Marjorie Favuzzi, Success in Hand

What is ADD?

The term Attention Deficit Disorder is a misnomer. It is thought to characterize the difficulty in maintaining focus on a particular stimuli or process, rather than a deficit of attention. People with ADD, or ADDers, pay attention to many things at once, like things that are happening around them, or simply multiple thoughts being generated by their brain. These attention grabbers cause them to lose focus and awareness of the original process they were engaged in. ADD interferes neurologically with the brain’s executive functions, affecting:

  • the ability to organize thinking

  • the ability to shift thought patterns

  • the process of entering information into short-term memory

  • the ability to think and differentiate between emotional and logical responses

  • the ability to make a reasoned decision

  • the ability to set a goal and plan how to approach that goal

Stop the Merry-Go-Round, I Want to Get Off

You can think of ADD as the ability to multi-task in the brain. We all do it at times, to one degree or another. However the ADDer does it consistently, and may not know how to shut it off. They have trouble in ignoring the attention grabbers that have nothing to do with the task at hand, because their brain is programmed’ to do the opposite. This interferes with their moving through life in an organized, focused manner, making even the simplest process into a struggle. Although these symptoms may not appear simultaneously, ADD can manifest as:

  • things literally pile up, creating a chaotic environment where items are lost
  • tasks are started, but often not completed
  • a pattern of being late, or worrying about it, is repeated
  • relationships are strained, emotions are reactive, and blame may be shifted when criticism is brought up
  • making informed decisions becomes overwhelming
  • spending money seems difficult to track
  • a feeling of being stuck and unable to achieve goals
  • diminished self esteem and self worth, as the ADDer wonders why they can’t ‘get it’, when they are trying so hard

 

It is exhausting! Some of these struggles are listed below, in how they are present in daily life and what ADDers can do about them in order to experience Success in Hand™.

Everyday ADD Scenarios & Practical Solutions

Here are a few common situations, and tips on how to stop the struggle by working with Success in Hand™ to learn the tools and techniques of Turning I Can’t into I CAN!™


SQUIRREL 
Scenario: When the attention is switched from one thing to another, and then repeated over and over, even having a thoughtful, meaningful exchange of information becomes very difficult. For instance, when someone is trying to hold a conversation with an ADDer, they find it maddening when the communication is derailed, often more than once. They can begin to take it personally, assuming that if the ADDer cared enough, they would not let their attention be diverted. They do not understand that it is a function of a brain that is set to pay attention to many things at once.

Solution: Utilizing the Turning I Can’t into I CAN!™ program, a process of focusing somatically is learned. The mind is cleared of interfering thoughts, and pictures, so that it can be directed to the chosen stimuli, grounded within the current environmental setting, and then trained to maintain focus. This sounds easier than it is, but it becomes a practice of noticing when focus is lost, intentionally bringing it back, and using learned techniques to keep it. Much like meditation, the more it is practiced, the longer the attention span becomes.

Structure and boundaries within conversations is also very important, so that the ADDer can stay focused on what the other person is saying, instead of needing to blurt out the thoughts in his or her head. At Success in Hand™ we utilize Soulful Communications™, from the Dare to Dream model of The Art of Soulful Living™.  This provides a step-by-step format which allows everyone a chance to say what they need to say and be heard accurately.

STOP THE CLOCK
Scenario: Promising that this time will be different, and finding themselves late again, is all too familiar. Managing time is difficult, due to many complex reasons, which need to be unearthed. An ADDer’s internal evaluation of time may is often longer than what is shown on the world clock. When budgeting time for a project, event, or task, ADDers think that it will take less time than it actually does. Attention may be diverted by ‘but-first disease’, pulling them off task. The list of items to be done is rarely completed. Finding themselves running late, again, they make excuses and feel internally ashamed.

Solution: Tools for time management need to be learned so that there is a predictable outcome. Turning I Can’t into I CAN!™ includes focusing skills to stay on task, and avoid being derailed. ADDers learn how to sequence steps, and then more accurately estimate the length of time needed, in order to accomplish the goal. They are given techniques to arrest ‘but-first disease’. They also may work closely with Success in Hand™ coach Marjorie Favuzzi, to monitor and refine their progress, so that they can learn how to do what they say and be accountable.

PICK ME, PICK ME!
Symptom: Prioritizing which task to do first becomes very difficult. Juggling so many thoughts and stimuli diverts the brain from being able to easily choose where to start, as each one seems to command the same importance. They all seem to be screaming ‘do me first!”

Solution: A system of evaluation needs to be in place. This involves using the Turning I Can’t into I CAN!™ tools to get clear and stay focused on the primary goal, as determined by the urgency of each task. Time management skills also need to be employed, in the decision making phase of choosing which task to start first, estimating how long it will take, and knowing length of time is truly available. The ADD brain must be given accurate information in order to perform well, giving the ADDer the best chance of gainingSuccess in Hand™.

DO IT PERFECTLY, OR NOT AT ALL
Scenario: Most of us with ADD really want to make the right choice and move forward logically. Confusion, frustration, and judgment, from the inner critic and others, sets in and we feel that we have to do everything perfectly. Indeed this is a huge road block for many with ADD, based in fear which fuels procrastination, and the black and white, good or bad, way of thinking.

At times, ADDers are able to hyper-focus and do a task extremely well, however they also lose track of other things going on around them which need to be addressed.

Solution: The Turning I Can’t into I CAN!™ process for neutralizing limiting beliefs is learned, by first identifying them and then distinguishing fact from FEAR, aka False Evidence Appearing Real. Certified Life Coach, Marjorie Favuzzi, will help the ADDer differentiate fact from fiction and let go of the old story, which weighs so heavily on the true sense of self.

To begin whatever task is being procrastinated, ADDers employ the techniques from Turning I Can’t into I CAN!™, which create a framework of time boundaries, accountability, and reward. A point of focus is then chosen, and the ADDer uses focusing tools to become realistically grounded in the here and now. Tools to create a workable structure are learned, allowing initiation of effective, goal-oriented action to begin.

Letting go of resentment and balancing tasks with personal resourcing is key to being able to continue action through to completion. Coach Marjorie Favuzzi at Success in Hand™ works with ADDers to create a balanced approach to life, so that they can get focused, take care of self, become empowered with tools, and achieve their goals.

Tips and Tools

Get focused before beginning a process:

Close your eyes and feel your feet on the floor.  Take three or more big conscious breaths, inhaling to the count of 10 and exhaling to the count of 12.  Open your eyes and begin your task with more calm and focused attention.

 

When you find yourself being impulsively taken off task:

Write your primary goal on a sticky note and carry it with you, on your finger. 

The tactile sensation and visual cue will help keep you on track. This is also helpful to do if you find yourself walking into a room and then questioning ‘why did I come in here?”

 

To follow through on your intentions, get an accountability partner:

Make an agreement with a friend, teacher, or family member that you will start/complete a certain task by a designated time and date.  Check in with them at that time and confirm that you did it.

 

When you want to clear the clutter in a room, but are overwhelmed:

Pick one zone to start working on.  Cover the others with a sheet, or a visual barrier.  When you have completed the first section, uncover another and proceed.  This allows you to experience accomplishment and success!

The Secret Affair

Information on the secret affair is coming soon.