Procrastination Transformation
Have you ever wondered how that slogan ‘Just Do It' actually worked for people?
If you could Just Do It, you would have DONE it already, right? Your biggest problem in doing anything is getting started. If you could just get started when you should, a whole lot of problems in your life would be solved.[/text_block]
- Assignments done on time and done well
- Promises to others actually kept
- Finishing work on schedule without pulling all-nighters
- Getting bills paid without needless late fees
- Money coming in regularly because paperwork got done
Instead, when there's something that has to be done, you find yourself stalling, forgetting, avoiding, surfing the web, or indulging a sudden need to organize your sock drawer.
It's classic procrastination, right? Well, maybe not.[/text_block]
And there's a physiological reasons for that, having to do with the neurotransmitters in our brain. We have a really hard time getting our brains to focus on things that are boring, tedious or un-motivating.
Basically, without enough brain stimulation to focus, trying to do the basic chores of everyday life can sometimes feel like moving a mountain.
However, there are a lot of other reasons people who seem to chronically procrastinate are having difficulty getting started. These fall into the category that I broadly call PARALYSIS.[/text_block]
But when I first left a 20+ year career in corporate Fortune 50 companies to start my coaching and training business, it was a different story.
First of all, I had no idea I was ADD. I only knew I'd been accustomed to fast-paced deadlines and structure, and suddenly I had none. Just starting up my business from scratch, I had no clients! So it was pretty critical that I got my business going fast.
But instead, day after day, I avoided going to my desk and doing the necessary work to build a business.
Although to some degree I was procrastinating, I was actually paralyzed. And there were several reasons that I can easily identify now. If only I knew it at the time! My reasons for not getting started included:[/text_block]
I surveyed my readers to test this theory. Sure enough, it turned out that mental paralysis was a greater problem for people with ADHD traits than procrastination.
Instead of just not feeling like getting started, people were STUCK. They were blocked from moving forward, anxious about the next step, overwhelmed, or just plain didn't know how to plan or HOW to get unstuck.
If you are paralyzed or overwhelmed, but are attempting to apply solutions for procrastination, it's no wonder you're still having the same old difficulty getting started!
Unfortunately, no one tells people with ADHD how to figure out what's keeping them from getting started. So you could struggle for years, or even your whole life.[/text_block]
These are common reasons for paralysis for people with ADD / ADHD:[/text_block]
One day Emily realized she hadn't invoiced her clients in six months.
Another month went by, and Emily was unable to pay her mortgage or her American Express bill.
Now with a seven-month backlog on billing, Emily had a dire necessity to invoice.
But she just couldn't get started on it. The very thought of it made her want to curl up in bed. She felt like a miserable failure.
Is she procrastinating? Or does she have a self-destructive desire to fail?
Back when there was just one month's invoice to prepare, Emily simply procrastinated.
But now, Emily is mentally paralyzed. At this point, the problem is a combination of overwhelm, inability to break down this task, lack of time to figure out all the charges, and shame at having to present such a long and overdue bill to her client.
There IS a way out of this, but it requires Emily to apply strategies for dealing with her particular paralysis challenges.
Sadly, instead, Emily may give up on having her own business because of what she believes is her “chronic procrastination.” She could even spend years with a therapist trying to figure out why she sabotaged her own success in that way.
It happens all too often with ADD / ADHD Adults, and it's so unnecessary![/text_block][/op_liveeditor_element]
You will learn to:[/text_block][/op_liveeditor_element]
- Define the critical difference between Procrastination and Mental Paralysis, using the “Key” tool to recognize your own particular challenges before they stop you
- Understand why strategies you've tried didn't work for you (solutions for the ADD / ADHD brain go against “conventional wisdom!”)
- Create specific INTENTIONS to identify exactly what is stopping you from getting “down to business” on a task or project
- Gain awareness of your personal pattern of bugaboos – those difficulties that come up for you time after time
- Spin “excuses” into gold – create solution roadmaps from your failed intentions
- Quickly kick into gear on obligatory tasks that BORE you; learn your personal best solutions for the basic type of procrastination, when you just “don't feel like it.”
You will learn to:[/text_block][/op_liveeditor_element]
- Develop rituals to create strong habits to automatically handle the mundane tasks of life and work that you'd otherwise put off.
- Tackle a dauntingly difficult and tedious job by breaking down a complex task that you're avoiding into its simplest parts (big jobs are just a bunch of little jobs in disguise!)
- Work strategically with your own attention span to deal with potential impatience with details and a learning curve.
- Develop your personal solutions for complex tasks, while dodging the roadblocks that have tripped you up time and again
You will learn to:[/text_block][/op_liveeditor_element]
- Understand the five major barriers that commonly block people with ADD / ADHD from moving forward
- Cut to the chase on projects with multiple steps, and know which steps must be performed NOW (it's not necessarily the most urgent ones)
- Stop sabotaging yourself if you”re a pleaser — learn the magic words to keep from over-committing your time (and baby steps to practice them)
- Use a simple timer that can really, really help with hyper-focus
- Start using a tool for time management that will dramatically improve your “sense” of time in a few weeks or less
You will learn to:[/text_block][/op_liveeditor_element]
- Move forward with confidence when things aren’t clear, using specific strategies
- Stop perfectionism from paralyzing you before you even start
- Use questions effectively to combat the insidious “Fear of Looking Stupid” that can hold back your success
- Stave off a toxic shame / avoidance spiral with an instant analysis technique to pull you out of emotion.
