Outsourcing Executive Function for Busy ADHD Moms | ADHD Productivity Tips
Do you struggle with bandwidth?
This idea of limited bandwidth has been very front of mind for me recently…both in the actual data transmission sense due to moving my computer to a different part of the house and in the mental capacity sense now that we’re back in school and activity schedules are in full swing.
And if you’re unfamiliar with bandwidth, it is essentially the amount of data you can transmit in an allotted time.
If we’re talking your Wifi, you may have noticed things buffer more frequently if someone is streaming television, someone else is playing Xbox, and you’re trying to listen to a podcast while you’re making dinner.
When more things need a piece of that bandwidth pie, there is less available for all those things that are connected.
Which is why I have learned to use my internet provider’s app to shut down certain bandwidth draining devices when my calls start buffering. I mean, there were 29 devices connected when I checked the one time.
No wonder there was barely anything left for me!
And there’s a very good chance that your ADHD brain may have an overloaded capacity, too.
Which is why I wanted to talk about ways you can outsource your executive function to free up bandwidth for the tasks and projects that need more of your capacity as an ADHD mom and business owner.
How Outsourcing Helps ADHD Moms Stay Focused
When it comes to the need for outsourcing to support our executive function, I think this quote from an article by Katy Allen, ADHD Mom to 3 and founder of Artful Agenda sums it up perfectly…
“Hiring help fills an important gap for me. It allows me not only to get things done but, more importantly, to close some of the mental tabs that I constantly have open in my brain”.
I don’t know about you, but I definitely have far too many tabs open in my brain. All day, every day.
And when you’ve got all those tabs open it can be hard to determine what to focus on.
It can be easy to get distracted and off track.
And it can limit the resources you have available for the other tabs because energy, like your WiFi bandwidth, doesn’t have unlimited capacity.
So aside from cloning a second you, which does not appear to be readily available at this time, what is a busy, overwhelmed, ADHD mom business owner to do?
Might I suggest a bit of outsourcing.
Because when we outsource, we take that device off our network and free up that bandwidth for the tasks or projects that remain.
By definition, outsourcing is to procure from outside sources.
Meaning when we look to outsource, we look to procure our executive function from some sort of external provider.
This could look like supporting our time management by using timers to indicate it’s time to end a particular task or project or hiring others to do these things for us.
Or we could support our memory by setting reminders about important events or by keeping a notebook around to write down thoughts before they wander into the abyss of our brain.
We can limit the energy we put into planning and organizing by creating checklists for recurring tasks or hiring a professional organizer to declutter our space, making it easier to find things when we need them.
And we can offload the energy it takes to initiate tasks by outsourcing to an accountability buddy or a hired coach, like me.
I’m dividing my outsourcing examples into 2 groups today: time investments and people to hire.
Time Investments: Outsourcing Executive Function
I define time investments as places where you can spend a bit of time up front that will pay dividends in the future. And those dividends are freeing up executive function bandwidth.
And time investments are great because they typically require little to no monetary investment to get started. Because let’s face, being a mom can get expensive.
Time investments that can help alleviate some of the strain on your executive function include:
Creating a weekly schedule so you aren’t scrambling to figure out who’s going where on what days.
Creating a daily schedule or workflow so you aren’t constantly deciding what comes next in your day.
Setting up automatic bill pay so your bills are paid on time and you don’t have to remember when they’re due.
Setting up automatic savings transfer so you don’t impulsively spend that extra money before it gets into your savings.
Decluttering spaces in your home to make it easier to find what you want when you need it.
Making checklists for regular tasks and routines so you and your family don’t miss or forget steps. And it makes it easier to remember where you left off in case you get interrupted.
Setting up routines or regular reminders on your phone or digital assistant like “It’s almost time to leave for school” so you can get out the door on time.
If you’d like to learn more about time investments, click here to check out my episode called “ADHD Tax and Time Investments”.
Finding Help: Outsourcing Executive Function
I also want to share some places where you can automate or delegate to others to help out for both your home and your business. When it comes to your home, you can outsource things like:
Childcare
House cleaning
Laundry
Meal planning
Grocery shopping
Food Prep
Dog walking/Pet care
Home maintenance & repair
Lawn care & gardening
Decluttering & home organization
Donation pick up or drop off
Clothes & home shopping
Driver or carpooling
Car maintenance
Interior or seasonal decorating
Holiday planning, shopping, and/or wrapping
Travel planning
Paying Bills or accounting
Tax preparation
Tutoring or homework help
And for your business, consider outsourcing to a:
Virtual Assistant
Graphic Designer
Web Designer
Marketing Coach
Social Media Strategist
Ads Expert (Meta, Google, etc)
Scheduler
Writer for email, blog or captions
Editor for email, blog or captions
Email Marketing Expert
SEO Expert
Inventory Manager
Bookkeeper or Accountant
Payroll Management
Tax Preparation
Shipping Manager
Email Management
Someone to do sales calls
Someone to do lead generation
Someone to do research
Someone to do networking
Business Coach
I realize that hiring help may not be in the cards right now. Which is why I suggest starting with the time investments so you can free up bandwidth and focus on moving your business forward.
But keep these lists of home and business hires close by so you know who to hire when you’re ready.
Maybe even use hiring help as a goal to push you to increase your sales so you can offload your work load.
And if you are ready to hire someone to help support your executive function and stay accountable to your goals at home and in your business, I would love to help!
Click the button below to sign up for a free, no obligation call with me to discuss your goals, my services, and how I may be able to help you reduce your executive function load.
