Note: This is a companion to the YouTube video. If you’d rather watch this, go here. I am much sillier there, but the idea is the same.
We all hope to be productive, I think, but the ones who really struggle the most are the ones who try to plan according to how they think “everyone else” does it. Universally, if you think this way, you’re asking for trouble, but you’re especially setting yourself up for failure if you’re a person whose mind and body are, quite obviously, different.
See, I can say these things because I have a weird ADHD brain and Chronic Fatigue, so I know what I’m talking about. And, while I’m not going to say I’m happy every day, I can say that I finish a good 95% of my days satisfied with what I’ve done.
“How, Arianna?” You ask. “Do you bribe someone? Pretend the laundry isn’t there? What’s the secret?”
There’s a lot, but the first thing I can suggest is that you need to pay attention to three very fundamental things that we often neglect. Those are as follows:
Time
This probably sounds horribly elementary, but let’s be honest: How many times have you written a to-do list that you’ve not had time to finish? We’re not talking on bad energy days, or on days where everything seemed to go wrong; I mean when you’ve just excitedly jotted down everything you wanted to get done, only to realize that you severely underestimated how long it would take you to deep clean your bathroom and bake twelve apple pies?
That’s because ADHD brains don’t understand time like other brains do. That said, there are many, many other people whose scheduling eyes are bigger than their stomachs. And it makes for days that are incorrectly prioritized, over-planned, and more stressful than they should be.
So when you plan, pay very close attention to how long things take. If you don’t know yet and prefer to use apps, Harvest and Toggl are free and easy to start as you work on tasks. If you don’t want to do that, get a stopwatch, an egg timer, or some other manual device to keep track of how long tasks take you to complete. This way, when you plan your day, you know much more intimately how much you’ll be able to fit into a day.
Bonus Tip: If you fear remembering to start these timers when you work, try to see if relying on muscle memory helps. Carry your timer around with you, or put a sticky note up on your computer for the first 1-2 weeks so that you’ll eventually be used to timing things before you do them.
And if you don’t want to do any of that, you make very conservative guesses and plan with that in mind. This will take longer for you to become familiar with, but it’s better than just throwing things onto a calendar and hoping you have the time to get it all done.
Energy
Sooo despite how often we hear that tiredness is a “mind over matter” thing, it often is not. Trying to push through or get a “second wind” will often result in you paying for it later. For me, it results in me paying for it by the end of the day. For you, it might mean paying in really bad fatigue, or in making a mistake that eventually bites you in the bootyhole.
So let’s avoid that, shall we?
The best way to do this is to pay close attention to your personal Ultradian Rhythm, which is the rhythm with which your personal physical and mental energy levels ebb and flow. Apps like Paced, Fatigue Assistant, and Bearable are great for this, but a simple spreadsheet or journal would also do. You really just want to get a good feel for when you’re at your most engaged, your most tired, etc.
This way, once you know how your body and mind work, you can make sure that you’re planning tasks accordingly. Like, planning to wash dishes when your brain is officially playing circus music on loop, and planning out your next novel when you know that your muscles are still waking up.
Shit Happening
I had a great plan for the start of 2022. I was going to hit the ground running.
Then I got Mono, and that Mono decided to leave behind Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and I’m still not great three months later.
I could’ve been the World’s Best Time Management Master, and there’s no way I would’ve ever been able to plan to be out of commission for 6-8 weeks, and then at maybe half capacity even after. Because sometimes, shit just happens. That’s just how it is. And you need to keep this in mind when your day goes kablooey, which will happen sometimes, often when you’re about to do something you actually wanted to do.
Don’t beat yourself up over it, don’t try to promise yourself something unrealistic, like catching up immediately. Simply focus on how to march forward, and remember that you’ll need to still take care of yourself as you do.
Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t plan anything in case of issues. Include buffers of at least 30 minutes following any major event or task. If you like to make backup plans, make those. Just keep in mind that those may not apply either.
Mental flexibility will allow for a less stressful change, if one is warranted.
And stop blaming yourself for shit that’s not your fault. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.
So there you have it. These are all so fundamental, and yet they’re often neglected when we’re trying to get shit done. I, myself, forgot to eat lunch today because I was hyperfocused and didn’t time block my day first. It happens. What matters is, after it happens, you remind yourself that the overall end result is the point, not the mess ups you may have along the way.
You’re going to get there. I know you will.
That is all.
By the way: If you’re needing a Productivity Coach who gets the ADHD urge to overplan and underprepare, I’m here to get you set. Check out what I do, and then reach out so we can find out what package makes the most sense for you!
