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Abstract

ium&utm_medium=referral">Jorge Salvador</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="711e">Scheduling tasks in the correct order to get them done is an executive function, and your time-blind colleague may need help to do this.</p><p id="8c52">They may sit down to work on a task due in a few hours, only to find they still need to gather the relevant information and resources they need.</p><p id="4e87">Plus, the job takes four hours, not two.</p><p id="421c">A time-blind person may sit down to read, watch tv or do some gaming and think it’s been 15 minutes when several hours have gone by.</p><p id="e0fe">Or they may start a task that takes an hour, 45 minutes before you are due to leave the house to meet friends.</p><h1 id="a52c">So what strategies mitigate time blindness?</h1><p id="8831">A time-blind person isn’t magically going to get organized via an Outlook calendar, a course on time management, and the pointed gift of an iWatch.</p><p id="00a2">Like color blindness, time blindness just is.</p><p id="cb14">Avoid blaming and shaming your time-blind friend or colleague. Instead, suggest strategies that may help. Ask some questions and talk about time blindness and how to mitigate it.</p><p id="d461">Bear in mind, we can all be time blind in some situations or at some time in our lives.</p><p id="8110">The following tips might help you or anyone you know who has issues with getting things done on time:</p><h2 id="63cd">Time each task</h2><p id="fb68">Use a timer to log how long things take. Once you establish a realistic estimate, you can block out the appropriate amount of time in the calendar.</p><h2 id="97f9">Artificial deadlines</h2><p id="6667">When working to a deadline, factor in breaks, interruptions, and the possibility of random events like getting sick or a fire drill locking everyone out of the office for the afternoon.</p><p id="59b1">In real terms, this means creating an artificial deadline. If the report is due in on Friday, make the artificial deadline the Wednesday before.</p><h2 id="2a13">Pomodoro Method</h2><p id="26ef">Use the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique">Pomodoro method</a> of using a timer to work for an amount of time and then have a timed break.</p><p id="ab1b">Work out what time works best for you and stick to that. It might be 45 minutes; it might be 10 minutes.</p><h2 id="5713">Chunk it</h2><p id="8581">Split the task into smaller chunks and do one at a time.</p><p id="7c08">A portion of a project you can do in an hour is more manageable than something that will take 10 hours.</p><h2 id="fbec">List what has to happen and in what order</h2><p id="d9cc">When working on a project, list what has to happen and in what order.</p><p id="9b9d">Work backward from the artificial deadline, especially when depending on information or actions from others.</p><p id="3342">If this is hard, get someone to check it.</p><h2 id="fd3d">Calendar blocking</h2><p id="e317">Use one calendar to block out all tasks. It doesn’t matter if you use a diary, paper calendar, or digital calendar.</p><p id="3317">What matters is that there is one system for everything, including personal appointments.</p><p id="68f1">Make sure you stick to your time blocking. When your hour on a task is up, move on to the next thing.

Options

If you don’t finish in an hour, block out another time slot to complete it.</p><h2 id="2dd2">Plan for delays and interruptions</h2><p id="c170">Make sure to leave blocks of 30 minutes or an hour daily to allow interruptions and delays.</p><p id="77ea">Each interruption takes, on average, 22 minutes as it takes a while to re-focus.</p><h2 id="f74f">Use alarms</h2><p id="c08a">Set timers to go off five minutes before a meeting. I set alarms for five minutes before meetings; otherwise, I get distracted.</p><p id="87ce">The five minutes give you time to get Zoom/Teams organized, visit the bathroom, make a cup of tea, or get to a meeting room.</p><p id="a319">I use timers at home to separate the blocks of work in my calendar and to remind me to have lunch & start back to work.</p><p id="0231">Timers can also stop your breaks from lasting too long — a quick trip to the kitchen to make a cup of tea won’t turn into a 45-minute break if you set a five or ten-minute timer.</p><h2 id="bb5b">Take a breath</h2><p id="ec25">When switching back to project work, take some slow, deep breaths to re-focus on the task.</p><p id="f89b">Slowly breathing in and out can calm the mind and make space between tasks.</p><h1 id="df33">Summary</h1><p id="8e57">Many of us need help with time management, but being time-blind makes it much worse.</p><p id="f1f0">Strategies can help, but there will be a gradual change, so be patient.</p><p id="1346">Try one thing at a time and reflect on the improvements.</p><p id="df90">And if you believe you or someone you know has ADHD, see a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist for a <a href="https://www.adhd.org.nz/how-to-get-a-diagnosis-for-adhd.html">proper diagnosis</a>.</p><p id="d492">If you found this article useful, you’ll love my free newsletter. Click <a href="https://artisanal-inventor-759.ck.page/74f7d108ff">here</a> to get free weekly training and leadership tips. As a welcome gift you’ll get a free e-book about one-to-ones, constructive feedback and listening skills.</p><div id="e4f4" class="link-block"> <a href="https://wendyscottfromauckland.medium.com/become-super-productive-with-these-5-calendar-scheduling-tips-c94f6d909d4f"> <div> <div> <h2>Become Super Productive With These 5 Calendar Scheduling Tips</h2> <div><h3>The Monday Morning Manager Series #18</h3></div> <div><p>wendyscottfromauckland.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*DOijZpCycAI968xS)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="d738" class="link-block"> <a href="https://wendyscottfromauckland.medium.com/3-quick-easy-productivity-tips-for-leaders-f9ab6865f595"> <div> <div> <h2>3 Quick & Easy Productivity Tips for Leaders</h2> <div><h3>The Monday Morning Manager Series #16</h3></div> <div><p>wendyscottfromauckland.medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*lqpiJe2UGn38V0c4)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="1cd8"></p></article></body>

Understanding Time Blindness: How ADHD and Executive Functioning Challenges Impact Our Perception of Time

Monday Morning Manager #36

The weirdest thing I discovered recently is something called time blindness. I read about it in an article on ADHD as a family member is undergoing an ADHD assessment with a clinical psychologist.

