I have spent my entire life living as a multitasker with 20 tabs open on my browser and 100 more in my head. While juggling multiple projects and responsibilities is kind of my thing, at some point it ends in a mini crash and burn that leaves me with a day or two of BLEH. A few months ago my best friend Jess suggested that maybe I actually had ADHD after doing research for herself. What followed was lots of Googling, online quizzes, and talks with my therapist. It all clicked. That super power that I had that allowed me to do a million things and hyper focus on tasks is the same reason that I can never find my keys, forget to purchase key parts of a recipe I’ve made 100 times, or get incredibly irritated when someone interrupts me when I am plugged into a task.

Maybe you aren’t in the “adult women with ADHD super power” club, but anyone can benefit from the skills that I have developed throughout my life to pull myself out of a rut and get back into a productive head space.

 

1. Make lists and check them twice

Use the tools that you have at hand to get organized and set goals. Whether you are using a task management software like ClickUp or Asana, or you are using a notebook and paper planner, getting your thoughts and goals out of your brain and into words is always step one for me. Set achievable goals with clear deadlines, and then develop a plan from there.

As an example. my latest business mentorship group was struggling with implementing systems. Rather than tell them “you can do this!”, I asked them each to pick one client and input them into their project management app to get a feel for how it works and how it could look when they use it to manage all of their clients. Getting specific and focusing on micro-goals on our way to macro accomplishments can be massively helpful when we are feeling stuck.

2. Put your health first

When you are having trouble getting focused and motivated, it is time to check in with your body. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating a balanced diet? Are you taking supplements? Are you moving your body enough?

You physical health plays a huge role in your mental health. Even if that means going for a walk in the morning and staying hydrated, making your body and rest a priority is essential.

 

3. Acknowledge your greatness

Write down a list of your accomplishments. Write a letter to yourself filled with praise and kind words. Realize that you are wildly capable of accomplishing anything that you want to do.

And then sometimes…you just have to endure a crappy day/week/month, and focus is just too hard to find…

The reality is that sometimes life is hard. Hard AF. Sometimes there is no good way to get motivated to do things that just don’t matter. What we can do to combat these feelings is to attempt to do the tasks above. Eventually, it will all click back into place.

xoxoxo