ADHD & Celebration! I have been talking about ADHD and getting projects done. Well I forgot an important component. CELEBRATE YOUR VICTORIES! What I mean by that is celebrate getting the work done. Don’t dwell on whether you got the work done in exactly the fashion you planned, you got it done, that is the important point. You persisted.
We, people affected by ADHD, tend to focus on what didn’t work rather on what did. We always look for reasons to judge ourselves. And that judgement is almost always negative. “Yeah, I got it done, BUT, I didn’t get it done by the time I had planned.” This is often the reframe. Stop! You got it done, that is the important part.
Maybe, when you are in a good place, you can reflect back, IN A CURIOUS MANNER, not negative one, “What got in my way of getting the project done in a timely manner? What can I learn from that experience for the future. I am curious but not judgemental as to why I tend to be late on projects like this. What is something I could do proactively before the next project?” And then listen to yourself kindly.
Ask people who you know are good planners or project managers how they get stuff done. Pick and choose to try what you think might work for you to try the next time. Again, this is about being curious in your approach to doing. Not judging your potential success or failure before you try.
Each new plan or project can be seen as an experiment in trying new ways to see if they will work for you because you are being curious, experimenting. Nothing is all good or bad, black or white. Your can learn from each opportunity, yes, see each project you have to do or plan as opportunity to experience and learn. Not an opportunity to judge yourself.
AND DON’T FORGET TO CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS. In any situation you can find something to celebrate or to judge. The choice is yours.