ADD ADHD Help -- Dana Rayburn ADD ADHD Coach

The SCOOP ON SCOPE
by Dana Rayburn

OK. It's true confessions time. When you return home from traveling do you: a) immediately unpack your suitcases and put everything away; b) toss your still packed suitcases on the floor and step over them for weeks; or c) do something in between such as unpack the clothes but leave the suitcases on
the floor?

Chances are if you have ADD you answered b or c. Fear not! This doesn't mean you're a lazy slug (as you've likely been told your whole life). What it may mean, as with many of the unfinished tasks in an ADD life, is that you have a fuzzy, too narrow scope of the task. When you widen a task's scope, you have a better chance of completing the task without leaving a mess behind you.

Let's start by defining scope. The scope of a task means ALL the steps in a task. Where the task actually begins and ends. A task's scope gets fuzzy when you're not sure when the task starts or when it's finished. In this article we'll focus on finishing tasks because that's where lots of ADD
clutter comes from.

Using our suitcase example above, most people consider just getting home as the final step in trip. With that as the scope, it doesn't occur to you to unpack right away. You're home. The trip is over. It's time to move on to the next thing. Yet by widening the trip's scope to include unpacking and putting the suitcases away, it's likely to get done more quickly.

Let's look at some other examples of where fuzzy scopes cause trails of disarray. When paying bills, the last step isn't putting the envelopes in the mail, but filing the papers and statements. When doing laundry, the last step isn't when the dryer stops, but when the clothes are folded and put away. When writing a report, the last step isn't giving the final copy to your boss, but sorting and filing the resource material you've collected. When grocery shopping, the last step isn't leaving the full shopping bags on the kitchen counter, but putting the groceries and empty bags away. Do you see the pattern here?

How do you decide when a task needs a clearer scope? Look at where the clutter gathers in your life. If, as in many ADD lives, you live with lots of clutter, don't panic. Pick one small area to start and think of the task that created the mess. What is the final step in the task? In other words, what's the scope?

Often, in ADDLand, the final step of a task doesn't get taken because it is too hard to do. So think about why you have trouble completing the task. Is increasing your awareness that the final step is putting away the suitcases enough, or do you need to make it easier to put the suitcases away? Sometimes you'll need to change things so the last step happens more effortlessly.

There you have it. The scoop on scope. Adjusting your idea of the scope of many of your everyday tasks and acting to complete the final steps will help create a less stressful life. A life where your ADD creativity and spontaneity has room to blossom and grow.

*** The Fine Print ***

Published by Dana Rayburn, Copyright 2008, all rights reserved.

Permission is granted to forward or post this content in full for use in a not-for-profit format, as long as this copyright notice and full information about the author, Dana Rayburn, is attached intact. If any other use is desired, permission in writing is required. Questions? Contact Dana

*** About Coach Dana ***
Dana Rayburn, A. C. T., is a life success coach with an international practice who helps people reach their goals and create the incredible life they have always wanted. Most of her clients are business owners or professionals who want to live more easily with AD/HD, get organized so they can stay organized and/or embark on a rewarding path of personal development.

Dana's coaching career began in 1998, evolving from nearly eight years as a professional organizer, popular for innovative and practical ways of conquering clutter and creating easy to use organizing systems. Prior to that she spent eight years as a corporate systems analyst and strategic planner. She is a graduate of Coach U and the Optimal Functioning Institute's training for ADD coaches.

Subscribe to ADDed Success
ADDed Success is ADD Coach Dana Rayburn's monthly ezine of valuable tips and insights about living more easily with Adult ADHD.

To subscribe, type your primary email address in the box below and press Do it!'. Within moments you'll receive an email asking you to confirm your subscription. You must reply to the email to be the proud owner of your very own subscripton to ADDed Success.

Privacy Notice: By submitting your email address you are subscribing to Dana Rayburn's ADDed Success News monthly email newsletter. Dana value's your trust and privacy. Your e-mail address and name will be kept confidential and will NOT be sold, traded, bartered or shared with anyone.

home / coaching services / about coaching / about Dana
meet Dana's clients / resource center / free e-newsletter / contact Dana