Delaying Gratification as Someone Who Struggles with ADHD
If you follow me on Instagram, you might've seen I got diagnosed with ADHD a few months ago. Although this wasn't a big shock (I've suspected this for a while) I was surprised at how much it's affected my life in ways I didn't understand until now.
Getting tested for ADHD was difficult. The evaluation is long: a grueling three hours. At one point, I noticed there were tears welling up in my eyes. I was frustrated that I couldn't get the answers right. It brought me back to the way I felt in grade school—incapable and unintelligent when I compared myself to my classmates.
After the test was done, I felt a big sigh of relief. It had been a long time since I’ve experienced that kind of discomfort, and it made me realize I've spent most of my life working to avoid that feeling.
In many ways, this is why I became an entrepreneur. The nature of my job allows me to create my own schedule, write about things that excite me, and coach passionate and interesting people.
I've set myself up to succeed—which is great! Although I still have challenges with impulsivity, boredom, and difficulty focusing my attention.
To compensate, I've worked on delaying gratification.
"...a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over.” —M. Scott Peck
It's simple things like:
Waiting to have my coffee until the mid-morning
Waiting to purchase something until after I’ve reached an important milestone
Delaying gratification wasn't a skill that came naturally to me. But I'm getting better! Now that I’m aware of how and when I reward myself, it’s made a big difference in my overall mood and satisfaction.
Bringing my attention to otherwise “normal” and “mundane” activities like eating breakfast, using my phone, or taking a walk can be opportunities to reward myself for completing difficult tasks.
The formula goes like this:
Cue —> Difficult task —> Reward
Or...
Wake up —> Write —> Make a Cup of Coffee
Are you looking for more motivation to build your personal brand, create more videos, or improve your writing? Try evaluating your reward system.
Ask yourself: Which positive behaviors am I already doing that can be re-branded as a reward? This could be your secret to accomplishing things that feel difficult or overwhelming.
Sending love,
Anna
