ADD

I think many people  have slight-ADD symptoms/tendencies.

I can see this with my boyfriend, my ex, my cousin, and even in myself.

A few years ago, my ex graduated from school and he started interning for his professors. His professors had failed him because he couldn’t turn things on time, make it to class, and follow-through. Yet, after college, they hired him for projects because they felt he was exceptionally talented and had a lot of potential to do great things.

As he worked on a new project with one professsor, his professor recommended that he read a few books. This included “Art of the Start” and “ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life”. Both books are awesome, and I recommend them.

His problem was that he truly wanted to do a lot of things and be everything for everyone. He would over-promise and could only deliver so much. He’d fear giving people real deadlines that he could work with. I think he couldn’t even assess those deadlines. But, he’d always want to do a perfect job. He had too many things to work on, no schedule, and missed deadlines.

The ADD book calls out to simplify everything. Dumb it down…and make everything simple, clear, and easy. Try to eliminate too many options…like, for instance, if you have a hard time deciding what to wear in the morning, keep your closet with basic items and basic colors.

This can apply to credit cards. If you have five credit cards, you’re more likely to rack up more debt than having only two cards. If you have five, keep only one in your wallet. Set up rules for those credit cards…like…I’ll use this credit cards only for online purchases because I’ll get a cash-back and the credit card company has a great refund policy on Internet purchases. Or, I’ll use this card only for gas purchases because I earn special rewards for making this type of purchase.

Other good things for the ADD-affected:

Write down what you have to do every night for the next day. Write it clearly using a black marker and use action words. Don’t write “Laundry”. Rather, “Do Laundry”. Limit your list to three major tasks and five smaller ones. After you’ve completed each task, cross it out with a big fat line.

Be decisive and set a time. And, always follow-up. If you’re meeting a friend, don’t say “I’ll meet you in the afternoon.” Say, “Let’s meet between 2-2:30pm.” If you’re running late, call and be honest and say, “Sorry, I’m running late. I’ll be there at 3:30pm.” Let people in the loop.

Don’t keep accumulating things. The less you have, the better you’ll perform.