Retired. Again. Haven’t found my groove yet. Too busy.
Writing two books, one on ADHD, Living Well with ADHD, and a novel, Alma Means Soul, both about ready to publish, which I dread; Create Space has not been that user-friendly for me. Studying guitar and Spanish, writing songs, a little performing, gym three times a week, more time going places with my wife – lots to do in Santa Fe and in New Mexico, traveling to see three new great-grandchildren (lots of fun!), and the usual bills and incorrect charges, and the blog, and facebook, and stocks (I’m getting out of that soon.), walking the dog, men’s group, working against gun violence (lots of research, very illuminating), more spiritual quiet time. And I still have a small job, although it’s only a few hours twice a month.
Did you read all that long list? I wouldn’t have; I tend to skim.
I am making schedules, one for the typical week and one for this week. It’s hard to follow them but I’m trying. Obviously, I’m too busy, although I claim that is a state of mind more than a reality. Still, we with ADHD are blessed and cursed with a wide variety of interests and we have trouble setting priorities or saying No to anything.
And the church and gym are set in stone, so no decision to make and that is structure. I think I need more structure in each day. Get up and bedtime and mealtimes at the same time would help. And starting to make a morning routine: breakfast, walk the dog, quiet time, every morning before I do anything else.
With ADHD, structure and schedule reduce the number of choices and decisions to make and help us stay organized and be more effective. Life is good.
doug
Bonus Links:
Orluv on Marriage – take time to enjoy
@addstrategies #adhd #add @dougmkpdp
Life with ADHD
Life with ADHD
Living Well with ADHD
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Pingback: Ram’s Comment —ADHD Tip O the Day 878 | ADDadultstrategies
Structure and scheduling are the things which allow me to function. Even with them, my “look squirrel” nature battles away to wreck everything. Occasionally it wins but on the whole, I get things done ☺️
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ken
you certainly do get things done! very impressive.
thank you for commenting
best wishes
doug
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Great post! I laughed out loud at your “skimming” comment. I did read your whole list, but only because I forced myself to. I was skimming and I forced myself to start from the top when I caught myself skimming, thinking “No, you might miss something important! This is Doug’s blog and you came here deliberately”. Then I reached your comment about skimming. HA! :p
My personal insight: I’m a person who thrives on routine. For example: once I went to work in Spain for 14 days, and I had to create a morning routine for myself for breakfast. Luckily there was a nice café in front of the hostel, so I quickly settled into dropping in at the same hour every day for the same breakfast meal and a quick chat in broken Spanish with the waitress. 🙂
My routines do tend to change a lot. I wish I could set things in stone, but sometimes a routine stops working for me (for whatever reason), so I change it and quickly set into a new routine. But I DEFENITELY need routine and, as I mentioned, thrive on it.
On a side note: I think it’s cool you play the guitar. I don’t know if I ever mentioned it, but I picked up guitar playing about 2,5 years ago with a teacher – a great dude who is VERY patient – and I enjoy it. But I sometimes find myself not practicing enough. I think it’s a settled deep and inconscious fear of failing – affraid of getting frustrated and losing interest…
It’s such a weirdly counter-productive take on it…
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Ram- as always, thank you for your contributions. I appreciate your endorsing the skimming and the routines. I think we change routines, and strategies, even if they are working, because they are no longer novel and we lose interest or get bored?
you are a good writer. if you ever are ready to write another post, doubtful since your ordeal, just pretend you are writing a comment and it should be easy.
the guitar, i dont practice enough, but its important not to make it a chore. i am struggling to settle down on what i want to do – learn ONE song or technique and then move on. hard to choose one, easier to just piddle and do what i already know. that’s enjoyable but i would like to improve and learn new things.
i might make this a post, maybe.
best wishes,
doug
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