What Does This Mean: “It’s an Explanation; Not an Excuse.”?
Have you ever heard the expression ,”It’s an explanation, not an excuse” when people talk about ADHD behaviors?
The wording of this slogan is confusing. What does it mean? What is the difference between an explanation and an excuse? The dictionary definition for “explain” is , “making clear or intelligible something that is not known or understood” while the definition for “excuse” (there were several but these meant the most to me) is “to try to free a person from blame; to serve as an explanation or justification for: to justify, exculpate, absolve.” People who have given up on themselves, and feel their ADHD will never allow them to be successful, might be tempted to use ADHD as an excuse–a reason they give themselves about why they aren’t more successful; why they might not even want to try.
To manage your ADHD in a healthy manner, this paradigm needs to shift. Yes, ADHD causes challenges in your life, but in trying to be your best, you need to be willing to work to overcome or manage your challenges. You focus on your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
If you are motivated to make ADHD an explanation for how you function, and not an excuse for why you fail, then coaching could be the tool that will bring you to the next level in your life’s satisfactions. Contact Cynthia now at 253-238-0729 to discuss whether coaching is appropriate for you.
Is It You or Your ADHD?
Have you ever wondered which of your behaviors can be attributed to ADHD and which are just you?
I use to ponder this conundrum frequently after I got diagnosed. But with time, this dicotomy has lost interest and relevance for me.
Certainly, it is helpful to do all you can with medications and/or other interventions to make your brain function the best it can be, but after that “you are on your own–sink or swim.”
It is believed that those who became adults with undiagnosed ADHD lack many skills. But whether I lack skills because of my ADHD or for other reasons, my goal is to be as successful in life as I can be and to help others with ADHD do the same.
Do you have goals you have been unable to meet on your own? Do you lack skills so that your life is a continual challenge? Learn the value of partnering with an ADHD coach to increase your success quotient. Call Cynthia now at 253-238-0729 to discuss whether coaching is appropriate for you.
Do You Ever Feel Like Shouting, “I Hate Having ADHD!”
Do you ever have a day or event that slaps you right in the face with your ADHD? You have gone to the airport, but left your suitcase at home. You showed up at court for a speeding ticket, but went on the wrong day. You didn’t change your clothes before starting on a craft project and now have ruined your good clothing.
“Why, oh why,” you cry “do I have to be impulsive, distractible, hyperactive? ” An occasional feeling like this is normal and to be expected, but if ADHD traits are getting you down day in and day out, something needs to be done.
How do you create the silver linings in your clouds? How do you change your behaviors so that your sadness about having ADHD and your belief that it is really holding you back rarely enter your mind. What changes can you make in your life so that the positives far out weigh the negatives? Coaches work with ADHD clients on issues such as these.
Make a free call to Cynthia now at 253-238-0729 to see if coaching is appropriate for you.
The Shifting Focus of ADHD
The shifting focus of ADHD reminds me of the shifting sands on the beach—in constant motion. Dr. John Ratey says that the inability of people with ADHD to maintain focus is the key factor in their not improving, even after getting medicine.
I think we sometimes shift focus because we have lost interest in what we are doing, and our focus gets attracted to something more interesting. However, other times, I think we are interested and committed to what we are doing—get called away to do something else—and then just forget to return to what we were earlier so focused on and committed to.
It has often been said that it takes 30 days of practice to acquire a new behavior—and that for those with ADHD—it can take 60! What can you do to maintain your focus on acquiring the new habits and behaviors you wish to have? Coaching will help you maintain focus.
Make a free call to Cynthia now at 253-238-0729 to discuss whether coaching is appropriate for you.