Many of us ADHDers struggle with low productivity and constant procrastination. ⁣ ⁣ As a business owner or working professional, this can have severe consequences. ⁣ ⁣ A study published in 2020 estimates that the lifetime cost of productivity losses for an individual with ADHD is approximately $1.2 million.⁣⁣ ⁣ So we could also interpret this as how much your inaction costs you over the lifetime. ⁣ ⁣ So as knowledge workers, as many of us ADHDers are, we should understand the difference between DEEP WORK and SHALLOW WORK to prevent these costs. ⁣ ⁣ What is DEEP WORK?⁣ ⁣ - Cognitively demanding tasks​⁣ - Need dedicated focus​⁣ - Can't be easily automated, outsourced, or replicated​⁣ - Create new value or improve a skill⁣ ⁣ What is SHALLOW WORK? ⁣ ⁣ - Do not require any significant cognitive effort​⁣ - Can be easily replicated, automated, or done by someone less skilled​⁣ - Low-value tasks, often multitasked, do not result in meaningful impact on goals​⁣ - But create the false impression of progress, connectedness, action⁣ ⁣ I give you an example to drive this concept home: ⁣ ⁣ - DEEP WORK: In 30 mins, you typed 500 words WRITING YOUR BOOK.⁣ ⁣ - SHALLOW WORK: In 30 mins, you typed 500 words RESPONDING TO EMAILS.⁣ ⁣ Conclusion: Same "ACTION." Much different "OUTPUT." ⁣ ⁣ To implement this concept start using time blocking and differentiate between blocks of focused work (deep work) and blocks of low-value tasks (shallow work). ⁣ ⁣ The nice side effect of this is that it prevents distractions from interrupting, thus improving your ability to concentrate.⁣

If it’s not planned, it’s not a priority.⁣ I realized the key to turning desire into action is not motivation, but implementation planning. Having a plan can improve the chances of achieving and sticking to a goal. How do we create an implementation intention or plan? Example: “During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of active exercise on [DAY] at [TIME] in [PLACE].” (Quote: James Clear) Key Takeaway: people who plan precisely when and where to execute a new habit are more likely to follow through. ⁣ PS: "A study in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that 91% people who planned their intention to exercise by writing down when and where they would exercise each week ended up following through." - James Clear

Being an ADHD high-performance coach is a demanding job. Simultaneously pursuing a master's degree in general management at an elite uni, too. So, I had to find a way - a structure - to fit everything into my schedule. First, let's define structure: -Structure is when you always know what to do next. -Simply put, it's when you know when to do what. Having a clear structure serves me with 3 benefits: 1. Saves time 2. Reduce stress and overwhelm 3. Better focus Now, how to create a structure? Here are 4 steps: STEP 1: First step is getting CLARITY on all the tasks you should be doing on a daily basis. STEP 2: Group similar tasks based on what purpose they have. STEP 3: Make checklists (simple execution processes). STEP 4: Time to put everything together in your calendar. I use Google Calendar. Going through these 4 steps was really helpful for my ADHD brain. And it may help you as well.

When I had 6 hours free, I took all 6 hours to study because there was no urgency...⁣ ⁣ ...but when I only had 3 hours before working out or a meeting, I achieved the same amount of work or even more, because the shorter time made me concentrate and work faster.⁣ ⁣ That is the power of Parkinson's Law!⁣ ⁣ 💡Parkinson's Law is the idea that "work expands to fill the time available for its completion."⁣ ⁣ Simply put: The more time I have, the longer I take to do something.⁣ ⁣ Understanding this, I leveraged this law to my advantage by setting artificial deadlines and working with timers.⁣ ⁣ Here are 4 reasons why my ADHD brain loves this law: ⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣Urgency: The limited time keeps me engaged and prevents my attention from wandering off-task.⁣ ⁣ 2️⃣Efficiency over perfection: Limited time pushes me to prefer practical solutions over unnecessary perfection.⁣ ⁣ 3️⃣Prioritization: I learn to tackle important tasks first, avoiding time-wasters.⁣ ⁣ 4️⃣Structure: It gives me a clear structure, helping me focus without getting lost in unbounded time.⁣ ⁣ Applying Parkinson's Law can make workdays more manageable for us ADHDers. ⁣ ⁣ Here's how to start:⁣ ⁣ 👉Prioritize Tasks: Pick the most important tasks for the next day each evening, focusing only on those.⁣ ⁣ 👉Set Clear Deadlines: Decide on short, specific time limits for each task you need to do, like one hour for reading a report.⁣ ⁣ 👉Use a Timer: Start a countdown for each task, pushing you to work faster and stay on track, avoiding the perfection trap.⁣ ⁣ This law, along with other tactics, saved me over 20 hours a week. ⁣ ⁣ And it might work for you too!⁣ ⁣ 📲Comment "ACTION" if you will apply artificial deadlines to your workdays. ⁣ ⁣ Nicola ⁣

...necessarily have more willpower. They figure out how to change their environment ahead of time to make it easy for them later. So it's not about "resisting" the chocolate right now. It's about removing them from sight three days ago. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.