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How To Live Effortlessly with ADD: Love What You Do
By Dana Rayburn, Adult ADD Coach

ADDed Success Is The Monthly Online Ezine for Adults with ADHD from ADHD Coach Dana Rayburn.


Welcome to ADDed Success,

If you were to ask me to divulge one of the key ingredients for living effortlessly with ADHD, what do you suppose I'd say?

Get a timer? Follow routines? Nope!

I'd tell you this: to live effortlessly with ADHD, you must enjoy how you spend your time.

When you build your world around activities you relish, you are naturally more focused and engaged. When you're passionate about what you do, it takes less force to get things done.

Don't get me wrong. Everyone has to do things they don't enjoy. It's part of life. But to live effortlessly with ADHD you must spend LESS TIME doing things you find boring or draining and MORE TIME doing what delights you.

This means people in the workforce must love their jobs. Homemakers have got to love taking care of kids and running their household. Students must be interested in what they are studying. Retirees have got to be engaged in activities that excite them.

What happens when someone with ADHD doesn't enjoy how they spend their time? They must force themselves to stay on track, but more likely, they'll goof off doing anything and everything more interesting. This cascades into worries about poor performance, hiding mistakes and catching up.

Let's use one of my first clients, Jerri, as an example. Jerri wanted to be a writer, but instead she was a secretary in a huge corporation.

Jerri hated her work. The many details befuddled her, and she loathed the filing and administrative chores. Still, Jerri soldiered on because of the solid benefits and the
dependable paycheck.

The result? Jerri was dying inside. Each morning she dragged herself into the office. She lived for quitting time. She missed deadlines and goofed up. Her performance reviews stank, and her self-esteem and home-life suffered.

Before she could live effortlessly with ADHD, Jerri needed to find work she adored. Jerri is just one example. Perhaps you know someone like her. Perhaps that someone is you!

So what can you do when you don't like how you spend your time? If you can, make small changes to include more activities you enjoy. When that doesn't work or isn't possible, you may need to take more drastic action.

When you can't stomach your career, you're in a tricky situation, especially when money is an issue. Your choices aren't easy. You can stick it out for the paycheck and be miserable, or take a leap and find a job or career you'll enjoy.

I've worked with a number of clients who have taken the plunge to find a happier career. I've done it myself. The best results occur when people consider their options carefully and then create and follow a long-range escape plan.

You might find Wilma Fellman's book, FINDING A CAREER THAT WORKS FOR YOU helpful. It's packed with great information and tips. You can check it out at Finding a Career that Works for You! 

So, what ever happened to Jerri? Last time we spoke, she was miserably enduring the same job. Her seemingly easy choice of sticking it out for financial security was actually a sentence to hard labor.

Enjoying your work isn't an option. Not if you intend to live effortlessly with ADHD.


The Last Word
Can you tell I'm passionate about being passionate? I've earned my right. I spent way too many years struggling in the corporate world.

The escape plan my husband, Scott, and I created took nearly three years to carry out. Luckily, acting on our plan made it easier to cope with work.

Despite the huge financial and personal risks, it's been well worth it. Mondays are as fantastic as Fridays. The only thing I miss about my corporate life is the medical insurance.

Before I forget, I'm making good progress writing the e-book. Your surveys revealed getting organized and staying organized cause the most headaches, so that's what the book is about. Look for its debut around the end of September.

To Your ADDed Success,
Dana

P.S. Looking for a useful guide to choosing a career and finding a job? Career counselor and ADHD expert Wilma Fellman's book, FINDING A CAREER THAT WORKS FOR
YOU, is a fine resource.

This book is fun and practical. Click here for more information.