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Time Management and ADD/ADHD

Someone recently asked me if TM4SA is good for people with ADD/ADHD or "just normal people"?

First, I should say I'm no expert at ADD/ADHD but I was diagnosed as "hyper-active" in the mid-70s, which was before we had terms like ADD/ADHD (or if we did, they weren't commonly used term). I think that I developed some of my techniques out of trying to survive being hyper-active.

I know that some people with ADD/ADHD find it comforting to be able to "fall into" a structured system like "The Cycle" (the name of the technique discussed in the book). Certainly when I'm feeling frustrated and flustered, I find that if I "turn on" The Cycle, it makes it easier for me to "turn off" distractions and get focused.

I do mention ADD/ADHD at one point in the book when discussing multi-tasking. Too little multitasking is inefficient, and too much is confusing. That's true with anyone. I've had friends with ADD/ADHD tell me that they feel more comfortable multitasking (I think their words were, "I can't work unless I'm multi-tasking."). My suggestion here is that the "right balance" is different when you are younger than when you are older: consider re-evaluating where the pendulum has swung every few years. Everyone is different, and we change over time. Working where you are optimal is important. Personally, I a different every day depending on how much sleep I got the night before!

I'll throw the question back to the readers of this blog: If you are ADD/ADHD, did you find TM4SA useful? I'd love to hear from people.

Posted by Tom Limoncelli in Time Management

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