More than, "Checking it Twice" - How to Make a Holiday Task List that Works for an ADHD Brain

The holiday season is in full swing, and while that can mean good food, fun activities, and gathering with friends and family, it also means a lot of extra tasks to get done – many of them with time deadlines.  For ADHD brains, this is the part of the holidays that is sometimes not so happy!  Creating to-do lists can be wonderful tools for organizing tasks, but for ADHD brains, they can be counter-productive if they don’t take into consideration how the list is interacting with the ADHD.  Below, here are a few ideas for organizing the extra holiday tasks in a way that is friendly to ADHD brains:

1. KEEP THE LENGTH REASONABLE BY ONLY INCLUDING ESSENTIALS

Start with a “brain dump” of all the extra holiday-related tasks you’ve got in front of you and write everything on a piece of paper (this task list is holiday-focused so it doesn’t need to include daily or routine chores like making the beds or walking the dog).  Then look it over and decide if anything can be eliminated:  any non-essentials don’t need to go on this list, so cross them off.  For example: this year I wanted to make a gingerbread house for my family, but the timing  just doesn’t work….so I’ve crossed it off my list and will save it for another year.  By sticking to the essential tasks, it’s easier to make your list a reasonable, manageable length.

2. START WITH THE TASKS THAT ARE MOST INTERESTING

After a list gets made, the ADHD brain can often get stuck:  which one do I do first?  How do I approach it?  Even a manageable list can look overwhelming…so I’ll just kick the can down the road and not deal with it today. 

The “hack” for when the ADHD brain gets stuck is interest, so start with the tasks that are going to be the most fun.

3. INCLUDE THE DEADLINES AND TIME ALLOCATIONS.

So you’ve chosen the most fun task on your list and you’re knocking it out of the park…but be careful not to get so lost in that fun chore that you don’t leave enough time for the other things on your list!  So when you make your list, include the deadline for every task AND the amount of time you think it will reasonably take you to do it.  When it’s time for you to approach that task, make sure you have enough time to complete it, and that you stick to the time frame you’ve allocated for it.  Setting a timer can be a good way to help you stay aware of these things.

4. CHUNK THE COMPLEX TASKS

If any of your tasks have multiple steps and a longer time frame, break them down into their separate steps, and give each one its own time frame and deadline.  Add these steps to your calendar, with notifications on your phone, or alarms set to remind you about them.

5. IDENTIFY YOUR “GOLDEN TIMES AND PLACES”

When are you most productive?  Where are you most productive?  These are your “golden times and places.”  When you identify the times of the day and physical spaces where you are most productive, try to align as many of the tasks  on your list with them as possible.

6. MAKE A “DONE” LIST

In addition to crossing things off of your, “to-do” list, attach another list where you write down every task as soon as you complete it.  Crossing completed tasks off a list is great, but when you keep a separate list of the tasks you finish, you have something physical to look at that shows you your competence and success.  Even if the task seems like a small one, add it!  Because for ADHD brains, some tasks that the world deems, “small,” can actually be very challenging.  When it’s easy to become consumed by a list of tasks that feel challenging, a “done” list creates space for you to celebrate your victories. 

7. CHECK IT TWICE.  MORE, ACTUALLY!

If your list is a physical one that you wrote down, take a photo of it to keep with you.  Designate a time early every day to check your list and confirm what part of your list you will do that day.   Using timers as reminders can be very helpful for keeping yourself on pace for what you want to accomplish.

Happy Holidays! - Ellen