jennifer@addmanagement.com.
Best regards
Jennifer Koretsky
http://www.ADDmanagement.com
The 4 Steps of Personal Change for Adults with AD/HD
Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (AD/HD) offers many gifts.
I've never met an adult with AD/HD who wasn't creative,
compassionate, and driven, in one form or another. We hold
in abundance many qualities that the rest of world
sometimes seems to lack.
But while AD/HD has its upside, there is no denying that
many of us often find ourselves out of sync with the rest
of the world. Our time management skills are usually poor.
Our abilities to prioritize and organize often need work.
And a host of other challenges present themselves when an
adult with AD/HD tries to thrive in a world full of
non-AD/HDers.
Like everyone else, there are things about ourselves that
we find we need to change. If it were easy to change old
habits and thought patterns, there would be no need for
therapists, coaches, or self-help books. Life would be
simple. And it would be boring.
When positive, personal changes are adapted, like
sharpening time management skills or adapting techniques
for better focus, the result is a renewed sense of
confidence and an increase in the options that are
available to us. I've always thought of change as a 4-part
process:
1.Education
It's information that inspires change. Becoming educated
about AD/HD and the way it can affect adults is the first
step to identifying changes that need to be made. This
stage can last quite a long time before the next step is
undertaken. Knowledge is like a seed and the mind, all by
itself, is a fertile garden.
2. Awareness
Self-awareness is key when making personal change. It's
impossible to change that which we are not aware of. An
adult with AD/HD must practice self awareness in all areas
of life to determine what's working, and what isn't. This
is a time when one begins to realize that certain behaviors
and actions have propelled you forward, and others have
held you back.
3. Reframing
It's important to realize that every person always does the
best they can. No one purposefully under-performs,
under-achieves, or disappoints. When you give yourself
enough credit to explore why you might do certain things
the way you do, you can reframe your behaviors and actions
with the understanding that they are there for a reason,
and not because you are inadequate.
4. Action
The action step often happens on its own. When an adult
with AD/HD gains knowledge, practices awareness, and
realizes the positive reasons that change needs to take
place, action will unconsciously follow.
Change is something that we will practice our entire lives.
Real, lasting change takes time, and can't be rushed.
----------------------------------------------------
Jennifer Koretsky is the Founder of the ADD Management
Group, Inc. and the author of the new book Odd One Out: The
Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD. Jennifer and her team work
with ADD adults who are overwhelmed with everyday life in
order to help them simplify, focus, and succeed. For free
resources and information on adult ADD, visit
http://www.ADDmanagement.com . To learn more about Odd One
Out, visit http://www.odd-one-out.net .
