Building Your Toolbox
ADHD can make it hard for us to work on our intentions. This is even harder when we forget the things that we want to do. When you are learning about new ADHD strategies while reading books or listening to podcasts (like this one!) it is really easy to forget your intention of implementing those strategies. In these instances when we learn about a new tool, what we can do is write down our intended strategy and put it into our ADHD Toolbox. Our toolbox is simply a way for us to record the strategies and ideas we have for working with our ADHD - a place we can go and look at our intentions when we are off track.
While new strategies are fun to add to our toolbox, we should also focus on adding things that are already working in our life to our toolbox. If you've found a great bedtime routine? Stick it in your toolbox. Figured out a great way to plan your upcoming week? Stick it in your toolbox. Found a great tool for keeping you focused? Stick it in your toolbox.
Just creating a toolbox for yourself isn't enough. We all know that we forget things. That we get off track. And sometimes when we are off track it takes us a while to realize what we are doing wrong. Use your toolbox to speed up the process of getting back in the groove of things. To do this you've got to set up regular times to check your toolbox.
But we also know that sometimes even when we set aside time to check something we aren't always going to get to it, which means we've got to set up redundant reminders for ourselves to make sure we don't miss out on our most important intentions.
If this sounds like something that you need to do check out the full episode.
This Episode’s Top Tips
Set up a toolbox for yourself containing any tools or strategies you are currently using in your life
Set up times to regularly read through your toolbox
Create automated systems of redundant reminders so you don't forget about your toolbox
Tools Mentioned in this Episode
My Favorite YouTuber, Jessica McCabe - How To ADHD
Alarmed App (for iOS)
And as promised, the FutureMe letter that I send to myself:
Hey Will,
How's it going? Like honestly, how is it going? Are things going good right now? Are you doing the things that you need to be doing?
I know life can be tough sometimes and it is easy to get out of the habits and practices that are important to keep you growing. I know there are days when you'd rather just sit at home and play video games than do anything else and it's okay to have those days every once in a while. I want to make sure that you are taking care of yourself - even though I don't know you yet, you are important to me. I know that you value the good things that I've been doing for us so I hope you are trying to keep those good things going for future us as well.
I just wanted to remind you of some of the good things that we are doing right now that have been helpful while we've been getting ready to launch the podcast.
- Getting to bed early - This is always a tough one but what has been really helping recently is putting my phone down for the night when I put the kids to bed. Yeah, I know it's early, but it keeps us from playing with it all night. Oh and don't forget your TrueDark glasses.
- Fasting has been working really well for us recently - we're only doing a 13 hour fast right now, but it has been helping a lot with controlling cravings. I'm hoping we've jumped back up to a 16 hour by the time you read this, but if not that's okay. Don't forget to use your fasting app, it really does help when tracking things.
- Using Adult Study Hall has been great for writing so make sure that you keep on using that.
- We're just getting started with a new exercise routine so I'm real excited for you to share with future us how that is going.
Also be sure to read over our toolbox after you've checked this. I'm sure I'll have added at least a few things to it when you read this. We're going to do so many great things. I can't wait to what has happened by the time we get to read this.
Sincerely,
William
P.S. Don't forget to write another letter to our Future self after you've read this one!
