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Do You Know Which Task To Do Now?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Organization, ADHD Time Management, Blog

For those items that are date  sensitive ,you put them on your calendar. If it is also a time sensitive task, such as a meeting, you also block out the specific time. If it is not time time sensitive, you may still decide to block out a particular time in which to work on the task so as to ensure that it is completed. This type of work, as David Allen points out, is “predefined work.” While completing this type of work may present it’s own challenges, at least you know when you intended to do. What do you do in any given moment when the items on your  list do not have immediate deadlines  or are not in some way “mission critical”? Those of…

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ADD and Planning: Do You Know Your Next Step?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Time Management, Blog

When you have ADD, part of then fuzziness around planning occurs because it overwhelming to think about creating the path to allow you to finish. As I just finished my book about reaching your goals, it may seem odd to suggest that sometimes it is helpful not to focus on the finish line. As counter intuitive as this may sound, there are times when it is actually easier to accomplish your goals when you take your eyes off the prize. It might be more helpful at times to ask, “What is the very next step and when is the next time that I have at least ½ hour to work on this?” You may find your sense of overwhelm dissipating, as you focus on what…

ADD – ADHD: What Is Your Purpose?
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ADD – ADHD: What Is Your Purpose?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Organization, Blog

Have you ever forgotten to ask yourself, “Why?” That is, “what is the purpose of doing what I am doing?” For many of us with ADD, this is often times the case. Sometimes we exert significant effort toward a goal, before asking, “Why am I doing this?” What if you earned a degree in economics, attended law schools twice, went back to school to earn a Post-Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate, taught middle and high school, and never asked, “Why”? You might have spent a lot of time working hard to achieve goals that may or may not have been the “right ones.” As you may have surmised already, I did all of the above. While it was certainly a circuitous path to get to where I…

ADD – ADHD: Failing and Celebrating?!
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ADD – ADHD: Failing and Celebrating?!

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Organization, Blog

If you are playing a big game, and by necessity experimenting with different strategies and tools to meet your goals, rather than playing it safe, you know that you cannot get it right 100% of the time. When you push your limits you will inevitably hit some speed bumps along the way. When you have a setback, you can choose to see it as a cautionary sign to slow down or as an excuse to come to a complete stop. If you are prone to adopt the common ADD tendency to think in terms of black and white, you may think that there are only two options when you hit a barrier; you can go full speed ahead and just try harder or give up….

ADD – ADHD: What Does Stress Have To Do With It?
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ADD – ADHD: What Does Stress Have To Do With It?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

Stress, perhaps, more than anything else can exacerbate your ADD symptoms and get in your way as you pursue your goals. You probably find that the executive functions that you find challenging because of your ADD will hinder you even more when you are stressed. So, managing your stress level is necessarily a part of managing your ADD. In addition to making your ADD symptoms worse, you know that stress can cause you to not eat well. not sleep well. feel overwhelmed. get sick more often. So, then how do to you manage your stress? Part of the answer is to take care of yourself in all of the ways covered earlier in this section. Eating well, exercising, maintaining connections etc. will certainly help decrease…

ADHD and Clutter: There Is Help.
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ADHD and Clutter: There Is Help.

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Organization, Blog

    Those of you who struggle with clutter, whether space or paper, know very well the impact it has on your life. For the purposes of this post, the question is: What affect, whether direct or indirect, is it having on your ability to reach your goals? In some cases the impact is obvious. Perhaps less obvious is that that physical clutter can lead to If you are ready to address your clutter there are three steps. The first step is cleaning out the clutter. ADD-Friendly Ways To Organize Your Life by Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau has helpful strategies for this. If you feel that you need help, you may enlist your family or friends. Hiring an organizer may be the answer for…

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ADD – ADHD: Who Can Help Me?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

A question I am asked all of the time is: Who do I go to for help? Knowing which professional to go to for help is critical in receiving the correct kind of assistance for diagnosis or treatment. Yet, it can be confusing, as there are so many different resources. The first step is knowing what kind of help you are seeking. Below is a brief explanation of the types of professionals who can provide the help that adults with ADD commonly seek from a professional.   EVALUATION First, I strongly caution against seeing your family doctor for advice or evaluation for any suspected mental health issue, as they typically lack the needed specialized knowledge. This lack of expertise can result in delays in receiving…

ADD and Nutrition: Can You Get To The Finish Line?
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ADD and Nutrition: Can You Get To The Finish Line?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

When you do not eat properly you lose focus and find it hard to attend. Sounds familiar? Like other self care issues, lack of a proper diet can worsen an already compromised executive function system for an ADDer. Likewise, a balanced diet can help you in these areas. Common wisdom suggest and studies have shown that consuming the recommended amount of protein can help you to be more alert. Also, there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that taking Omega 3 can help you focus better. At the same time, eating too many carbohydrates can lead to increased tiredness. The bottom line is that the dietary needs and impact of different foods and supplements is going to change from person to person. For more detailed advice…

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Entrepreneurs and ADD: Are Your Business Relationships Working?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Communication, Blog

When you are a small business owner / entrepreneur with ADD the way in which your ADD symptoms manifest themselves can absolutely have a positive effect on your relationships with others. You may be outgoing and able to talk to many different people, for example. This ability allows you to easily integrate into a variety of social and business situations which may serve you well in building and sustaining your business. However, many of you recognize that, depending on the context, your ADD symptoms may also prove to be a challenge in creating the types of quality relationships upon which the success of your business rest. While the degree to which you can choose with whom you want to create business relationships varies depending on…

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ADD – ADHD: Do You Want To Be More Awake?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

  Occasionally, I will provide a recording of my post in order to provide the information in a format that is as accessible to as many people as possible. My goal is always to help you learn and apply the information in whatever way is most useful to you. Toward that end, I have also included a link to a PDF of the transcript. If I can do anything else to help, please let me know Hello and Welcome! I am Marla Cummins of Cummins Coaching Training. I had such a great response to including audio along with a transcript in my last posting and newsletter. I’m glad that you found it helpful. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help…