Adult ADD - Why Can't Somebody Else Do It?

When you're bored, and you have ADD, youthe food in the bowl. Put the wet food in. Give them a
procrastinate about doing boring things and becomepill. Check it off when you're done," and make a little
frustrated, and well... they just don't get done. Therechecklist that would be fun and exciting for them, that
are many things that you can do. We've already reallywould get your task done. It would get the boring task
beaten into the ground the fact that, as soon as youoff your plate
can, you need to start outsourcing and delegating themOr, if your kids have ADD, too, that's OK. In fact, that's
one at a time to other people.great! You can start teaching them how to deal with
However, when you have to do the boringboring tasks early on so it won't affect them so much
tasks--when you've got to do the dishes, take out thewhen they're older. They'll already know how to bring
garbage, or some kind of accounting if yourin other senses to stimulate their ADD minds and
accountant is sick or you haven't hired an accountantmake boring things less boring.
yet-- and you have ADD, what can you do?If they're older kids, you let them know that they can
One thing is to go out and exercise right before doingcrank whatever music they want to at the top of its
something boring. You can do 10 minutes of jumpingvolume while they're doing it. It's interesting for them in
jacks. You can go take a jog around the block. Youthe process. If they're young children, reward them in
can run up and down the stairs a few times to getsome way. If they aren't old enough for an allowance
your heart pumping.for tasks completed, they might love a special sticker.
Whatever it is, you want to get the blood flowing toIn fact, give them a card to fill with stickers because
your brain, and get your ADD brain active so that youwith ADD, they probably love to collect things. When
have the power to be thinking about something elsethe card's full, they've earned something, right? So,
while you're doing that boring task. You already knowdecide what that is, and there you go.
you're good at multi-tasking. You already know you'reYou're alleviating the boredom from your ADD brain
good at shifting gears and switching from thing to thing.and not feeling a bit guilty about it. You aren't just
People with ADD just are.avoiding boredom, you're teaching your ADD children
So, give your ADD brain the fuel it needs to occupy itsthe value of money, too.
thoughts with something interesting, while you're doingIf you don't have kids to delegate things to, when you
something boring. It sounds simple and that's because itabsolutely have to do a boring task, a great thing to do
is simple. This is one of the most important things thatis set a timer. Your ability to sit down and fill out an
people with ADD can do to immediately to engageapplication, fill out a form--or some of those things that
their bodies and their minds, and to start getting thingsADD people get bored by, like dealing with money or
to move forward.whatever--you may be able to deal with all those
All of us have to do boring things once in a while.things if, you look at them and say, "Okay, I'm going to
If those of us with ADD can systematize a boringdo 15 minutes, and in that 15 minutes, I'm going to fill out
task, we stand a much greater chance of being ablethis one form. Go!" Make it a game. "Let's see if I can
to ask someone else to help us with that boring task.beat the clock."
For example, let's say that you get up every day and,Or, turn up the music, get a candle going, involve all the
while it's necessary, you really find it boring to feedsenses, make things happen so that your ADD brain is
your dogs in the morning. Well...actually a little bit more stimulated than just sitting there
What if you have kids? Do you think that you couldtrying to focus on one thing. Otherwise, whatever it is
maybe delegate that task to the kids? Do you thinkmight not get done. Don't allow your ADD to control
that maybe you could write a system that says, "Putyou. Take control of your ADD.