ADHD Time Management: How to Make Prioritizing EASY
Hello, fellow ADHD-ers! Yes, I, too have ADHD and was diagnosed in kindergarten. If you’re reading this, you probably struggle with time management (welcome to the club!). Rest assured that that’s completely normal.
If you’ve tried the Pomodoro Method, the 2-Minute Rule, Eat the Frog, and other time management strategies, you’re probably feeling frustrated. But it’s not YOUR fault these strategies aren’t working for you. Remember - our brains work differently than other people’s! This is why typical time management strategies for neurotypical people DON’T WORK for us.
Typical time management strategies for neurotypical people don’t work for us.
Instead of going down these paths, you need a time management strategy that’s designed for the ADHD brain.
The Trouble With Prioritizing
Think about everything you’ve tried to do to prioritize and better manage your time:
Maybe you’ve created those 4-section matrices (see example at left) but end up with all your tasks as urgent and important.
Maybe you keep buying planners, only to forget to use them and toss them aside after a week.
Maybe you use post-it notes to write down your tasks, and forget things when you misplace them.
Maybe you write out to-do lists a mile long and feel too overwhelmed to get started on anything.
Whatever your struggles, know that you’re not alone - and there are strategies to help you succeed even with ADHD.
What is the ABC Method?
In a recent webinar from ThriveWithADD, Bonnie Mincu broke down the 3 Essential Process Skills to Break ADHD Paralysis, in which she introduced the ABC Method. You can watch that fabulous webinar by clicking here!
The ABC Method is a genius ADHD time management strategy that helps you prioritize your tasks.
ABC is an acronym.
A - Anticipation
B - Blocks
C - Consequences
Let’s break this down piece by piece.
A - Anticipation
Anticipation involves making a projection forward based on what you know right know and from what you’ve experienced in the past.
Ask yourself:
“What might I need further down the line that should be started now?”
“Are there steps of this project that will require other people’s input or cooperation?”
“Is there an important opportunity coming up that I need to be ready for?” For example, if you were looking for your dream job, you wouldn’t want to wait to update your resume until the day you found the job listing!
“Are there any sudden tech needs?” If you’re needing to use Zoom for work meetings, it’s smart to go ahead and install Zoom and get familiar with it BEFORE your meeting.
B - Blocks
Blocks are the things standing in your way of success.
Ask yourself “What things might stop me from completing these tasks?”
If you’re having trouble figuring out what those may be, try the V-DAPS Method. This strategy, which is also mentioned in Mincu’s webinar, can eliminate those blocks at the beginning of any project.
Lack of interest or impatience with organizational steps can be blocks to your efficiency. Getting your information and tasks organized is a hugely important step of this process. They don’t have to be complex and will save you an ENORMOUS amount of time and discomfort later if you get organized now. Status reports and charts are a great way to keep tasks organized!
C - Consequences
Consequences are the things that will or won’t happen if you do or don’t complete a task quickly.
Ask yourself:
“What are the positive and negative consequences of completing this task first?”
“What are the positive and negative consequences of not completing this task first?”
Think of these both in terms of risk and reward. So, for example, a risk of not putting your house on the market right away is financial loss due to market drops.
“What are the rewards of making this a priority task versus something else?”
These rewards may be more money, a commission or bonus, a potential career opportunity, greater personal satisfaction, etc.
Note that some projects and tasks don’t have any particular reward, but must be done anyway (like filing your taxes).
Visualize Your Tasks
Now that you’ve walked through the steps of the ABC Method, visualize them altogether. Narrow your list down to your top few tasks.
Create a simple chart in Excel or Microsoft Word and list all your priority to-dos under the first column.
Label the columns as ACTIVITY, ANTICIPATION, BLOCKS, CONSEQUENCES, and URGENCY.
Under each column, identify the anticipation, blocks, risks and rewards for each task.
At this point, you have a visual representation of your priority tasks and a better perspective on which items to prioritize and how.
I really hope this blog has helped you to better manage your time and prioritize your tasks. Let me know in the comments!
