Dealing with ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder
I often wonder what my life would be like if I was able to focus on one task at a time and for a considerable amount of time. The bane of…
I often wonder what my life would be like if I was able to focus on one task at a time and for a considerable amount of time. The bane of my existence is my self diagnosed ADD — Attention Deficit Disorder or specifically the new self-coined acronym EDD — Electronic Distracting Disorder. It doesn’t take much to distract me. Everything around me appears as a bright shiny object catching my attention with ease.
I obsessively check my email and that is not just one account. It’s six accounts. And when I see new emails, I can’t stop myself from opening them and then indulging in a response which often takes me once again into another direction as frequently I need to supply information I must find or create.
When I see a message from Facebook in my inbox I click on it like an addict and am now off to FB land. There is no such thing as spending only a minute or two on Facebook. I am now on my main Facebook account reading a response to a posting and my curiosity gets the best of me and I am scrolling down my feed.
Oh, look at that video from Abigail Disney. It’s superb. Must share it. Oh, what’s that video? Click and watch. That is too adorable. Little piglets cared and loved for by sweet dogs.
Must check my other Facebook accounts. There are five.
Damn, I really need to get another intern who can help with the social media. Have to get an ad up on the school sites and Indeed. Let’s see if I have an ad I can use for that.
Hang on. Not yet. God, look at these live Facebook postings. I am so impressed how three friends built their sizeable followings in not much time. I know. I must deliver regular new content and do consistent FB live videos. There is sooooo much to do. Ahhhhh.
That reminds me, let me check my Twitter account. Oh, no! All the schedule tweets will be finished in a few days. No more will be going out. I just can’t bear to put those together with all else I have to get done. Yes, must do a search for a helping hand.
Now two hours have passed and my eye catches my IPhone alerts for my Instagram account. Must check it out. Instagram is my favorite social media for posting snapshots. It has brought me back to one of my first loves — photography. And now it is SO easy to take a good pix with a phone and put it out there. I am receiving immediate validation from followers.
“Super!”
“Nice”
“Cool”
“Love it!”
“Gorgeous shot!”
What time is it now? Shit, three hours have passed since I got to my computer and I still have not started in on my to do list.
1. Review and mark up contract
2. Watch casting videos and edit a casting/sizzle reel together for new television show
3. Research venues and conferences
4. Get outline done for book
5. Write newsletter
6. Write proposal for forgiveness workshop and submit
What is the date? Oy! Must get out two birthday cards before they will be obsolete and should say Happy Belated Birthday.
Bills, don’t forget to pay all my bills. That damn safe deposit bill was due over a month ago and I keep forgetting to go over to the bank and handle that. I pray they haven’t sealed my box. Can they actually do that? No, right?
And what about a years worth of data entry- all those credit card bills that have to be matched with receipts and entered into Quicken. I fell completely behind this year.
What time is it now? I’m hungry. What’s in the kitchen? Let’s make some tea. How about lunch? A bagel. Is there lox? No. I will boil an egg.
It’s cold in here. Find a fleece to put on. That‘s better. Okay back to work. Where was I? Better check my email. It’s been ten minutes. A couple of new emails came in.
Wonder if anything came in on the dating app. Did the guy I went out with last week write me? I’ll check. Hey, yeah he did. Nice. Will write him back now. Done. Let’s take a minute to browse more guys. That shouldn’t take long. I’m fast. Fifteen minutes later — done.
The water must be boiling. Don’t want to ruin another pot. Okay, made lunch. Carrying my bagel to my desk.
God, I have so much to do. What should I do first? Any ideas? Someone please help me. Help me get off this rollercoaster. Help me focus. Help structure me. Please be my mentor, my sponsor, my accountability partner. I promise I can do the same for you. Interested? If not, I am so afraid I will die never finishing projects I started, never reaching my potential. Spending most of my time distracted.
WAIT . . . WAIT . . . WAIT! I GOT IT!
I FIGURED IT OUT.
What is it that gets many of us so off the mark from the moment we wake up? Our devices, our phone which is no longer just a phone but a mini computer loaded with data, our social media, emails, news — all which once we turn on, once we start to look at it is like an alcoholic waking up and taking a drink and then another drink. And it is hard to get back on track.
I CHANGED MY HABITS.
I no longer go to bed with my phone in my bedroom. I keep it downstairs. Hence, temptation is not near me when I wake up.
Now, I can use my sacred time after I wake for myself, to center myself. Here is the order of what I do.
1. Read my affirmations aloud
2. Write a gratitude list
3. Meditate
4. Write in my journal
5. Schedule my day
6. Exercise
7. Breakfast
8. Start work
Yes, schedule my day, now means I have dug deeply and pulled out time management skills. Something that is not natural for me. It’s like taking a free spirited artist and putting that person in the military. However, it is the structure that an unstructured person with ADD needs.
It can look like
9–9:30 — emails
9:30- 11:00 write proposal
11:00- 11:15 emails
11:15–1:00 continue on proposal
You got it. Okay, good.
I have to check my phone now. Just felt it vibrate in my bag. Wonder who it is — a text or phone message? Oh no, there I go again. Oy! ADD, EDD — a daily challenge I am on my way to conquering.