Drop What You're Doing - It's the Last Weekend of Summer!

Dear !fname,

Wow - can you believe it's the last official weekend of summer? This is your friendly coaching reminder to enjoy it!

I know, I know. You have work to do. Yard work is calling, and you never completed all those indoor projects that you planned to. The kids need school clothes and supplies, and you could use some fall clothes, too. There's a lot to be done.

So what?

Adults with ADD have a nasty habit of punishing themselves for not being productive enough. You set big goals, get mad at yourself when you don't finish them quickly enough (or at all), and you tell yourself that you're not allowed to have fun until you get all that work done.

But does that approach work? Nope.

The more you beat yourself up about it, the less motivated you become. You don't end up doing more, just procrastinating and feeling bad.

ADDers put way too much pressure on themselves and forget that life is not all about being productive and accomplishing things. It’s also about having fun and enjoying yourself. So when your life feels so packed that there’s no room for fun, it’s time to take a step back and reprioritize.

Ask yourself what really matters to you: the to-do's, or your mental health? Would you rather finish that dreadful home improvement project, or go out with friends and family?

This weekend, take the maverick approach: make fun a priority. Give yourself permission to enjoy your weekend before the world kicks into high gear again. Go outside! Have a barbecue, go for a hike, take a long drive, or do whatever you really want to do with your last official weekend of summer. The projects can wait, and so can everything else.

See for yourself what a difference it makes. When you have fun and relaxing times to look forward to, you naturally have more energy and motivation. Those projects and to-do's don't seem quite so heavy, and you feel much better about yourself.

It's the last weekend of summer, dammit! You deserve to enjoy it like everyone else.

Have a good one, Jennifer Koretsky, Founder, Head Coach & Chief Visionary Officer ADD Management Group, LLC