Adult ADD? and 40 by 40 Kickoff

I have a really, really difficult time staying focused on anything these days.  I can't seem to concentrate & I'm easily overwhelmed.  I've been attributing it to the fact that I have 4 small boys who require constant attention thereby making it difficult to give attention to other things.  But, yesterday I half-jokingly posted on Facebook that I think I have adult ADD.

I got some humorous responses & several people commiserated with me saying that they too have similar symptoms since having children.  But then one of my friends sent me this link which is an article about ADHD children as adults.  Now, I've never been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD.  Truth be told, I think they are both widely overdiagnosed & overmedicated.  But, then I read the following paragraph in the article & it was like they were describing me (emphasis mine):

"People with ADHD are easily distracted and can’t control their attention. They have an inordinate amount of difficulty with tasks that involve planning and organization. They lose anything that isn’t tied down. They procrastinate. They lack follow-through. They’re restless and impulsive. They’re extremely forgetful. They tend to overlook details, leading to mistakes. They interrupt. They’re chronically late. They’re easily bored, thriving on novelty and instant gratification."


I bold-faced the ones that describe me.  Granted, it's not all of them.  But, it's quite a few!  It's just very interesting to me.  I'm not sure what to do with this information.  I'm certainly not going to run to the doctor with article in hand requesting medication.  I do, however, think that I need to make some adjustments in my life to give me some better coping skills.


1.   I do much better when I'm operating within a schedule.  When things are left open-ended I tend to piddle away time.  


2.  Also, I feel like I need to give myself small, achievable goals.  One of the most frustrating things to me as a Stay at home Mom is that I never seem to be able to finish anything.  And, I thrive on a sense of accomplishment!  So, meeting small goals can be key. 


3.   I'm also easily overwhelmed.  I'll start straightening things in one room, notice something that goes to another room, and then get distracted by things that need done there, and on and on.  I'll end up wandering through the house seeing thing after thing that needs done & become so overwhelmed I just give up.  Forcing myself to focus on the task at hand may be hard but it so important.


4.  Accept that while my children are small there will be constant interruptions (actually, I should learn not to view my children as interruptions!) and that it will take longer to accomplish the small goals.  And, some of the big projects (like painting my kitchen cabinets) may just have to stay on hold.


And, speaking of projects...today is my first weigh-in day for my 40 by 40 project.  In case you missed the post where I first wrote about this, my goal is to lose 40 pounds by the time I turn 40 in November.  I will weigh-in and give updates on Fridays.  I considered  posting a full-length picture of myself so that you (and me) can see the changes as time goes on.  But, I'm not sure I'm quite that brave just yet.  Giving you my starting weight is taking enough nerve.  But, here it is...


Day 1 (April 23, 2010) Weight (in the morning, no clothes, after peeing):    190.5 pounds


I'm sorry.  Did I make you squint?  Ugh.  I'm SO not happy about those numbers, but that's the whole point of 40 by 40.  So, here we go!