5 Time Management Tips

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I once showed up at the hair salon on the right day (Wednesday) and at the right time (2:00 pm) but in the wrong week. I was exactly a week early for my appointment! Embarrassing, inefficient – yeah.

After that day, I decided I had to really find a system to manage my time that worked. I do much better now :).

Here are 5 time management tips that might help you:

1. When you make an appointment, write it down or get one of those reminder cards. THEN, when you get in the car, put the appointment information into something you’re less likely to lose, like a cell phone, PDA, or an iPod. Your cell phone has a calendar in it, you know. Use it!

2. Set at least one alarm for your appointment. Your cell phone can do that, too. Make sure the alarm is set to go off early enough so that you’re ready and have time to get where you want to go. Depending on what kind of appointment it is (like say, something far in advance), I’ll set an alarm for the day before as well as for an hour or two beforehand. If you’re on your computer a lot, you can set an alarm there, too.

3. Allow plenty of time to get where you’re going. Don’t assume you know how long it takes to get there unless you really, really do. We ADDers aren’t so good at estimating time. Also allow a little extra for any ADD moments that might pop up. You know, stuff like heading to your doctor’s appointment, then zoning out and finding yourself driving to work instead.

4. If you’re not sure of where you’re going, find out ahead of time. Do a search online and then take a good look at the map. Are you going to a big building, like a hospital? It might be helpful to know where to park, which door to go in, etc. Find out before you leave the house.

5. Always have the phone number of the place you are headed to with you, preferably in your cell phone. That way, if you get lost, or are late, you can easily call ahead.

The most important thing you can do to manage your time more effectively is to find an electronic solution that works for you. Even if you hate technology, take some time to learn to manage your cell phone or other device so that you can take advantage of it’s features like a calendar and alarms.

An electronic brain that remembers stuff for you is almost priceless.

Picture of Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle is the writer of Lacyestelle.com and the Podcast host for An ADD Woman.

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