ADHD VIRTUAL ENTREPRENEUR

With the start of the new year, I find myself knee deep in retrospection and re-evaluating what works well for me and what does not.  One thing that stands out like a neon sign is the incredible power of a good old fashion to-do list.

To-do lists come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and although there is no one “right” way to keep one, they all share one thing in common.  They don’t work if you don’t use them.  The trick is finding a system that you will use consistently.

There are hosts of companies with tools and programs to help manage your to-do-lists.  Some are geared towards folks who love to micro-manage their days to the level of bathroom breaks (one of my closest friends falls into this category) and others tend to be more fluid almost bordering to ambiguous.  Somewhere in the middle is where the rest of us fall.

As an entrepreneur with ADHD, simple is better, but simple and flexible is the best!  When you can have fluid structure that keeps you focused, but able to shift as the needs require, then you’re really on to something.   

The key elements of a good to-do-list are pretty simple:

• Task to be done (that’s a no brainer)
• Estimated time to do (when you don’t know, double whatever you think it is)
• Deadline (AKA holding your feet to the fire)

Combine these elements with Post-its and Week at a Glance or Day at a Glance calendar and you have the basis for structure with flexibility.  Each Post-it can contain tasks related to the same project or you can use one Post-it per task. When a task goes over the allotted time, you can just pick the Post-it up and place it on the new scheduled time in your calendar.  Completed tasks get checked off or removed giving that oh so wonderful feeling of completion and momentum.

Some clients I work with take advantage of the Post-it’s different colors to color code projects, activities, or recurring tasks.  But the one thing they all say makes the difference…..using the system daily.

 Here’s to a productive 2010!