The weather is getting warmer and that means everyone will soon be coming out of their self-imposed winter hibernation. I’m so excited… and worried.
This means hiking and beach days and cookouts and travel and patio dinners and outdoor concerts…so many events and invitations which can be so incredibly rewarding but also a recipe for disaster if you have ADHD.
Why? Because our ADHD brain wants to do all the things. We want to jump into the new activities, but we forget that we already made plans. So we overcommit and then underestimate how long it will take to get places. And then we’re late and rushing around or we have to cancel at the last minute and…
Basically, summer can be one long season of missing commitments.
In fact, commitment can be a four-letter word for people with ADHD. You’ve promised to do something, show up somewhere on time, pick something up and since you have ADHD, you often don’t follow through and do it.
And when you fail in your commitments, you likely cue the shame and guilt. Top it off with a dollop of self-loathing. You’ve disappointed someone else or yourself…..yet again.
Two Steps to Keep Commitments with ADHD
To succeed with ADHD, you need to build a new relationship with commitments with this two-step process:
First – become more aware BEFORE making any commitment. ADHD means we have an idea and we blurt it out before thinking about it. That gets us in trouble time and again.
Why? Because often the commitments we make aren’t realistic. They’re not something we’re good at doing or have the capacity or time to do. (Keep reading to find out my number one trick for avoiding unrealistic commitments.)
Second – learn how to make it easier to keep the commitments we make. (We’re not talking about this in this blog. Just remember: Easy Gets Done. And if you want more help in making it easier to do stuff then consider joining the ADHD Success Club group coaching program.)
The Power of The Pause for ADHD
Here’s your new skill to work on to help you avoid making unrealistic commitments. Building this skill has totally changed my life and my relationship with my ADHD.
What do you do? Before you make any commitment to yourself or others: Pause. Stop. Take a breath. And think for a moment if you can do what you are about to say you’ll do.
You can use the pause when you’re feeling mentally stuck, scattered, or dealing with heated conversations. And especially when you’re in danger of making a commitment that you know you won’t follow through on.
Your ADHD brain craves action and forward movement. It loves making commitments. You actually get a dopamine kick when you make them.
But what the ADHD brain wants is very different from what it needs. Your brain wants to GO – but you really need to SLOW DOWN and PAUSE.
The power of the pause, an action of inaction, will slow your brain down, increase your awareness, and help you make better choices to live more successfully with ADHD.
Before long, the commitments you DO make after that pause will most likely be conscious and more likely to be ones you keep! Which means a fantastic and fun summer is ahead of you!
Keep Learning! Check Out:
- Episode #34 of the Kick Some ADHD podcast: Capturing Commitments
- Episode #50 of the Kick Some ADHD podcast: Power of the Pause
- Plugging Your ADHD Energy Drains
- A Killer ADHD Time Management Tip
Tired of struggling with ADHD? You’re in the right place. ADHD Success is loaded with free, practical tips to help you get organized, manage your time, and live more easily with Adult ADHD. Like what you read? Sign up for the newsletter now! No Spam. I promise!
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