Adult Add Making Time Your Time All Day

Do you know that there''s more than one kind of time? Yep. There are three, actually--focus time, flex time, and free time, and it''s important that you make each a part of your day, especially if you have adult ADD.

The first kind of time, focus time, should be a snap for people with adult ADD because it''s "hyperfocus" time. It''s when you really get into something that needs doing. Flex time is just what it implies---it''s flexible. During this kind of time, you see clients and return telephone calls. Free time is when you can allow your adult ADD brain to soar.

But let''s talk about focus time for a moment. During focus time, you choose a project you need to work on and you focus on it completely . You don''t answer the telephone. You don''t answer the door. You don''t do anything else, but adult ADD hyperfocus on the project at hand. If you have someone to field the calls and interruptions, great! If not, turn off the telephone and let the answering machine take messages, and buy a sign that says, "Please do not disturb," or write a note and attach one to your front door. Do not look up from your project unless it starts raining hundred dollar bills.

This focus time can get away from you, though, if you don''t set a limit. That just happens to adult ADD brains when they like what they do. So, be sure to set a timer and stick to the allotted time for focusing. Besides you also need another kind of time, and that''s flex time---a time to do other things that don''t necessarily move your business ahead, but maintenance. This could be anything from customer service to web site upgrades, but flex time is just for those types of things.

You need to give flex time some structure, though, so that your adult ADD brain can deal with the changes. Set appointments with clients, for instance, or schedule in things like sprucing up your website, calls to people who will take up a greater portion of time, etc. Just give your flex time a loose structure to make your adult ADD brain more comfortable with less chaos.

Free time can be chaotic, but it doesn''t have to be. It''s time to create, and while people with adult ADD sometimes love all the myriad things going on around them, it''s just too distracting. That''s why you need some kind of structure here, too. Set a limit for chaos, and give your brain some quiet time to absorb information. This is the time to learn and to brainstorm projects with yourself or with other people. Think of it as adult ADD creativity time. You really need it, every single day.

If you give your days some kind of structure, it helps your productivity level and it helps your adult ADD brain to be secure. You won''t have to wonder why you can''t get things done and move ahead. Breaking your day down into periods of time for different activities is a great way to keep yourself interested and to stay on track.

Tellman Knudson is CEO of Overcome Everything, Inc. and a certified hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner, and was diagnosed ADHD as a child. Find tons of adult ADD or ADHD support when you visit Instant ADD Success at http://www.instantaddsuccess.com