Adults with ADD: What WON'T You Do To Get The Job Done?

Adults with ADD: What WON'T You Do To Get The Job Done?
I am a member of a business Mastermind Group. We're a small
group of coaches and business people who meet weekly to
check in with each other, ask questions, and set the goals
we'd like to be held accountable for.

In last week's meeting, I complained that I was once again
setting the same goal for myself that I had set the week
before. Despite wanting to complete that goal very badly, I
just couldn't find the time to get it done.

That's when fellow Masterminder Doug Emerson, aka The
Profitable Horseman, asked one of the best coaching
questions I've ever heard:

In order to reach your goal this week, what WON'T you do?

He knows me well...and I think he's gotten to know
Attention Deficit Disorder well, too!

Asking me that one little question forced me to articulate
exactly what was getting in the way of my progress. It will
come as no surprise that I was allowing myself to follow
distractions that were new and more interesting than my
original goal.

Simply articulating this problem forced me to be aware of
it, which allowed me to consciously avoid the distraction.
This proved to be an excellent tool for achieving my
short-term goal.

So let's take this out of the business context and move it
into the general scope of ADD management. Let's use a
common example of a short-term goal that adults with ADD
frequently get tripped up on: financial management.
(Substitute organization or running errands or any other
goals that you have trouble meeting.)

Let's say you set a goal for yourself this weekend to
manage your finances and balance your accounts. When you
set out to do this, what usually gets in the way? These are
the things you can commit to NOT doing when you set out to
achieve your goal this weekend.

A great example of what might get in your way (no matter
what your goal) is getting caught up in your computer or
getting sucked into television. So before beginning to get
to work this weekend, you can commit to NOT watching TV or
turning on the computer until you've met your goal.

By making this commitment, you make yourself aware of
potential pitfalls and plan to deal with them before they
become problems. Deciding what NOT to do is an excellent
way to avoid the typical distractions that keep you from
getting the job done.

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Jennifer Koretsky is the Founder of the ADD Management
Group, Inc. and the author of 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 .