Re: World is Crumbling

[Rick Green – Founder of TotallyADD]

I know that when I’m feeling overwhelmed, and I am, I have to remind myself that I have to turn down the emotional volume. I’ve lost perspective and everything is monumental. I think it has to do with not being able to filter and organize, which is a big part of what the Pre-frontal lobe does.

The other thing is that all I can see is what’s not done.

And I believe I have to get it all done.

But of course I will never have it all done. Or even a quarter of it. The problem is, I can’t let things go. So they pile up.

Dr. J once told me clutter comes from an inability to decide.

I have thought about that a lot. Interesting.

The only way forward for me, is to do ONE thing. However small. Something that will make a difference. It may be picking up a room. Or part of a room. Or just tidying the top of the coffee table. Or heck, the left half.

Something I know I can accomplish.

And I actually try and throw some things out, knowing that yes, I might one day want that article in that magazine, but then reminding myself that I can probably find the information online when, and if, I ever need it.

It’s about making decisions and in overwhelm, it’s like I have brain freeze.

Just doing one thing, no matter how simple, and even if I only commit to do five minutes of it, is key.

Then after 5 minutes I’m seeing results and I think, “What the hey, I’ll do another 10 minutes.”

I don’t try and do everything, or even tidy the whole house. I pick on area that I can get tidy and immaculate. The kitchen, as much as I hate it, is a great place for me to start. Perhaps because I hate the yucky mess. I get it done, and then the living room and dining room and so on are much easier, almost appealing.

It’s the same when I’m working on a script, or I’ve got tax paperwork to do. I just start the script, even something as simple as creating a Word Document and putting a title on it and throwing down two or three ideas. Most of the time, it’s an hour before I stop and take a breath and I’ve gotten a lot done.

With Tax paperwork, I’ll decide to do five minutes… Just find the calculator and see if I can locate any of the envelopes from the government. If I don’t manage to do that, I allow myself the option of stopping at five minutes and doing something else more rewarding. (And tidying up is always rewarding.) (Plus, when the clutter is bad, tidying up actually means throwing things out. Or better still recycling and donating them.)

By the way, I’d been resisting logging on to the website cause I’m jetting all over the USA doing appearances at PBS stations and I had it in my head that I’m tired, I’ve done enough, I have to save my energy, etc. etc. etc..

So I decided I’ll log on and just read for five minutes and make one comment.

Also, I realize that to move forward I don’t have to get everything else tidied up and finished. When I allow myself to accept that there will be loose ends, stuff undone and messes to clean up, and that’s normal, I move forward.

I really think we ADDers are incredibly hard on ourselves, with impossible standards. And when we fall short we tear ourselves to pieces. When I look at the world today, I have to remind myself that just being a good person for a day is a major contribution to the world. I don’t have to be superman.

And I remind myself that the most successful people I know have all kinds of stuff unfinished, whole areas of their homes that are a mess, tons of stuff they started and never finished… but unlike me, they are okay with it.

In writing this, I’m wondering, do I actually know anyone who judges me even a tenth as hard as I judge myself? And if I did, would I hang around with them?

Hmm.

Try this. But again, pick something you KNOW you can finish. No matter how small. (I used this method to get in shape in 10 weeks for a 622 kilometre bike rally. And when I started I had no bike, I was out of shape, and hadn’t ridden in a decade.)

If you do decide to try this method of doing a few minutes on something, it helps to have someone to report to.

So maybe just leave a note here for us, saying, “I’m going to spend 15 minutes cleaning up the stove.” and then go do that. And let us know whether you succeed, get distracted and diverted and detoured, or whether the sense of accomplishment has you move forward and do more than 15 minutes. Making a pledge to others about what you are doing is hugely motivating.

Cause then you get the pleasure of reporting success!!!

SUCCESS, like failure, IS CONTAGIOUS.

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