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I’m running late.I’ll be there in just a little while.I am so sorry I’m late.

How many times have we said these words? It feels terrible to be late—to work, to our doctor’s appointment, to our meeting, to meet a friend, to get the kids to school, and even worse, to pick them up from school. So, how can we stop the cycle?

ADHD coach Kay Grossman, MA, explains that effectivetime managementrequires two skills that people with ADHD often naturally lack but can learn–planningandmarking the passing of time.

According to Grossman, the best prescription for being on time includes:

Grossman provides a few no-fail solutions for addressing specific time-management dilemmas.

At a GlanceTime management can be a challenge for people with ADHD, but there are ways to get ahead of it.

At a Glance

Time management can be a challenge for people with ADHD, but there are ways to get ahead of it.

Challenge: Planning Too Many Activities

How many times have we committed ourselves to too much? Grossman says that this over-scheduling occurs quite often. Sometimes, we become too gung-ho or unrealistic about the number of things we can get done in a given period. Other times, we may have difficulty saying “no” to requests others make of us. Unfortunately, over-committing and over-planning simply sets us up for frustration.

Solutions

Single-Tasking for Productivity and Stress Management

Challenge: Having What You Need to Get Out the Door on Time

It’s time to go, but our necessary items are scattered all around the house. Where are those car keys? Where are my glasses?

Solutions:

Challenge: Having Too Much to Do in the Morning

We can’t decide what to wear. Our shirt is wrinkled, so we have to iron it. We finally decide what to wear, but now one of our shoes is missing from the closet.

How Long Should Your Morning Routine Be?

Challenge: Lacking Internal Cues That Help You Judge the Passing of Time

How many times have we been engrossed in an activity on the computer and lost track of time? This happens topeople with ADHDquite frequently. We get involved in an interesting activity, completely lose our sense of time, and as a result, we miss an important meeting or forget to pick the kids up from school on time.

Challenge: Estimating How Long Specific Tasks Take

Grossman notes that with a fluidADHD-styletime sense, it is difficult to know if there’s enough time to finish a report the morning before the big meeting, to take one last phone call before leaving to drop off the children at soccer practice, or to make “just one stop” en route to the doctor’s office in time for the appointment.

Challenge: Failing to Account for Time Eaters

Challenge: A Desire to Avoid Being Early, Which Results in Being Late

Grossman notes that some people don’t like arriving at places early. They may dread the discomfort or tedium of waiting for a meeting or appointment to start.

What This Means For YouThe next time you find yourself running late, review this list. Find your “challenge” and try each of the suggested solutions. You may find yourself arriving on time (maybe even early!) and feeling much more relaxed and happy.

What This Means For You

The next time you find yourself running late, review this list. Find your “challenge” and try each of the suggested solutions. You may find yourself arriving on time (maybe even early!) and feeling much more relaxed and happy.

SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kay Grossman, M.A., LLC., Personal correspondence/interview. 16 Feb. 08.

Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kay Grossman, M.A., LLC., Personal correspondence/interview. 16 Feb. 08.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Kay Grossman, M.A., LLC., Personal correspondence/interview. 16 Feb. 08.

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