Choices Make the Person
Dear Friend,
I have some questions for you to think about today:
Are you the kind of person who takes responsibility for your actions, learns from your mistakes, and chooses to move forward? This is the way that happy and successful people generally operate.
Or are you the kind of person who thinks that life happens to you, makes excuses, and feels that things are out of your control? This is the way that unhappy and unsuccessful people generally operate.
You have the power to make choices.
Will you be a happy and successful person with ADD? Will you build your knowledge and awareness? Will you take responsibility for your actions? Will you commit to learning and moving forward?
Or will you make excuses?
One of the best things about being diagnosed with ADD is that you finally have an *explanation* for many of the challenges you experience in life. A huge weight is lifted when you can say to yourself:
"So this is why it's hard for me to get started and follow through! This is why it's hard for me to pay attention in meetings! This is why it's hard for me to get to bed on time!"
Successful adults with ADD take these explanations and turn them into helpful tools. They use this awareness to make good choices, and put themselves in a better position to succeed.
Unsuccessful adults with ADD take these explanations and use them as excuses. They justify their actions (or lack of action) instead of taking responsibility for them. They throw their hands in the air, give up their personal power, and surrender to circumstance.
Excuses don't help us make change or allow us to grow; they provide us with a way out. They give us a reason to not improve our lives, and they keep us feeling disappointed, frustrated, and unhappy.
And excuses have the same effect on the people we feed them to, like spouses, bosses, and friends.
When learning to manage your ADD successfully, you must be willing to stop making excuses, and start making choices.
When you make a choice, you take control. You stop being a victim of circumstance, and start being an aware and responsible person. You open the door for more learning, more awareness, and more success.
Let's look at a practical example: You have a doctor's appointment today, and it normally takes you 15 minutes to get there. You leave on time, but you get stuck in traffic and arrive 5 minutes late. You're stressed out and frantic because the doctor is waiting, and you really tried to be there on time.
At this point, you can make an excuse and say "I did the best I could so it's not my fault I'm late!" Or, "no matter how hard I try, I just can't get to places on time!" But those excuses aren't going to help the situation, and will probably leave you feeling even more frustrated and stressed out.
The alternative is to take responsibility and learn from the experience. "I think I need to start allowing myself extra travel time in case something like this comes up."
You can clearly see which mind set leads to more happiness and success, and which option leads to bad feelings, stress, and overwhelm.
Choices allow you to move forward. Excuses keep you stuck in the same old place.
Happy and successful adults with ADD make choices.
How would you answer the question posed in this article? Do you have other thoughts on this article? Please share them on my blog at http://www.experiencingaddvantages.com/2008/08/adult-add-choic.html#comments!
Are You Ready to Make Choices and Move Forward?
 In the Odd One Out Coaching Program, I'll personally teach you how to build your ADD management skills and move forward in life.
In this small and intimate coaching experience, you'll get the info, skills, and support to stop stressing out all the time and start enjoying your life!
We'll dive deeply into the skills and concepts covered in my book, Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD. I'll show you and 9 of your adult ADD peers how to:
- Make small but significant changes that break the cycle of overwhelm, which means spending less time feeling burnt out and stressed out, and spending more time feeling calm, centered, and productive.
- Use techniques for increasing focus and concentration, which means improving your ability to pay attention when you need to.
- Operate from a mind set of success, which means identifying and building on your strengths instead of focusing on your weaknesses.
- Utilize simple and effective time management tools, which means managing your time more efficiently.
- Design ADD-friendly organizational systems, which means spending less time and energy managing your physical spaces at home and at work.
- Work towards life goals, which means moving beyond day-to-day living by adding elements of fun and creativity to your life.
- Make your own rules in life, which means embracing the maverick within you in order to be happy and successful.
Don't delay! This program begins September 9th and is already filling up. Early birds save $100 by registering now!
Get all the info at http://www.ADDmanagement.com/coaching/oddoneoutprogram.html
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I can't believe we're already in mid-August! Enjoy the summer while it lasts!
Now you can:
- Get all the tools you need to succeed from top experts
- Break out of isolation as you connect with peers who've been or are in your shoes,
- Save tons of money as you attend from the comfort of your own home, and participate at your own pace!
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