Even if must-do items are on your calendar, smart phone , and in your head, HAVE BACKUP
There are multitudes of apps available which can help manage your ADHD- timers, to-do listers, note-takers, calendars, project planners, reminders, brainstormers… there are now over a million different apps available. They can capture typed, spoken, photographed, or pasted info. They seem infallible.
I download a lot of these apps to try them and recommend the good ones to my coaching clients. Many ADDers benefit greatly from these apps. Remember this though- no matter how cutting-edge and sexy the apps are, there are times when it won’t be enough- especially if you’re using a smartphone app. The screen’s small and the info is not always onscreen (you usually have to open the app).
I’m willing to bet that if you use a smart phone app for scheduling, the first time you miss something big you’ll be considering a backup plan. For those unmissable tasks and appointments, we need a second (and maybe third) line of defense- something more in-your-face, something really hard to miss (even for us). SOMETHING BIG. Here’s one of my favorite tools for this- THE WHITEBOARD
Whatever else you do to manage your schedule and to-do list, try using a dry erase whiteboard. Use a calendar, schedule events, create lists on your to-do list app, but also write the big can’t-be-missed items on a large whiteboard. Better yet, 2 large whiteboards. I have three in my office (plus 2 cork boards), and one in the kitchen. Here are few ideas and variations:
- Whiteboards galore- every size, shape, magnetized( I love these), whiteboard/cork combo boards.
- Peel and Stick Whiteboard “Decals”. They come in different sizes and you can stick these on a wall, a door, the fridge (or the ceiling if you’re in the NBA). Check this out- stick a 24” x 36” whiteboard decal on your desk and use as a blotter/scribbler.
- Whiteboard Paint. Unbelievable- you can paint a whiteboard onto anything.
- Dry Erase Blackboards- If you're feeling retro, go for it. They do have a unique tactile quality, blackboard erasers are cooler than whiteboard erasers, and writing with chalk has a sound like no other. Just pleeeease watch those fingernails. FYI if you want modern with a retro look, get Dry Erase blackboards or Peel and Stick blackboard decals.
There are multitudes of apps available which can help manage your ADHD- timers, to-do listers, note-takers, calendars, project planners, reminders, brainstormers… there are now over a million different apps available. They can capture typed, spoken, photographed, or pasted info. They seem infallible.
I download a lot of these apps to try them and recommend the good ones to my coaching clients. Many ADDers benefit greatly from these apps. Remember this though- no matter how cutting-edge and sexy the apps are, there are times when it won’t be enough- especially if you’re using a smartphone app. The screen’s small and the info is not always onscreen (you usually have to open the app).
I’m willing to bet that if you use a smart phone app for scheduling, the first time you miss something big you’ll be considering a backup plan. For those unmissable tasks and appointments, we need a second (and maybe third) line of defense- something more in-your-face, something really hard to miss (even for us). SOMETHING BIG. Here’s one of my favorite tools for this- THE WHITEBOARD
Whatever else you do to manage your schedule and to-do list, try using a dry erase whiteboard. Use a calendar, schedule events, create lists on your to-do list app, but also write the big can’t-be-missed items on a large whiteboard. Better yet, 2 large whiteboards. I have three in my office (plus 2 cork boards), and one in the kitchen. Here are few ideas and variations:
- Whiteboards galore- every size, shape, magnetized( I love these), whiteboard/cork combo boards.
- Peel and Stick Whiteboard “Decals”. They come in different sizes and you can stick these on a wall, a door, the fridge (or the ceiling if you’re in the NBA). Check this out- stick a 24” x 36” whiteboard decal on your desk and use as a blotter/scribbler.
- Whiteboard Paint. Unbelievable- you can paint a whiteboard onto anything.
- Dry Erase Blackboards- If you're feeling retro, go for it. They do have a unique tactile quality, blackboard erasers are cooler than whiteboard erasers, and writing with chalk has a sound like no other. Just pleeeease watch those fingernails. FYI if you want modern with a retro look, get Dry Erase blackboards or Peel and Stick blackboard decals.
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