Schedule Like A Pro Athlete

ADHD sports hacks for mental clarity, energy & unstoppable work momentum

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I’m a big sports fan, particularly soccer/football and basketball.

I love the teamwork behind it, as it’s close to how we are at work. We work in teams after all.

The best-performing sports team wins the championships.

Being neurodivergent, ADHD in particular, can feel like having a burning desire and ambition to win whatever our “championships” are.

  • Promotions

  • Pay rises

  • Better deliverables

But getting started can feel like a chore, or if we get started, finding consistency can feel challenging because we’re chasing many things in a scattered way at once, burning ourselves out.

One thing I took from sports is the concept of the fixture list.

What’s a fixture list

is a complete timetable of upcoming matches or games for a sports league, team, or competition. It shows who plays whom, when, and where over a season or tournament.

Side Note

A fixture list for me at work looks like a timetable of:

  • Deadlines

  • Deliverables

  • Milestones

Mental clarity

It’s externalizing all of the internal mental clutter, providing mental clarity and a road map of how the work tasks should be delivered for the scattered brain, and to a quality standard.

It primes my brain to focus on the right priorities and how to approach any challenges I face. Reducing the panic!

Energy management

Having my fixture list helps me manage my energy levels.

In team sports, I rarely see teams win 100% of their games over the course of the season; it’s very difficult.

I suspect it’s similar for us at work. I find it difficult performing 100% daily, due to:

  • Fatigue

  • Procrastination

  • Distraction & other stuff going on

And I’ve beaten myself up about it.

But the reality is it’s not feasible. But I’m a professional, and I still have to show up.


So, with my fixture list, I’m able to see where my focus needs to intensify and when I can take a slight breather.

Dopamine

This is the best part for me. Being able to plan and execute my tasks diligently breeds more:

  • Confidence

  • Experience

  • Momentum

When I tell people that I’m an ADHDer, they don’t believe me. They think I’ve got it together, to be ADHD.

Truth be told, a few habits like fixture lists/ scheduling, fine-tuned over a period of time, have done wonders for me.

Have you tried anything like a fixture list before? What helps you stay consistent with your neurodivergent brain? Drop a reply

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Lastly,

Stay Different,

The AuDHD Exec

Disclaimer: I am not your psychiatrist, coach, doctor. Neurodiverse Diary does not provide medical services or professional counselling and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Everything I publish represents my opinions, experience, not advice.

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