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Additional Posts in Lawyers with ADHD
Bowl Leader
Been there. Many times. Law firm life is really bad for people with ADHD, as it greatly rewards traits that we simply don’t have (most notably, the ability to grind out hours of mind numbing, unrewarding work each day regardless of your condition).
The only advice I have is to do everything the moment it comes in. All emails immediately, all tasks that can be done in a day are done in a day. Every other working moment is devoted to longer term tasks and getting them out. Yes, this means you will have even less of a life than most associates. But you absolutely have to avoid at all costs the vicious anxiety-ADHD cycle where you fall behind on a project or hours, then you’re anxious to even check emails or interact with a senior, so you procrastinate on everything, so you fall further behind on a wider range of items, where one setback torpedoes a whole week or month and you’re only doing things after the second or third reminder. That is a recipe to be pushed out.
Yes, it’s much easier said than done, and I can relate to how constant switching can cause a loss of momentum. Overall IME it is easier (and less career threatening) to deal with disrupted chains of thought than to overcome to-do list paralysis and anxiety, though, esp. because our condition means a substantial likelihood that the to-do list can be more of a don’t-do list (or don’t do until you get a reminder or two from a partner asking where something is). In an ideal world we could focus on the big tasks, shut out distractions like emails except for a couple given hours of the day, etc., but the realities of law firms are such that the negatives of always being a little late, blowing a deadline (even an unimportant internal one), or having low hours are far greater than the positives you get from hyperfocusing on a big project and making the brief 5% better.
Rising Star
Get a routine in place right away. When you first sit down at your desk in the morning map out what you will do for the morning. Do this before you open your email. Do this before you open your task list. Then, accomplish at least one of those things. Then you can open your email and task program, etc. to double check quickly that your list didn’t miss anything. Then, check your billables before you take a midday break (which you need or you’ll dig yourself into a deeper hole) to make sure everything you did that morning is captured.
Do the same thing when you get back from your break. Then check your billables and compare it to your task list before you begin your evening break.
Before you leave for the day, do a preview of the next day and note the must do items for tomorrow.
If all else fails, clean your desk. Then see if that helps you get back to your tasks.
Check your billables daily to see if what you recorded is close to the hours you worked minus breaks. If it isn’t close, then reflect on what you did that wasn’t captured. You have to do this every day. You won’t remember the next day or the end of the week what you missed capturing today.
Work these into habits that you can keep going long-term. Reward yourself with a special food you like or something else if you capture your time that day so you have an incentive to keep going.
Bowl Leader
Are you getting enough sleep?
Definitely not. I try to get myself into good habits and on a good schedule, but meeting my hours takes priority and sleep gets put on the back burner.