Strengthening Your Motivation

Getting motivated and staying motivated is definitely a head thing. As an avid runner, I always like to use the following as an example. Let's say I'm training for my first marathon. I know, without a doubt, that to complete a twenty-six mile run, I've got to get out there and pound the pavement, come rain or shine. If I get up and it's raining out, I can picture myself out there wet, cold, soggy, and having a miserable time, or I can picture myself out there feeling strong and invigorated by the cool, refreshing rain. Which do you think is going to get me out the door, with my running shoes on?

The picture we make in "our mind's eye" determines the degree of motivation we feel toward what it is we would like to do. The best way to motivate ourselves is to picture what it will be like, and imagine how good it will feel, when we are all done, and have accomplished what it is we set out to do. Pretending what you will be saying, and doing, when it is all over, is a very powerful motivational strategy. Elite runners see themselves crossing the finish line first, hundreds of times before it actually happens. The more compelling details we add to our picture, the stronger we can make our motivation.

The purpose of the following exercise is to motivate you toward behaviors that are beneficial in managing your ADD. In this exercise you will design your own unique visualization. There will be five components to this visualization, providing an opportunity to add a variety of compelling details, that will get you motivated and keep you motivated.

 
Designing Your Own Vision Exercise

This exercise consists of describing what it is you want from five different aspects. It will help you to define and clarify what your needs are for successfully coping with ADD. It will give you better insight into what you need to do, and how you need to do it. It will allow you to realize what resources you need to develop more fully to be comfortable and confident with your new coping behaviors.

Component #1. Describe below, in as much detail as possible, what you want your environment to be like. What kinds of things will be in your environment as you are coping well with your ADD? What will your environment look like and sound like? What will it feel like? Example: My environment is neat and clean. My books are on a book shelf and my papers are in a file cabinet. There are different color folders for different projects. My computer files are backed up on disks and my coats and jackets are hung in the closet. I have a hook for my keys and they are there when I am not using them. My floor is swept. The TV is silent and there is soft rock playing in the background. I have fresh flowers on the table and the sweet smell of a scented candle is in the air. I feel calm and focused as I have only one project out on my desk at a time. Family and friends are in my home often, and there is calm, soft, conversation when they are present. I feel nurtured by my environment. The way it looks and sounds is a reflection of how much I care for myself and those sharing my space.

Please enter your name:
Your E-Mail Address:

Description Of Your Desirable Environment:

Component #2. Describe below, in as much detail as possible, what behaviors you will be engaged in as you are comfortably coping with your ADD. Describe what you will be doing and how you will be doing it. What will you see, hear and feel as you are engaging in these new activities? Example: To become calmer and more focused, I see myself meditating and exercising regularly, telling myself how important it is and feeling great about taking such good care of myself.

Description Of Your Desirable Behaviors:

Component #3. Describe in as much detail as possible what capabilities you will use to modify inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity. How will you develop these qualities to their fullest and what will they be like? What capabilities have served you well in the past that you can use even more in the future for your personal growth and accomplishments? What new desirable capabilities will you develop in addition to what you already have? What will you be seeing, hearing and feeling as you display these capabilities? Example: My strongest capability is that I am stubborn. I see myself as unrelenting and I tell myself never to give up. I feel strong when I am stubborn.

Description Of Your Desirable Capabilities:

Component #4. Describe below, in as much detail as possible, what beliefs and values will help you cope successfully with ADD. What is it that's of value to you? What beliefs will further your progress? Example: I believe that with hard work, I can overcome many obstacles. I see myself accomplishing many new goals because I value determination and hard work. I feel grateful for valuing honesty and diligence.

Description Of Your Desirable Beliefs And Values:

Component #5. Describe below in as much detail as possible what you are like on an identity level. Who are you as you cope successfully with distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity? What kind of a person are you now that you have an environment with behaviors, capabilities, beliefs, and values that support you in the way in which you desire. Who do others say you are? How do they describe you? How do you describe yourself? What is most the most important thing you would like to say about you? Example: I am a kind and compassionate person who takes responsibility for my behaviors, my possessions, and my relationships. I am fair and honest, and not too quick to judge others or react harshly. I am creative, exciting, spontaneous, and fun to be around. My friends say I am zany, and unpredictable, but they know they can depend on me for help when they are down!

Description Of You At Your Best!


Self-Esteem And Growth

Self-esteem begins with self-awareness. As we begin to form an identity, we also begin to make value judgments about ourselves by making comparisons. Growing up with ADD, and maybe some of the co-morbid states that often accompany it, creates differences that are used as fuel for those comparisons.

The self-critic begins to grow and flourish, and before long, it is out of control. Self esteem is at an all time low and you may desperately want to be anybody except who you are. "The Shoulds" are in control of your life and you're not happy with what you're doing or how you're doing it. It's that darn downward spiral, and like the vortex of water going down a drain, it's dragging you and everything with it.

That's when it's time to grab the plug and shove it in the drain! The place to start is by telling the self critic to be quiet, so you can listen to your inner voice and hear what's really important to you. It's the time to take a crystal clear look at yourself and what's of real value to you. Last, but not least, it's time to get in touch with the real you, and not the one created by the self-critic.

