adhd decision making

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This Is the Key ADHD Adults Need to Adopt Habits Faster
ByMarla Cummins April 7, 2016 Blog

Like my clients who I have worked with this past week, you may also want to… exercise regularly. get your deliverables in on time. spend quality time with family and friends. communicate clearly and in a timely manner. get enough sleep. run productive meetings. and more… Of course, these and other short term goals are likely part of a larger picture. For you that larger picture may entail growing your business, creating more balance, enhancing your career, taking better care of yourself, etc. And on a daily basis you make countless decisions in critical moments that either support or hinder you in reaching these goals. But, you, like many Adults with ADHD, make many decisions on autopilot. They are so habitual it may…

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8 Techniques to Combat Procrastination When You Have ADHD
ByMarla Cummins January 10, 2016June 15, 2025 Blog

If you are reading this article, it is because you were enticed by the prospect of learning how to stop procrastinating. Like many people I work with you’ve tried seemly everything under the sun to follow through, to little avail. So, at this point, you may assume that, left to your own devices, you are going to continue this way. And what you really need is someone to watch over you to make sure you follow through, right? If this is what you are thinking, I think you are wrong, sort of… Sure, accountability can be an important piece of the puzzle in addressing procrastination. But, when it comes right down to it, Adults with ADHD usually don’t want someone standing over them, telling them…

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ADHD and Knowing Your Next Action Step
ByMarla Cummins June 11, 2014June 15, 2025 Blog

In my last post, I suggested using David Allen’s Six Level Model as a starting point for answering the question, “What work should I do?” And, if you’ve used this model before, you may have had an easier time answering the questions at the higher levels than at the 10,000 foot and runway levels. This should be no surprise. As an adult with ADHD creating a “big vision” typically comes easier than making more immediate decisions about what you are going to work on now. You may even on occasion have said about yourself, “I’m a big vision kind of person.” But how do you get to that big vision? 10, 000 Foot Level – Projects Part of what leads to overwhelm for adults…

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ADHD Time Management | Blog

Increasing Follow-Through With ADHD – Don’t Should Yourself
ByMarla Cummins December 26, 2013May 14, 2025 ADHD Time Management, Blog

Where are you not following through? In the first article of this series on follow-through I focused on “…Banishing Your Gremlin.” If you have not read this article, I would suggest going back to read it. And, if after reading that article, you are still scratching your head, wondering why you just don’t follow through, time to look further. Like many adults with ADHD, you may have many thoughts of tasks that you are not completing swirling about in your head. And, as they sit swirling, the thoughts and sense of urgency increase. What could be going on?! Should I or Shouldn’t I? It may be time to look at your commitment to your decision. Take the case of Gayle, who decided to apply for…

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ADHD Time Management | Blog

What To Do When You Think “I Can’t Do This… Until I Do That”
ByMarla Cummins October 16, 2013June 18, 2025 ADHD Time Management, Blog

I bet you have those days when you are trying to decide what to do, but you can’t… It starts to feel a little like a runaway train. Eventually, you get so overwhelmed by thoughts of everything you could or “should” do, you end up falling back on old bad habits. And not really setting your intentions for the day. One common type of thinking for adults with ADHD that leads to indecision paralysis is, “I can’t do this… until I do that.” I Can’t This… Until I Do That.” At times it can be really hard for adults with ADHD to get started, especially when you fall into the thinking of “I can’t do this… until I do that,” like these two examples: You…

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ADHD Tools & Strategies | Blog

4 Ways to Make Decisions When You Are Stuck
ByMarla Cummins October 3, 2013July 26, 2025 ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

Imagine you need to make a decision about buying a car. So, you start mulling it over. I should buy a Rav 4. No, the Subaru Forester has better safety rating. But the Rav 4 has a third row. Maybe I should look at the CRV. You know, they are all gas eaters. I need to really look at a hybrid, like the Prius. But it is really not going to have enough room when we travel. I do like the style of the Rav 4… And it starts to feel like a game of pinball in your head. And, though you keep pondering this for a few days, you are no closer to a decision. Then you get caught up in work and…

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ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis | ADHD Tools & Strategies | Blog

ADHD and Making Mistakes – Now What?!
ByMarla Cummins December 29, 2011June 26, 2025 ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis, ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

You messed up… If you are playing a big game professionally, you will not get it right 100% of the time. When you push your limits you will inevitably hit some speed bumps along the way. This is true for everyone. And, as an Adult with ADHD, you may have particular challenges. But what do you do when you make a mistake? How do you move forward Interpreting Your Mistakes Do you view each mistake as a sign that you are a screw–up? Perhaps, you see each mistake as an affirmation of your inability to perform well in any realm. And, after each misstep, you proclaim some variation of, “I can’t do anything right.” Unfortunately, this is too common a perspective for many adults…

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ADHD Time Management | ADHD Tools & Strategies | Blog

Does Your Life Feel Like A Trip to The Mall?
ByMarla Cummins April 7, 2011May 14, 2025 ADHD Time Management, ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

When I walk into a mall, which I do not do very often, I almost immediately become overwhelmed. How do you respond when you are flooded by so many choices? Do you walk into every store, and buy whatever catches your eye? And then you get home and beat yourself up for spending too much money. But you do not know what to return, so you keep it all. Alternatively, do you feel incapable of making any choice? You may walk into every store in the mall. But besieged by so many choices, you don’t buy anything. This is my usual m.o.! Mega Mall of Life These two approaches to making decisions about commitments are common for many with ADHD.

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ADHD Tools & Strategies | Blog

ADHD and The Two Key Steps To Creating The Change You Want
ByMarla Cummins November 22, 2013June 26, 2025 ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

As you are reading this you are thinking you should change. someone wants you to change. you want someone else to change because you think it will make your life better (and maybe theirs). you are getting ready to make changes so some aspect of your life is better. you are in the process of making changes, and wondering if you are doing it right. Perhaps, these changes are related to your ADHD. Change is something we think about all the time. Sometimes we act, and other times we just continue thinking… It is normal But When Are We Ready? I would like my eating habits to be better. I don’t consistently eat as well (read, nutritious meals) as I would like. And, if the…

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ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis | ADHD Tools & Strategies | Blog

Are You Motivated? Answer These Questions To Find Out
ByMarla Cummins May 27, 2011May 14, 2025 ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis, ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

As I’ve written about in the past, both eating and exercising can be part of a holistic treatment plan for ADHD . Last week in my article, The Two Key Steps To Creating The Change You Want I shared with you a bit about my challenges with eating well. This is not the case with exercise, though. Over the last two years I have been able to consistently exercise. Though I have fallen off the wagon, of course, I have been able to resume within a short amount of time. I know that both are “good for me.” In both cases, I know the vital behaviors that that will give me the greatest leverage and allow me to persist. See last week’s article for more…

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