If you’re putting something off, do SOMETHING ELSE instead!
Awhile back, our daughter told us she has self-assessed with ADD. I said, “Oh, yeah, you got that from Dad.” She replied, “No, Mama, YOU have it, too.”
It felt devastating at first. I was screaming, “Nooooooooooooo!” in my head for 24 hours. Then I realized there are worse brain wirings: Narcissim, sociopathy, OCD, etc.
I also realized there’s probably nobody on the planet whose wiring is totally “normal”, whatever that is.
And when I shared that with the first visitor to my open studio event in June, they added, “We’re ALL neuro-spicy!” (I LOVE THAT!!)
My main brain issue that holds me back?
Procrastination!
Years ago, I read a terrific article in a book, Dream Big! by Lisa Hammond. Her chapter on procrastination was wonderful! (Instead of cleaning the house, she decided to start a mail-order business.) If you’re putting off something you don’t want to do, find something else that needs to be done, instead. You can read my original article on this on my old blog site at Radio Userland: Procrastination: Love It Or Leave It Til Tomorrow!
I still can’t find my copy of her book, but I just ordered a new one using Bookfinder.com, the best and fastest way to find just about any book anywhere.
Then I read a really funny article in a magazine about someone with the same issue, who made a list of all the projects (sooooo many projects) they finished while putting off that one that lay the heaviest on their schedule. I wrote an article about all the things I accomplished while procrastinated. (And now I can’t find it, probably never will. Argh!)
I laughed and then realized I could do the same! Procrastination is still my best inspiration to get a ton of other stuff done….
And because I now know about my…um…attention span disorder…I now need to constantly remind myself what works for me.
(Um…did you notice I started out with an article and immediately decided I needed to include links to MORE articles? Uh-huh….procrastination at work again!)
The other big thing that helps me get things done?
DEADLINES!
If you procrastinate, sign up for stuff you’re gonna HAVE TO DO!
You know when I clean my studio? A couple days before a studio event!
You know when I get around to finishing an art project? Or taking photos of new work? About two days before the entry deadline!
Do you know when I finally hung up a slew of artwork in our living room, in a house we’ve been renting for for over seven years now? The day before my sis and BIL came out here for a visit!
Yes, life would be calmer and more orderly if I could get my ducks in a row faster. But that’s not me.
So knowing how my brain is wired, helps.
Knowing I procrastinate, can help me get other stuff done.
And having deadlines kicks everything into high-gear to get that one thing done.
Yeah, it can get a little stressful, like me rushing to my studio to measure a piece of my work, and get a photo of it so I could apply to a gallery show.
But in the end, it’s how I roll. And the more accepting of myself, and my quirks, and the less head-banging I do, the more I can accomplish.
So when you find yourself beating yourself up for Not Doing Things Right, take a step back. Give yourself a rest (and a hug!) Think about what gets your motivated, what gets you back on track.
If any of the strategies here help, yay! I did something good today!
And if you have other suggestions that have worked for you, share ’em! Trust me, there’s someone in the world right now who is wired the same way, and who will benefit from your experience, too.
Now I gotta go to the studio to do stuff. After I finish this article, of course.
Wait, I was going to apply for that show….