This week's ADHD Solution is: Staying on task

Sometimes you can get more done with two hours of sustained effort than you can in an entire day. There’s a great little free computer application called Instant Boss that helps keep you on task. Like a real boss, it tells you when to work and when to take breaks.

Here’s how it works:

• You tell The Boss how long you think you can work without getting distracted, how long of a break you need, and how many times to repeat the cycle. For example, maybe you decide to work for 25 minutes, take a five minute break, and repeat that four times. That gives you a total work session of two hours.
• You start the timer.
• The Boss tells you when it’s time to take a break.
• The Boss tells you when it’s time to get back to work.
• The Boss tells you when you’re done for the day.

This is a beautiful thing for those of us who do well with timers, but are less-than-disciplined when it comes to resetting them after a break.

There is a bit of flexibility in case your good intentions are unrealistic. You can tell it you want to extend your break, or skip your break, or stop the clock to answer the phone. But try your best to follow the schedule. The results will be worth it.

Instant Boss is one of the many tips you'll learn about in my free webinar next week.

Time Management: How to Make Room in Your Life for the Things that Matter Most

Date: January 13, 2011

Time: 1:00 p.m. EST

Whether it's a New Year's Resolution, a project at work, or a personal goal that's stuck in the dream stage, these proven strategies will help you accomplish the things that are really important to you. Here's what you'll learn:

• How to set realistic goals you'll be able to keep
• The difference between urgent and important, and why this matters
• One deceptively simple rule that will guarantee you won't run out of time before you even begin
• How and why to create effortless routines and good habits that work for you
• What to do when life gets in the way: How to deal with all that other stuff you have to take care of
• How to protect yourself from time and energy thieves
• Proven methods to avoid distractions and sustain focus
• The most important thing that you absolutely must do every day to keep your stress low, and productivity high