REBEL: Remember to Remind the Brain
There you go again, doing more of that ‘re-inventing the wheel’ stuff. You had a perfectly good system you could have used, but you forgot about it and spent hours developing another system to do the same task. “Damn!’ you say because you only remembered the original system well after you committed time and energy to the new system.
Maddening, isn't it?
When people think ADHD challenges, they usually think distractibility and impulsivity. Working memory challenges, however, are front and center for the individual with ADHD. Working memory is the key connector in the brain linking memories like train cars being linked in a rail yard.
Entrepreneurs know the value of codifying processes, yet ADHD disrupts our ability to build sequences and remember those sequences that we built. Time is another factor in that working memory does not readily re-access memories we build and house in our brain in a timely fashion whether they be names, key terms and words or proven tactics to get things done. In the ADHD rail yard key train cars are often left on a side track disrupting major deliveries. Your ADHD brain is wired to pay attention to the immediate. It is wired for the most interesting thing right now – be it action, thought, or feeling. Doing new things is exhilarating, but doing things a new way every time kills productivity especially in a team.
Remember to Remind the Brain
When we turn our attention to our brain we can have a different outcome. Remember to Remind the Brain is really a mindfulness exercise to remind oneself of successful practices of the past, be it yesterday or 3 months ago. In the midst of the excitement of a new opportunity I have gotten into the habit of asking this question: “What tried and true process or system can support me here?” Specifically, I remind myself not to venture too far into the week without a formal weekly review similar to what David Allen teaches. Practicing Remember to Remind the Brain keeps the brain primed with key elements to your success.