“How’s your blog on procrastination?”, my husband chuckled. You see, I was going to have this finished last week, ahead of time, so I could relax and write with ease. But that wasn’t to be. This blog only came to be because of one thing, accountability. I procrastinated until I really, really couldn’t delay anymore. Today is the day my marketing partner and I decided this blog is going to be published. Today is the day that I finish the blog. Read More…

Let’s say that you’ve been following along on this series of blogs on Procrastination. You’ve read that procrastination is a particular hazard for those of us who have ADHD because you need to have the right level of stimulation to pay attention to something… and it is hard to do a task if you can’t pay attention. The last blog covered how to increase stimulation levels so you can work on a particularly tough task. In this blog we’re talking about momentum and its role in overcoming procrastination.

Starting and switching tasks can be rough for those of us who have ADHD. If you have a hard time starting a task or switching to a task that you’ve been procrastinating on then it seems extra important to use momentum to your benefit when you do get on a roll. Read More

Procrastination can be a huge problem for those of us who have ADHD. If you remember waaay back to my last blog, Why We Wait, you’ll know that we procrastinate because of our brain chemistry. If a task doesn’t provide the right level of stimulation then our attention deficit kicks in and our brains are not ready, willing, and able to do the task.

In this next series of blogs I’ll touch on 4 ways we ADHDers can beat procrastination. The first I’ll talk about is stimulation levels, then I’ll roll through momentum, chat about accountability and finish off with some attitude. Read More

If you have ADHD it is kinda likely that you procrastinate. Some of your friends might say it is one of your defining characteristics. I have to admit, it is not my favorite of the ADHD traits. Procrastination is responsible for a wide array of heartbreaking situations. Despite not loving the topic, it is absolutely worth us talking about for a few minutes here.

Too much time is spent agonizing over WHY we wait. The collective we (you, me, our friends and community) have given wayyyy too much weight and meaning to why we avoid certain things to the extent that we do. There is a swirl of accusatory answers to why we wait that could include: self sabotage, not caring, not trying, wanting to fail, hating success, being stupid, etc. These labels are not helpful or true. There is a swirl of accusatory answers to why we wait that could include: self sabotage, not caring, not trying, wanting to fail, hating success, being stupid, etc. These labels are not helpful or true.

Let me put the shame, blame and agony to rest right now. Here is the answer to why we wait: Find Out Why

I was talking with another pig owner the other day (hang with me here, it turns to ADHD soon) and we were agreeing that you can’t really *make* a pig do anything. They are stubborn, independent-minded, strong and smart. You just have to kind of set them up so what they want to do aligns with what you want them to do. I normally do this with little piles of food and healthy doses of patience. A pig will follow food anywhere… at their own pace and maybe on their own circuitous route.

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Let’s say that you’re in college and the semester has started. You are really caught up in all of the craziness that is your college experience. Maybe you’ve moved into a new place and taken a little time to settle in. Perhaps there’s been some romance, some parties, some social events, new friends to be made. Perhaps it takes you just a bit to settle into a routine. Fast forward a month, then two months, then you’re suddenly facing finals. You have huge papers / projects / exams looming and you’re nowhere near prepared. How did this happen? Sometimes the semester deadlines sneak up like little ninjas with silent steps. They attack you when it is too late to react. A throwing star takes out the time you had to study. Nunchucks beat out any hope for getting help in time. And finally the ninja’s swift sword jabs you in the self esteem. You feel yourself crumple under the weight of your own anxiety or depression. It is too late to be as awesome as you truly want to be. Ugh. Gah. Sob.

Ahem, let’s set those ninja images aside and talk about how to *avoid* this scenario. Read More…