ADHD and How Not to Procrastinate on a Goal

ADHD and How Not To Procrastinate On A Goal
By Dana Rayburn, Adult ADD Coach

ADDed Success is ADD Coach Dana Rayburn's monthly newsletter about living successfully with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Welcome to ADDed Success,
It's human nature for most people to have trouble starting a goal or project. ADD or not, we procrastinate. Even when it's a goal we truly want to accomplish, we find anything to do other than what we intend to do.

I struggle with procrastination just like my ADD coaching clients. Yesterday I decided to attack some paperwork I'd been neglecting. Yet I did everything else but that paperwork. Sure, I finally did get around to it, but not without a lot of nagging guilt and squandered time. It started me thinking about procrastination.

What can you do to begin doing what you're putting off? Typical advice says make a plan and a list. Not helpful with ADD since sticking to a plan is nearly impossible.

You'll get better results by investigating what's getting in your way and removing it. Here are some ideas that may help.

-- Is your goal realistic? Do you have the necessary resources, knowledge, time and ability? People with ADD often have difficulty judging what's reasonable. You may need to scale back your goal, do some research or get help.

-- Is there an easier way? Are you making it more elaborate or harder than necessary? If you notice you're striving for perfection, try lowering your standards and expectations.

--Is fear blocking your progress? Consider what you're really afraid of. Then consider what about that makes you afraid. Like peeling away an onion's layers, keep probing until you can get down to your core fear. Though simply recognizing it may not make the fear go away, you may be able to move past it and start your project.

-- Does thinking about your project overwhelm you? Don't bother breaking it into small steps. Instead, get clear on the end result. Then do something that feels like the next easy step to move you toward your goal.

-- Do you forget about your goal or project? Get support to keep you on track, to inspire you, and give you an occasional kick in the rear.

Next time you find yourself procrastinating, figure out the cause and get going. Only you can make your goals happen. So take action!

The Last Word
Being a good ADD coach means walking your talk. Since I work with adults with ADD to make their businesses and lives run effortlessly, my world better run effortlessly, too.

Living effortlessly doesn't mean being perfect. This is life after all. Stuff happens. Living effortlessly means making things as easy as possible and fixing problems so they don't happen again.

I got to practice my walk a couple of weeks ago. I bounced some checks after I forgot to note a large payment in my register. It was a costly goof, and I felt silly and vulnerable to my distractibility.

Before I was an ADD coach, when something like this happened I would have covered the checks, paid the fines and forgotten about it. But now there's that talk I have to walk to make life effortless. I need to fix the problem so it doesn't happen again.

In thinking about the situation, I discovered I rely way too much on ME to track my account balances and update my registers. It works most of the time, but not when life gets busy and I don't do my bookkeeping.

I'm pleased to report that I'm fixing the problem, hopefully for good. I'm setting up automatic register updates and fund transfers with my on-line bank. Isn't technology wonderful!

PS. - Trouble Staying Organized? No Problem! Reserve your copy of 'Organized for Life' at the special 'early-bird' price.

Unleash Your Power
Through ADD coaching, my clients improve their productivity, increase their profits, and take control of their life. Learn more about ADD coaching for business people and other high-functioning adults with ADHD.

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