Tag Archives: time timer

Time Blindness

Today.

Tomorrow.

Next week.

Next month.

Now.

Never.

Time Blindness:  The lack of awareness of the passing of time.

Although I work primarily with clients that struggle with ADHD, almost everyone has struggled with time blindness at some point.

In this 7:38 video about ADHD and time blindness, Dr. Russell A. Barkley highlights a few key points about time blindness and ADHD, but I find them universally applicable:

“What is the purpose of the frontal lobe to humans?  It is to organize behavior across time in anticipation of what is coming at you.  The future.”

“Now is more important than what you are holding in the future.”

“The further out the event lies, the less they are capable of dealing with it” (speaking of people diagnosed with ADHD).

What does time blindness look like?

  1. Company is coming in three weeks and there is a laundry list of things that need to be done. But, it’s three weeks away, so what’s the hurry? Time blindness convinces us we have plenty of time, but when the company is two days away, there literally isn’t the appropriate time to prepare. Shoot!
  2. You need to pick up the kids from soccer at 4:00. No worries, it’s only 2:30 and we just need to check e-mail.  And Facebook.  And the new deals on Zulily. “This will only take a few minutes.”  Well, an hour and a half later, you are now late to pick up the kids.  Dang!
  3. The sprinkler system needs to be shut down for the winter. No biggie, it’s September. I’ll call “next week.” “Next week” turns into October, then November, then December.  Now the shut-off is buried under 2’ of snow, the service provider is shut down for the winter, and the pipes may have already frozen. Fingers crossed.

What are the consequences?

  1.  Not putting our best foot forward.  Being unprepared.  Panic.
  2.  Letting down family, friends, and colleagues. Shame. Guilt.
  3.  Expensive repairs. Frustration.  Anxiety.

What to do?

  1. Use a calendar. Keeping important appointments and dates in our heads is a recipe for disaster.   Invest in whatever type of calendar works for how your brain works, then ensure all important dates/times are noted, with appropriate reminders (1 week before a birthday, 30-minutes before a conference call, etc.). Be sure to break down big projects into manageable steps and put those steps on the calendar.
  2. Set timers. Transitions are hard, but especially hard if we struggle with ADHD, so set timers for any situation where an important transition needs to be made: leaving for work, picking up your kids, departing for a flight. You get the picture.  If it’s important, set a timer to ensure follow-through.  Use any timing device that works for you: timers on the microwave, timers on the oven, timers on your phone, timers on your watch, and my personal favorite the Time Timer.
  3. Take into account whether or not other people are involved in the process. If someone else needs to be involved, be respectful and conscientious of their time also.

I’ve found the most important investment my clients can make to assist with time blindness is a bunch of analog clocks.  There is an innate difference between seeing time pass on an analog clock vs a digital clock.  Ensure there is an analog clock anywhere a transition needs to be executed: any highly-trafficked rooms at home or work and especially in the car (a quick stop at Target is almost never a quick stop).

More great stuff on time blindness:

Dr. Ari Tuckman on Time Blindness

Zara Harris, MS, OT, on Time Blindness

 

Cindy Jobs, COC, ACC

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Institute for Challenging Disorganization

Level I Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization; ADD; Client Administration; Time Management; Mental Health; and Hoarding.

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ADHD in the Workplace

 

October is ADHD Awareness Month

“For many people, ADD is not a disorder but a trait, a way of being in the world.  When it impairs their lives, then it becomes a disorder.”  — Edward Hallowell

There have been some incredibly successful people who have ADHD.  Most have identified their ADHD-created weaknesses and designed support structures to reduce the impact in the workplace.  For them, it is a trait, not a disorder.

Others, however, struggle with a variety of challenges created by the symptoms of ADHD.

Most workplaces are designed around the 92%-96% of us that are linear, process-oriented people who understand prioritization and are keen to basic social norms.  People with ADHD find some of these basic premises a challenge.

Listed below are some of the most common barriers those struggling with ADHD find in a typical workplace:

Organization, prioritization, and sequencing:  Some of the most difficult tasks for people with ADHD to get a handle are organization, prioritization and sequencing.  The inability to find important documents, turn projects in on time and have a clear picture of what needs to happen when can create incredible stress.

Solution:  If you don’t have an assistant to help out, possibly enlist the services of an organized co-worker or Professional Organizer who can help set up simple filing systems, create a calendar system utilizing some project management tools (due date, tasks, timelines, calendar reminders, etc.), and schedule regular check-ins to ensure you are on track.

