Adult Add | Who Told Your Add Brain, "You Have To Finish?"

Do you have a “three-quarter rule”? What if you get something launched and it's going well enough to exist, but it’s not really polished the way it should be. It's at about 75% of what it should be, but your ADD just won't allow you to make it awesome.

Well, what if you hire someone, and their only job is to finish all the stuff that you don’t finish? They're probably going to be very happy, because they’re learning about all the really cool, creative things that you're doing.

But they're definitely not going to be an ADD-style person. The person you hire should be very, very organized, very meticulous, and very good at just sitting down and focusing on something until it’s done, regardless. If you're in business, this will be one of the most valuable people in your company, and you probably won't believe how well this arrangement works out. You'll be getting all the stuff that your ADD self left unfinished done.

Sometimes, people with ADD feel guilty for not completely things, especially when things pile up. But does everything you start have to get done? You've probably heard it from parents and teachers. Right? But is it true for someone with ADD?

The direct answer to that is, “No. It absolutely does not.” If you have ADD and find yourself battling the urge to walk away, it’s okay to leave some things unfinished if it’s not going to impact you financially, spiritually, emotionally or mentally in a way that’s very negative.

You're just hung up on “You’ve got to finish what you start”? That's where the guilt comes from. But think about this: This is probably coming from people without ADD, who are really focused people and people who only start one project at a time.

But ADD people automatically start multiple projects at a time, and if you have ADD, you need to set the expectation that not all of your projects are going to be finished or amazingly successful.

If you’re 85% finished, and you just can’t finish go on, that’s should be the critical point where you say, “Is this project worth finishing?” Here, don't let your ADD do the thinking. Be honest. If you say, “No,” drop what you're doing---immediately. If you say, “Yes. It is worth finishing. I’m just having trouble with this last 15%,” try involving all your senses. ADD people respond better when all of the senses are involved. Their ADD brains won't be bored because it's concentrating on more than one thing.

Also, set a deadline for yourself. Set timers. You can even do mini deadlines. If you have a whole project going, and there’s one more thing your ADD brain doesn't want to finish, you have to picture what your project will be like when it’s complete. What is this project going to do for you when it’s done? How are you going to feel? What is the end result of whatever it is?

Maybe you’re creating a product. Maybe you’re creating a new system. What is the benefit to you? If you hate creating a system in your business or life, and it’s just horrible, then think not about creating the system and how much you hate it, but about how much free time you’re going to get when you’re at the end of it.

If you’re writing a book, and you’re having trouble finishing that last 15%, think about all those people who will want to read it, and visualize it as vividly as you can. Imagine yourself in an arena with 30,000 people in a stadium opening your book, your piece of information that you put out to the world, smiling, loving it. Imagine the feedback that comes back when you finish this project and when these people can tell you what an amazing thing you’ve done.

This is huge in getting a project done. It’s essential. You need to be looking at not only what it’s going to be like when it’s finished, but you have to imagine it in the most exciting way. Exaggerate. See yourself winning the Pulitzer Prize or your novel being made into a Hollywood film.

One of the biggest problems that ADD people run into is trying to picture what it’s like when it’s going to be done. In fact, only 20% of ADD and non-ADD people out there can actually picture anything in their heads when they close their eyes. That’s only a small percentage.

But if you're one of the 80% who can't visualize, how can you use that? Shut your ADD brain down for a minute. Then, rev it up to imagine what it completing your project will sound or smell or feel like. Those are all different ways you can wake up from your fantasy and finish what you've started.

And there’s one more thing---you can always revert to, or add to, your stash of little tools and tricks on how to get the project done—a reward. What is it that you really want that you can hold out for yourself, as kind of a carrot for finishing the project?

The whole idea is not to feel inadequate or lazy if you just can't get a project to its final stages. That's what ADD brains do. If you feel that the project is worthy of being finished, hire someone to finish it, or imagine how great it will be when it's done. Or, pat yourself on the back by doing or buying something you really want as a reward for getting the project to completion. After all, not all projects should be finished. If you find one that should and you finish it, you've not only accomplished something important, you've learned to control your ADD.