It’s Important to Change Your Self Talk When You Have ADHD

Written by Cynthia Hammer, MSW

It has happened so many times. Someone tells me he just can't get organized. He's not disciplined enough. She's too deeply buried in paper. He's not a very focused person. She is being pulled in too many directions. I can't. I can't. I can't.

And that person is right. There's no way he will ever get organized with an "I can't" attitude.

If you tell yourself you can't learn another language, you won't learn another language.

Tell yourself you can't play golf, and you'll never play golf.

Say, "I can't get organized," and you won't get organized!

Now, this is not saying that anyone in the world can do anything he or she wants to do. Not everyone could be an opera singer. Not everyone could be an Olympic gold medal winner.

But, how will you know if you can't do something that you truly want to do if you don't give yourself a fighting chance?

It's inevitable—saying, "I can't!" GUARANTEES "You won't!"

Now that you know why saying, 'I can't," eliminates any chance of success, there's a very simple way to achieve more of what you want to do.

Drop the letter "t" from "can't" and see how that changes everything.

Tell yourself, "I can learn another language." You'll get a few language books, and you'll begin learning a whole new vocabulary.

Tell yourself, "I can play golf." You'll get on the green with a golf instructor who can give you the instruction you need and you'll begin playing golf.

Tell yourself, "I can get organized!" You'll begin applying some simple organizing concepts and you WILL begin to get organized.

You need to give yourself a fighting chance. That fighting chance begins in your mind.

The bottom line is, you have to believe in yourself and see yourself succeed before you ever will.