Four Tips on Perseverance

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” - Maya Angelou

One of my favorite characteristics of people who live with ADHD is their perseverance. I remember going to a CHADD conference and they had a roundtable of people sharing their experiences on living with ADHD.

One women said, "well the good thing about not having great memory, is I forget when things didn’t work out, so I just keep trying again!"

I’ve also seen the opposite view, where clients come to me feeling very defeated because they do remember and sometimes wonder, 'What’s the point in trying again?'

During these times, we need to reach out to our support systems and rely on perseverance to get through. 

Four Ideas to Tap into Your Perseverance: 

1) Take Your Time

My co-host, Pete Wright shared a story about a time where he persevered. He had a decision to make, he could stay stuck or move on. However, he had to be stuck for six months before he was able to move on. Every situation and every person will have a different process and timetable they will need follow. The point is to take the time you need to process whatever roadblock is getting in your way. 

2) Remember Why

I've had to rely on this strategy many times, especially if I’m not seeing the progress I want in the time frame that I want it in. Remembering your motivation for why you do the work you do or why you are working on a specific goal is always a good thing when things aren’t going as planned. 

3) Take in Positive Energy

If things are not going so well for you right now, be careful of the energy you are inviting into your life.  Be more mindful of what you are watching, reading, and listening to. Look for things that will inspire you and, most important, be around people who support you. 

4) Clarify Your Next Step

Sometimes we get stuck and we don’t know what to do next. Now is the time to reflect on your plan and figure out what that next step is. When you are ready, take it. Remember to make it small, so that you don’t continue to feel overwhelmed. If you can’t figure it out, ask for help. Sometimes getting a different perspective is helpful. 

Perseverance is one strength of ADHD but guess what?

You have many strengths! To help you find those strengths, I created the ADHD Strength Finder. Come along with me for 7 days to find your strengths and learn how to use them!

Thank you for your time and attention..

Take Care,

Nikki