ADHD

Why do we procrastinate?

The brain seeks out activates that are:

• Easy
• Fun

The brain also protects us from:

• Failure
• Danger

Things such as TV & social media meet this requirement as being easy and fun with no risk.

Getting Things Done

• Have dedicated place where you work and study that is clutter free.
• Avoid distractions.
• Focus on the 1 main goal you are trying to accomplish.
• Use the Pomodoro technique and work between 25-45 min. It’s great having a break to look forward to. (my technique 40 min work, 5 min journal, wins list, 10 min break)
• Prioritize your tasks to no more than 3 important things.
• Break tasks down into as many smaller tasks as you need for it to feel manageable. (30 min or less preferably)
• Two-Minute Rule: If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately.
• Start with easiest task first.
• Do things that move the needle towards your goal instead of busy work.
• 20-Minute Rule: Commit to working on a task for 20 minutes before rewarding yourself with downtime or leisure activities.
• Use timers to gamify tasks and track time. Set a time goal for every task.
• Take 5-10m breaks which can include grabbing a drink/snack, bathroom break, walking or meditation. Do not get distracted by going on social media, video games or anything interesting.
• Use journaling to track your progress.
• Reward yourself when getting things done. Could be as simple as a cup of coffee or tea to help motivate you to get things done.
• Write your ToDoList the day before preferable at the end of your work/study session so you know what to do the next day. Limit the list to no more than 5 things to do right away.
• Goal Setting: Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals.

Distractions

• Disable all your notifications on your phone except for essential apps (Texting, Voicemail, Calendar)
• Put your phone away from you when you are trying to get things done.
• Hide your phone away from you so you don't grab it at the start of the day.
• Lock your phone in a time lock safe.
• Have a sheet to write down all of your distractions. This helps to clear your mind of these distractions and creates a journal so you can focus on eliminating those distractions later.
• Sound proof your home/apt by installing a interior storm window if needed to block sound.
• If you do listen to music while working, make sure it is lyric free so it's not distracting.
• No multitasking: Research shows you are 40% more productive without multitasking.
• Wait to take meetings, answer emails, or other things they are not directly helping your reach our main goal until you are done with focused work.

I'm Stuck

• Chart tough decisions. Write the problem at the top of a big piece of paper, and create three columns: Reasons to do, Reasons not to do, Creative ideas.
• Wake up 5am or 6am
• Try getting out of bed fast such as 2-10 min.
• Put the alarm clock away from the bed to make you get up rather than hit the snooze button.
• Buy loud twin bell alarm clock and put it in your bathroom and set for 15 min after your main alarm clock.
• Take a cold shower in the morning or turn it cold just for 30-60 seconds at the end of your shower. Wakes you up, gets your blood flowing and gets you out of the shower.
• Start working or studying right after your bathroom morning routine. Wait to eat breakfast for 2-3 hours.
• 5 second rule: Countdown and do the thing you want to do
• Progress over perfection. It's better to get something done than nothing at all.
• Use Reverse Psychology: Tell yourself you will do the worst possible job, make a lot of mistakes, create a MVP is an example of framing the task in a way that reduces pressure and expectations. The fear of not meeting expectations or making mistakes can be paralyzing and hinder task initiation. By adopting a mindset of intentionally aiming for a less-than-perfect outcome, individuals may feel more liberated to begin the task without the fear of failure. Remember you can always fix mistakes and make adjustments after you get started.
• Commit to only 10 min. Chances are you will do more than 10 min of what you want to do.
• 10+2+5 rule: Divide each hour of your day into chunks of 10 minutes of work, plus two minutes break, done five times over (12x5=60).
• Seinfeld Method": This method involves marking a calendar with an X for each day you complete your study goal.
• 2 day rule: which is never take more than 1 day off. Though you can take off multiple times a week. (max 3)
• Try pretending you are in your own soap opera or record yourself as if you were making a YouTube video.
• Set a timer for getting onto social media such as 5 min if you have to get on social media, this will stop you from going down rabbit hole. Otherwise set certain times of the day for going on social media.
• Listen to music: Listening to music can be distracting and isn't good when you need to think for focus tasks but can be good for manual labor tasks such as cleaning or low brain activities such as reading emails. For focus work, you can put on music with no lyrics or white noise type of sound. Sometimes this can be used as a last resort to get your day started and you can set a timer to limit yourself to 30 min of music at the start of your day.
• Boredom therapy: Practice going without social media for periods of time starting with 20 min and extending to the end of your focus work. You could also try going 2 weeks without social media.
• https://wheelofnames.com/ to use if can't decide what method to try if have unproductive day.
• Regular Review and Adjustment: Periodically review your strategies and make adjustments as needed.
• Get support if necessary: Body doubling, ADHD/accountability coach, professional help or find like-minded people.

