I'm often told - "I just can't get started" or "I can't seem to finish what I get started." These are common for everyone but especially someone who has ADHD or other learning disabilities. Here are 3 things you can do to get started and keep going until you are finished:
1: Know why you are procrastinating! Most people procrastinate because they have a terrible concept of time. We often want instant gratification and think that we will deal with something later. Our brain is easy to convince that it's okay to eat that cupcake now because it wants to have its pleasure center touched. We tell ourselves we will work it off later at the gym or it's just a few extra calories we will eat less later... Or we have to get a project done and we tell ourselves we have all week to complete the project thinking we will start later on - we have time. Also, some people procrastinate because they are afraid of failure or success. They believe if they start something it won't be good enough. So, you need to really think about why you are procrastinating and be very honest with yourself!
2: To get started give yourself a set time limit or goal. So you want to workout and lose weight. Set up a 10 minute time to just do it! Tell yourself it's only 10 minutes. If you need to clean a room set a goal for cleaning up for 20 minutes or picking up/cleaning 20 thing. You can do this same thing for a project you need to get started or studying for a class/test. The key is to set a time limit and or goal for how much you want to accomplish. Don't set these too high - make them manageable. Once you get started you can keep going if you want but don't make the time limit or goal so high you are overwhelmed and don't start at all.
3: When you are starting to have the desire to quit tell yourself these two words: STOP IT! Watch this video clip below of Bob Newhart telling a client to "STOP IT" and talk to yourself the same way! This will do a few things. It will hopefully make you laugh every time you tell yourself to "Stop it" and it will make you keep going until you reach your time limit or goal. See, sometimes we procrastinate because we have a negative inner voice telling us our work isn't good enough, we are not good enough, or other negative comments. I want you to tell this negative inner voice to "STOP IT!"
Now, tell yourself you can and will get things accomplished! You may not complete everything but you will get things started and finish what you start. I believe in you so now you need to believe in yourself!
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