You know how it’s easy to just float through the day and not get stuff done? And then crawl into bed (or wake up at 2am) feeling guilty and frustrated? That’s not a recipe for ADHD Success.
Old Dana, before I stepped into the delightful world of ADHD Success, didn’t get stuff done. I also didn’t have as much carefree fun because everything was such a cluttered mess.
Sure, I goofed off and relaxed a lot, but I didn’t enjoy it because I felt like I didn’t deserve it. This is why I feel so strongly about teaching you and other ADHD adults how to outsmart their ADHD.
What I want for you is the complete opposite of that. I want you to get the important stuff done. To have a nice balance of productivity and fun in your day. To do that, you need to understand my formula for structuring a productive day.
My Secret To Having a Productive Day
My secret sauce to having a productive day with ADHD is to intentionally include three parts in your day: your morning routine, your Productivity Part, and your evening routine.
Yes, you will probably have other parts in your day (social engagements, appointments, volunteer), but these three – morning routine, Productivity Part, and evening routine – are key pieces to living easier with ADHD.
(We have full modules for my formulas for building your morning and evening routines in the Success Club. We start up again in September – you can learn those there!)
Today, we’re diving into the Productivity Part. Because the reality is that you need to get stuff done. Unless you have a staff of people and can sit around and play on your phone all day, right? You need a Productivity Part of your day.
What Do You Do During the Productivity Part of Your Day?
What you do depends on your life and what you’re up to. I divide the Productivity Part of my day into two parts:
- Work: During the Productivity Part of my work day, I’m writing and coaching and answering emails and doing administrative stuff that I can’t delegate. You know…work stuff.
- Home: During my Productivity Part of my home time, I’m tidying or organizing something or cleaning or running errands or cooking dinner or gardening or doing laundry or paperwork or packing for a trip or painting a room or whatever. You know…the kind of stuff that we avoid doing and need to do. The kind of stuff that if you were to do it regularly, a little bit at a time, your life would be much more peaceful and calm.
I also have a lot of fun parts built into my life – that’s essential for my relationships with other people and my happiness.
When Do You Do the Productivity Part of Your Day?
You have some flexibility here. Remember your structures need to be firm enough to keep you on track and soft enough to adjust for your life.
I typically recommend that after you do your morning routine and your brain is fresh and ready to face the world, you step into your Productivity Part. I find if I don’t do it early on, it’s less likely to get done.
For me on work days, the Productivity Part starts when I sit at my desk and get to work. It’s a longer chunk of time where I expect to be at my desk running the business.
Right after work, I have a small Productivity Part so I can get house stuff done. If it’s my night to cook dinner, it’ll be a bigger Productivity Part. When those chores are done, I get to relax and enjoy life. It’s flexible YET intentional.
On weekends, my Productivity Part varies. Some weekends we’ll have a big project. Some weekends it’s tiny, especially if we’re doing something fun, going on an adventure, meeting friends or whatever. Even if it’s emptying the dishwasher or cleaning the toilet or watering the plants or throwing in a load of laundry. Stuff still needs to get done.
Key Takeaways for Having a Productive ADHD Day
So the key thing for you to remember is:
- You need a Productivity Part of your day
- It is flexible according to your day’s plans and activities
- Intentionally slipping a Productivity Part into your day is a key ADHD Success Skill that will take you far.
Here are my questions for you:
- Where will you insert a Productivity Part into your day?
- What will you do then?
- What other ADHD Success Skills do you need to learn to make this possible? Hint – push past procrastination…
Living easier with ADHD is possible and worth it. I encourage you to fight for a more peaceful, fun life.
Here are more tips to have a productive day with ADHD:
- Episode 198 of Kick Some ADHD: Have an ADHD Productive Day
- Episode 199 of Kick Some ADHD: ADHD Tip: Jumpstart Your Day
- Episode 200 of Kick Some ADHD: Planning Low Bar
- ADHD Priorities: Create a Guide to What’s Important
- Build Your ADHD Prioritizing Skills
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