Structure And The ADD/ADHD Entrepreneur
Structure is a word that often carries a negative connotation in the workplace. We sometimes think of structure as meaning rigid and inflexible, with lots of rules and regulations. But what if it instead meant something positive? What if structure was not just about making sure our desk was neat or that we showed up to work on time, but also about setting the right goals and having a plan for reaching them?
As an ADD/ADHD entrepreneur, I know all too well how important it is to have good structures in place both internally (for myself) and externally. I've learned to harness my ADHD energy by breaking my tasks down into manageable chunks so they're more readily achievable. I never set out to achieve a big goal unless I know exactly what I'm going to do to get there.
In this article, I'm going to tell you all about structure in the ADD/ADHD-friendly workplace and how it can help you become more successful with your ADD/ADHD.
3 Ideas To Help You Better Structure Your Work Day
#1 Have A Chart Of Your Tasks And Check Them Off As You Go Along – We all know there's an art to getting things done in an efficient way, and one of the most useful tools is a checklist. Sure, at first it may seem like you're being held back from doing important work by having to check off boxes, but after time you'll see how it helps keep you on task and prevents you from veering too far off track.
But sometimes making your own checklist can be too cumbersome of a task. If that's the case, there are plenty of templates and checklists out there that will make your checklist-making process a whole lot easier. Here are a few of them:
The Bullet Journal – A community based site that showcases the many ways people use a bullet journal to keep track of their tasks and goals. There's a wide variety of tools and methods you can use, but I prefer using the simplest: just making a list of all the things I want to accomplish in each day.
A community based site that showcases the many ways people use a bullet journal to keep track of their tasks and goals. There's a wide variety of tools and methods you can use, but I prefer using the simplest: just making a list of all the things I want to accomplish in each day. Simple Checklist – A checklist site with a clean and simple design. It has all the options you'd need to create a checklist that works for you, including color coding and sub-listing.
A checklist site with a clean and simple design. It has all the options you'd need to create a checklist that works for you, including color coding and sub-listing. Checkmark 2 – A site with a wide array of options and features, including a standard checklist that you can use to build your own custom lists and a scheduler that helps you plan out your day in advance.
#2 Delegate Tasks To Someone Else – When you have ADD/ADHD, it's easy to get caught up in doing certain tasks yourself even though they may be more appropriately assigned to someone else. This is where a good manager can come in handy.
Of course, if you aren't working for someone else, as many ADD/ADHD entrepreneurs are, then it's important for you to be able to recognize when you are capable of handling certain tasks and when you aren't. Only by stepping back and objectively evaluating your strengths and weaknesses can you determine who should do what.
Here are a few examples of how you can delegate tasks to help you become more comfortable delegating:
Granola, the free online project management software, has a dedicated task delegation feature that makes it easy to assign tasks to other people. Here's what the interface looks like: Simply create a checklist for each task or set of tasks. You can include detailed instructions on how to complete each task or add notes about if things need to be done in bulk or individually. Then, share these checklists with the other people who will be filling them out. They'll get a notification and you can quickly see when tasks have been assigned or completed.
Clear, the task management software for Mac and iOS, has a feature that allows you to assign tasks to other people by email. All you have to do is click the "assign" button next to the current status of a task (not yet started, in progress, or completed), type in the email address of the person you want to assign it to, and choose whether they'll need permission before they can change it. You can also easily send your entire task list through email and add recipients as necessary. Clear makes it easy to put your tasks in motion without any extra hassle.
#3 Keep Long-Term Goals Visible – On top of structuring your work day and delegating tasks, you also want to be clear about some of your long-term goals and objectives.
For example: "Win the $5,000 grant for the ADD/ADHD business I'm applying for by June 1st." "Find a way to increase my monthly income by $100." "Create a content marketing program that will improve my chances of landing new clients." "Publish a book on time this year."
You should make it clear what these goals are and how they can be achieved. If you can't do this, then someone who knows you well should be able to fill in the blanks.
Why We Need Structure When Working with ADD/ADHD
As someone who's struggled with ADHD and ADD/ADHD, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of daily life. It's easy to feel like you're working hard and accomplishing a lot when really, all you're doing is putting out short-term fires. At this point, it would be helpful for me to talk about why structure is important for entrepreneurs with ADHD:
It helps us set goals and reach them . It's easy to get overwhelmed when you're working on a lot of projects at the same time, and certain types of ADHD can make it even harder to stay focused on what really matters. Structure helps us identify what we want to accomplish and how we're going to get there.
It's easy to get overwhelmed when you're working on a lot of projects at the same time, and certain types of ADHD can make it even harder to stay focused on what really matters. Structure helps us identify what we want to accomplish and how we're going to get there. It helps us focus . By showing us clearly where our priorities lie, structure enables our minds to focus more easily on the tasks at hand.
Conclusion
We all have our challenges. I personally fell into a lengthy period of not being able to focus for a year or two after I was diagnosed with ADHD.
In the meantime, I learned my lessons the hard way and used those lessons to teach myself how to become more successful and productive again. And now, almost eight years later, I've even written a free eBook that can help you do the same thing:
If you found this post helpful, be sure to leave me a comment below or click here for my Supercharge Your Workday checklist!
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