Finding the Right Amount of "Too Much To Do"
Finding the Right Amount of "Too Much To Do"
Every Day is unique, learning to start it dynamically can change your chance of success dramatically.
If you have ADHD, you’re already aware that ‘deficit’ is the wrong word for the classification. The problem is Too Much Attention, we have a hard time filtering down to the right things to focus on.
When it comes to managing my day and feeling like I’ve done something, I thrive when it feels like there is more work to do than I have time, or more ideas than I can handle… to a point.
The problem is, it’s a moving target!
Whether you’re confirmed to have ADHD or just thrive with some amount of chaos, it’s a solvable problem
Start With a List
You need to start your day with some form of list, your things to do for that day. Keep it simple, whether it’s a piece of paper with items, or digital, don’t over-complicate things.
An ideal list will have maybe 3 key details per item:
What do you need to do? - Simpler is better, each thing should feel like you can do it in less than an hour.
How long should it take to do it? - can you do it in 5 minutes, or will it take an hour?
If it takes more than an hour, can you break it down to something shorter? Create a series of tasks.
What is the priority? - If you do this thing today, will it ‘move the needle?’
If you feel capable, consider how much mental energy it’ll take to do the thing.
This list can be as large or small as you choose, feel free to put too many things on it, because the next thing to do is test it against your headspace.
Know Your Limits
Self-Awareness and Time Management come in to play here. Look at your calendar, see if you have meetings or appointments or anything time critical, then build your day around that.
Consider your mental energy and mental health next. Does that list look easy or overwhelming? Try re-ordering the list, put the easy things up front, or things that you know you can do quickly.
Some days you can crush anything, other days can be hard. Learn to spot those days early and plan accordingly.
Plan Your Day
Knowing your list, having your priorities and recognizing where your head is at is how you should always start your day. It allows you to set a more realistic schedule.
Time Blocking - If you have a bunch of short tasks, you can set a timer and just say I’m going to churn through as many as possible in this time.
Deep Work - For creative work, find space in your calendar when you can block off a larger chunk of time for creative work, set a timer and remove distractions and create. Plan this for a time when you know you have more mental energy, for me that’s mid-morning.
Different strategies work for different brains, so you may need to search to figure out your best method.
The most important thing you can do is keep your list nearby so you can keep going back to it. If you have less energy, keep part of the list hidden so you’re only seeing a handful of things at a time. Or just plan to only get that much done, then re-evaluate midday.
The Right Amount of ”Too Much To Do”
Again, ‘Too Much’ is different for different people and on different days. The goal is to learn to recognize your limits early and then plan for them accordingly.
While everyone deals with what ‘too much’ looks like, an ADHD brain can have a hard time doing that dynamically. The better you know yourself, your limits and your energy, the easier it’ll be to find success.