Naturally, I’ve jumped straight into research mode.

People with ADHD may experience difficulty with executive function. These skills help us manage our daily lives, such as memory, flexible thinking, time management, and self-control.

They are often labeled lazy or disorganized when their brains work in a way that makes executive function difficult.

Although not exclusive to people with ADHD, time blindness is more common in those with ADHD.

If you, a family member, or a colleague struggle with time management, time blindness could be the cause, as we can all experience it sometimes.

What is time blindness?

Someone with time blindness will:

1) Be disorganized

2) Have difficulty being on time

3) Have no idea how long it takes them to complete tasks

4) Get easily distracted

5) Struggle to complete tasks

6) Miss deadlines at work and home

7) Lose track of time

8) Be unable to estimate how long ago something happened accurately

9) Start tasks and wander off and forget about them

What time blindness looks like in real life

An example would be consistently underestimating the time it takes to do things.

Your time-blind team member may assure you that everything is under control because they believe they can do far more than possible.

Yet, once again, the monthly report still needs to be done on time.

The usual methods of blocking time out in a calendar don’t work if two hours is booked out when it takes eight hours to get the job done.

I can be pretty time-blind when spending a week at home. I believe I’ll be able to sort out my closet (including five boxes of photos), deep clean the house, tidy the garden, catch up with all my friends, see some movies, and have a good rest.

Your time-blind family member may start a task, get distracted, and forget about it. Starting to prep dinner and wandering off for a five-minute break that turns into three hours may be common.

Well, three hours or until the water in the pot boils dry and the smoke alarm goes off.

Scheduling tasks in the correct order to get them done is an executive function, and your time-blind colleague may need help to do this.

They may sit down to work on a task due in a few hours, only to find they still need to gather the relevant information and resources they need.

Plus, the job takes four hours, not two.

A time-blind person may sit down to read, watch tv or do some gaming and think it’s been 15 minutes when several hours have gone by.

Or they may start a task that takes an hour, 45 minutes before you are due to leave the house to meet friends.

So what strategies mitigate time blindness?

A time-blind person isn’t magically going to get organized via an Outlook calendar, a course on time management, and the pointed gift of an iWatch.

Like color blindness, time blindness just is.

Avoid blaming and shaming your time-blind friend or colleague. Instead, suggest strategies that may help. Ask some questions and talk about time blindness and how to mitigate it.

Bear in mind, we can all be time blind in some situations or at some time in our lives.

The following tips might help you or anyone you know who has issues with getting things done on time:

Time each task

Use a timer to log how long things take. Once you establish a realistic estimate, you can block out the appropriate amount of time in the calendar.

Artificial deadlines

When working to a deadline, factor in breaks, interruptions, and the possibility of random events like getting sick or a fire drill locking everyone out of the office for the afternoon.

In real terms, this means creating an artificial deadline. If the report is due in on Friday, make the artificial deadline the Wednesday before.

Pomodoro Method

Use the Pomodoro method of using a timer to work for an amount of time and then have a timed break.

Work out what time works best for you and stick to that. It might be 45 minutes; it might be 10 minutes.

Chunk it

Split the task into smaller chunks and do one at a time.

A portion of a project you can do in an hour is more manageable than something that will take 10 hours.

List what has to happen and in what order

When working on a project, list what has to happen and in what order.

Work backward from the artificial deadline, especially when depending on information or actions from others.

If this is hard, get someone to check it.

Calendar blocking

Use one calendar to block out all tasks. It doesn’t matter if you use a diary, paper calendar, or digital calendar.

What matters is that there is one system for everything, including personal appointments.

Make sure you stick to your time blocking. When your hour on a task is up, move on to the next thing. If you don’t finish in an hour, block out another time slot to complete it.

Plan for delays and interruptions

Make sure to leave blocks of 30 minutes or an hour daily to allow interruptions and delays.

Each interruption takes, on average, 22 minutes as it takes a while to re-focus.

Use alarms

Set timers to go off five minutes before a meeting. I set alarms for five minutes before meetings; otherwise, I get distracted.

The five minutes give you time to get Zoom/Teams organized, visit the bathroom, make a cup of tea, or get to a meeting room.

I use timers at home to separate the blocks of work in my calendar and to remind me to have lunch & start back to work.

Timers can also stop your breaks from lasting too long — a quick trip to the kitchen to make a cup of tea won’t turn into a 45-minute break if you set a five or ten-minute timer.

Take a breath

When switching back to project work, take some slow, deep breaths to re-focus on the task.

Slowly breathing in and out can calm the mind and make space between tasks.

Summary

Many of us need help with time management, but being time-blind makes it much worse.

Strategies can help, but there will be a gradual change, so be patient.

Try one thing at a time and reflect on the improvements.

And if you believe you or someone you know has ADHD, see a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist for a proper diagnosis.

If you found this article useful, you’ll love my free newsletter. Click here to get free weekly training and leadership tips. As a welcome gift you’ll get a free e-book about one-to-ones, constructive feedback and listening skills.