Me trying to do anything turns into a depth first search of all human knowledge
Is it ADHD, or is it white man confidence?
But like, that’s how you do it though. Are you gunna fuck it up a lot? Absolutely but you’re going to learn and get it right the next time
I learned that many people assess their abilities, and then pick a project that’s reasonable for them, including learning or honing new skills.
As a person who tends to pick a project, and then tries to find the best way to use my current skills and any new ones I can pick up to force it to happen… It just seems wild to me that you can pick a project.
I’ve picked tons of projects! Just not very many that happen to align with “what I may be motivated to do that day”
When unmedicated, I find myself suddenly rearranging the house or thinking I could drag out every scrap of clothing I own for sorting or donation and it should take “an afternoon tops.”
It took 4 days. Of like real ongoing effort! The worst kind!
When medicated, somehow I can dial in the time a project will take down to the minute. I seem to be able to anticipate every step.
Which goes hand in hand with how executive dysfunction absolutely fucks us. We can’t perceive the steps in a task. It’s just-
Step 1: Get clothes!
Steps 2 - 5: Sort and Clean!
Step ???: Done with task!Versus medicine, where it’s like-
Step 1: Go upstairs to where clothes are
Step 2: Gather the clothes into either carryable piles or available laundry totes and take downstairs
Step 3: Sort for keep, donate, or trashAnd so on.
I often wonder if neurotypicals can perceive these steps naturally. Keeping this in mind though, I will often make sure that I have a task list at work.
If I get stuck on Step 3, or overwhelmed, I can look at the task list and find Step 4 and I’ll be able to proceed.
Results may vary. Misplacing the list is also super easy. This is not an ad for medication, and there are massive downsides to medication, but for me the trouble sleeping and the sweating and the ease of overheating and the ease of dehydration are absolutely worth it for the ability to do more.
At least, for now.
TL;DR Time Blindness is a symptom of ADHD. If it’s an option for you, meds might help. They might also hinder. It’s a real mixed bag.
I appreciate the reply/description of my life. :)
I have gotten myself some medication, which has helped a lot. I still have the impulse to jump right to the massive project, but now it’s way easier to recognize that “learn how to do it” is a step, and that a smaller project might give fulfillment, in addition to learning how to do it more effectively because you actually finish, or even start.
I’ve also had good luck with teaching myself that sometimes it’s better to do half of task than to be overwhelmed and not do the entire thing.
It’s not ideal to get dressed out of a laundry basket next to the dryer for a month, but all the clothes are there or in the laundry basket, so things look clean and I’m only slightly wrinkly for a few minutes.Biggest side effect I got from the medication was a tendency towards dry skin and pimples. I actually sleep a little better because I get in bed to read a book when I’m “supposed” to, so when I get sleepy I just… Sleep, instead of idling on the couch for hours.
Next what?
Jesus that’s accurate
Lol I just learned python to help build a script to fix a problem I created in a previous ADHD project binge, and I can’t force myself to finish it because if the script works I will never have to run it again ever.
Huh? What was that?
year 4 of selfhostong btw
It always works somehow when I start a new job. That’s the way of life. Enjoy it. 😎
I recently learned this the hard way with some woodworking. I mean, it worked, but the wood choices could have been better if I had any idea besides walking through the hardware store.
But then, eventually, years later, you do finish it
That post a while back where someone said they took their kitchen apart 2 years ago and now they just live with it like that was something I felt deep in my soul.
I… i think i just realized both my uncles have ADHD… Both their houses have been under kitchen renovation… for 15+ years… How did i never realize adhd runs in my family and i’m not somehow the only one…
Wait…everyone doesn’t do that?
some people wake up every day with the privilege of being vastly more functional than us.
and that’s the true story of how the airplane was invented
Hey, this logic brought me trough the entirety of high scool. I don’t have adhd though, so i’m not sure how badly it changes stuff, sorry.
Nothing I do works consistently, so who cares?
Seriously if I could disappear without hurting anyone or causing rippling traumas, I would in a heartbeat.
Until then, I will at least try to enjoy the beginning of my doomed projects.
Exactly. There is no reason why you shouldn’t have your fun. If it’s concentrated there, at the beginning of projects, then so be it
Me, trying to start multiple music projects:
you do end up “figuring out” whatever rocket science or advanced quantum entanglement you needed for the project, but you never finish it.
Haha this is me. I have that OP urge to take on a new project, with the expectation that I will figure it out along the way. Most of the time I actually do figure it out. But once I’ve “figured it out”, I’m bored and don’t want to finish.
Sounding real close to conservative logic but yea you do you…
That’s how I got to senior tech lead on my team (software engineer)
That’s been my entire career in computing. I was a director at a small company until it got bought out because they kept promoting me for jumping in with both feet and figuring shit out.