- Use an improvisational trick to continue acting functionally, when your brain wants to succumb to emotional meltdown.
You will learn to:[/text_block][/op_liveeditor_element]
- Use an instant visualization trick to determine where to start
- Identify what specific executive functioning skills you personally need to improve in order to realistically plan, make decisions and prioritize (these are easily learnable!)
- Recognize Overwhelm the instant you feel it and use tools to break through the brain fog
- Create a roadmap for your own next steps
[/op_liveeditor_element]
Bonnie, I am very grateful for your course on ‘Procrastination Transformation.'
I appreciate your ability to clearly articulate and identify complex weighted feelings of “being stuck” and overwhelmed. Thank you for offering encouragement and believing what is commonly labeled as “procrastination” is for many individuals, something very different.
Thanks for offering clarification with a strategy and work plan for personal understanding and progress.”
—D. Smith (“Grateful”)
The time you spend listening and participating in the sessions, whether live or downloaded, will be made back many times over in productive solutions.[/text_block]
[/op_liveeditor_element]
Finally, some STEP-BY-STEP processes & tools for people like me!
“I've found it increasingly difficult to manage with my naturally poor planning, organization & execution skills. Trying to appear as though I function at a “normal” level so people won't find out “the truth” about how I “really am.”Living in fear & fighting off paranoia is so exhausting! So it felt miraculous to come upon ThriveWithADD.com. Bonnie Mincu words things in such a way as to give one new courage & hope.“I took her recent Procrastination Transformation webinar series and was extremely impressed with how realistic, well thought-out, structured, and detailed Bonnie's presentation and materials were. Finally, some STEP-BY-STEP processes & tools for people like me!! Specifics exist!“This information is invaluable to me. I plan to take more of Bonnie's programs. Her expertise, energy & humanity are so appreciated!”—Marie Mulligan, Connecticut
- Five (5) 60-minute LIVE webinars including interaction and questions.
- Recordings of the webinars to hear at your convenience.
- Complete, well-organized NOTES to download
- Worksheets, handouts and templates for any TOOLS that are discussed
- Email REMINDERS, thought questions and suggested assignments to apply what you've learned to your real life.
- Interactive Q&A sessions following every webinar to attend at your option (you'll learn a lot from hearing other people's questions!)
- A private group forum only available to Procrastination Transformation Program participants and graduates.
Coaching programs with Bonnie normally start at $2400 – you get a session FREE.[/text_block]
[/op_liveeditor_element]
The best decision I made this year was hiring Bonnie Mincu as my ADHD / Business Coach.
“Using tools Bonnie taught me, I'm able to approach my large projects without being overwhelmed.“I work with some highly educated people and strong personalities. I used to go into automatic paralysis when I worried I didn't know enough. I constantly second-guessed myself, which made everything take longer. I dreaded writing recommendation reports, which might get challenged in a meeting. Now, after working with Bonnie for the last eight months, I no longer feel defensive about my research and analysis process, so I can stand my ground when presenting my recommendations.“That feeling of confidence at work has made life so much easier. I'm able to take my first vacation in two years!”— Bridget O'Connor, NY 7/9/15
You could spend hundreds of dollars in therapy to reach meaningful insights – $1000++ VALUE – yours FREE.[/text_block]
Value: the cost of an ADHD specialist's consultation worth $600+ – it's yours FREE.[/text_block]
A Virtual Work It Session can save you hours with a professional organizer! $100-500 Value – participate for FREE.[/text_block]
- MODULE 1 – Wednesday, Sept 21
- MODULE 2 – Wednesday, Sept 28
- MODULE 3 – Wednesday, Oct 5
- MODULE 4 – Wednesday, Oct 12
- MODULE 5 – Wednesday, Oct 19
- WORK IT – “Get Your Stuff Done” – Thursday, Sept 22
You would have to pay a highly experienced ADHD Coach at least $2500 to learn the strategies for breaking your procrastination / paralysis cycle and to emerge with a clear understanding and solutions tailored to you…
…plus an additional $1-3000 for therapy, doctor's consultation and Personal Organizer or assistant fees to get what you'll receive for free from the program bonuses…
…And it would take many hours of your time![/text_block]
You can learn to thrive with ADD / ADHD once you learn how to beat procrastination and paralysis.
You have nothing to lose but your sense of frustration and futility.[/text_block]
Senior Certified ADHD Coach
www.thrivewithadd.com
P.S. There is nothing like the truly satisfying feeling of being in control of your time and your day, to actually be able to just DO IT when you need to. Life is so much rewarding when you can go to bed feeling you accomplished what you intended to that day. It really is possible! I hope you don”t deny yourself that possibility.[/text_block]
In the Blog
Manage your ADHD to get your work done Having ADHD doesn’t mean that you can’t hold a job or do your job well. Most adults with ADHD can succeed in their careers because they know how to manage their condition at work. The following tips can help you get through the workday with minimal stress, Read post.
ADHD and Mind-Mapping: Best Technique for Planning
Capture your thoughts visually to plan your project With ADHD, you’re full of ideas. But your plans just continue to swirl around in your head without turning into action. If you don’t capture your thoughts in a way you can act upon, too many ideas can just become an overwhelming distraction that keep you stuck. Read post.
How to change your words and banish ADHD shame What you say defines you. Not just to others, but to yourself. When guilt, embarrassment, or ‘not enoughness’ of ADHD slip into your conversation, you transmit insecurity and shame. Worse, you reinforce that message to yourself. But if you pause just long enough to reconsider and Read post.