Building New Habits with ADHD: Coach Nate’s Simple 3-Step Reminder

I like keeping my approach to coaching very simple. Why say more than what is necessary? Simple is cute. Simple makes things fun.

Today’s drive for the elusive perfect result is enough to make somebody chronically unhappy. I am here to simplify your understanding of how to build the new habit you have been envisioning for a long time. Hopefully, this will help you step away from the trappings of perfectionism.

The Big Three Requirements of a New Habit

Requirement #1: First, You Must Suck at It

• Remember that this is new. There is no need to load up on Super Bowl levels of expectations at the start of a new habit.
• Remember, learning comes before knowing.  

Requirement #2: You Are in Manual Mode

• Learning something new is messy work. It is disorganized, disjointed, slightly chaotic, and unpredictable.
• At this stage, every decision takes extra effort, time, and resources.
• Nothing is automatic.
• Remember to encourage yourself through this difficult learning process. Nothing is automatic at this early stage in the game.
• Your future goal is to integrate this new habit into your brain and perform it automatically with “unconscious competence”. For right now, though, your goal is to LEARN.

Requirement #3: Any Effort Is Better Than No Effort

• It’s not going to be perfect
• It’s not going to be the best result.
• And that’s ok.
• Just enjoy the practice of learning your way to competence.
  

Progress Beats Perfection

Keep these three requirements at the front of your mind, and you can avoid the pitfalls of perfectionism.

Struggling to build new habits on your own? ADHD coaching can help you move past perfectionism and create practical strategies that work with your brain. Schedule a Get Acquainted session with Coach Nate or another coach at the Center for Living Well with ADHD to learn more.