Lee Sumner
Certified Professional Coach

for inspiration, strategies, and results

November 2006

Vol. III - Issue 11

"My purpose in life is to serve others and make their lives better. I have been given wonderful gifts and talents and I have the courage today to 'paint the canvas' of my life. I am blessed beyond measure and today I will be grateful and enjoy my life."

As you read the statement, vividly imagine each of the positive things you mention. See yourself taking action, walking into your office happy and energized, enjoying a healthy lunch, accomplishing the day's goals, and returning home with joy to spend the evening laughing with your family or friends or doing things that contribute to making your world a better, more pleasant place to be. Hold these images in your mind for a few minutes after you finish reading.

I challenge you to try this micro-action every morning for two weeks. If you wish to develop your own positive statement to greet the morning, by all means, use it! The important thing is to experience the power of beginning every day with optimism and a positive plan.

(From The Seven Minute Difference: Small Steps to Big Changes - Allyson Lewis, 2006)

Top Ten ADD Traps and How to Avoid Them

1. It's impossible to have fun while decluttering. To get it done, make it fun! Catch the mood and ride it. Working with your mood often works better than trying to schedule a task. Being in the mood to organize may catch you by surprise. You may be looking in the back of the closet for your hiking boots, and, before you know it, you're madly tossing old shoes, mismatched gloves, and old winter jackets out into the hallway.

2. I'm always late to meetings. Use a watch or PDA with a buzzer or alarm to get to meetings early. Take something to do when you get there (a book, paperwork) to counteract your "I-hate-to-wait-itis."

3. I'm easily distracted. Use a machine that creates white noise or headphones that play soothing music to drown out distracting sounds. Arrange to work in the quietest location. Sit far away from the door, near a wall, or at an end of a row of work stations. Set up hours when you are available for interruption. All other times, close your office door and hang a "please do not disturb" sign on it. Work flex hours so there are fewer distractions.

4. I'm living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over). Think like a restaurant server. Whenever you move across a room, or from one room to another, grab any out-of-place or no-longer-needed item and take it with you. If the item "lives" nearby, put it where it belongs. Just like a restaurant server, you don't want to make inefficient trips, so you need to have a "bussing station" where you gather items that need to be carried from one floor to another. Then, just like a server, the next trip up or down the stairs, grab those items and take them with you.

5. It's hard to get back on track after I get interrupted. When interrupted, jot down what you were doing so you remember it when you complete the interaction. If you tend to interrupt yourself, write down your own intrusive ideas so you can get back on task. Grab a 3 x 5 card and write the distraction on one side. Flip it over and write three actions to handle whatever is distracting you.

6. I have difficulty keeping myself in one place for a long time. Stand up when you answer the phone. Raise your computer so you can stand up to work. Exercise as vigorously as possible during breaks and your lunch hour -- jump rope, take a brisk walk, or go to the gym.

7. I get bored easily. Break boring tasks up into small bites. Do the boring stuff at high energy times of the day -- don't wait till you're tired. Delegate boring tasks whenever possible. In meetings, sit close to the speaker and engage in "intentional fidgeting" by taking notes.

8. I put off deadlines till the last minute so I constantly feel crunched for time. Procrastination flourishes in secrecy. Request closer supervision. Team up with a daily or weekly "accountability partner" who is better at planning and organizing. Start at the due date and then work backwards in your calendar, setting dates for completion of each part of the project. Negotiate for tasks that use your energy and enthusiasm. Build in rewards for completing short-term tasks.

9. I'm drowning in papers. Clear as soon as you've cluttered. Don't view cleaning up as a separate activity. Develop the habit of straightening as you go. The area closest to you at your workspace should have the most frequently used files. Perhaps you want to store files by project and keep them on a bookcase. When working on a project you can simply put the container on your workspace and return it to the bookcase when finished. Go vertical with paper -- an inclined sorter or labeled vertical file.

10. I cram too many things into a day...yikes! You could be using the adrenaline rush to help you stay alert. Try consciously under-committing your time. Allow yourself breathing space to get to appointments and complete deadlines. You'll find you're doing things more effectively because you're not always rushed or late. Get in the habit of saying, "I'd like to, but let me check my schedule."

Recommended Reading:

Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder - Hallowell and Ratey, 2005

I want you to know I appreciate your support, your friendship and your trust. You have enriched my life immensely and I'm grateful for the opportunities you've given me to do what I love -- connect, learn and inspire.

Thank you!