Aspies For Freedom

I am having an extremely difficult time concentrating at the office, or should I say in my office... I work from home so it's easy for me to go off reading things on websites for hours, stimming the whole time, and totally zoning out. I am thinking about making a detailed list of each step of everything that I need to do, so that I can work through it, almost like a game, keeping me more focused. That's my first step tomorrow anyway. Does anyone else have any other ideas, or tips that you have used to get through the workday and get more done?

You might try a timer, but you must have it firmly in your mind that there are NO cheats.

There were some tips on something called Executive Dysfunction if you search AFF, I don't know much of what that's put into the word personally though.

Also http://www.autistics.org has a page on "Inertia", and then there's some tips related to procrastination.

All these words for problems related to not getting work done.

An interesting tip that I haven't tried out yet is to get a (electronic) palm to assist you with getting order into what tasks to do and when what happens.

Currently I feel new confidence in my homework maybe because I've discovered Google Calender and Google Talk that combined notifies and reminds me when to do what when I'm sitting on the computer. You could also make them notify your sel-phone.

Thanks, both of you. I'm looking into the articles you mentioned, and the timer idea is a good one.

I found the exact location of that inertia article in case anyone else is interested:
http://www.autistics.org/library/inertia.html

I'm reading it right now.

I did a little bit of brainstorming this morning on the whole problem that I have with getting things done. I think if I make up that structured list as I mentioned, with each little step outlined, that will be great. BUT I need to keep them separate, kind of movable modules if you will.

So one day it might be Work, Personal Hygiene, Cleaning Up, Spend Time with My Partner, etc., and the next day I could change it to Personal Hygiene, Spend Time with My Partner, Work, Cleaning Up, etc. So it's not actually completely structured, it's movable--but the steps are still right there in the order that I need to do them in.

I'll keep updating my progress right here in this thread, because this is by far my biggest issue right now, and it pretty much always has been. It's my top priority right now to change that around and learn to work with my mind in ways that actually work. We'll see how it goes...

Thanks again! And any more tips that come to mind, please feel free to share them! I can use all the help I can get.

Oh and by the way... I have been using Google Calendar for over a year to help me keep track of my business activities--at this point I don't know how I could live without it. I don't use the notify feature though, and I'm glad you brought that to my attention. If I have it notify me via email, that will pop up on my screen with Gmail Notifier, and I'll get those reminders at certain times of day that I need to be doing this and that. Sounds like a plan... Thanks for that!

I've done the list thing, it seems to work really well.

The problem I have with it is that its like the old view on medicine, you take it till your better than you stop...

So I start using the list, it works GREAT!  Then I discover that I have the list "memorized" and don't need it anymore, only to crash and burn a few weeks later...

I haven't figured out how to know what I will be able to accomplish with or without a list, or if such a feet of fortune-telling can actually happen.

Good Luck!

BTW- I love the ASPIRE thing... really neat concept, if you even meant it in relationship to aspies... which I can only assume you do...

Sarah, thanks! (About the "aspire" thing.) I did come up with that in relation to being an Aspie. Aspergers... Aspies... Aspire to be as great as you can be with the beautiful mind you were given. I'm always trying to come up with usernames that inspire me. Glad you like it!

I agree with you about the list thing. I've never specifically done it with lists... in fact I can't think of exactly what it is that I've done this with... but it's like I start to do really well with something and then I think I don't need the tool itself anymore, and then I lapse back into my old ways. I think the key with this is to commit to using those lists daily no matter what for the rest of my life. At least for work anyway--because the projects will keep changing and each one will have different steps, so there will never really be a point where I have it completely memorized. It all depends on the project. Even when it becomes boring to keep checking off those lists... I just have to count it as one more thing that I have to do if I want to get the job done right.

I made out lists for my two biggest projects today, and the steps for both of them ended up filling up seven pages! I broke it down into the tiniest little steps. Looking at it on the page was SO comforting to me, and I didn't think it would feel that way. I'm always forgetting little steps here and there, and then when I look back on it I'm too drained to go back and add those things in...  Now I won't forget them to begin with. I'll have to do less of that frantic mental searching for the next step... so I can focus on the actual work. Yay!

Looking forward to this... I will keep you all updated, and again, if you have any more tips, please share! I'm sure I'm not the only one who could benefit from them.

Yes, the lists.

I tell my husband that if I put it on my list, it will get done.

He tells me to put winning the lottery on my list.   smarty

aspire, can you give an example of breaking the list into tiny little steps?  Maybe that's my problem...

Cute! Wouldn't THAT be nice!

Working with the lists last night was amazing. It kept me so focused--there was never a moment where I had to think, "What's next?" which is where I usually get sidetracked and end up doing different things. I constantly had that list to turn back to for each and every step. Taking the leap from general to-do lists to these super-detailed lists is going to help me a lot, I can tell that already from just one day. I wish I had a system like this back when I was in school...

I ended up making the lists in Word, and as I do each step, I apply the sparkle style to it, so it makes it very visual, which is helpful for me. If anybody wants to know exactly how to do that (I'm sure most of you would rather just bold it or something--but I'm big on sparklies! LOL), just let me know and I'll post the info here.

I'm about to get started on today's work with the help of those lists again--and the timer too! When I do decide to "goof off" or read stuff on the internet, I've got a 15 minute timer going and I won't go past 15 minutes. Later when my work is over, I can do whatever I want, and I know the 15 minute timer is there so if I do feel the need to "escape," I can have that escape for exactly 15 minutes. Very very good...

Thanks everyone for the tips, you're great!

I tend to get very un-focused at work.  I have a lot of freedom, and end up taking advantage of it.  I program computers.

An extremely effective motivator was simply having my monitor visible by others.  I would never know if someone was looking.  I spent zero time browsing the web, all of my time working.  My work was not always on topic - at least half was "learning" work, just experimenting.

In all, the best motivator I've had is other people.  Every successful project I've worked on has been with others.

I started to read the article on autistic inertia, stopped and started to do the things I need to do, result unread article clean and tidy living room, kitchen and half bathroom... do the rest later.... mmmm later as  in next week and never maybe.

Old thread but thought i'd respond since it's reminding me that I should be working right now but stuck on an annoying little issue i'm trying to think through before I can do any more.
Depending on the kind of work you do, forcing yourself using a timer could actually be counter-productive. The best thing to do is to ensure you have blocks of time where you're in the mood and try to make sure you make the most of them. I get most work done at night when there's no distractions and due to my sleep pattern i'm most alert at that time.

You might be suited for this system. Article about it in WIRED magazine:

Getting Things Done Guru David Allen and His Cult of Hyperefficiency

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/maga...ntPage=all

Thanks for post that article, it really helps me understand my procrastination better.