Do You Know What Day January 17th Is?

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!