March 15, 2009

Get 'Em Done

If you have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), are really busy, are somewhat overwhelmed, or are just trying to understand where the time goes, go read this posting on A Certain Lack of Focus. The writer, who is ADHD, is working on a novel, finishing a degree program, and considering the 400 other ideas that ramble through any ADHD brain in a given hour. Not only that, she's come up with a concrete method for staying on track.

The quick description: Start with a box with pull-out drawers. Label each drawer with the name of a project. The center drawer gets labeled TIME. Fill the Time drawer with buttons. Each time you spend an hour on a project, move a button from the Time box to the other project's box. At the end of a day (week, month, lifetime, depending on how big a box you started with, you'll have a visual record of how you spent your time.

Personally, I'd be better off if I also included drawers for the non-work functions, that whole sleepingeatingwalkinggoofingoff part of life that's supposed to balance out hyper-focused getting-stuff-done mode.

My description doesn't do her project justice. Allow yourself a look at her description and excellent photos.

1 comment:

Andytgeezer said...

Wow. What a post that is on the buttons.I too have ADHD and can't concentrate on anything and wrote about how frustrating I found it in a professional context a while back but have never figured out how to organise these myriad thoughts. I think I'm going to nick this idea!

Thanks for the follow on my REAL wall, and I look forward to perhaps receiving some REAL post in the mail soon ;-)