As standard operating procedure for many with ADHD, rather than having an internal clock which perceives the passing of time, time is experienced from two sorts of “time zones,” Now and Not Now. For instance, if something is not happening Now then it is happening Not Now. Things that are Not Now do not need to be attended to.
That is why you’ll see an individual with ADHD perform quite well, under pressure. For example, the project they’ve had months to work on was due Not Now until maybe just a day or two before Now. To people without ADHD this can seem mystifying and maddening. It can also negatively impact many areas of life: career, intimate relationships, family, and others’ perceptions of them.
By setting timers and alarms, you can externalize this function and operate wonderfully without having to rely on your own internal clock or memory.
You can also discover more about this unique time perception right now in my book: ADHD: A Different Hard Drive?
OR, enjoy this preview excerpt of:
See in ADHD: Living and Coping with a Different Perspective
This Now vs. Not Now orientation can be very frustrating for both the individuals with ADHD and those without it. I’ve worked with many clients who think they can do “just one more thing” because they have no frame of reference on how long things take to do. The end result is they are late for appointments or responsibilities even ones as important as work. One woman I know is continuously late to pick up her son from school even though it happens at the exact same time every day. He is in elementary school and is afraid his mother will accidentally forget about him. I know that seems really bad and crazy, perhaps inexcusable, but this is the mother’s ADHD in action.
~ Jennie Friedman
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I once took a Macroeconomics class online while in college. They made the unintentional mistake of telling me that nothing was due until the end of the quarter. So, in typical ADHD fashion, I started the course 4 days before the due date. I know these timezones well.
Oh, yes…
I was in the class that did algebra a year earlier in school than usual and no homework was checked. It came down to finals and I’d gotten an A on every quiz and test but had not handed in a single assignment. She told me after I finished my final that while I could pass with a complete 0% on homework anyone with less than a B had to repeat algebra. I did a year of homework in a day.
Nothing like Urgency to kick it in! Thanks for sharing, Shawna.
Best,
Jennie
Did the same thing with one of my online courses in college. I felt like Wonder Woman after doing all the coursework in those 4 days! And then my mom came up to help me move out of my on-campus apt, and she ended up doing the packing and cleaning while I was busy taking those quizzes for the online course. Thankfully it’s been a few years since then and I have more experience with how to deal with my ADD, but I still do struggle with time management and also prioritizing tasks at work.
Thanks for sharing, Allie! You aren’t alone in those challenges.
Best,
Jennie