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Do You Know What Day January 17th Is?
By ADD Coach Jennifer Koretsky
© Copyright 2004

Do you know what day January 17th is? Here's a hint: it has
to do with New Year's Resolutions. If you're like most
Americans, January brings a renewed sense of energy and
motivation that usually results in a "New Year's
Resolution." But if you have Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (also known as ADD or ADHD),
making positive changes may be more of a challenge than it
seems.

There are three things that make New Year's Resolutions
difficult for ADDers. The first is that we can sometimes
get over-ambitious, and set goals that are not very
realistic. An example of this kind of goal is "I will lose
40 pounds this year." While losing weight is usually a
positive, healthy choice, setting a specific number of
pounds to lose makes the goal difficult to achieve. How do
you know that 40 pounds is the right number? How do you
know that you can actually lose 40 pounds in just one year?
The only way you can achieve this goal is to actually lose
40 pounds in one year. A more realistic and attainable goal
is "I will commit to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle
this year." This goal is about making small changes in your
lifestyle that will result in better health. If you do your
best to make good choices, then you'll achieve your goal.

The second thing that can make a resolution difficult is the
reason behind it. Are you setting a goal to make a change
that you really want to make, or a change that you think you
should make? There is a big difference. ADDers often spend
their lives struggling to meet others' expectations without
ever exploring their own. If you commit to getting more
organized this year, make sure that you are doing it because
you want to, and not because others criticize you for your
individual way of doing things.

And finally, the biggest reason that ADDers have difficulty
accomplishing a New Year's Resolution is that we don't put
the structure in place that will provide us with support.
As ADDers make changes in their lives, they need a support
system. No one is perfect, and small setbacks can be
expected. But to stay focused and avoid falling back into a
pattern of self-criticism and negative thinking, we need to
be reminded of the benefits of our goals, and the successes
that we have had along the way. Whatever your goal, chances
are there is a support group of others with the same goal
that you can join. Another great way to ensure support is
to hire an ADD/ADHD Coach, whose job it is to provide
insight, support and encouragement as you make positive
changes.

So have you figured out what January 17th is? Research
suggests it's the day that most Americans drop their New
Year's Resolutions! This year, try not to be one of them.
Take the steps needed to ensure that you have the necessary
support to accomplish reasonable goals that meet your own
expectations!


About The Author:

Jennifer Koretsky is an ADD Management Coach who helps adults learn
how to manage their ADD and move forward in life. She offers
individual and group coaching, workshops, and skill-building
programs. Her work has been featured in various media, including The
New York Times Magazine. Subscribe to Jennifer's free email
newsletter, The ADD Management Guide, by visiting
http://www.ADDmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm.