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Procrastination Revisited: The Effect of ADHD
When I started this blog a few years ago, one of my most popular posts was about procrastination. In that post, I argued that I procrastinate to deal with the anxiety that accompanies decision making. (You can read the original post here.) What I didn’t know, though, was that I had ADHD. Everything I wrote in that post is still true. Increasingly difficult tasks still cause me increasingly high levels of anxiety. I still find it best to start with an easy task involving little to no decision making. That helps me get the ball rolling. But, now I know that there’s more to the procrastination story for me. During…
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Please, Don’t Try to Fix Me: How to Respond When Others Express Their Feelings
Have you ever confided in a friend or family member about something upsetting, only to walk away from the conversation feeling worse than at the outset? I know I have...Despite the fact that I, too, am guilty of at times responding by suggesting possible solutions when loved ones tell me about their problems, I can say with certainty: it is the wrong approach.
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Someday, But Not This Day: The Life of a Serial Procrastinator
Procrastination is a popular topic for self-help gurus. Lately, it seems like everywhere I look, there’s a new book or blog post or TED Talk dedicated to tackling the procrastination problem once and for all. The other day, I made the mistake of saving a spoof anti-procrastination motivational quote on Pinterest. “Why put off until tomorrow what you could get done today?!” Adages like this now populate my feed. They warn me that “procrastination is the enemy of success!” They admonish me that “a person who really wants something will find a way…a person who does not will find an excuse.” I find adages like these to be simplistic and,…
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That’s Me in the Spotlight: Thoughts on Performance Anxiety
For today’s post, I want to talk about performance anxiety. You know, that debilitating fear or extreme case of nerves. Sometimes we call it “stage fright.” It overtakes some of us when we’re faced with doing a particular task in front of a group of people (um, public speaking anyone?). To start our discussion, let me tell you a story: Ancient History Once upon a time, in a decade long, long ago, I was a competitive figure skater. (OK, it wasn’t that long ago, but it certainly feels that way to me.) It has been many years since I laced up my skates and stepped onto the ice. Even so,…