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Fix your procrastination before it starts
Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 14:32
Written by Diane O'Reilly
Tuesday, 25 October 2011 13:30
One of the main challenges that I help ADD people with is their procrastination. It's a massive problem for people with ADHD, but conversely we don't usually do much about it.
We often just learn to live with it, but at a high price. Because it exacts a long term toll. We don't feel good about ourselves when we continually leave things undone, or leave them to the last minute. Also we never seem to get to the stuff we know we ought to be doing, including important personal goals. We know all this about ourselves and yet we frequently just learn to live with it and cross our fingers and hope that next time it won't be that way.
Truth is, because of our brain biology it's always going to be that way! We are short on the chemicals that help us to plan, organise, focus, self- regulate, inhibit distractions, recall what we were doing, and activate the project to begin with. Medication can go a long way to helping with this, as it increases those chemicals, as does exercise, supplements and a healthy diet. But it does not completely cure us of it.
The challenge then is; How to get ourselves to stop doing this when we cannot seem to get ourselves to do anything anyway?
There are some really powerful strategies that I know really work, but guess what? They are all really simple...A lot of my clients have dismissed them as being too simplistic, that is until they try one and see just how life changing they can be!
Here are a few;
Timers, body doubles, mind maps, white boards, deadlines, rewards and environmental conditions.
Each one of those tools specifically helps by working on the part of the brain that is challenged. For instance the timer creates a deadline, it helps short circuit perfectionism, it lessens overwhelm because it creates an easy entry point to the project, and it gives us an exit strategy, which is often what we need ( believe it or not) in order to overcome the activation challenge and just make a start.
A body double is a witness, or accountability. It can be a friend you invite to do the task with you, or it can be taking the task to a neutral venue such as a library or coffee shop which helps overcome the activation and the distractibility.. Mind maps and white boards help overcome the short term and working memory challenges by getting the information out onto the external plain, they also help with the planning piece, because now we can "see it" we can plan it more effectively than when it's all still in our heads. Rewards help with activation and focus and self regulation, because it motivates. And environment again works on the activation and focus and the distractibility.
I read a story that illustrates perfectly how these tools work. It was about a successful entrepreneur who has ADHD and was writing a book,the writing of which he had been procrastinating about. So he took the body double and timer concept and used it like this; He booked himself a return flight to Japan and wrote the book on the way there and on the way back! Extreme maybe, but it's a great example of him knowing how he needs to manipulate his environment in order to kick start the project and maintain focus!
One of the great things about all the tools and tricks that are used to help overcome procrastination is that we don't need to wait until we are in the middle of a crisis before we use them, we can put them in place as part of our regular way of doing things. That way the procrastination does not get a chance to get a foot hold. I use the mind map concept always when doing presentations and webcasts, I always work in the kitchen for presentations because I know it helps my activation. I use a timer with my painting to help me overcome perfectionism and just make a good start...
So why wait? You can implement any of these tools as a regular part of your routine, and immediately lessen the impact procrastination has in your life.
I learn so much from my clients who are creative and imaginative and have over the years developed little quirks and tricks that help them overcome particular personal ADHD challenges.
Do you have any interesting methods you use to overcome procrastination? Maybe you could leave a comment and share what has worked for you with us all.
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Fix your procrastination before it starts
Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 14:32 Written by Diane O'Reilly Tuesday, 25 October 2011 13:30
One of the main challenges that I help ADD people with is their procrastination. It's a massive problem for people with ADHD, but conversely we don't usually do much about it.
We often just learn to live with it, but at a high price. Because it exacts a long term toll. We don't feel good about ourselves when we continually leave things undone, or leave them to the last minute. Also we never seem to get to the stuff we know we ought to be doing, including important personal goals. We know all this about ourselves and yet we frequently just learn to live with it and cross our fingers and hope that next time it won't be that way.
Truth is, because of our brain biology it's always going to be that way! We are short on the chemicals that help us to plan, organise, focus, self- regulate, inhibit distractions, recall what we were doing, and activate the project to begin with. Medication can go a long way to helping with this, as it increases those chemicals, as does exercise, supplements and a healthy diet. But it does not completely cure us of it.
The challenge then is; How to get ourselves to stop doing this when we cannot seem to get ourselves to do anything anyway?
There are some really powerful strategies that I know really work, but guess what? They are all really simple...A lot of my clients have dismissed them as being too simplistic, that is until they try one and see just how life changing they can be!
Here are a few;
Timers, body doubles, mind maps, white boards, deadlines, rewards and environmental conditions.
Each one of those tools specifically helps by working on the part of the brain that is challenged. For instance the timer creates a deadline, it helps short circuit perfectionism, it lessens overwhelm because it creates an easy entry point to the project, and it gives us an exit strategy, which is often what we need ( believe it or not) in order to overcome the activation challenge and just make a start.
A body double is a witness, or accountability. It can be a friend you invite to do the task with you, or it can be taking the task to a neutral venue such as a library or coffee shop which helps overcome the activation and the distractibility.. Mind maps and white boards help overcome the short term and working memory challenges by getting the information out onto the external plain, they also help with the planning piece, because now we can "see it" we can plan it more effectively than when it's all still in our heads. Rewards help with activation and focus and self regulation, because it motivates. And environment again works on the activation and focus and the distractibility.
I read a story that illustrates perfectly how these tools work. It was about a successful entrepreneur who has ADHD and was writing a book,the writing of which he had been procrastinating about. So he took the body double and timer concept and used it like this; He booked himself a return flight to Japan and wrote the book on the way there and on the way back! Extreme maybe, but it's a great example of him knowing how he needs to manipulate his environment in order to kick start the project and maintain focus!
One of the great things about all the tools and tricks that are used to help overcome procrastination is that we don't need to wait until we are in the middle of a crisis before we use them, we can put them in place as part of our regular way of doing things. That way the procrastination does not get a chance to get a foot hold. I use the mind map concept always when doing presentations and webcasts, I always work in the kitchen for presentations because I know it helps my activation. I use a timer with my painting to help me overcome perfectionism and just make a good start...
So why wait? You can implement any of these tools as a regular part of your routine, and immediately lessen the impact procrastination has in your life.
I learn so much from my clients who are creative and imaginative and have over the years developed little quirks and tricks that help them overcome particular personal ADHD challenges.
Do you have any interesting methods you use to overcome procrastination? Maybe you could leave a comment and share what has worked for you with us all.
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Events
Monthly ADHD coaching workshop.
This meeting is held on the first Wednesday of the month from 7pm-8:30pm
The agenda for each month will be;
- Open meeting with welcome and sharing time.
- The presentation of the topic of the month or the guest speaker
- Question & Answer time
- Optional buddy coaching
The topics are focussed on positive, ADHD friendly strategies to enhance your life.
The cost to attend your first meeting is free, thereafter $15.00 each person or family, payable on the night by cheque or cash.
I recommend that you bring a notebook, to take notes or set goals
There is no obligation to sign up for more than one session.
Where and when:
Sunrise senior residence
456,Trafalgar Rd,
Oakville. On
L6J 7X1