ADD – ADHD: Getting Unstuck, Changing Your Mindset
I started to do research on omega-3 fatty acids when I realize that I went into it with a preconceived idea of what I was going to find. Now, those who do research know that this approach is the antithesis of a good research mindset. Of course, the purpose of research is to be open to new information. Certainly, having a hypothesis that you want to prove or disprove can be part of the research process.
In any case, I “know” all of the above, but apparently I forgot. What I do recognize is that when I say that I “know” something, but am not acting based on that knowledge, then I do not really know it! At least, I do not know it in the moment. I tell my clients this all the time when they say they know something, but are not operating from that awareness.
So, how did I forget the researcher’s mindset and begin the process with a fixed frame of mind. I got stuck, which is easy for an ADDer to do; I went into “hyperfocus mode” and kept looking for what I wanted to find. As a result, I became increasingly frustrated when the information was not what I anticipated or wanted for the purposes of writing my article.
After “wasting” time, I was able to get unstuck by:
- recognizing what I was doing
- laughing at my persistence in the face of reality
- taking a break so that I could rethink my strategy and break away from my hyperfocus mode
- coming up with a new question for my research that helped me to be open to new information
I think I’m ready to start research, again.
What do you do when you find yourself becoming stuck when what you anticipated is not in sync with reality?
