The Top 10 Behavioral Strategies for ADDers
Category: Situations/Situational Advice (CH15)Originally Submitted on 2/6/97.
1. Develop your true nature and personality.
Not what you think others want you to be.
2. Never worry by yourself.
Talk to someone, a designated person, friend or relative about what is bothering you or else you'll ruminate or obsess over the issue.
3. Develop strategies for dealing with anger.
Take a jog or vigorous run, play a competitive sport in an organized league, Yoga, breathing techniques, karate. Get a punching bag or anything that relieves the negative feelings stimulated by adrenaline.
4. Don't talk excessively.
If you are going to communicate, organize your thoughts, write them down in bullet form and then practice, practice, practice!!!
5. Show compassion for yourself instead of blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong.
Remember the Optimal Functioning Associate Coach program slogan: If Toeshoe Doesnt Fit, Dont Blame The Foot.
6. Get things done vs. doing things right.
Stop procrastinating about starting or finishing a task because you cant do it perfectly. Black and white thinking will paralyze progress. Create ACTION and JUST DO IT! You'll feel great and you'll learn by getting things done.
7. Be an active listener.
Focus on a single aspect of what the person is saying. What is the person missing?, persons strengths, emotions, mood? etc. Also, learn to be a neutral listener, and listen without making any judgments.
8. Heap sincere PRAISE on those people you feel deserve it.
One enthusiastic statement of praise is a gift that stays indelibly ingrained in the memory of those individuals who rarely receive any positive feedback.
9. Find a cause or create a mission that reflects your true values or nature and focus that high ADD energy towards achieving it.
10. Learn to say NO.
ADDers have a tendency to bite off more than they can chew and in the process overwhelm themselves with too many promises they can't deliver. There is a charge neutral way of saying NO that will not offend anyone. If you do decide to say yes to something that interests or motivates you, then UNDER PROMISE and OVER DELIVER. It will immediately alleviate any pressure you feel. You'll be more productive and you will surpass everyone's expectations.
About the Submitter
This piece was originally submitted by David Giwerc, Business and Personal Coach, who can be reached at DgCOACH1@AOL.COM. David Giwerc wants you to know: David Giwerc, a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), is an Associate Coach with the Optimal Functioning Institute and is a business and personal coach with over 15 years of marketing and advertising agency experience. He currently coaches a diverse group of entrepreneurs and corporate executives, most of whom have been diagnosed with ADD. "My true enjoyment of coaching manifests through my ADD clients. They are such Affectionate, Dedicated, Daring, Enthusiastic, Resourceful and Sensitive people. Many ADDers have been focusing solely on the challenges of ADD without realizing its unique gifts. My coaching philosophy is designed to explore each ADDer's strengths, accentuate them, and develop systems that facilitate daily utilization of these positive attributes. I want my clients to fully develop their natural selves, making life choices aligned with their passions. As an ADDer myself, I understand what ADDers have gone through from discovery, through grieving, to education, to lives so much bigger than ADD and richer because of it." David, who is also affiliated with Coach University, can be reached at (518) 482-3458, or at dgcoach1@aol.com.
Copyright 97, 98, 99, 00, 2001 CoachVille
This content may be forwarded in full, with copyright, contact, and creation information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit context. For other uses, permission in writing from CoachVille is required. Questions: email topten@coachville.com
Visitors:
Please use your browser controls to close this page & return to the selection page, or click to return to Top 10 home page.