This week's ADHD Solution is: Develop self-discipline.

Those of us with ADHD thrive on structure. We rely on having due dates, reminder systems, and daily schedules. But what happens when we lose that structure? When we go off to college, or decide to start a business, or even start our own exercise program when softball season is over? We have to create our own structure. And our success depends largely on our self discipline.

Most of us (myself included!) could use a little work in the self discipline department. We’re impulsive, and we want instant gratification. That’s a dangerous combination! It’s easy to focus on things that interest us, but we procrastinate on things that don’t. And if there’s no one to hold us accountable, chances are that we’ll never do the work that’s needed to further us towards our goals.

Developing self discipline is one of the most effective things you can do to combat ADHD impulsivity. The good news is that it can be done with practice. It’s just like building muscle – it will happen if you work at it regularly. An important first step is to actively decide to change. Commit to becoming more disciplined. Then make developing self discipline a goal of its own.

Any time you don’t feel like doing something, look at it as a perfect opportunity to practice your self discipline skills. Catch yourself in the act of blowing something off. Say to yourself, “I really don’t feel like doing this. But! Because I am working on self discipline, I am going to do it anyway.” Then do it. Savor the feeling of having pushed through the barrier. Share your victory with someone. Relishing your success will help motivate you in the future because you’ll remember how great it felt.

Another thing you can try is scheduling short tasks for yourself once or twice a day for the sole purpose of developing self discipline. It doesn’t really matter what the task is. It should be something easy that only takes a few minutes. You’ll wait for the scheduled time and start the task whether you feel like it or not. The important thing is that you honor your commitment to yourself, not that the task itself got completed. Track your progress so you can see your improvement over time. You might want to note how you felt each time and what mental processes you used to motivate yourself.

It helps to accept the fact that ADHD comes with a tendency towards procrastination. Expect that you will try to avoid your tasks. Allow yourself to feel the resistance. Then take a deep breath, remember your commitment, and do the right thing. Remind yourself that you are building that self discipline muscle. You are developing a habit. It will eventually get easier.

“With self discipline, all things are possible. Without it, even the simplest goal can seem like the impossible dream.” - Theodore Roosevelt

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