I’m actually ADD and not ADHD, according to some doctor from when I was in 2nd grade, but I believe it. And “ADHD productivity” ranks better in Google keywords than ADD.

Since I stopped taking meth in high school, I had to find my own methods for getting things done. For me, that meant:

• Getting rid of everything that doesn’t serve my purpose
• Only pursuing the hobbies and jobs that unlock my autism
• Adopting a detached lifestyle of “whatever happens, happens” to cope with constantly forgetting everything important

And here’s how I’ve been struggling in those areas:

• I was blaming my environment-related stress on my disorganized material possessions, resulting in unnecessarily throwing out tons of stuff in garbage bags, all in the name of minimalism
• Nearly every job becomes mundane and routine, and I can’t keep job-hopping forever
• Not always a great mindset to have when you become responsible for other people

I’m not one to try and fall back on disabilities to make myself feel better, but I recognized that I needed to identify what’s going on in my brain and address it. I couldn’t neglect it anymore. So that’s why I stopped ignoring my diagnosis and started doing some research on “ADHD productivity.”

Along the way I found a great video that has proven very effective for me:

Let Me Just Recap That Video Into My Own Actionable Steps Right Here:

1. You need to be able to SEE time and how it relates to what you’re trying to complete.

• Define what you need to do, like “Finish this draft by 6:00pm”
• Write that on a note and keep it visible
• Get a clock and keep it in the same line of sight
• You will then be able to better visualize how much time you have left

I have heard of the Pomodoro technique and have tried it many times, but it just doesn’t work for me. I’ve even tried Time Timer which shows you a visual representation of time diminishing.

Somehow, switching the method from “finish before the timer runs out” to “finish before the time on the clock hits this number” is far more effective for getting my ass in gear. That might have to do with the next step:

2. Work toward distinct, short milestones and take breaks when necessary

I can generate insane autism for a task when it actually matters to me. I’ll be at the computer for 5 hours with hardly any breaks. But I can only get in that mode when doing something that’s fun or strikes a chord with me—it’s not going to happen for work that has become mundane or routine.

When it comes to “low dopamine” tasks, here’s how you can manage:

• In your note that you’re going to keep visible, make sure to define what you need to achieve (e.g. finish this draft)
• But actually, revise that to the smallest, manageable task. (e.g. finish one subheading of the draft). Then take a break.

ADD/ADHD brain has a hard time feeling motivated to complete a large project if you no longer have that initial spark of enthusiasm you did in the beginning. Even the coolest projects can be dropped, not because they’re boring, but because the idea of doing the work is daunting. Breaking it up into smaller tasks and tackling them while attaching a time to have it done by will help energize you. And I mean that literally. When I use this technique, I find that my ability to focus increases and I get mentally stuck in the “zone” for a couple hours even after I finish working. Make this your superpower!!!

To shit on Pomodoro again, I think this explains why that method doesn’t work for me. Pomodoro uses rigid intervals of working and resting, but I’ve always found that this is a hinderance. If I start working and am on a roll, I’m not going to stop and rest—I would rather keep chugging along until I’m finished or until my brain stops working for me. Because really, it’s not about working slow and steady for X amount of time, it’s about completing a goal and using the time as a creative restraint for getting it done.

So basically, Pomodoro is like running a marathon, and what I’m suggesting is sprinting toward your finish line with a nice break after.

3. Set up Some Rewards for Yourself

This is something I’ve always had trouble with. Creating consequences/rewards just doesn’t seem to work for me.

But I have found greater success by writing down my reward/punishment along with defining my task. So now our note becomes:

“Finish one subheading of this draft by 6:00pm and you can eat a cookie”

And then put that cookie in the same field of view of your note and the clock. You’ll probably get your task done real fast, now.

Note: I don’t think this is always necessary. Sometimes just knowing that completing the task will get me closer to freedom is enough of a motivator, especially if the task is pretty small. But I would definitely use it in bigger, more boring, more routine, time-consuming tasks. Back when I used to send cold pitches to potential freelance clients, I used to set out 5 goldfish crackers and eat one for every pitch I sent (the visual aspect of watching the goldfish disappear as you get closer to your goal is very helpful here; would have been more powerful if I had included a timer next to them).

4. Refuel Your Brain’s Magic Meter

As the guy explains in the video way better than I can, the part of your brain that governs executive functioning needs to recharge. There are also things you can do or ingest to recharge it, and you can even develop it to become stronger.

So basically this part of your brain is your magic meter.

Instead of green potions and great fairy upgrades, you can replenish it and develop it by:

• Breaks of at least 10 minutes between completing your defined tasks
• At least 3 minutes of meditation/relaxation
• Visualizing the rewards you’ll give yourself for completing your task
• Routine physical exercise (personally I’ve always found that doing some jump rope or practicing my precision jumps helps get brain/blood flowing)
• Ingesting sugar throughout your tasks, but don’t go crazy (e.g. sip on some Gatorade, don’t guzzle it or cram down a bunch of snacks)

Putting it All Together

Here’s the recap in step-by-step format:

1. Figure out what you need to get done
2. Break that down into a smaller, more manageable task—one that makes you think, “Yeah, I can definitely do that,” without it being too easy.
3. Establish a time that you want to have it done by
4. If necessary, include a reward or consequence
5. Keep a clock next to the note
6. Get to work!
7. Take a break after completing your task
8. Repeat

And here’s an example of how to define your task:

Bad note: “Finish my work”

Good note: “Finish step 1 of my work by 12:00pm and you may buy a box sushi for lunch”

So that’s it. Let me know if it works for you. Bye!!!