How to Manage Your Time With Eric Tivers (Part One)

Summary

In this video, Jessica reflects on her YouTube channel’s first anniversary, celebrating milestones like over 50 videos, 2 million views, and nearly 50,000 subscribers. She opens up about her struggles with scheduling and time management, particularly due to ADHD. With help from Eric Tivers, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and ADHD coach, Jessica explores the importance of realistic time tracking and flexibility in schedules. Eric encourages viewers to track how long tasks really take, highlighting the value of preparation and cleanup time. The video provides practical advice while keeping the tone light and relatable.

Takeaways

• 😀 One year anniversary: The channel has achieved over 50 videos, 2 million views, and is nearing 50,000 subscribers in its first year.
• 😀 Balancing productivity and self-care: Jessica reflects on her struggles with time management, sleep deprivation, and maintaining balance while managing ADHD.
• 😀 Scheduling struggles: Despite managing a successful channel, Jessica admits that sticking to a schedule remains a challenge due to ADHD.
• 😀 ADHD and scheduling: Eric explains how scheduling can feel constraining to people with ADHD, who fear losing spontaneity and flexibility.
• 😀 Resistance to schedules: Jessica shares her fear of failing when trying to adhere to a set schedule, due to her aversion to being constrained by time.
• 😀 Shifting perspective on failure: Eric emphasizes that there’s no such thing as failure—only learning experiences, which helps reduce shame for people with ADHD.
• 😀 Time estimation challenges: Both Jessica and Eric agree that people with ADHD often misjudge how long tasks will take, which leads to overwhelming schedules.
• 😀 Tracking time: Eric suggests that Jessica track how long her tasks take to better understand her time management and create more realistic schedules.
• 😀 Factoring in prep and cleanup time: Jessica learns the importance of considering prep and cleanup time for each task, a key element often overlooked in planning.
• 😀 Homework assignment: Jessica encourages viewers to track how long their daily tasks actually take, to help improve scheduling and time management in the future.

Q & A

What was the major achievement Jessica shared about her YouTube channel?

Jessica shared that in the past year, her YouTube channel has produced over 50 videos, garnered over 2 million views, and is close to hitting 50,000 subscribers.

What challenge does Jessica express about scheduling?

Jessica struggles with sticking to a schedule, often feeling that it will remove spontaneity from her life and lead to failure when she doesn't meet her goals.

How does Jessica describe her relationship with schedules?

Jessica views schedules as restrictive, fearing that adhering to a rigid schedule will make her less fun or interesting. She also tends to become 'the schedule police' in her relationships.

What is Eric Tivers' professional background?

Eric Tivers is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, ADHD coach, and the host of the ADHD Rewired Podcast. He runs an intensive coaching group for people with ADHD.

What advice does Eric give regarding managing schedules for people with ADHD?

Eric recommends that people with ADHD first focus on understanding how long tasks actually take by tracking their time, instead of jumping straight into creating a rigid schedule.

Why does Jessica fear scheduling?

Jessica fears scheduling because it creates opportunities for failure. She feels that without a schedule, anything she accomplishes is a success, but a schedule makes her more aware of her deficits when she doesn't meet her goals.

What is Eric's perspective on failure in the context of ADHD?

Eric views failure not as something negative, but as an opportunity to learn. He encourages a mindset where success and learning are the focus, rather than the shame that often accompanies failure.

What is one of the key challenges people with ADHD face when it comes to time?

People with ADHD often struggle with their sense of time, underestimating how long tasks will take. For example, tasks that seem like they should only take ten minutes often take much longer.

What is the first step Eric recommends when planning a schedule for ADHD?

Eric recommends that individuals with ADHD start by understanding how long their daily tasks take. This includes everything from making coffee to eating breakfast, in order to build a realistic schedule.

What interesting insight did Eric share about the concept of play?

Eric connected the concept of play to work, noting that both involve three stages: setting up, doing the work, and cleaning up. He realized that not accounting for clean-up time contributed to disorganization and piles of tasks left unfinished.

What homework did Jessica assign to her viewers?

Jessica's homework for her viewers is to track how long tasks actually take by using a count-up timer. Viewers should write down how long they think a task will take, then time it, and record the actual time spent.