Today just about anyone can start his or her own home business, thanks to the Internet. All you need is an idea, such as selling things on eBay, getting paid to type, or selling information products and you just do it from home, right? Well, there is more to it than that and if you have adult ADD, it can make a home-based business a bit more challenging. Any entrepreneur needs to have strong internal motivation. They also must be able to set goals, schedule their time, work hard and stay focused. ADD, the tendency to be unfocused, energetic and easily distracted, can help you come up with ideas and the enthusiastic to get started and that's great. But to finish well, you will need some good strategies to help you succeed at organization, work and time management. Here are some suggestions to help you succeed in working from home with ADD: 1. Start Working and Stay on Task It is typical of people with ADD to waste a lot of time doing trivial things. But you have to start working! You must learn to focus on one work project at a time and work at it steadily. At times you wander from one task to another and find at the end of the day that you haven't gotten much accomplished. Try setting a timer to go off every hour. When it beeps, check that you are doing the task planned and review your schedule for what's next. Be deliberate about staying on track. 2. Set Good Boundaries People with ADD often have difficulty keeping different areas of their lives separate. To work successfully from home, you must delineate your work time and your 'being at home' time. You need to set times for work, let your family know what they are and then stick to them. One advantage of working at home is the flexibility it provides, but especially with ADD you must discipline yourself to use work time for work. It will also be important to separate your work expenses and receipts from your household receipts, purchases, etc. Keep good records so you can reap the tax advantages of having a home business. 3. Don't Be a Perfectionist One symptom of ADD may be the tendency to "over focus”. You may have difficulty knowing when something is good enough and it's time to move on. When in doubt, you can ask a friend or colleague to do a reality check on your work and what more may need to be done. Another problem for many entrepreneurs is trying to do it all yourself. You know the way you want it done and it's difficult to trust others to do it the 'right' way. With ADD and working from home, it's important to recognize your weaknesses and time limitations and find or hire someone to do things you don't like or can't make time for. 4. Consider These Tips from the Mayo Clinic Choose work that uses your strengths. For creative, high-energy types (like those with ADD), avoid jobs that are dull or detail oriented. Try to work at home, at least part time. Work on more than one project at a time. When you get bored with one task, switch to the other. Break up big jobs into smaller tasks. Use deadlines for structure. 5. Set Realistic Goals It's important to set goals for yourself. And make sure they're realistic. You won't always be at your best; we all have good days and bad days. You may need to take time to recharge your batteries with a cup of tea, reading a little, or walking the dog. And be sure to take care of yourself and your health. Don't sit at the computer for long, extended times. Schedule time to exercise, take breaks and get enough sleep. You'll still have time to succeed at your home business. Set realistic goals and go achieve them! Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to ADD |
