The best way to Change Your Mindset to Get Stuff Finished
“I have to unpack my suitcase”, I thought after returning from a camping trip. I used to be so afraid of unpacking my suitcase that I left it open on the floor for weeks and rummaged through it when necessary.
Of course, not opening the box was counterproductive, but people with ADHD put off boring tasks. We’re not telling ourselves we’re avoiding the task because it’s boring; We tell ourselves we don’t have time. Really, we pull the fear out and we end up doing more work.
We can change that. ADHD coach Alan Brown advises people with ADHD to switch their language and mindset to so-called boring tasks. For example, we often see ourselves as victims who are forced to do something when a task is “must”. Saying that a task is a “will do” – instead of recognizing it as something we hate changes the way we think. An even bigger shift occurs when we think, “I choose this annoying task because it needs to be done.” Then imagine how your attitudes and life could change by adding, “I decide me to do it to the best of my ability. “
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When I have to unpack a suitcase, I think, “At some point it has to be unpacked, so why not now?” I know that doing the job will make me feel better. It makes the room look better. This means I can have the items I need to hand quickly. When we don’t like a task, we imagine how long and uncomfortable it will be. Surprise! It took me 10 minutes to unpack.
As a reformed do-it-later person, I notice how difficult it is for people with ADHD to complete boring tasks. A niece mops up any spilled liquid, then leaves the roll of paper towel on the floor. A friend doesn’t open her mail and doesn’t find out for weeks that her bank account is overdrawn. A son works on his tax return the day after it is due. A friend’s child plans to sell auto parts on Craigslist but never publishes them. The car parts are rusting in his yard.
What tasks do you avoid? Which harmful habits need to go away? Then ask yourself, “What am I willing to do to change myself?”
Getting things done: next steps
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