An Effective Strategy to Achieve Lasting Change

Written By Cynthia Hammer, MSW

by Alex Hey, ADHD Coach

One often-quoted expression is "New year, new me." I've never liked that expression. The reason I don't like it is simple. There is nothing magical about the calendar changing that changes you. The person you are on January 1 will be practically identical to the person you were on December 31. The calendar does not change you. You change you.

Resolutions? I Say, Nay!

If you are thinking about making New Year's resolutions, don't. Most resolutions fail. It is not an effective strategy for managing one's life. Do not wait for an arbitrary start date if you need to change. Start now. If now happens to be January 1, so be it. But you can always make a change no matter what day it is. Waiting for tomorrow or a future date is a recipe for failure. Tomorrow never gets here. It is always today. So, start today.

Change That Lasts

So, how does one make a change that lasts? You get real, and you get motivated. It is easy to say, "I need to lose weight." However, nothing will happen until you are motivated to change how you manage your diet and exercise. The more powerful thing to say is "I want to lose weight." Then, it becomes something you choose. However, the most powerful thing to say is, "I will lose weight."

The difference is you make a declarative statement. You are not merely saying that you need or want to do the thing; you are declaring that you will do something about the problem.

Belief is key.

Another over-used but accurate expression is "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." Belief is powerful. It ties you to action. If you set the intention and believe it is possible to achieve, it will likely come to fruition. So, I leave you with this question: What do you think is possible?

Cynthia Hammer, MSW

Cynthia Hammer, MSW, was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD in 1992 when she was 49 years old. The following year she created the non-profit organization, ADD Resources, with a mission to educate adults and helping professionals about ADHD in adults. She ran the organization for 15 years before retiring.

During the Covid isolation she wrote a book about her life with inattentive ADHD which should be published by the end of this year. In writing the book, she was dismayed to learn that children with inattentive ADHD continue to be under-diagnosed and adults with inattentive ADHD often are incorrectly diagnosed with depression or anxiety.

She created a new non-profit in 2021, the Inattentive ADHD Coalition (www.iadhd.org), to create more awareness about inattentive ADHD and the need for early diagnosis and treatment.

https://www.iadhd.org
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