You would think that I would be sick of the seven habits of highly effective – you can finish the sentence with people, dieters, psychopharmacologists, zoo keepers. (I’m kidding about the zoo keepers). Now comes doctors Hallowell and Ratey with their new book Delivered from Distraction. They include a chapter called "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective ADDers." As in their first book called Driven to Distraction, they have broken new ground. From their perspective of being ADD and treating ADD they are able to put into a few words principles that instantly ring true with those of us who live in an ADD world. It helps to have at least a modicum of mindfulness tuned into self and others to intuitively know they are on target.
THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE ADD ADULTS
By Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., and John Ratey, M.D.
1. Do what you’re good at. Don’t spend too much time trying to get good at what you’re bad at. (you did enough of that in school).
2. Delegate what you’re bad at to others, as often as possible.
3. Connect your energy to a creative outlet.
4. Get well enough organized to achieve your goals. The key here is "well enough". That doesn’t mean you have to be very well organized at all – just well enough organized to achieve your goals.
5. Ask for and heed advice from people you trust – and ignore, as best you can, the dream-breakers and finger-waggers.
6. Make sure you keep up regular contact with a few close friends.
7. Go with your positive side. Even though you have a negative side, make decisions and run your life with your positive side.
I appreciate that they have organized these important principles into a simple prescription for improving the quality of life not just for people who are ADD, but secondarily for their families. It is hard being ADD – it’s harder living with someone who is ADD.
Change starts with awareness of a problem or alternative course of action. The next step is a decision to change – in behavioral terms like – I’m going to get certified in a particular skill to expand my career options. The last step is the hardest – the process of change – you have to do it.
With new insights from Dr. Hallowell and Dr. Ratey we are better equipped to evaluate our current life course and make adjustments where appropriate. "It’s great being ADD!"
