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Introduction

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 7:46 pm
by Scribmisty
Hi,
I'm a dyspraxia adult. I only found out on Monday about it. I was diagnosed in 2001 as dyslexic but now I'm told I'm not dyslexic at all, but have a lot of dyspraxia traits.

Has anyone got any ideas how to get organised? And time management. I'm currently working in an environment that timely deadlines are very important and I'm always being pulled up on my organisation.

Thanks

Hear from you soon

Re: Introduction

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:56 am
by musicdad
Hi, and welcome. I too have only recently joined the forum and recently found out that I have dyspraxia.

If you don't mind, I would be interested to know more about why you were originally thought to have dyslexia, which now turns out to be dyspraxia. I am interested because my assessment identified some 'slight features of dyslexia' which would be worth exploring further, although it seems there is such a large overlap between the two anyway.

I also work in a deadline driven environment and have done for a long time. Managing deadlines and organisation is not my strongest area; I get by, but it is the first area to suffer when the pressure is on and I am stressed. I feel that I have to put a lot of effort in to this aspect of work, to achieve mediocre results, if that makes sense.

Apologies if these suggestions are obvious or you have tried them already, but a few techniques I use:

i) I keep a notebook in OneNote on the computer called 'Today', and I just use it to note down high priority tasks and issues that I need to deal with on the current day or pretty urgently.

ii) I have recently started using the online version of OneNote (in Office 365 - which we have at work) for everything, I love it because I don't have to worry about multiple paper & pen lists. I have one notebook for each area of work I am responsible for, and a 'catch-ups' notebook with a tab for various members of our team, where I can make notes of things I need to talk to them about or ask them during our regular one to one meetings or at other times. I also have the mobile version of one note on my phone, so if I don't have my laptop with me I can still access all my notes and jot things down quickly to make sure I don't forget (my short term memory is pretty bad), or remember things I needed to speak to people about if I find myself with a spontaneous opportunity to talk to them. If you don't have access to Office 365, there are alternative mobile apps you could try such as Evernote.

iii) Do you use the calendar in Outlook (or whatever you have access to) to set reminders for tasks and deadlines? You could also try using the task manager in Outlook to note tasks and deadlines, and assign categories as well if you have to deal with multiple work streams. I use Outlook tasks to note longer term items that I need to deal with, and at some point they should find their way onto my 'today' list I mentioned above. I also have a lot of meetings across two sites, and have my phone calendar sync'd with Outlook, so that I get reminders popping up on my phone and I can easily see where I need to be, when I'm wandering around.

iv) If you don't already, then it can be very helpful to make 10 or 15 minutes at the beginning of each day (and maybe more than once a day, if you need it) to organise your thoughts, look at your deadlines and tasks, add to (and hopefully delete from) your 'today' list etc. I really need this time to sort myself out, sometimes when I am really busy I don't always manage it but regret it when I don't. Also, I have a longer term 'planning' session booked in every couple of weeks, to give me time to get out of the office and do some bigger thinking about the weeks ahead. I have only managed to do this once since I put it in my diary though; each time it has been overtaken by something else, so need to try and stick to it.

If you have any further thoughts about any of these, or any other tips you have discovered for yourself or read about elsewhere, I would be very interested to hear about them! I am forever trying to improve my organisation and time management; to be fair on myself, I do work in a complex environment and I don't think I am the only one who finds this stuff challenging, so all in all I think I am doing OK.

Re: Introduction

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:01 am
by musicdad
Also, I meant to ask - does your employer know about your dyspraxia?