10 Things To Know About Procrastination & ADHD
“Maybe, I will do that today or tomorrow?”
These are dangerous words, whenever you say maybe, you are giving yourself an out, whether it’s intentional or not, it doesn’t matter.
The ADHD mind is wired to focus on what’s interesting, and maybe is not very interesting.
However, in life, there are things that need to get done.
Here are a few things to know about procrastination plus a few tips on how to avoid it!
You are not alone. I don’t think I’ve ever met a client that doesn’t have an issue with procrastination. If you don’t want to do something, you will avoid it.
However, I have seen clients break the cycle and get better at avoiding it, so there is hope!
Procrastination happens when you don’t have a good sense of how long something may take. Most things always take longer than we expect.
Procrastination can happen when you feel overwhelmed. Maybe you don’t know where to start or do not have all of the facts about the project.
Every situation is different, it’s helpful to identify why you are avoiding a project and find a solution for that problem. Maybe you need more information or need to break the project down into smaller steps.
Sometimes procrastination happens because we don’t know how to prioritize the tasks in a project and are afraid to ask questions. I encourage you to face this fear and get clarification. It’s much better to know that to guess.
You may have heard it’s better to start with the hardest task first, but this isn’t true for the ADHD mind. It will be easier for you to start a harder task after your brain has been engaged and you are in a better mood. Start with something engaging first.
Look for the smallest point of entry to get started on a project, it could be as simple as moving a pile of papers from the floor to the table. I’ve witnessed many situations when once started the momentum keep going.
Work in sprints when it comes to avoided projects. The Pomodoro Technique is one of my favorite strategies. Work for 25 minutes, take a 5 minutes. Repeat. Just make sure you to set alarms to keep track of the time.
One of the most effective ways to break the procrastination cycle is to enlist an accountability partner. This gives you an opportunity to share your plan with someone and have them check in with you periodically on your progress.
Thank you for your time and attention!
-Nikki
