Recently, I
purchased Fast Minds, a book about ADHD, and from reading the first few pages,
I felt like it got me like no other book on this topic has so far.
I have to admit even before I picked it up, I
was thinking about some sort of schedule because of Over the Top's chapters on
a goals program. But I didn't know how
to make that work. I don't like writing
down every little thing and I don't like being locked into a time
schedule. When I do that, I inevitably,
unconsciously rebel and don't live up to it.
Well, according to FM, I'm not alone in that: "Some people like to
schedule out each day hour by hour.
However, many people with FAST MINDS [ADHD-like symptoms] find they are
more productive if they allow themselves periods of flexible time where they
can choose among their to-do list priorities" (77).
That's me. (See, the book gets it!)
So I started looking
for something that would also allow me room to write down stray thoughts, but I
soon realized the best approach for me is not an all-in-one. I'd rather have a little notebook for the
to-do list and thought capture. For the
actual schedule, I'll use the calendar on my cell phone, which is linked to my
Google account. This way, I can move
set-in-stone appointments and other items over to the phone, and for the rest
of the time, I can pick and choose what to do.
If I end up neglecting something important (like editing my novel, Six),
I can start scheduling it in. The best thing is versatility: I can access my calendar on my Google account, so it's handy
when I'm on the computer, or I can print it out if I need a physical copy of my
agenda, or I can set my phone to give me an alert to move on to a set task.
Hopefully, this will
get me going on being more organized and less forgetful. Also it will help discourage procrastination
on less than captivating tasks. I've
already seen it at work on these.
Now,
if only I can keep it up. :-) (It helps having lots of cute, different notebooks to choose
from.)
Cite: Surman, Craig, Tim Bilkey, and Karen Weintraub. FAST MINDS: How to Thrive If You Have ADHD (Or Think You Might). New York: Berkley Books, 2013. Print.
