Help for adults with ADD who are struggling to finish summer projects while still enjoying their time off.
Copyright (c) 2007 Jennifer Koretsky
As summer draws to a close, families are enjoying their last few weeks of rest and relaxation before getting back to the grind. In addition to barbecues, vacations, and outdoor fun, many people have completed a "summer project" or two this season – from cleaning out the garage to making a scrapbook of personal photos.
Lots of people have goals such as these for the less-busy summer months, but for adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), having a list of summer projects can be overwhelming and stressful.
ADD adults tend to feel like they're always behind. They feel like no matter how hard they try to catch up, there is always so much more to do. To them, it seems like other people have an endless supply of time and energy to accomplish whatever they want! ADDers always feel like they should be doing more, and doing it better.
Because of this, many adults with ADD are not enjoying their summers. They're frustrated and annoyed with themselves because summer is almost over and they haven't even started the many projects that they had hoped to complete. They are beating themselves up for not accomplishing enough this summer.
For those individuals, here is a quick guide to finishing up summer projects:
1. Pick one or two projects that are really important to you. You may want to decide based on what's seasonally appropriate, like keeping your garden or yard well maintained. You can also choose based on things that shouldn't wait, like fixing a leak. Or, best of all, you can choose based on what you actually like to do, or are looking forward to doing. Everything else can wait. This step is essential. If you pick too many projects to work on at once, you greatly increase your chances of procrastinating on all of them.
2. Plan to work on your projects and schedule the time into your day or week. Don't overdo it. If you try to spend every free moment completing your summer projects, they'll become tedious and boring, and your summer will slip away. Instead, try scheduling in an hour a day for a couple of days a week, or maybe even a full day on the weekend.
3. Remember to leave room in your schedule for some summer fun! Completing projects can be extremely satisfying, but life shouldn't be all about your to-do list.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
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