DESCRIPTION:
Starting and executing is hard for ADHD Adults. Here are 8 strategies to make it easier.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Answers to these question can help you execute better:
- What is the value — reward — for doing this task?
- Is there a task I need to do before this one that would make it easier for me to execute on this one?
- Do I have everything I need to get started?
- What can I do to minimize the distractions and interruptions I can anticipate?
- Is there is other work I’m worrying about completing? Do I know when I can tackle it?
- What will help me to withstand discomfort with tasks I might avoid?
- Am I using a warm-up routine consistently?
- Am I using self-talk that is helping me to execute?
RESOURCES:
Blog Posts
- Are You Allowing Interruptions to Run Your Day?
- ADHD & 5 Ways You Can Use Self-talk to Stop Procrastinating
TRANSCRIPT:
(00:01):
Executing can be easier even when you have ADHD. You’ve tuned into Scattered, Focused, Done – Reimagining Productivity with ADHD, a podcast for ADHD, adults like you who want to learn how to adopt the best strategies, tools, and skills to get your essential work done in a way that works with the way your brain is wired. I’m Marla Cummins, and I’m glad you’re joining me today on this journey to reimagining productivity with ADHD. So you can get what is important to you done without trying to do it like everyone else.
(00:36):
Some well-known productivity methods, such as David Allen’s Getting Things Done, assume you know how to plan and get started. But of course, with your executive function challenges, that’s just not true for adults with ADHD. As a result of these assumptions, you may have encountered the same frustration as many other ADHD adults who try to use GTD, for example, right out of the box. And it’s not that GTD or any other system is bad. It’s just that you have to improve some of your foundational skills before you can implement them effectively.
(01:12):
So if you try a system without much success, consider whether you have the necessary foundational skills to use it. And if not, then you can think about how to develop them. One of these skills is knowing your why for doing a task. Sometimes even when accomplishing a task is important to you, you still may have a hard time getting started because it’s just not intrinsically interesting.
(01:38):
So in the moment when you are deciding whether to do the task or not, you may say to yourself, I don’t want to. And of course, when you give into this feeling, you don’t start. One of the keys to not going down the slippery slope is to know your why or reward. For example, one of my clients wanted to be better at following through on his administrative task. His reason or reward for this was he wanted his colleagues to see him as a professional.
(02:08):
Of course, it’s not enough to know your why. You also need to be able to remember it in the critical moment of choice, not easy for ADHD adults who have working memory challenges, as you may not remember, the reward for choosing to do a task that is not intrinsically interesting but important to you. To address these working memory challenges, you can devise some sort of system for remembering your reward. In my client’s case, he put next to his administrative time in his calendar be a pro, and much to his surprise, he honored this weekly reoccurring time block. In part, he was able to follow through because he remembered his reward for doing his administrative work. Think of a task you resist. Can you think of why you choose to do it even if it’s not interesting to you?
(02:58):
Other times you may have trouble doing a task because it is dependent on doing another task that is too hard to do. For example, if you have on your task list, take the bike in for a tuneup, but you don’t know where to take it, you’ll likely gloss over that task because you tell yourself, I need to find a place to take it. So taking in the bike for a tuneup stays on your task list. The key to solving this type of problem is to make sure the task is specific, small enough to do and doable.
(03:31):
So in the example I’m using, the first task should be to decide where to take the bike in for a tuneup rather than take the bike in for a tuneup. To make sure you have the right next action on your task list, ask yourself, is there something I need to do before tackling this task? Next, you want to have a time for completing the task. Otherwise, it may stay on your task list day after day, and when you see them, you think to yourself, right, I have to get to that.
(04:01):
You could decide to batch similar tasks. For example, you could do emails at three and errands at four. If it is a longer project, you might have a reoccurring time when you work on the task. An example of this might be to write each morning for an hour to complete a journal article, or you might tend to your garden for a bit after work each day.
If it’s a one-off task that takes a considerable chunk of time, you might carve out time in your calendar to spend a couple of hours or whatever amount of time you decide, but the key is to identify the time when you’re going to do a task and not leave it to chance. In addition to deciding when you’re going to do a task, you’ll also want to decide how you’re going to do something. For example, do you want to work with an accountability partner?
(04:49):
That partner could be somebody you know, an app like Focusmate or a group such as an exercise group. And also set a timer for 25 minutes or for as long as you think you can work, then take a break. And you might decide to give yourself a reward along the way, not just at the end. If it’s something that lends itself to it, you might decide to even gamify a task. For example, you could process your email using Jerry Seinfeld’s Don’t Break the Chain strategy. A member of our online membership group made phone calls she was procrastinating on with the New York accent. What else might you try that would appeal to your interest-based nervous system?
