08 Mar 2008 12:28:38 | ADD Coach Jennifer Koretsky
If you are an adult with ADD, chances are that at some point in
your life, you've felt that you are not "living up to your
potential." This judgment often manifests itself when you take
stock of all the great ideas you've had that have never gone
anywhere, and all the unfinished projects that you have started
but never completed.
The overwhelming number of these things that have not been
"followed through" can lead you to believe that you are not
living up to your potential.
This is simply not true.
By nature, ADDers are visionaries and idea generators. If only
someone would pay us to think up great ideas all day long - we'd
all be rich! But we get so many great ideas all the time that it
would be absolutely impossible to follow through on every one of
them.
Think about it. If you tried to implement every good idea you
ever had, would you have time to eat, sleep, or even breathe
right now? Probably not. But this is not an indication that
you're lazy, unable to follow through, or not living up to your
potential.
Successful ADDers know that they are always going to have great
ideas that never come to fruition. It's just our nature to be
constantly thinking, creating and innovating. We can't shut off
this part of ourselves even when we try. But we simply don't
have the physical or mental capability to follow through on
every great idea we get.
Embrace this concept as truth. Realize that some ideas are worth
following through on, and some are not. Let go of the guilt.
Refuse to listen to the internal dialogue that tells you you're
lazy and not living up to your potential, simply because you
have too many good ideas to keep up with!
Instead, ask yourself what's practical to follow through on in
the present, instead of putting pressure on yourself to do it
all. Keep a notebook in which you write down your great ideas so
that you can come back to them if you want to. Focus on a few
great ideas that you actually did follow through with, and let
these be your motivation moving forward.
And don't forget to acknowledge this special talent that you
have. The ability to generate many great ideas makes you a
visionary!
About Author :
Jennifer Koretsky is a Professional ADD Management Coach who
helps adults manage their ADD and move forward in life. She
encourages clients to increase self-awareness, focus on
strengths and talents, and create realistic action plans. To
subscribe to Jennifer’s free email newsletter, The ADD
Management Guide, please visit
http://www.addmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm