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One of my favourite proverbs regarding attention is

That has stuck with me for over a decade!

We’re living in a world where everyone’s after our attention:

• Social media

• Loved ones

• Friends

• Slack Pings

• Pointless meetings

For the ADHDer this is a f*cking nightmare! It can look like:

• Constant people pleasing

• Burnout

• Misprioritising things

It’s not just the distraction, it’s the guilt of saying yes to the wrong things and watching your energy tank!

How do you fight back? Here’s what works

My attention is limited, hence I have to be “Intentional” with where I direct it.

1) Create values for yourself

I’ve always tried to live purposefully, though I’m not perfect.

A while back I did a value exercise with my therapist. She helped me identify what my priorities are. They were:

• Family (Husband, Dad)

• Health (mind and body)

• Self-Development

• Economic security

• Respect

This value system has enhanced my ‘filtering out’ of the least important things.

This allows me to pay less attention to them and focus on what matters, per my values above.

A lot of companies come out with their mission statements and values that they pledge to operate by. This helps them:

• Identify their purpose

• Reason for Existence

• Allocate resources (attention) appropriately

If they can prioritize, why can’t we?

My values are my own mission statement and I’m the CEO of my attention!

2) Time Blocking/Scheduling

I’ve mentioned this in previous posts, as much as I may not like routines, I see the wisdom in them.

By scheduling, and time blocking I’m being intentional with where I allocate my

• Time

• Energy

• Attention

At the end of the work day, if I’ve had a productive day, my dopamine levels are high and I look forward to the evening relaxation.

3) Timeboxing Hangouts

From time to time I lose in to FOMO.

Plans have been thrown out of the window due to FOMO.

Then I discovered the concept of timeboxing with my coach.

If I’m hanging out with friends, or playing Call of Duty warzone with friends online. I’m clear with everyone and myself on how long I can hang out for.

It helps make every second count when having fun then I’m back to my regular schedule program.

The dream?

To spend more attention on:

• Things that align with your values,

• Motivations

• Purpose

Spend less attention on:

• Things that don’t align with the above

• The trollers

• Office gossip

Sorry, but I’m not sorry, My attention's too short to share

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Lastly,

Stay Different,

The AuDHD Exec

Disclaimer: I am not your psychiatrist, coach, doctor. Neurodiverse Diary does not provide medical services or professional counselling and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Everything I publish represents my opinions, experience, not advice.