Conquering ADHD Forgetfulness Step 2

There are some tasks that need to be completed in business that are not done frequently enough to be put into a routine.  Generally, any task that is done less than once a week will need a system to help you remember to get it done. There are three different options that I recommend, depending on your individual organization style.

1-     Calendaring

If you rely on your calendar, this is probably a good place to record those crucial tasks. If you use a digital calendar app, this can be done by creating a recurring task.

Add the task to your calendar for the next date it is due, then edit the event to be recurring. You should be able to customize your recurrences to be every other week, the same date every month, or every 4 weeks, whatever combination works best for this particular task. I use this to remember which week I’m supposed to take the recycling out with the trash. 

If you do your calendaring using a paper planner or schedule book, this method is probably more trouble than using one of the other methods.

2-     Lists

I know, this is a little old fashioned, but if you keep a list of tasks that need to be completed less regularly in a spot that is noticeable, you will be able to refer to it when setting your priorities each week or month. If you use a physical planner, this list could go right in your book and will help give you a jumping off point when planning the week ahead.

3-     Spreadsheets

This was one of the favorite methods of making sure the monthly and quarterly reports were completed. Some were due on the 15th of the month. Some were due twice a month. Some on the first of the month. By putting each item in a spreadsheet, separated by the time of the month or quarter they were due, I knew that all I had to do was open the spreadsheet of the first of each week to see what was due. On the first of the m

onth, I had a list of all the reports or payables that were due. The same thing on the 15th of each month. This method worked best for me because I could pull out the spreadsheet only when I was ready to work on it. I didn’t have the task nagging me on a calendar. But the best part of this method is that I would type in the date that the task was completed into the spreadsheet, that way if I ever worried about whether I remembered to do it, I could go back and see that it was completed. I could also tell a vendor the exact date that I sent the report over to them, because I had it recorded in the spreadsheet.

You can’t afford to forget important tasks and risk adversely affecting your business. Whether you like to use a calendar app, physical planner, to do lists, or spreadsheets, consistency is key. Celebrate the little wins when you get to mark off completed tasks. Make sure to give yourself grace in the process. If you miss something or find that a particular system is no longer working for you, just keep on trying until you find one that does work.   

If you would like some personal guidance, make sure to book a coaching session and let’s work together to create a system that works for you.