ENOUGH.
Blocking out the time still allows me to be UNFOCUSED.
NEXT IDEA:
I've got a ONE HOUR BLOCK TODAY that's available for the TO DO LIST.
Here's what I'm going to try.
Block out the hour AND set a timer to go off every five minutes.
Whenever the timer goes off I'll make sure that I'm in the task of CLEANING THE TO DO LIST.
And NOT - DOING things on the TO DO LIST.
I'll report back later how this one goes. |
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Well...
Here's the report of what I did during the two hours that I was going to work on my "TO DO LIST".
Ready?
Started with 308 items on "TO DO".
Immediately deleted 4 of them (time had run out and they didn't even apply anymore) - YEA!
Got to the fifth item - BOOK CHICAGO TRIP - ACO Conference.
Did I just acknowledge it and move on????
OH NO!!!!
I had to actually book the trip.
Hotwire / Orbitz - picking flights - picking rental car....
OK - that took over 40 minutes.
Then - I wanted to book the actual conference as well.
Could I just do that???
Oh no...
I had to start screwing around with deciding if I want to become a member - and pay the member rate
or be a guest and pay the guest rate. Then I have to get the documentation together to prove that
I've had the necessary training to become a member....
So - Now I've gone down TWO BUNNY HOLES...
Booking the trip and signing up for the conference.
Did I get back to the "TO DO LIST" then???
Oh no...
The phone rang - old friend... chatted for 25 minutes.
Made an appointment with her to do a consultation at my church.
THEN...
I had to email everyone (because I tried to call them and couldn't reach them) to let them know that she's coming.
Back to the "TO DO LIST" yet????
Oh no....
Now I decide is a good time to chat with my Social Networking Specialist about this blog.
Call her.
We chat.
We decide some things that I have to do...
Now...
I'M HUNGRY!!!!
Go make toast and check on the fire in the insert...
WOW.. That fire looks great!!!!!
I need a picture of that....
Out comes the camera as I snap photos of the wonderful fire in the insert.
Tell me folks...
Does this SCREAM ADD or what???????
Before I forget that all this happened...
I decide to write this blog....
BACK TO THE "TO DO LIST"!!!!!!!! |
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Yesterday I told you about OVERWHELM...
Today I try to fix it.
First thing I'd tell someone else to do is:
Let's find ONE THING to clean up.
Choosing WHICH THING to clean up and organize is a challenge as well.
HOWEVER...
I've chosen: MY TO DO LIST.
The damn thing has gotten so big that I can't even look at it.
The sight of it makes me ill....
The current list has over THREE HUNDRED ITEMS.
THREE FREAKIN' HUNDRED.
How did it get this big????
MICROSOFT OUTLOOK - that's how....
Most of these are emails that require me to do something.
I click the little flag on it - it's now a task - I put a category on it (So that I believe at least I have a categorized mess)
and that's how it has grown and grown.
OK...
Here's what I'm willing to do.
I have a couple of hours free this morning.
I'm going to tackle the son of a bitch....
Let's see if I can get this TO DO LIST down to something
that's manageable and real.
I'll report back tomorrow....
Wish me luck... |
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Whenever I work with a business, no matter how great they look from the outside, it's always a SAUSAGE FACTORY on the inside.
That's why they want to work with a coach.
That said....
WELCOME TO MY SAUSAGE FACTORY!!!!!
I'm no different than many of the businesses I work with.
We've all got our challenges...
And here comes one of the biggest of mine...
Having ADD - one of the things that has been just killing me for a long time is: OVERWHELM.
This is a really easy state for an ADDer to get into - and not so damn easy to move away from.
I've been experiencing overwhelm in my office for a LONG TIME.
There are hundreds of things to do - seriously - hundreds.
I won't talk about what they all are today - but believe me - it ain't pretty the number of things NOT DONE.
So how does overwhelm affect an ADDer???
I'll tell you how it affects me.
I SHUT DOWN. If there's just too much to do - I IGNORE IT.
Papers stack up.
Tasks get ignored.
Most everything stops.
What continues on????
Only the most VITAL of work.
The "ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO's" - they get done.
Everything else? - SITS.
This means that all the creativity gets shut down too....
Who's going to take on a brand new project when you're already over your head on what's already there????
And here's something else - again - very ADDish....
I'll find ways to have fun - have a good time - pick up a book - start a new craft - play online poker....
ALL THE WHILE IGNORING THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN THE OFFICE.
It's amazing.
It's horrible.
It's been my life for a while....
My wife would NEVER have this happen to her.
If she get's overwhelmed - she just digs in harder and clears it.
Huge difference between ADDers and NON-ADDers.
I'm not talking about fixing the overwhelm today...
Instead - I'm happy to just "COME CLEAN" with it.
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