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Where Did the Time Go? — A Time Audit
This isn't about judging how you spent your time — it's about seeing it. ADHD time perception is unreliable from the inside, so writing down what actually happened often reveals a picture your memory couldn't.
No guilt allowed: The point is data, not a verdict. 'Wasted' time on a rough day is often the brain recovering. Notice; don't scold.
Today's real timeline
Fill in what actually happened, block by block — not what you planned, what happened.
My real day
Row 1
- Time block: ____________________
- What actually happened: ____________________
Row 2
- Time block: ____________________
- What actually happened: ____________________
Row 3
- Time block: ____________________
- What actually happened: ____________________
Row 4
- Time block: ____________________
- What actually happened: ____________________
Row 5
- Time block: ____________________
- What actually happened: ____________________
Row 6
- Time block: ____________________
- What actually happened: ____________________
The surprises
Where did more or less time go than you thought?
What surprised me
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Time sinks vs. black holes
Sort the lost time: which was a chosen sink (you decided to), and which was an accidental black hole (you looked up and it was gone)?
Chosen sinks... vs. accidental black holes
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
One friction point to change
The one thing I'll adjust tomorrow
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
A single next step: Change one friction point, not your whole schedule. One black hole, plugged with one anchor, is a real win.
Go deeper
Ready for more? These lessons pick up where this worksheet leaves off.
- Time Blindness, from The Adult ADHD Course. Why ADHD brains can't feel time passing, and how to make time visible so you're on time.
- Focus, Hyperfocus, and Distraction, from The Adult ADHD Course. ADHD attention is a dial that's hard to set — hyperfocus and distraction are two ends of one system.
- Systems, Habits, and Self-Compassion, from The Adult ADHD Course. How to make self-compassion the engine that keeps your habits and systems running.