Inattentive ADHD Setting Goals

I find that I can fritter away hours doing much of nothing unless I set goals and somehow motivate myself to get things done. Inattentive ADHD folks have more problems getting started on things than they do actually completing things but for me both getting started and finishing things can be a problem.

Before I go to sleep at night, I do what I call 'mental preparation'. I think of what I need to accomplish the next day. First I prioritize the tasks and then I break these tasks down into steps. Next I figure out exactly how I will complete the steps. Usually I have 7-8 steps that I need to complete. If there are more steps than that, I get out of bed and jot myself a quick note. I repeat the steps in my head until I am sure that I will remember the order and the manner that I will complete them. This is kind of like counting sheep for me and I find it comforting and relaxing to have a 'plan'.

The next day, I repeat the steps of what I need to get done in my head, in order that I do not become distracted by something else. I call this my 'mental coaching' and it helps me accomplish what needs to be done.

My most productive time is in the morning and I find that if I get what I need to get done in the morning I complete my tasks more efficiently and more accurately. If I have a lot of tasks to accomplish, I schedule fun breaks in between the tasks. These little breaks (pound cake and a cup of coffee after the laundry is folded, 15 minutes of working on the crossword puzzle after the report is completed, 10 minutes of playing on the computer after fixing the leaky faucet, etc) keep me motivated and moving.

It has taken me most of my life to find a routine that works for me and my inattentive ADHD but I manage, in any given day, to complete a tremendous amount.

One of my latest goals is to write in my blog at least twice a week for a year. Those of us with inattenvive ADHD know that this will be a challenge. Wish me luck!!