Cleaning

• There are only 3 things you need to clean: Trash, Dishes, Laundry.
• Set routine for other cleaning chores such as sweeping/moping, bathroom cleaning, dusting, etc.
• Buy paper plates and plastic utensils to reduce the amount of dishes you have to do.
• Make a cleaning basket to store all your cleaning supplies for easy access.
• If you can afford it: Get a cleaning person; It takes them 3 hours to do what you can do in 3 weeks.

Keeping Clutter Under Control

• Everything new that comes into the home has a landing area
• Have a designated spot for every single item (Put it in the same place every time)
• Have a “misc” basket in each room. If you’re truly unable to put something away, put it in the basket.
• If you’re moving from one room to another, take the item with you that needs to go to the other room. It’s already on your way and it’s one less thing cluttering your room.
• Use paperless billing to get rid of excess mail.
• Nip clutter in the bud. Collect and sort my mail daily over a recycling wastebasket, so that junk mail doesn’t make it to my desk. Same for receipts.
• Pounce on paper. When new paperwork comes into the house, immediately sort it into Action Required, Might Act On Someday, Reference/Cold Storage, or Trash. The Action Required items go into a bin, and onto my to-do list.
• Create “capture” areas. Create capture spaces for “grabbing” stuff where it enters, like a mail bin and key hanger near the front door.
• Closet control. For every new piece of clothing that I purchase, I get rid of one old item. That means socks with holes in them, too.

Minimalism

• Start by decluttering each room methodically. Assess each item and decide whether it's necessary or adds value to your life. Make 3 piles of all your stuff: Yes, no, and maybe piles. Donate, sell, or discard items in the "no" pile that you no longer use or need. The "maybe" pile you can box up and decide later what to do with it.
• Digitize: Digitizing physical items like books, documents, photographs, and music can save space and reduce clutter. Invest in e-readers, cloud storage solutions, and digital organization tools to manage your digital files efficiently.
• Capsule wardrobe: Streamline your wardrobe by creating a capsule wardrobe consisting of versatile, high-quality clothing items that can be mixed and matched to create various outfits. Donate or sell clothes that you no longer wear or need.
• Be able to live out of one carryon backpack for traveling.
• Where Will This Live?: Consider the consequences of purchases before making them.
• The 24-hour rule: Whenever you go to make an impulsive decision or impulsively sign-up for something, give yourself a mandatory cooling-off period. Aim for at least 24-hours before diving in.

Memory

• Use apps like Notion, Google Keep, Google Calendars to keep track of things.
• Have an idea, task that need done, contact number, etc, write it down immediately digitally so you won't forget and can let the idea go and focus on other things.
• Put your wallet, keys, id tags, all in one small basket so you can easily grab what you need before you leave.
• Park in the same place every time when you go to a common place.
• Get a Tile or Apple AirTag to help you find lost important items.
• If you need to remember to bring something with you the next day, place it right in front of the exit door so you HAVE to touch it before you leave the house.
• Make a checklist of all the things you need to pack in your luggage to travel and pack the night before. Keep 2nd set of toiletries, chargers and other items to speed up packing.
• Dress the night before. Lay out my clothes and critical items for the next day the previous evening.
• Time trick. Focus on the time I need to leave to get to your destination on time, not the time of the appointment.
• Buy multiple items that you use often. Setup multiple chargers at work/home (so you have a spare if you lose one).
• Use notepads to remind yourself of important things and put them when you can't miss them such as on the steering wheel of your car, on your alarm clock, etc.

