Instead of New Year's Resolutions, a New Year's Theme

Adult ADHD coach Peter Quily suggested I read a post of his from January 2006 - A New Year’s Theme. An Alternative to New Year’s Resolutions.   I read the post I am am interested in the idea and have decided to try this for 2013 for myself.

I need to first set myself a theme and them set myself the process for working towards.

The Theme - I need to come up with something that is short, that is a single concept.    What I am lead to in my mind is to try and come up with something like the five testimonies of the Quakers -

• Peace/Nonviolence
• Simplicity
• Equality and Social Justice
• Integrity
• Community and Stewardship of the Earth

These are simple single word, or a few words, that express big fundamental ideas.   Taking them as the base of what a theme could look like I come to the following possible theme:

• A happier and more meaningful life

It is a big theme and encompasses so many possibilities of how I can work on it .   It deals with the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of my life.

Now that I have a possible theme I need to let it rest with me for a day or two to be sure.  Once I am clear this is it I can build my plan.

Life with ADHD

I was first diagnosed with ADHD when I was 40 years old.    It has been nice being able to understand why I am like I am, thought that does not always help.   For the last couple of weeks my ADHD has been causing more problems that normal for my life.    I have a household and life full of half finished projects and it is all chaotic than usual.

One of the ongoing lifelong frustrations I have is the inability to finish tasks easily.   I have a bunch of house renovations that should be done, stupid little final bits of things like getting some boards that were refinished up around the windows in the house.    I have a desk covered in paper but I can not get it filed.   Even if I file it, my filing system is not consistent.  

What is it like for me?  I regularly take dishes into the kitchen but do not manage to get them into the dishwasher - I have no idea why that last step gets missed out but it often does.   It is one small thing that happens and is more likely to happen when I am stressed.

I have put myself in situation where I am supposed to be the organized one in my personal life and in my work life.    This causes me stress and that stress "enhances" the ADHD.

ADHD people can have trouble sleeping, stress increases this.  I have been going through weeks and weeks of very mixed sleep patterns.    Not enough sleep makes me hungry, low energy and unable to disconnect my ego from criticism.   My ADHD is also worse when I am low on sleep.

I am stuck in a feedback loop and I need to pull myself out of it.   I need more and better sleep, I also need to reduce the stress in my life.  

One solution to less stress in the short term is drinking.  I am very aware that this is not a good solution and one I have to be aware of in my life when I am stressed.   I need to make sure they this does not become a way I handle stress.   I would also never make use of sleeping pills or such.  

I need to deal with the stress is a good way.

I meanwhile have this endless list of good ideas, it gets longer everyday as ideas join the list faster than I can deal with them.   I need to be able to execute more of them, there are ideas on the list that unique and cutting edge but I need to do something more than just have the ideas.