Getting to work on time?

[kimmyh51]

Hi everyone

I could really do with some help on getting to work on time....

I dont have many of the other issues adders might have at work, sometimes have to watch my attitude or the perception others might have of it, and when I forget something someone told me (Ive become expert at finding things like that out without letting on I forgot it.

Workwise I enjoy what I do and my focus and output is excellent.

But I just cannot...get...to... work on time.... And sooner or later I always end up in the crap for it.... I have tried all the usual stuff, planning everything the evening before and putting things where I will find them etc etc. It doesn't seem to help. I'll put my keys on the hook my my door and then in the morning they aren't there and i have no recollection at all of moving them - even when i find them! I also often look for stuff and can look straight at it loads of times and not find it - and then of course I get stressed cos Im late ...again, and know that its starting to endanger my job.....
And its always something I have to have - from my door keys (live alone, no spare so locked out if I don't take them, to my wallet, to even finding a slip when the only clean outfit consists of a skirt thats see thru without one (and that will be after I planned the outfit the night before and thought I was sorted...) It seems like no matter how hard I try and have everything I need in the morning something I cannot go without wont be there. I feel as though Im either cursed by 'god' or have ghosts... anyone feel like that about adhd? It oftgen feels like god or someone, is having a major crap all over you, or amusing themselves f--king with you all the time....

Anyway - what can I do? I try & work flexi time jobs when possible, and apart from the lateness I am usually seen as excellent at what I do.

The thing that frustrates me more, is I work faster and put out a LOT more than 99% of people I have worked with - but it feels like most employers would rather have me show up 10 minutes earlier and do an average or below average job - than be 10 minutes late and do the work of 3 ppl...

However having said that (maybe this needs to be a new topic) I have also noticed that often my team managers dont have a clue how much work I have done. On my current project I had finished the main deliverable months ago while others hadnt even started - and since then the same people have over and over assumed I was still doing it and been surprised when I showed them the completed work,..

It has happened in other jobs and I suspect that something in my choice of words or body language is giving that impression (while other ppl do **** all and give the impression they are doing all this work they arent!).

Does anyone else find either of these things a major problem at work? Anyone else in my situation where they work in a job they enjoy, and as a result are focussed (hyper focussed sometimes) and good at it, but are constantly in the bad books because of lateness and find that often their manager thinks they have not done half of what they have?

anyone got any useful advice aside from the usual stuff that I have aready read (posting lists, and reminders etc etc)

Getting up earlier doesn't work and I end up just as late if I get up 3 hours before work, as 15 minutes.

[innaminute]

Question - what is your typical morning like?

Honestly, I used to have a real hard time with this, but I ended up working somewhere that I could not be late. At all. So, pure fear motivated me.

The work situation I'm in now is much more flexible, but luckily the habit of punctuality with work has stuck with me.

So, what is your typical morning routine like?

What do you get stuck on the most?

This is probably one of the only areas of difficulty that I've managed to get better at.

[wsmac]

The one reason I am reluctant to leave my current job is due to the fact that they have consistently put up with my being... consistently late!

It varies, but mostly I'm only up to 12 or so minutes late and most of those times have been getting down to more like 3-5 minutes late.

There are the occasions when I am 20+ minutes late, but these are increasingly rare.

I have no pointers to help with getting to work on time.

For my own self.... I do know it's a matter of shutting off my minutia-detail-detecter so I can just grab the things I need for work and walk straight out the door..... ONE TIME AND ONE TIME ONLY... NO GOING BACK IN THE HOUSE!

I get people upset with me because I am forever 'remembering' things I forgot and have to go back into the house for! This leads to my being late getting on the road.

I've also tried setting clocks ahead, posting notes, setting piles of my things at the front door, writing notes on my whiteboard that is attached to my front door... to no avail.

Establishing a routine is very important towards my success as a faux-NT, but I just can't seem to establish a routine of clock watching.

The one thing I thought of while reading your post was the idea of hiring a coach. Now, I don't know the first thing about add coaches and exactly what they do, but maybe they will call to remind you about things, or come to your house everyday and make sure you find things you will need later... such as keys... and put them in the same place every time.

At work I am supposed to take a half hour lunch break.
If I work a day shift... that's easy because my fellow workers will always remind me it's my turn to take lunch (I don't pay attention.. I'm having too much fun working ).

If I work my regular swing shift... it's just me and two lab techs for a few hours, then just me and one tech for the rest of the night.
I'm on my own then... I have to remember to go clock out and clock back in for a half hour break.

At night, I don't really care about that half hour... I get a rush of work, then generally some slow time... basically I'm very happy to keep busy and eating can come as I get to it bite-by-bite.

I try to use my personal timer to remind me to clock back in, but it's such a common occurrence that my lead tech tells me I should just fill out one time-edit form (what I have to turn in if I screw up my time clock marks) and make copies to hand in every shift...

Sometimes my timer will work, sometimes I forget I even have it on me.
I clock out for my 'lunch', then go back to work and get so involved I forget to clock back in.

Anyway, I wish I had some sure-fire scheme for ya because perhaps then it would be something I could use with success too!

I know what you mean by being a really good worker, just with this albatross of being late to deal with.

[meridian]

1. get some spare sets of keys

2. get one of those alarm clocks that rolls off the nightstand so you have to get up and chase it around the floor to shut it off

3. set your watch and clocks 5-6 minutes fast.

[Tara]

Is there anybody that can help hold you accountable in the morning? Maybe have somebody call you 15 minutes before you need to leave and agree that you will call them back when you actually walk out the door.

[atrain]

Get yourself ready the night before and have lunch made, and everything you need the night before. Wear a watch and watch the clock. Set your alarm away from your bed so you have to get up. Have a coworker call you 30 minutes before you have to be at work. Does this help wsmac?

[wsmac]

Well, so far Tara is the only one who's suggested something that kimmyh51 hasn't already tried and found not to work... at least from everything mentioned in the original post.

innaminute has some really good questions.

I think you should pick through innaminutes questions and see if you can answer them all.

And definitely try out Tara's suggestion if it's possible for you to do.

Do you have any routines in your life that work consistently?
If so, can you remember how you got them started and how long it took for them to take hold?

[Driver]

To be frank: you have ADD.

The problems you describe are all attributed to the limitations of ADD.

Simply take your meds earlier in the morning, and later in the evening, because you need them.

And in general: simplify and declutter your life. There are plenty of threads and discussions on here with tips and suggestions on how to do it.

[innaminute]

Originally Posted by wsmac

For my own self.... I do know it's a matter of shutting off my minutia-detail-detecter so I can just grab the things I need for work and walk straight out the door..... ONE TIME AND ONE TIME ONLY... NO GOING BACK IN THE HOUSE!

I get people upset with me because I am forever 'remembering' things I forgot and have to go back into the house for! This leads to my being late getting on the road.

LOL That would be me. I now take my keys with me when my partner and I are going somewhere - because 3 times out of 5, I need to go back into the house. Or, I'll tell her to get into the car and I'll be out in a few minutes. Then I'll mentally check everything I need. Usually that works. LOL.