Let's go right back to the beginning. the part that says self esteem begins with self awareness. We all have characteristics that are outstanding, and some that are a little less than admirable. Even some of our less than admirable qualities, when used in the right context, become excellent resources for growth. A good example is stubbornness. When we are rigid and inflexible in our relationships with others, we can often do damage to those relationships, but when we are striving for excellence and want to play a certain piano piece perfectly, and won't stop practicing until we do, then stubbornness will serve us well.

 

Self-Awareness Exercises

How aware are you of your best characteristics and your "worst"? What are the ways in which you can use your best characteristics even more often than you do now, and in different situations? What are the ways in which you can use your "worst" characteristics for good deeds that have a benevolent intent?

Listed below are some words that may or may not describe you. Identify the ones that describe you the best. Also identify the ones that you would like to describe you, and imagine how they might, once you have discovered new behaviors and modified your inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. List below additional qualities that make you unique, in the space provided.

Active Flexible Intuitive Punctual Thoughtful
Adventurous Forthright Kind Quiet Tolerant
Ambitious Funny Knowledgeable Reliable Trustworthy
Amiable Friendly Literate Reserved Truthful
Capable Gentle Loyal Resourceful Unassuming
Competent Gracious Meticulous Responsible Unique
Competitive Gregarious Moral Sensitive Urbane
Concerned Happy Motivated Sincere Verbal
Confident Hardworking Nurturing Strong Visible
Creative Healthy Optimistic Successful Visionary
Curious Helpful Organized Supportive Vigorous
Daring Honest Outgoing Tactful Virtuous
Dedicated Humble Patient Talented Vivacious
Diligent Humorous Persistent Talkative Warm
Energetic Insightful Practical Tasteful Willing
Easygoing Imaginative Polite Teachable Wise
Fair Intelligent Precise Temperate Worthy
Fast Intense Productive Tenacious Youthful
List the terms that describe you best:

List the terms that you would like to describe you:

Additional Qualities That Make Me Unique:

A good self-esteem exercise wouldn't be complete, unless you recognized yourself for at least three things that you are proud of. True self-esteem is awareness, and appreciation, of what makes you a valuable person in the world, because of what you value. You may have been valedictorian of your class, but are most proud of the time you spent spring break taking out Grammy's trash and making her lunch each day because she fell and hurt her hip. Kudos to you for all the nice things you've done both big and small, but list, just those special three, below:

#1.

#2.

#3.

Discovering The Hidden Leader Within

If you were a born leader, this exercise will just be a check-off list of qualities that describe you best, but if you never considered yourself a leader, this exercise may give you some valuable information about some of your untapped potential and serve as a jump start for your self-esteem. Below is a collection of leadership qualities from a variety of well known personal performance gurus. As you read through the list, notice how many you identify with at some level. Great leaders from the beginning of time have displayed these qualities; the same qualities you're nodding your head at as you read the list. This is the hidden leader within that's recognizing the potential you have for growth in this area. Have fun with the list, and nod as much as you like.


Expanding Your Beliefs

Minds are like parachutes; they only function when open, and this exercise will help to keep an open mind. When you change your thoughts, you change your world, so use this page a lot.

There may be times when our beliefs do not support us and our efforts to grow as well as they could. They may limit us in what we would like to accomplish or the way in which we would like to proceed. When this is the situation, an examination of that belief and what is doing for us, or not doing for us, is most beneficial. Analyzing how our success could be enhanced by expanding our beliefs is a very powerful step to take in developing new behaviors. Example: Believing that I'm too old to learn about computers may keep me from taking a computer course and discovering software for scheduling appointments, that will work for me better than the system I currently use. The following exercise is designed to help you expand any limiting beliefs you may have and allow for personal growth.

 

Step #1. List below any beliefs that you think may need to be expanded for you to grow and succeed at coping with your ADD.

Step #2. Analyze each belief listed above by asking yourself the following questions of each belief.

  • Does this belief enhance my ability to successfully cope with ADD?
  • What is this belief doing for my ability to cope?
  • What are some of the things I am doing based on this belief that are limiting my ability to successfully cope with ADD?
  • How does this belief help my ability to cope with ADD?

 

Step #3. After the above series of questions, you may start to doubt your old belief some. Continue exploring and questioning this belief with the following questions.

  • Is my old belief true under all circumstances?
  • Does everyone else believe this?
  • If not, why not?
  • What circumstances and situations do not fit with my old belief?
  • What other beliefs have come and gone over the years regarding this subject?

 

Step #4. Now ask yourself the following questions.

  • What would I rather believe?
  • How will my ability to cope successfully with ADD be enhanced with this new belief?
  • How might my ability to cope successfully be impeded with this new belief?
  • What is the best thing that could happen based on my old belief?
  • What is the best thing that could happen based on my new belief?
  • What could stop me from wanting to adopt this new belief?
  • How will this new belief benefit my sense of self?

 

Step #5. Replace the old belief with the new one, being sure to keep the benefits of the old belief, as you integrate the new belief with your sense of self.

Congratulations on the completion of Course One. To continue with Course Two, you will need to contact Coach Sandy for the new user name and password.

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