(05:31):
In other cases, you can’t execute because you’re just not ready to start because you don’t have what you need to make it easier. The key is to do the preparation work as a separate task. For example, if you want to work on your report on Tuesday, you might decide to collect all related documents and emails on Monday so that by Tuesday you’re all ready without doing the preparation work. You might get frustrated on Tuesday as the time is ticking and you’re scrambling to find all the material you need. But if you can think about what you need to do to get started and do that step first, you’ll be in a much better position. Is there anything on your list right now you could prep for? So when the time comes to start, you’re ready to do so?
(06:16):
Regardless of how well you prepare to start, there are going to be distractions and interruptions. You may be able to anticipate some of these, but while you won’t be able to anticipate others, you may be able to minimize the occurrence of some. You can do this by using an application such as rescue time or cold Turkey to prevent you from surfing the web when you’re working. Maybe also choose to wear noise canceling headphones if noise is a distraction. And then again, you might choose to close the door during some parts of the day when you need it to be quiet at the office.
(06:55):
If interruptions from other people are a challenge for you and you struggle to know how to deal with them, you can think in advance of what to say to be able to handle these. If you’re not sure, you can check out my article. Are you allowing interruptions to run your day for techniques you can use? I’ve included a link to the article with the podcast on my website. The key is to prepare as much as possible in advance for any potential distractions or interruptions.
(07:22):
One of the most common distractions for adults with ADHD is the pull to do other work. So when you start to do one task, you may think to yourself, I should be doing X, Y, Z. Then the pull of this other task might be that you start to work on that instead of what you originally intended. Sound familiar? One way to counter this common problem is to decide when you’re going to do the other work. So in the moment of choice, you can be more confident that there’s another time you’ll work on it instead of feeling the urgency of doing it now. And then you can say to yourself about your originally intended work, I’m doing this and not that. This will help you manage your ADHD tendency to pay attention to everything in your environment and allow you to focus on what you intended.
(08:16):
When it comes to executing you’ll also need to be willing to withstand a bit of discomfort. Because you know when a task is easy to do and your interest is high, you’ll likely encounter very little friction, and you may even end up hyper-focusing on that task. But what about those tasks you resist doing because, well, they’re uncomfortable. It might be because of lack of interest or the enormity of the task, lack of clarity or some other reason.
Whatever it is, the thought of starting those tasks makes you uncomfortable and you just, yes, want to avoid them. You might say, then I don’t feel like doing this right now followed by, I’ll do it later when I feel like it. But really, all you mean is not now as you have no idea when you’ll do it. If you don’t feel like doing it now, you likely won’t feel like doing it later either.
(09:15):
Of course, it makes sense to put off something because of this discomfort, but the discomfort won’t go away. When you put off the task, you’ll likely still feel the stress of what you should be doing. So you’re just substituting one discomfort for another. The key to address this discomfort and make it easier to execute is to first acknowledge the discomfort when starting a task and be willing to withstand yes some discomfort.
Then the next step is to do a warmup routine to make it possible to start these difficult tasks. Here are some steps adapted from the suggestions of writer James Claire. As I’m outlining these, think about what your warmup routine might look like. Step one, the first step in your warmup routine should be something super easy to do. In fact, it should be so easy that there’s almost no chance anything could get in your way of doing it.
(10:17):
Perhaps it’s filling up your water bottle and opening up your computer. The idea is that you’re getting closer to starting your task. The next step, the second one is to ensure there’s some physical movement towards your task, even if you work at the same desk, start by getting water and then returning to your desk. And then the third step is rinse and repeat. That is you want to make sure you do your routine exactly the same each time because you don’t want to be in the position of needing to stop and wonder, what should I do now? If you put your water in the red glass, continue to do so.
After a while, it will be a habit. It’s your cue that this is what I do before I start working. Then rather than needing to rely on motivation or willpower, you’ll be pulled by your warmup routine to start on your primary goal. The next and last step to help you execute is to manage your self-talk. As negative self-talk can get in the way of executing and positive self-talk can help you. For example, you would want to refrain from self-talk, such as, I must be perfect. I have to, I should. I must finish. This is too big and important. If you use this type of self-talk, check out my post ADHD And 5 Ways You Can Use Self-talk to Stop Procrastinating. I’ve included a link to this post with the podcast on my website.
(11:53):
When you’re stuck, executing, make sure you can answer the following questions to see if you can find the reason for your resistance. The first one is, what is the value or reward for doing this task? Is there a task I need to do before this one that would make it easier for me to execute? Do I have everything I need? What can I do to minimize the distractions and interruptions I can anticipate? Is there other work I’m worrying about completing? Do I know when I can tackle that? What will help me withstand discomfort with task I might avoid? Am I using a warmup routine consistently? And last, am I using self-talk that is helping me to execute?
(12:42):
That’s it for now. I’m really glad you joined me and stayed until the very end. If you’re interested in learning more about my work with adults with ADHD, check out my website, marla cummins.com. Of course, if you’ve learned a thing or two from today’s podcast, which I hope you have, please pass along the link to anyone else in your circles you think might benefit, and until next time, this has been scattered focused, done. And I’m Marla Cummins. Wishing you all the very best on your journey to re-Imagining Productivity with ADHD.
