The mind is a curious thing. How is it that I can come up with so many ideas, well thought-out ideas, ideas that I am excited about – yet struggle so much to work on and complete them?
I also have a bad memory. Let me better explain that. It is not that I have forgotten something, it is that it is no longer in my active memory so I only remember it if something triggers me to think of it. Once triggered I can usually recall the item in great detail. It’s just tucked away, far in the back.
**Real life moment**
So I started writing this post in the am. Then I stopped here to make a sales web page for something unrelated. Then my life of distraction played out. Now it is 4:30pm and I am getting back to this post, but I don’t remember what it was I had in mind to write next. Now I have to brainstorm all over again.
***Back to the post***
ADHD already predisposes me to always be on the lookout for something new. Combine that with a creativity of coming up with new ideas almost daily. Now mix that with easy distractibility. Now sprinkle in some hyperfocus not on the next priority item but instead what I find most interesting. Don’t forget the forgetfulness. Now I ask you, how am I supposed to follow-through and complete anything on time with ingredients like that?
***Real life moment**
I got pulled away again somehow. Now it is 4 hours later, and I am back at it.
***Back to the post***
New Ideas are Irresistible
This meme perfectly explains what I go through. Current project? What current project? Come over here new idea, i'll take good care of you.
What can we do?
Brain Dump
Make a new note in your favorite note-taking app and write it all down. Get it out of your head. If it is safely documented somewhere accessible then your mind can relax and attempt to focus on just one thing.
Minimize Distractions
Try turning on Focus Mode if you have Apple products. This will silence all alert notifications. If you are real bad to play ADHD Whack-a-mole, maybe you need to uninstall those troublesome apps that suck your time.
Accountability Buddies
Have you tried virtual co-working with someone? It could be helpful to tell someone what you are hoping to work on and then report back to them about how it went.
We released a digital collectible called Ideating Isaac. He is a giraffe who is overwhelmed by a nonstop flow of new ideas so he brain dumps them to sticky notes.
Meir is an advocate for Mental Health awareness. He continuously consumes multiple resources for information and support which he shares with anyone who will listen. It is his hope that by sharing true stories of experiences with mental illnesses that others who suffer in silence will no longer feel alone.