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 Coach who helps people create

peace through ADD management. She partners with clients to

increase self-awareness and positivity while finding systems

for managing challenges. Jennifer offers private and group

coaching, teleclasses, and a free e-newsletter. For more

information, please visit http://www.ADDmanagement.com