6 ways to stay motivated/organized when you have adult ADD

6 ways to stay motivated/organized when you have adult ADD

 Ok guys, this is something I have been wanting to talk about. Right now as I am sitting here at my desk, staring at my screen, I realized… I really have no idea where to start. I have a quick styling video to film and edit, a blog post to finish from my trip to Tulum (have been putting this one off), a video diary of Tulum to accompany it, I have to respond to emails, clean the house, make sure I call Verizon to pay my overdue phone bill and I still need to eventually change my married name on my drivers license (guys.. . it’s been over a year since I got married). Yet for some reason, I sit and stare for about 30 minutes overwhelmed by all the things I have to do.  Ok, so it’s not that big of a day you might say, but for someone who has a problem focusing, organizing and compartmentalizing, its extra hard to get it all done. Add the fact that I am working from home, freelancing and have no boss to watch over and yell at me, I have to make sure to be on top of everything.

So… what do I do? Sit down and write a blog post about it of course instead of sticking to my timeline. I am the queen of procrastination. However, I’ve learned to channel my ADD issues and turn them into something good. Today is a rougher day for me. It could be because I didn’t get enough sleep, maybe because I am out of the habit of working after the holidays and a month long of travel or maybe I just need to simply drink some coffee, close my room door and focus.  Whatever the reason is, there are ways I have figured out to deal with my super cluttered crazy brain. I felt driven to procrastinate just a bit more before I put them into play and get shit done today. The hard part is being uber disciplined about it.

  1. Make a list. I have said this before over and over again. LIST LIST LIST and follow it to the T. Today I even made a list set by the hours I will be starting, finishing each task and  including breaks in between. I find this to be the most effective of all when tackling many different things in one day.
  2. Prioritize. Make sure you put the most important thing first and dont detour from that! I am mega guilty of always doing the least important thing first. Hence… this blog post oops! If you are going to detour make sure to give it your undivided attention so you can get it done quickly and efficiently. Do not follow in my steps. DO NOT multi-task. Pretty much the worst you can do. I know.. I know, hard to resist!
  3. Take breaks often. NOT TOO OFTEN. Stick to your list, your priorities and stay focused. I like to try and do 40 minutes working, 10 min breaks inbetween. That helps keep me focused when I need to because I know I will get a mini break soon. Otherwise IM just scrolling through instagram all day. Use timers. Siri is my bestie. Everytime I sit down on my comp to work, I tell siri (my biotch)  “Set a timer for 40 min” and when that timer beeps I get up no matter what, go get a glass of water/eat/do laundry, stretch, walk the dog… whatever, then get back to work ten minutes later. Of course you can figure out
  4.  Make your space clean! Cluttered minds have cluttered spaces most of the time and are highly affected by their environment. I like to make sure my desk is nice and clean, light a candle, turn on my oil diffuser, grab my coffee and play some zen music. This gets me in a good state of mind and I wont get up to start cleaning or whatever I decide to do to procrastinate until my 40  min are up.
  5. To stay motivated I make sure to do anything and everything I can to stay inspired. I listen to podcasts, read books, and watch youtube videos often of people who are killing it in business, marketing or anything entrepeneur related. My favorite thing in the world is to get up early and start my day by running on the treadmill and listening to inspiring audio books or podcasts. I feel something about the mix of adrenalin and inspiring words gets me going and ready to take on the day.
  6. Keep my thoughts positive. With motivation you also need positive thinking. Every obstacle can be conquered and is always a way of growing. I try to look at things that way whenever my mind starts to wander, detour and get a bit negative.

Some helpful tools that might help get your motivated and on track:

Books:

Youtube:

  • Fohr Card (for aspiring bloggers)

APPS: 

  • CLEAR (for list making.. I swear by this one because its easy, you can make various lists and prioritize)
  • 5 journal (to keep you on track/motivated each day)
  • Todoist – helps you organize projects and tasks

If you guys have any recommends or suggestions please leave below!