How to Think ‘Outside the Brain’ to get Unstuck & Move you Forward
The energy of the ADHD mind and body is innately a Sprinter type of Energy. As ADHD adults we’re all truly gifted at initiating and completing Sprinter types of tasks. As long as they can be accomplished and completed super fast, we are all in!
Trouble is, there are so many more truly vital, interesting and /or meaningful tasks that need a different (and not so ADHD friendly) kind of energy…
…The ‘Marathon’ type of energy.
Marathon energy can:
- Sustain attention on one task over a long period.
- Is able to manage frustration through the ups and downs of that project
- Is able to manage and even overcome the natural boredom that sets in for long projects
- Can dig deeper to generate the stamina needed to push through the physical or mental obstacles.
- Can sustain and even regenerate flagging motivation.
- Can stay focused for the long haul
This Marathon type of energy is not only missing for us, but so very needed if we are to make consistent break- throughs on those big, meaningful goals. If we’re going to try to run the Marathon, what we’ll need is some sort of consistent, reliable external ‘prop’. Something that helps us use our innate Sprinter energy and redirect it in service of the Marathon…
That Prop or Support Needs to be External!!
Too many ADHD adults I’ve met have an instinctive dislike for using ‘external props’. Maybe we think relying on props or support is akin to an admission of a weakness or personal failure?
I get it! Many ADHD Adults (myself included ) bear the still raw scars of a lifetime of failures. So the need for using external supports may be a bit too close to an admission of our own lack of agency or intelligence??
In her book The Extended Mind, Annie Murphy Paul explores this bias in our culture towards not only super ‘In-dependence’ but also the bias for a kind of ‘Think- Dependence’. ( my words ) Where we rely solely and far too heavily on the grey matter between our ears for nearly all of our forward momentum, creativity and intelligence and breakthroughs. ( it’s a fascinating read if you’re into that stuff ) You can also check out her Ted Talk here.
In her book she shines a light on the many different kinds of intelligences and intellectual and energetic resources available to us that live outside the brain, here are just a few:
In our body,
In our environment,
In the tools we use etc
She backs all this up with fascinating research that proves that those who use the many external props ‘beyond the brain’ to achieve our goals are more successful at what they do and are able to achieve much more.
As ADHD adults we already know this, right?
We’ve all experienced how in some situations we thrive, while in others we totally bomb. But also as ADHD adults, though we know we can change our direction by changing our environment, we don’t always use that knowledge.
We either forget, cannot be arsed, or, ( more likely ) we totally minimize the impact these changes will have and instead get stuck trying and trying the same things over and over and staying stuck.
If we want to run the Marathons of this life we will need to:
- Embrace the fact that we need external supports to thrive
- Employ whatever weird, unusual or mundane external props we need to succeed.
- Accept the fact that we’ll always need them.
- Take Action to consistently give ourselves those external supports/ props.
Some of my own external scaffolds over the years that have kept me on track for the big stuff and helped me make consistent breakthroughs are:
A Personal/admin assistant for my business.
Annual Goals with Milestones & Quarterly plans
Lists
A Bullet Journal practice
Calendars ( digital and wall)
White Boards
Flip Charts
Music
Mind Maps
Life Coaches.
Book clubs.
Art classes.
Gym Membership
Exercise classes.
Routine
Stimulating environments
Therapy
12 step recovery groups.
Apps.
My own Coaching Groups! ( haha)
Effective External Scaffolds such as these keep us focussed on our big goals long enough to make the breakthroughs needed to succeed.
By showing up week after week and taking one step at a time, we place ourselves in the optimal place to overcome boredom, low motivation, frustration or impatience and stay long enough to transform our sprinter energy into milestone after milestone, until one day we look up and realize that we are indeed doing it!
We are actually running that Marathon, one sprinter mile at a time!
If you’d like to try running that Marathon with me at your side as your external ‘prop’ and guide, my new Coaching group is up and running and still accepting new members.
Do you think you are too ‘Think Dependent’? Or have you embraced the notion and the practice of external scaffolds to help you move forward? If so, what are some of the external props or scaffolds that you use to keep you accountable and on track for the harder stuff?
Comment below to let me know, I’m always curious to hear the myriad creative ways you make things work for your ADHD Life…