Up to 50 percent of the time, children with ADHD grow into adults with attention difficulties. Just like the ADHD child often has concerns in school, the ADHD adult has concerns in the workplace. For example, adults with attention deficit disorder may be easily distracted from managing time, organizing, prioritizing, getting started on tasks, and finishing tasks. More specifically, if you’re an adult with ADHD, you may recognize the following scenarios:

• Getting so absorbed in a task that you lose track of time and possibly miss a deadline (also known as hyperfocus)
• Becoming bogged down in details because you can’t sort out what’s relevant
• Not being able to plan out your day

Having attention difficulties means you might need to do things differently than others, but it does not have to limit your success in the workplace. There are some brilliant inventors, scientists, artists, writers, and more who are thought to have had ADD/ADHD, but it didn’t stop them from achieving their dreams. Here are some tips known to help ADHD adults in the workplace:

• Exercise before you go to work. It clears the mind and helps you to focus.
• Go through your in-basket and e-mail during certain times of the day so that you’re not distracted every time a new piece of information arrives to your desk.
• Give yourself a certain amount of time to complete work and stick to your schedule. Use alarms and timers to keep you on task.
• Write down 10 priorities or less at the beginning of the day. Do not divert from your list unless it’s an emergency.
• Take notes during all meetings. It forces you to focus and keeps your mind from wandering.
• Keep a notepad to write down requests you receive throughout the day and information you need to remember. Post-it notes and dry erase boards are also good for writing down reminders.
• Let your coworkers know that you’re easily distracted and you prefer to work in a quiet environment. Use earphones if it helps keep the distractions at bay.
• Face your desk away from a high-traffic area.
• Do not overbook yourself; under-commit instead. Schedule extra time for tasks in case things take longer than expected.
• Be careful with ADHD impulsivity. Refrain from interrupting conversations, blurting things out, or agreeing to do things that you have no time for. Behavior therapy for ADHD may help you to refrain from impulsive conduct.
• Complete boring tasks at a time you have lots of energy, instead of waiting until you are too tired.
• Plan to be early wherever you go, and resist the urge to do “one more thing” before you leave.
• Review your progress with your supervisor at regular intervals, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

By being honest with yourself about your ADHD tendencies and confronting those tendencies head-on, there’s no reason why you can’t be as successful as anyone else. Assess yourself, manage yourself, and emphasize your strengths so that your talent is able to shine in the workplace.