Time management:  This is, by far, the most common hurdle for the clients I work with who have ADHD.  Due to their executive functioning processes, they just have a harder time keeping track of time.  This presents a real problem when they continually show up late for meetings (or don’t show up at all) or when they estimate that a project will take an hour and it ends up taking much longer, frustrating not only themselves but whomever else is involved in the project.

Solution: First, I encourage all of my clients to purchase a Time Timer to track not only the time it takes to complete a task (vs the time they think it will take), but it also helps to be aware of the passage of time.  Second, I promote the use of analog clocks everywhere and wearing an analog watch.  It is very helpful to regularly be reminded of time and digital devices just don’t have the same impact.  Lastly, use an audible or vibration device to que that it’s time for a transition (going to a meeting, picking up the kids, returning from lunch, etc.).

Challenging social skills:  Individuals with ADHD are more reactionary than those without.  Unfortunately, this may result in unintentionally offending those around them by not listening or interrupting, being more direct than the social setting may call for, and being more “me” focused than is appropriate.

Solution: Practice being attentive, with special attention to blocking out distractions.  Pause before speaking. Ask yourself if the reaction is truly warranted.  Pay close attention to social cues.  Did someone walk away abruptly?  Possibly you offended without meaning to do so.  Reach out if it appears someone has been offended.  Asking for feedback and forgiveness is hard at the moment, but much better than allowing the ill will to linger.

Distractibility:  Let’s face it, people with ADHD are more easily distracted than others.  Whether it’s an external distraction (music, co-workers, jack-hammers, piles of paper, or a cluttered desk) or internal distractions (daydreaming, planning an anniversary dinner, wondering how the fantasy football team is doing) distractions are all around us.

Solution:  If possible, visually or audibly block out distractions.  This may include headphones and closing a door or blinds.  Don’t constantly be checking e-mail (I suggest my clients only look at e-mail three to four times a day if the office policies and norms allow).  Stay away from social media when a project deadline is looming.  Keep track of projects and tasks by using task lists and a Time Timer.

Do you see yourself or others in the above situations?  If so, is ADHD a trait or a disorder?

Cindy Jobs

www.organizetosimplify.com

 

 

National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, Seattle Chapter Vice President
ICD_LogoTag_Horz_72 website
Institute for Challenging Disorganization:
Level I Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization; ADD; Client Administration; Time Management; Mental Health; and Hoarding.
Level II Specialist Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization and ADHD.
Coach Approach for Organizers
Graduate of the Comprehensive Training Program: Coaching Essentials; Strengths-Based Coaching; Brain-Based Coaching; Life and ADHD Coaching; and Organizer Coach Integration
Graduate-level training: Body-Based Coaching; ADHD Coaching Competencies

What do you know about ADHD?

“It’s so much easier to suggest solutions when you don’t know too much about the problem.”                                                                                        — Malcolm Forbes

 

October is National ADHD Awareness month.  Over the next month, I will share some of my experience and understanding of the challenges of living with ADHD.

The first being that ADHD is one of the most highly understood brain-based conditions.  As an organizer and coach who primarily works with people struggling with ADHD, I can tell you the struggle is real.

It is estimated that 4% – 8% of the population has ADHD the traits may cause frustration for not only people diagnosed with ADHD but their family, friends, co-workers, etc.

Comments I frequently hear from my clients:

“People think I just don’t care.”

“I’ve been shamed my whole life.”

“People think I’m ignoring them.”

“They tell me to just try harder.  I’m really trying.”

“I don’t want to be late, I just can’t seem to get out of the house on time.”

“I have horrible credit because I forget to pay my bills.”

What is ADHD?

“A complex syndrome of developmental impairments of executive functions, the self-management system of the brain, a system of mostly unconscious operations.  These impairments are situationally-specific, chronic, and significantly interfere with functioning in many aspects of the person’s daily life.”           (Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D.)

The “big 3” ADHD Traits.

  • Inattention
  • Hyperactivity
  • Impulsivity

ADHD is highly genetic.

Only height has a stronger genetic predictability (Source: University of Maryland psychologist Andrea Chronis).  Think about that.  If your child is struggling with what appears to be ADHD, could that explain some of your frustrations as a child or adult?  I frequently work with women who were diagnosed with ADHD after their children were diagnosed.

