How I get Sh*t done as an ADD entrepreneur

As some of you might know, I grew up with ADD, but only got diagnosed around age 21.

That meant that during primary school and high school I struggled a lot with staying focused at school.

But I didn't know why and I didn't know how to deal with the problem.

I did okay in school, but it took a lot of effort, specifically for maths and science lessons.

Today I am truly grateful for my ADD and the way my brain works, I have learned how to deal with it and how to optimise my day for maximum efficiency.

I have 3 simple rules that I live by and that have helped my tremendously over the years to increase my productivity and enjoyment in everything I do.

𝟭) 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻

I genuinely hate doing admin work. But it's what keeps you in business, so even if you hate it, it still needs to be done.

So one day I asked myself "How can I make this more fun?".

So I put on my headphones and started playing some of my favourite Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter soundtracks in the background.

There something about putting on headphones that allow me to block out distractions instantly and those soft, epic and magical tunes in the background that sweep me into flow state.

I now have an 18 hour long playlist with all kinds of cinematic music and music from artists like Ludovico Einaudi, etc.

𝟮) 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁

This one speaks for itself and you might be thinking DUH.

But you would be surprised at how often you get interrupted by random thoughts, other people, notifications, ... and how long it takes you to return to your flow state.

Besides turning notifications off and letting people know that they can't disturb you, if for example you're wearing your headphones. One other cure for this is a concept that's called "Timeboxing".

I've learned about timeboxing from Nir Eyal (writer of "Indistractable"). And it essentially says that you should do batch work as much as possible and at the right timing.

You also allocate a certain amount of time and you don't stop when the work is done.

You stop when the timer hits 0.

Having that deadline increases your productivity.

For example, i'm an early riser and I'm naturally most creative during the early morning.

So I schedule my deep work during those hours and I keep other tasks to the absolute minimum.

After lunch I'm naturally less productive or creative, so that's a great time to catch up on email or doing meetings, etc.

𝟯) 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

I remind myself regurarly during the day of my intention for whatever I'm doing at the moment.

This keeps me aligned with my desired outcome and purpose.

Being intentional keeps me more focused and increases my fulfillment in my work.

The way I do it is really simple, I just ask myself "Why does this matter?"

For example with creating (free) content. Your content matters because it helps people see you and your brand or your services. It helps people and solves problems for them, even if they're not ready to buy yet. It's creating impact and making the world a better place, while also attracting quality leads to your business.

Hope these 3 tips help!

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