Externalize Your Calendar
The biggest problem ADHDrs have is .. out of site, out of mind! ...
To fix that problem for appointments and Todos, externalize these priorities.
I use a loose leaf 3 ring binder, broken into 5 areas ..
1 .. blanket pages for each day or todo list,
2 .. future appointment sheets filled out w appointments and todos,
3 .. a yrly calendar,
4 .. the current day w any long-term projects I'm working on, followed by
5 .. the diary of what I've done.
This binder is from Staples, The Better Mini Binder upc 718103333498.
The separators are also from Staples, upc 72782111182.
The paper is regular paper, which I had chopped into 8.5 x 5.5.
I built templates to print out the on the sheets .. calendar, todo list and ruled line pages. Available upon request.
I use a 3 hole punch, vs having the paper drilled, since I don't have to punch every sheet I print out.
Not seen is a 6x9 clip board, used to hold blank ruled paper for notes.
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Organizing Your Callendar
ADHDrs suffer from ToDo overload, so when organizing your day, only write the things you need to get done.
If there is a list of 1000 things to do, use seperate ToDo sheets to list everything, and keep them behind your current day's page.
If a ToDo will take more than one day to complete, that is a project. Use a Project Template Sheet to name the project, and group all your notes and ToDos on those sheets.
When a List of ToDo's has more ToDo's checked off than ToDo's to be completed, re-write the list, and place the old list in your diary.
SomeTimes I put eMojis in the right column of my ToDo's and Appointments. This tells me if I need to do Risk Assessment before executing the ToDo or going to the meeting.
Track how much time it takes you to do something. If you need to know how much time it takes to do something, then run a test. Or, if you're doing it on a regular basis, then use a stop watch and track your time. Then, write it next to the item. If this is a repeating item, then write these times on a seperate sheet and place it behind your current day, for reference.
Keep the calendar as simple as possible. The fewer pages you actually need to look at during A Day, the easier it will be to work with.
When you get an appointment, or a ToDo, always write it down in the book. Don't try to remember it.
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Special Days
Highlight special days in your yearly calendar, and create appointment sheets for those days. This will help you remmember those days,
Prepare for special days. If you have created a special day, then add pages in front of that day to remind you the day is coming, and what you have to do to be there on time.
Ex .. tests. If you know you have a test, then add a sheet for the day the test starts, and add pages before that to remind you to study specific sections that will be covered by the test.
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The Day Before
Add a reminder to your phone to review your page for the next day, just before you go to bed. Usually 1 hr before.
Remove the current day and next day's pages from the binder, and any associated projects.
Update the projects. Mark off the Todo's and Appointments you completed for the day.
Move incomplete ToDo's to a todo list, or the next day, or to a project. But don't let them go without being addresses.
Review what you have to do tomorrow. Re-write the page if needed.
I like to list all my calls together first, so that I get them out of the way and make sure that people are actually meeting today.
Using this method, find out when you do things. If you do something in the morning, make sure those things have time in the morning. Same with, afternoon, and evening tasks.
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Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment is the process of asking 5 questions to determine if a task could fail and what am I going to do about it, or instead of it.
1 .. What is the risk of the task failing?
2 .. What is dependent on this task succeeding?
3 .. What are the known issues with this task that could cause it to fail?
4 .. What are the unknown issues that could cause this task to fail?
5 .. What assumptions am I making about this task that could be true or false?
After documenting these 5 questions, I look for ways to mitigate each and every issue brought forward.
Ex .. if you have RSD (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria) and you need someones approval to start a task, then you will always year, "NO!". So, the mitigation is to find ways to complete the ToDo without having to ask for permission to do it.