Why is ADHD a problem?

ADHD affects the executive function area of the brain (prefrontal cortex) that controls working memory, sequencing, flexibility, information processing, time management, and emotional regulation.  Most of our world is designed to work in concert with people that have an ability to think in a linear, process-oriented way.

How is it different? Here’s an example.

Most people can visit a Staples and pick out the perfect pen because they can process the pros/cons of each type, color, thickness, etc.  Someone with ADHD may get completely stuck by the sheer number of options. They literally may not be able to mentally process all the options and make a decision, so they leave the store empty-handed, frustrated and feeling like a failure.

What can someone with ADHD do to make life easier?

-Clocks, clocks, and more clocks.  Put them everywhere and make them analog.  10:10 looks very similar to 10:40 on a digital clock, but very different on an analog clock.
-Thought management. Write things down wherever you would look to (multiple places if that makes sense)
-Time management:  Routinely use a planner and a timing device (phone alerts work wonders as does a Time Timer).
-Get organized enough (less stuff, less to think about)
-Embrace a “to do” list (keep it simple and current)
-Voice/text messages (if something is important to remember and you can’t write it down, leave yourself and/or others messages)

There will be more information to come throughout the month about how ADHD affects our lives.  If you have questions, feel free to contact me at 206-707-3458.

Cindy Jobs

www.organizetosimplify.com

 

 

National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, Seattle Chapter Vice President
ICD_LogoTag_Horz_72 website
Institute for Challenging Disorganization:
Level I Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization; ADD; Client Administration; Time Management; Mental Health; and Hoarding.
Level II Specialist Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization and ADHD.
Coach Approach for Organizers
Graduate of the Comprehensive Training Program: Coaching Essentials; Strengths-Based Coaching; Brain-Based Coaching; Life and ADHD Coaching; and Organizer Coach Integration
Graduate-level training: Body-Based Coaching; ADHD Coaching Competencies

Think. Plan. Act.

(What’s wrong with this puzzle picture?)

I frequently work with clients on their time management challenges.  I remind them that “time management” is really just a balance between what we need to get done and the time in which we have to do it.

Efficient time management really boils down to a few simple processes:

Think:  Devote time to thinking about what really needs to get done and by when.  To do this, I suggest implementing the following processes:

  1. Create a list.  Take a few (or a lot) of minutes to do a brain dump of everything that needs to be done.  It doesn’t matter if the repository is paper or electronic, just make sure it’s out of your head and recorded somewhere.  I also ask my clients to estimate how long each item will take them to complete.
  2. Determine what needs to be done and group those things together: phone calls, items requiring a computer, errands that require transportation, things that can be delegated, etc.  Just like organizing physical items “like with like,” grouping action items is equally as efficient.
  3. Prioritize items within categories.  Doing this will help you determine when they need to be fit into your schedule (high, medium, low or by due date).

Plan: Now that you have a list of things that needs to get done, where they need to get done, and when they need to get done by, the next step is to put a plan together to get them done.

It’s critical to set aside time to work through your list.  Even  five-minute tasks need to have dedicated time for them to get accomplished.  Make and keep an appointment with yourself to work through your list.  I suggest setting a Time Timer and eliminate distractions just as if you were having a meeting with a client.

Different actions require differently planning processes.  For example:

  • “Create mission statement” may be something that can be done at any time and almost any where, but time to complete the process still needs to be slotted into your schedule.
  • “Complete taxes” is something that really needs to be done by April 15.  This type of item, and the specific tasks that need to be done to accomplish “complete taxes,” need to be scheduled with more critical thinking.
  • “Grocery shopping” may be a recurring weekly task, but still needs to be slotted into your schedule before you run out of milk.

Also think about items that you can do outside your office or home and take supplies with you.  For example, you can make dentist appointments while you are waiting to pick up your children from school or you can text the babysitter while you are waiting in line at the post office.

Act:  Now that you are done thinking through your plan, your next step is to act.

According to Elbert Hubbard “Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.”  Self-discipline is sometimes hard, but focusing on the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, will make you incredibly more productive and efficient.

 Cindy Jobs

www.organizetosimplify.com

Member Color - WebNational Association of Professional Organizers, Seattle Chapter President
ICD_LogoTag_Horz_72 websiteLevels I and II Certified (8 certificates) Member, Institute for Challenging Disorganization
Coach Approach for Organizers