ATTN: Deficit Disorder

Generally, I think living the life of a (self-proclaimed) A.D.D. maniac is fun and exciting. But often, the unavoidable multi-tasking lifestyle becomes hectic and overwhelming. So much so, that sometimes when there is too little going on, I am less productive and effcient.

"I wish I had something to occupy that empty mental space"

BAM!

Here comes online Sudoku! No, wait, that's not work related....

Here comes the iPod! Endless playlists of music in a small portable device. Very A.D.D. friendly.

At work, I listen to it to keep my brain focused. If all goes according to plan, I'm pumping through spreadsheets and the only pause in my day is the monster growling in my tummy (ready for lunch!) and seeing the bottom of my coffee cup (am I on my third or fourth cup?...).

The great thing about this also, is that it helps me hone in on my mental state. For instance, today. I sit down at my desk. Pull out my task list... wow it goes all the way to the bottom of the sheet today. Damn...there's more. Turn to page two. Ok, ok. Today calls for an 8am iPod sesh. I pull out my Pod. Put in my ear buds. Oh wait, my boss comes by, ... 10 minutes of chatting later. I open my Outlook, open my documents, check my calendar for the day. 8:38 AM. Damn the iPod cord is getting in the way... ughm... iPod has yet to have been powered on. I've been sitting in silence for the past hour, with my ear phones in, and nothing playing. Distractions are my best and worst friend.

This event happens every couple weeks. It actually makes me laugh just thinking about it. Sometimes I catch it in 5 minutes, sometimes it's an hour. Sometimes the iPod dies because it was low on batteries and I don't even notice. This, my friends, is the point of burn out. It's a reminder that my multi-tasking has hit the point futility. I slow things down. I laugh about it. I regain focus.

Literally and actually listening to a powered off iPod.