Adult ADHD: 7 Proven Productivity Tips

Are you looking for proven productivity tips?

Do you want to take your care to the next level?

Would you like to improve your focus, organization, and productivity?

Productivity doesn’t necessarily mean working longer hours or working faster. To me, it means working more efficiently and effectively with specific, strategies that work.  As an experienced productivity coach and consultant, I help people improve their focus, organization, and time management to reach their goals.

For example, take Eric*, who is is a 28-year-old professional who completed business school last year and is currently working in accounting for a real estate firm. He contacted me because he was ambitious and had specific goals to take his career to the next level and knew that he needed some new strategies. For people who are looking to achieve their goals more effectively like Eric, here are seven strategies that may improve your performance and effectiveness, especially within the workplace.

1. Create Your Schedule The Night Before and Productivity Tips

Many people start their day spending a lot of time trying to figure out where to start, surfing the Internet, or chatting with colleagues. A great way to start your day with a bang is to write out a schedule the night before. This is not your calendar but may include some of those items. Focus on your top priorities and anticipate any obstacles.

2. Under-promise and Over-Deliver to Improve Productivity

Many of us are overly optimistic about what we can accomplish in a day. Thus, we promise our managers, families, and ourselves that we will get “just one more thing” done. This can create constant pressure and take the “wind out of our sails” when we don’t deliver.

I recommend that people promise or commit less and then as they are working, to over-deliver. This allows for more success and improved productivity.

3. Cluster Tasks

Answering phone calls, checking emails, and surfing the Internet are huge time sinks in our days. Thus, cluster certain tasks to specific times of the day. For example, you might decide to check your emails only once in the morning and once in the afternoon. This allows you to focus on your key priorities without constant interruptions.

4. Reward Yourself

Research shows that rewarding yourself improves productivity and consistency. No matter how small the task is, say to yourself “Good Job” after you have started a business proposal, returned a phone call, or completed filing a pile. When it is a larger project or goal, you might reward yourself with a walk around the park, going out to lunch with a friend to a special restaurant, or going for a massage. It is more important to acknowledge your “wins” than the actual reward.

5. Write Out the Steps

There are many tasks or projects we avoid because they seem daunting or confusing. An effective way to overcome this is to take out a sheet of paper and start writing out the steps. The exact order doesn’t matter.

If you don’t know how to do a particular step, write out “find out how to….”. You might also work with a colleague or friend to discuss what the steps are.
REMEMBER: Write it out. Don’t just discuss the great ideas. Then, decide what the first steps are. After you have some momentum, you can organize the steps and add any additional items.

6. Create Goals

Create goals for different time periods including the year, quarter, and month. The most effective goals are specific and have a deadline. Also, by writing them in the present tense, it sends the message to yourself that you are going to complete it. For example, “I am reaching my sales goal of $500,000 by December 31st.”

7. Develop Protocols

For tasks or projects that are repeated, develop a protocol. If there are ten steps for a specific task, write out a protocol that includes each of these steps. This improves the motivation to do a certain task and also ensures that nothing slips through the cracks. It also allows the task to be accomplished more quickly.

Conclusion

Eric and I worked together for several months as he learned and incorporated several of the above productivity tips. He developed protocols for improving his work-flow and client management. He used a calendar where he planned each day the night before. His sales increased by twenty percent within the next six months. Many of my clients, like Eric, have successfully improved their professional and personal effectiveness and productivity by using these strategies. It has been extremely rewarding for me to be part of their journey. 

 

 

About Scott Shapiro, MD

Scott Shapiro, MD is a New York City psychiatrist based in midtown New York City who provides assessments, evaluations, treatment, and counseling in person and remotely by video. He helps people with Adult ADHD, Depression and Anxiety reach their goals. To learn more about Adult ADHD, contact Dr. Shapiro at 212-631-8010.

 

He uses evidence-based treatments including psychopharmacology, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and schema therapy.

*Disclaimer: All details about any persons have been completely changed to protect confidentiality.