Restarting the To Do List Habit
I haven't used to do lists much lately. To be clear, I haven't had much use for complex to do lists. When you don't have ongoing complex projects, systems for keeping track can be a little bit of overkill; they are more work than they are help.
Right now, I have stuff written down that's important. That means a giant note to myself now and then, or something in my calendar. I don't have time for much extra, so that's enough. I am adding time into my schedule to do the non-immediate work- I mean, adding time besides my client calls.
The first thing I had to remember is that having more time will feel weird, and it will be hard to focus simply because I have to structure that time and direct my own focus. That's a challenge for a lot of self-employed people, especially in ADHD land.
Then I had to remember it again. Especially because it is not my sharpest-focused of days. I had to remember that I pick tasks according to how cooperative my attention is on a given day or hour.
And then I had to remember to look at the to do lists I had. And start adding stuff.
But now I have to decide where- in what program or location- to put my new to do list.
Dec 09, 2010 @ 14:27:37
Dear Becca – thanks for your blog! I was just diagnosed and has probably 20 different organizers etc. – all remnants of a futile attempt to organize my to-dos. Because of the disastrous effect on my work if I don’t do this I installed ToDo on my iPad and it worked well for a week. Until I had a bad day with no progress and now I’m too scared to even open it up. Any wisdom on this would be super… maybe once I get on meds things will be easier… I hope.
Dec 21, 2010 @ 11:20:49
First, I’d like to reply to a FB comment:
“The iPod Touch/iPhone will transform your life.”
Well, what I find interesting is that this is entirely the case for SOME people I’ve worked with, and not at all for others. More specifically, if it feels natural or obvious to actually use the iPhone/iPod/smartphone/etc, then it immediately changes some people’s lives.
Where is is harder is when someone really feels the urge to physically write things down, where perhaps that is a really strong processing modality for them, and/or they just otherwise resist entering appointments and tasks and the like on a digital device.
I had that urge to write stuff on paper. I also write notes on paper during lecture, client calls, phone calls, to help me understand and remember and keep track of what I’m hearing in the moment. But I found that it worked really well for me to force myself to keep information in a PDA back when I did use one. I’d enter shopping list items or events into the PDA, but I had to make myself do it– but it GOT EASIER TO DO IT as I had more experience easily finding stuff and not having little slips of paper everywhere!
Dec 21, 2010 @ 11:23:35
@Adhdphdgirl, first, cut yourself some slack. The fact that it worked for a week is awesome. Now expect it NOT to always work- but don’t let that stop you from using it again later. And then see how it works if you’re NOT “perfect” at it. It may never be automatic like it is for non-ADHD people. That’s ok.
And: get curious about what works to help you keep using it.
Just because it didn’t work all the time right away does NOT mean you failed. Does that help a tiny bit?