ADHD Coach Blog

Works for Me

Archives: October 2009

An Inspirational Role Model for ADHDers

If we ADHDers focus on the things we can’t do, we’ll never do them. Better to believe we can.

Hulda Crooks was 101 years old when she passed away in 1997. She was famous for being the oldest woman to climb Mt. Whitney (the highest mountain in the continental United States) and Mt. Fuji (the highest mountain in Japan). She climbed Mt. Whitney 24 times between the ages of 66 and 91. Yes, you read that right: A 91 year old woman climbed the highest mountain in the continental United States!

She started jogging when she was 72 because, she said, “it made climbing so much easier.” At age 82, she set a Senior Olympics world record for the 1,500 meter race. At age 95, she was still walking two miles every day.

Why did Hulda do all these amazing things? Because she believed she could. She wanted to do them, and didn’t see any reason not to.

I want to be that woman!

Hulda’s story resonated with me because I’ve been feeling down lately, worried that by the time I’m able to live my dream, I’ll probably be too old. My dream is to buy a few hundred acres and, together with my boyfriend, be totally self sufficient. We’ll grow and can our own vegetables. Cut our own firewood. Raise farm animals. We’ll have chickens again! But because of the other things I have planned for this life, it may be almost a decade before we make the move. Will I be physically able to live that kind of lifestyle by then? Will I still be able to run a chainsaw when I’m in my sixties and beyond? Should I give up the dream?

Reading Hulda’s story was a huge motivator for me. All it took for me to know it’s possible was one example of someone who did it. Someone who said “phooey!” to conventional wisdom. My mood has brightened considerably, and I can’t wait to get outside today. Yes, it’s raining, but I need to stay fit to live my dream. Every day is an opportunity to make progress towards that goal.

Have you ever said anything like:

I can’t start a business, even though I have this great idea...
I can’t invite people over, even though I’d really like to...
I can’t go to a top school, even though I’m smart enough...
I could never succeed as an (insert exciting profession here), even though I find it fascinating...
I’ll never make partner at the firm...

...because I have ADHD?

91 year old women can’t climb mountains either.

Oh yes they can! And so can you.

Hulda wasn’t into fitness all her life. In fact, she was obese as a child. She didn’t exercise regularly until middle age. It took her two years to get into a regular routine. She started slowly and worked her way up -- literally. Her first jogging excursion was a trip across her back yard. But she kept at it. She believed in the value of exercise, and she believed in herself.

It’s the same thing with ADHD. If we focus on the things we can’t do, we’ll never do them. Better to believe we can. Start slowly. Learn the strategies. Develop the skills. Climb that mountain.

Believe you can, and you will.

A Smart Time Management Strategy for ADHDers

Identifying potential obstacles ahead of time, and putting things into place to prevent them, will increase the likelihood that ADHDers will complete tasks on time.

I’m an optimist. My boyfriend said to me the other day, “Your problem is that you expect the best, and when reality doesn’t meet your expectations, you’re disappointed.” I figured he was making a commentary on our varying styles since he tends to be more of a pessimist. (“No, I’m a realist!” he’ll probably correct me when he reads this.) But what he was actually saying was, I was only seeing a positive outcome for the situation we were discussing. I was not considering any of the risks. Therefore, it was likely that I would be blindsided by something unexpected, and disappointed in the end.

Being able to account for potential obstacles is an important ADHD success strategy. If something gets in your way, what will you do? Considering it ahead of time will make it much easier to deal with if it actually happens. For example, say you have a big project due for work or a term paper due for school in three days. You break the project down into manageable pieces and schedule them out, planning to do a third of the work each day. Excellent strategy for avoiding procrastination! You’re all set, assuming all goes according to plan.

But what if it doesn’t? Let’s identify some things that could possibly go wrong with that project: Maybe the person you’re relying on to complete part of it doesn’t deliver. Maybe you forgot about an event you scheduled six months ago. Maybe you won’t be able to resist the temptation to watch the Steelers game on Monday night. Maybe your best friend will call and interrupt you.

Now that you’ve identified the risks, how will you mitigate them? Follow up with the person helping with the project and ask if she’ll have her part done on time. Double check your calendar to make sure you really have the time available. Set up the DVR to record the big game. Spread the word that you’re not available to chat this week, and plan to turn off your phone while you work.

Identifying potential obstacles ahead of time, effectively managing time, and putting things into place to prevent them, will increase the likelihood that your good intentions come to fruition.