You have a great idea! Making jewelry, children's games, or the best
widgets ever, and you want to do it from home.
I worked at home for years. I dropped the kids at nursery school,
drove to the office, ran my programs on the computer, grabbed my
listings, collected the kids and studied my results at home for the
next day. My work as a computer programmer was ideal for
telecommuting.
Today with the internet, creating your own business right from home is
a real possibility. It means less time wasted in commuting hassles
(saves gas too), and precious time used more efficiently, but it's a
lot of work.
What does it take to start your own business? First of course you need
an idea but it takes more than an idea to create a business. Successful
entrepreneurs have strong internal motivation. They are able to set
goals, schedule time, meet deadlines and communicate regularly with
partners about problems and progress.
But what happens if you have ADHD? Organizing, planning, deciding,
managing time, it sounds like a mine field for people with ADHD.
Hey! ADHD is where you get all those ideas, enthusiasm, and energy, the
very ingredients you need for success. Yes you still need good
strategies for organization and time management just like everybody
else.
Here are some tips to keep ADHD from turning dreams into
nightmares:
1. Set boundaries. The whole family must respect your work time.
Children have difficulty accepting that Mom is home but not there; get
a baby sitter if you must. Keep a clear division between home and work
papers including bills and financial documents and material such as
telephone and computer usage. Your accountant will love you.
2. Get started. Do you waste a lot of time messing about? That nasty
commute you want to avoid is actually a useful transition from home to
work. I plan fidget time; it helps me get started in the morning or
when switching to another task.
3. Curb perfectionism. Know when to stop. When in doubt, ask a partner
or a colleague to do a reality check on what more you need to do.
4. Stay on task. Do you wander from one task to another and find at the
end of the day that you have not done half of what you planned ? Set a
timer to go off every hour. When it rings, check that you are doing the
task planned and review the agenda for what's next, or try a vibrating
watch to refocus your attention. With practice you will learn to
control your attention without the fireworks.
5. Delegate. One big problem for many entrepreneurs is trying to do it
all. Everything is in your head and it's difficult to trust others to
do it the way you want it done. With ADHD, it's important to recognize
your weaknesses and find someone who is good at doing what you can
not like accounting.
6. Regulate your energy level. Accept that you are not always in racing
form. We all have good moments and less good moments. I have to take
time to recharge my batteries with a cup of tea or by walking the dog.
These are the moments when I get my best ideas. Schedule time to eat,
exercise, sleep and relax. You will still have time to succeed.
Now you are all set. On your mark, Go.
In a nut shell :
1. Set boundaries: keep work and home separate
2. Getting started: allow time to warm up
3. Curb perfectionism: know when to stop
4. Stay on task: do what works to stay focused
5. Delegate: Let others do things you are not good at
6. Regulate energy: respect your natural rhythm
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Sarah Jane Keyser worked for many years with computers as grammer,analyst, and user trainer, but her struggle with inattentive ADD kept getting in the way of her plans and dreams. Once ADD was identified and the great need that coaching filled, she added ADD Coach training to complete her preparation for a new career as ADD Coach.
For a free coaching session, contact me at mailto:skeyser@bluewin.ch skeyser@bluewin.ch
Learn more about ADHD at CoachingKeytoADD.com CoachingKeytoADD.com or sign up for Zebra Stripes, a free E-zine for ADHD at
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