Navigating the New Year!
New Year’s Resolutions!
We are now twenty six days into the New Year and it is time to evaluate your resolutions! Whether or not you or a family member has ADHD, resolutions can be difficult to make happen! One of favorite strategies in our work with children and teens is called the traffic light. It is used a visual for the brain to Stop, Think and Go. The ADHD brain needs to Stop and Think so that it can “catch” itself going off track. We would like you to try out this same technique with your New Year’s Resolutions.
Timing is everything and reflecting on your resolutions today is critical, don’t wait until tomorrow. Stop and Think about your action steps and then Go! Follow the steps below and make the resolutions that are truly important to you happen!
- Stop and take a moment and choose your number one resolution. Decide whether or not you are making progress. Even a small step is progress. If progress is being made be sure to recognize “why” and what is working and then continue on! If no progress is being made move to Step 2.
- Take a hard look and analyze why you are not making progress. Do you have unrealistic expectations, do you need more support, is the goal really not as meaningful as you thought, or do you feel overwhelmed? After acknowledging the “why” you will be ready for Step 3.
- Think about what you have learned and brainstorm a list of ways you might manage the obstacles in Step 2. This brainstorm should simply be a list of all possibilities without judgement. This does not mean you will do any of these things, the exercise will simply get your brain thinking of action steps which puts you in control. After creating the list take a look and cross off anything that doesn’t seem like something you would do. You will be left with a list of doable action steps.
- It is time to make a plan! Break your goal down into manageable steps including your tools for overcoming obstacles. Put a timeline in place that has some flexibility within it, be specific so that you can monitor your success.
- Go! Get started and when you go off course go back to your brainstorm of what to do when obstacles arise and get back to it!
Have fun with this exercise and learn how to slow down and think before you act. If you have a fast moving brain use it to your advantage and learn how to control it when you need to Stop and Think!
