Taking action is where most of us fall through the cracks. We don't continue with our game plan long enough to really establish a habit, or we meet with difficulties and give up. If something is not working, the best thing we can do, is to keep trying something different, until we find what works. Having a flexible approach to what it is we would like to accomplish, increases our chances for success. I have been taught that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback, and that has made my life fuller, time and time again.
Attitude is everything, and recognizing that an outcome which is different from what we anticipated or hoped for, can be a very valuable learning experience. It can help us grow even more than some of our easy successes. Seeing the glass half full, is a valuable skill to develop, if you don't already have it. It opens up possibilities and creates new choices for us. One way to begin practicing this skill is to list three things you are grateful for at the moment, every time you begin to feel discouraged or see things negatively. This will put you in a frame of mind that will help you see what's good about a bad situation.
Some times we give up because we feel we just can't do it. We think we bit off more than we could chew. Well, if that's the case, then just remember that anything can be accomplished if you break it down into small enough tasks. All books are written just one page at a time, all symphonies composed just one note at a time and all paintings created just one brushstroke at a time. There's an incredible woman who does the Boston Marathon every year on crutches and when asked how she does it, she replies, "One step at a time." She's my kind of gal.
Believing that you already have within you what you need to manage your inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity is a very powerful belief. Believing this will enable you to create successes from the things you have already started to do, such as this workbook. As one success leads to another, you create for yourself that upward spiral, until you not only believe you have within you what it takes, you know you have within you what it takes. So start by believing, and enjoy the journey. Learning how to use the best of what it is you have that makes you unique, is a gift you can give yourself each and every day, all day long. Remember that you are your fingerprint!
The rest of this workbook is an eclectic collection of things to do and try to help you reach your goals successfully. Some things may benefit you and some not. Use what works for you and ignore the rest. If stress and anxiety attacks are limiting your full potential, you may want to try some of the breathing exercises and relaxation techniques presented in this section, or better yet, design your own. There are helpful hints for getting organized, avoiding procrastination, communicating effectively, and more. Turn to the table of contents and scan through what is available for you to use in taking action toward accomplishing your first goal. There is even an example of a time commitment worksheet to help you plan what to do, and when to do it. For everything presented in this section, I urge you to think of ways to make what's presented work even better for you.
After you read over the table of contents, put a star by the section that you'd like to start with first, then prioritize the rest by numbering them. Trying to "do it all" may only slow your progress. This is a common pattern for ADDers, to see all the possibilities and start so many things in a burst of excitement, that many of them are done poorly or never get finished. Starting just one thing, and sticking with it until completion, gives a sense of accomplishment and helps develop skills needed to stay focused at future projects. Motivation gets you going, but habit gets you there, and it takes 21 consecutive days to establish a habit, so be prepared to be patient! Go for it and have fun!
In this section you'll be given two interactive coaching opportunities to use at your convenience. When you are ready to correspond with Coach Sandy concerning any exercise(s) in this section, click on Table of Contents and click on Coaching Interaction 5 and then 6!