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Essential Skills for Managing Adult ADD Part 2:
Plan the Time to Plan
By ADD Management Coach Jennifer Koretsky
© Copyright 2004

As an adult with ADD and an ADD Coach, I have observed some skills
that I believe are essential for successful ADD management.

Planning the Time to Plan

ADDers often find themselves overwhelmed by everyday life.
Sometimes, the number of tasks to do at work builds up to the point
where you find yourself working long hours to just to stay on top of
everything. And sometimes the chores at home, like dishes, laundry,
and bill-paying, become so overwhelming that you end up with piles of
stuff in every room. These things are common, and there is a simple
way to get it all under control: plan.

When you plan to tackle a task, you break it down into simple steps
that make it less overwhelming. Here's an example I like to use:
closet cleaning. Let's say that you have a closet you want to clean
out because it is cluttered and disorganized, and you can't find what
you need. There are a number of ways you can approach it. One way
is to just dive in. However, chances are that when you open the
closet door and see what a mess it is, you may become completely
overwhelmed, not know where to start, close the closet door in
disgust, and then go watch TV! You'll probably also feel guilty
because you think you should be cleaning the closet!

There's a much better way to approach this situation: plan for it in
advance. Before you ever open the closet door, set aside 15 minutes
that you can use to write down some steps. An example of this might
be:

1. Donate or throw out all clothes that I haven't worn in the past
year

2. Designate the right side of the closet for work clothes, and the
left side for casual clothes

3. Hang belts, scarves, and other accessory items in the middle of
the closet

4. Arrange shoes neatly on the closet floor

5. Remove all non-clothing items from the closet

Taking the time to break down the task into 3 or more steps makes the
act of cleaning out a closest nothing more than a simple system to
follow. It relieves pressure, and often prevents that feeling of
being overwhelmed by the mess.

And don't forget to take your planning a step further and actually
plan the time to plan! If you know that you have a two hour window
on Saturday to clean your closet, turn that time span into 15 minutes
of planning, and 1 hour and 45 minutes of cleaning. Chances are you
won't even miss that 15 minutes you took to plan because you'll be so
organized in your cleaning approach that you won't waste any time
when you're in the process!


About The Author:
Jennifer Koretsky is a Professional ADD Management Coach who helps
adults manage their ADD and move forward in life. She encourages
clients to increase self-awareness, focus on strengths and talents,
and create realistic action plans. She offers a 90-day intensive
skill-building program, workshops, and private coaching. Her work has
been featured in numerous media, including The New York Times
Magazine and The Times (UK). To subscribe to Jennifer's freeemail
newsletter, The ADD Management Guide, please visit
http://www.addmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm

Essential Skills for Managing Adult ADD - Part 1:
Practicing Excellent Self-Care
can be found at: http://www.addmanagement.com/newsletter0304.htm