Struggling at work - looking for tips.
I'm bein serious here.....so please don't take this as an insult. Have you been tested for ADD or ADHD? Adults DO have those disorders as well, not just children. The above quoted sentence describes someone with ADD perfectly.
Was wondering if someone was going to bring that up. I was actually diagnosed with ADD when I was 6. (I'm 41 now) Didn't really want to reveal it here but it is the underlying issue. I actually am a text book case and my symptoms cover a lot of areas. I've only recently begun to acknowledge the effect it's had on me and tried to get a handle on it. Life has not been easy for me.
And trust me when I say this - meds do not help to change work habits. I've been on a bunch of 'em for awhile now. Unfortunately, they don't work for me like they seem to for others. Or at least I have not found the correct combination/dosage that does. I would love to find the right cocktail that parts the waters.
The main problem with me forgetting stuff is because my brain processes information differently. I have a tough time compartmentalizing information, it all kind of takes the same precedence, important or not. So when a distraction occurs, my brain processes the event at the same level it was processing tightening a bolt. Not good!
Adding more steps to any process never seems like a good idea to me because it's almost the same kind of thing I'm trying to avoid. I really don't want to add another level of complexity or something else I need to remember. The simpler, the better. I really like the suggestion of leaving a wrench hanging or what have you. I saw one of the guys do that today, left the gun resting on a lug nut while he was doing something else.
I also do really well with direct instruction. I don't need my hand held but it always helps me when things are laid out for me - like, OK, take down the exhaust, take out the alternator, loosen this but don't take it out, etc etc. I have not done every job 1,000 times yet.
So with that out of the way, what I am looking for are concrete and reliable methods to combat my tendency towards inattention. I have appreciated all the suggestions so far and even tried to think about how to use some of them while I was working today.
Thanks for listening, gang.