something things that I love are...

structure, organization, and a step by step plan. Ha. Right. No, really, I do! Yet these things are incredibly hard for me to bring into my life. I look at my kitchen sometimes with the black hole of papers--all important sitting in a pile,it gives me a headache and makes me feel almost anxious. I want so badly to put them away, I really want for them all to be in their own perfect place but yet it is honestly really challenging for me to tackle the papers. I may start the papers and then go and decide to make the bed or pick up Sophia's toys. I even bought folders for the damn papers! Having a toddler around and trying to keep things clean and organized is super challenging too any parent will tell you, you clean up and then as you finish they pour out the entire box of blocks. Yikes. I think this is why I like the aspect of running, where every day pretty much at the same time I get up and run, maybe a different route or type of work out but it's constant and it's structured, it's relaxing even though I'm not relaxing. Recently we purchased a new car (new for us) and I have vowed to myself to keep it clean and organized. No build up of papers or stuff. I do find once things are organized, I like to keep them that way--at least I try extra hard. It's calming, one less thing to try and fix or keep on top of. I think maybe having another piece of furniture would help me too. Part of the problem, possibly is I don't always have a good place to put things...maybe that's a lame excuse. But for now a more important problem that I also have to take on daily....what in the world to make for dinner?

Silence is not the answer.

So, I've done some more thinking about this blog and trying to figure out the best way it is going to encourage, and enlighten the people reading it. I don't want to it to be something people just skim over. I'd rather give you small portions, that are quick to read, useful, and you can apply if you want to.

As I have told you in other posts part of the reason someone with ADD is so easily distracted is because they pay attention to everything.

My suggestions for helping a highly-distracted-individual stay on task:

1. Play music. That may seem surprising and most parents would probably suggest that their kids turn off the music but I would disagree in most cases (everyone is different and this is why it's only my suggestion!). I would suggest playing the kind of music that that particular person likes and knows. Of course it shouldn't be loud and I wouldn't really suggest head phones. The music will help drown out all their extra thoughts and distractions. This may help, it helped me all through school with home work and it helps me in my adult life too. If I am cooking or cleaning and have the music going, it is much more likely I will keep on the task then if I am trying to do it in silence.

Try and let me know if it works.

Tackle It.

Football players tackle with such focused, spot on force. 'I see you, you have the ball, I am going to grab you and take you down-end of story.'
Sometimes, when I am presented with a task, it can feel really daunting. For example, for 2 months I have been putting all of our socks in a plastic bin instead of folding them and putting them away. It felt "too big" to try and start. For one, there were a lot of socks and for two I knew not all of them would match up, which is both overwhelming and annoying. So I avoided it. Until today, when I asked my husband if it bothered him and his very kind response was "sometimes." So, then all of a sudden I realized I needed to do the task. I needed to tackle it with that spot on, focused force. Alls I needed was for someone to gently push me and then the light switch went on. The socks are folded and almost all put away. No they didn't all match up but at least I can cross it off my list. I should probably remove the plastic bin too to avoid this from happening again.
I think when people who are highly distracted are handed tasks they do sometimes feel overwhelmed, sometimes it just takes a friend or a family member saying either, "you can do it" or "ok, hurry up and get it done already!" My husbands was for sure the second response but in a much nicer way.
Today's suggestion: Make a list of 3 things you need to get done. Don't move onto the next thing until you get the first one done.

A Window

~I borrowed this one from my other blog, but it fits better here now.~~


I sit in the 4th seat to the back in the 3rd row, I hear the clock ticking, the person 2 seats over has had the sniffles for days, there are sirens outside, the teacher is talking about angles, I think anyway...I am excited for soccer practice, did I remember shin gards? I hope so...Someone starts nervously shaking their leg one seat in front of me to the left. why are they nervous? why do they do that? now the teacher is measuring. I ask the person next to me what number we are on. The teacher looks over her shoulder to see why we are talking. I make a face and pretend like I'm focused. I wonder what we'll have for dinner, and if I'll have time to do my homework after lunch. Most kids like to play during lunch, I'd rather get my work done. The clock is ticking, ticking. It is so annoying to me. Why do they have to tick. 5 more minutes till I'm free. The teacher is calling on me, I have no clue what number we are on, or where we are or what we are doing. I squirm. I look down into my paper begging for it to tell me where we are on the page. My friend next to me says 16. I make a wild guess of 45' but its really 90 and its obvious but I have no clue. She calls on someone else. thank god. It is everything and it is nothing that catch my attention. I want to keep up, I want to be like her or like him. I want to be there too. ok, thats it for today. I write down the homework, I check it three times to make sure its right. I pack up. I leave. I breathe.

Organized Chaos

Organized Chaos--is probably a good way to describe this blog and really how my brain works sometimes!

The first day I sat down I felt really inspired to get out there a glimpse of what goes on in the brain and life of someone like me. I am still searching for a way to say ADD without actually using that or learning disability. It's just so negative! I am not saying having Add or a learning disability is an all around enjoyable thing but really what irks me is that when you get diagnosed then it's like you are "branded" as one of those add-hyperactive-different-slower-not quite normal kids. I don't like that at all, honestly. I don't want people to pity me or anyone I know with ADD, but what I want is for everyone to understand what the deal is about ADD so they can a. help their friend and b. be more aware.

So that is why I have decided to give this blog a go. I am not going to lie, even sitting down to write this post wasn't easy. I had trouble organizing my thoughts and getting the momentum to actually sit down and do it. So, I just decided to write and see what would happen.
I am going to let you in and let you know what the deal is. I am willing to make myself more vulnerable so that you can be more knowledgeable.

I am going to be honest and it won't always be pretty. I just want you to know that this blog are my thoughts, opinions and insights. I am not a professional and it's not even that I have done tons of research. It's just my life, in words, I am going to try my best to organize the chaos. If anything I hope you walk away with a bit more insight and maybe a good laugh from some of my crazy things that have happened in my life.

So with all that said, welcome to A Bit ADD!

Enjoy Your Day!

Energy.

The energy which is sometimes misinterpreted as hyperactivity, when captured and distributed properly can lead to incredible success and accomplishment.

People that you may know, that have learned to capture that energy.

Walt Disney
Albert Einstein
Michael Phelps


If you watched the 2008 Olympics most likely you watched Michael Phelps do what he does, which is swim like an animal. The way he swam through the pool at the blink of an eye was breath taking, inspirational and really down right amazing. He swam with such power, passion, and energy.

The energy of ADD is a strong current and so many times it is labeled as something negative when really when it's captured and tapped into,it can turn impossible to possible, hyperactivity to a strong force and spacey to creative.

It's there and when you realize it's there, your weaknesses becomes your strengths, and suddenly you stop hiding and you shine and conquer the challenges before you.

pay attention please.

It's not that I'm not paying attention to you, it's that I'm paying attention to you and everything else around you too.

It's not that I am not get anything done, it's that I am trying to get five things done at the same time.

It's not that I am zoning out, it's that I am zoning in on something that is more interesting to me.

It's not that I am lazy, it's that it doesn't compute.

It's no that I am less intelligent, it's that it takes me longer and more energy.