Studying

• Use Spaced Repetition to study for your exams.
• Use text-to-speech generators to help you read webpages/books.
• Get good at creating detailed outlines before you write a paper.

Fitness and Nutrition

• If you are Vitamin D deficient then take Vitamin D supplements (see a doctor first). It’ll help your mood and energy levels. Take vitamins for anything you are deficient in.
• Eat lots of protein and stay hydrated.
• Exercise such as walking, running, biking, and swimming to help improve energy levels and mental focus.
• Yoga Practice: Dedicate 10-15 minutes daily to a yoga practice to improve well-being, frustration tolerance, and stress levels.
• Avoid things such as caffeine, excess alcohol, etc.
• Stretch: Create a quick 2-5 min stretching routine you can do every day.
• Chores as Exercise: Use chores as a form of exercise by monitoring your steps or movement.
  

Sleeping and Relaxing

• Take 3 deep breaths. Your heart rate will drop and your mind will clear.
• Meditation for 20-30m will help keep you present in the moment and be better able to focus on a single task. (start with 5-10m)
• Sleep Mask: Using an eye mask or blackout curtains can completely transform your sleep because darkness is key to keeping melatonin flowing.
• Turn temperate down to 65 to 68 degrees for peak melatonin production during sleep.
• Get sunlight to increase help your mood.
• Use static black out film to block light from coming into the bedroom.
• Wake up at the same time every morning: Your body’s sleep system thrives on consistency. Keeping a regular wake time is the most realistic way to maintain a consistent schedule and regulate your sleep hormones.
• Schedule downtime: Set aside some time every week (or even a slot every day) to just do whatever the heck you want. You can blast music, zone out on your phone, indulge in a hobby– whatever brings you joy.
• Avoid Caffeine Before Bed: Skip caffeinated beverages within 5-7 hours of bedtime.

Positive Mindsets

• Emphasis on Progress, Not Perfection: Focusing on progress rather than perfection can help alleviate feelings of self-criticism and promote a sense of accomplishment.
• Gratitude Practice: Set daily reminders to practice gratitude, pausing to reflect on something you are grateful for.
• Positive Affirmations: Create and regularly change positive affirmations placed in visible areas to boost self-esteem and self-love.
• Enjoy the journey: Learn how to enjoy the process of getting from point A to point B rather than the end goal.
• Maintain a Growth Mindset: Cultivate a growth mindset to embrace challenges and see them as opportunities for growth instead of a fixed mindset.
• Accept the highs and lows: Learning to accept the emotions that you experience without judgement can bring a ton of relief.
• Embrace mistakes and failure: Mistakes and failure = growth + they make life more exciting with some good stories to tell. Nobody is perfect.
• Overthinking: Doing things can be up to 10X more efficient than planning how to do something. It's better to start doing something before you have the perfect plan.
• Embrace Neurodiversity: View ADHD as a unique brain wiring, not a limitation.
• Discover Your Strengths: Identify your unique strengths, such as creativity, hyperfocus, or out-of-the-box thinking.
• You are not alone: Many people have ADHD including successful entrepreneurs and celebrities

How to Become Rich in 2024

• Live your life backwards: Figure out what you want to sell people first, how to sell to them, then build the audience.
• Have a lot of great ideas, and have the discipline to pick ONE: Give this idea your full effort.
• Say NO to almost everything: So that you can spend time on the ONE thing that matters.
• Be very Consistent: Never take more than one day off working on his idea.
• Prioritize Discomfort: Progress over perfection and learn to enjoy the journey.

What do I do that works

• Wake up 5am or 6am
• Try getting out of bed fast such as 2-10 min.
• Start working or studying right after your bathroom morning routine. Wait to eat breakfast for 2-3 hours.
• I don't get onto social media till after lunch. (gives me 4-7.5hrs of focus work)
• Doing tasks: focus 3 priorities, 1 main goal, moving the needle, breaking down large tasks into smaller ones, journaling, timers to track time with 10 min breaks.