How to use this Page

As you may know if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, I have ADD. Because of this, I tend to attract mentoring clients who also have ADD and who are frustrated with their inability to focus or to stick to a writing schedule.

Well, I’ve tried creating schedules for myself in the past. I’ve paid coaches good money to help me figure out what I’ll be doing during which hours and on which days; for example, most recently I decided to do wellness coaching and mentoring on Mondays and Wednesdays, and writing tasks on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (I typically take Fridays off.)

I was all psyched to get started on this new schedule — and it lasted exactly one day. Not even one day, in fact. I had to face it: If I’m not interested in writing on a Tuesday, then I’m not going to write. And if I’m suddenly struck by the urge to work on an article at 8 pm on a Wednesday, then that’s what I’m going to do.

Last week my partner for the Freelance Writers Blast Off class, Carol Tice, said something during the class that articulates exactly how I work: “I always do whatever I’m most passionate about every moment of the day.” I had never thought about it in those terms before, but that’s precisely what I do.

For example, Monday might find me writing blog posts all day. On Tuesday, I might work on an article that’s coming due for a little while and then follow up on some old LOIs and then implement some crazy e-course pricing scheme I came up with five minutes ago. Then, on Wednesday I may be in one of those moods where I just can’t get any work done…so I don’t. But as soon as our 3-year-old goes to bed, I’m inspired to finish that article I started on Monday.

This always felt just wrong, but when I thought about it, I realized it’s always worked for me. Everything gets done, and it gets done on time. So I’ve come to trust the process and let it go. I have one ADD mentoring client who is religious, who originally wanted me to help her come up with a schedule, and the saying that resonated with her was “Let go and let God.”

This tactic also works well with the typical ADD sufferer’s problem of being unable to force himself to focus on something he’s not interested in. If I’m trying to write an article when I’m not really inspired to do so, it’s torture and I click away every paragraph or two to do something more interesting, like check my e-mail. But when I am inspired to write, well, get out of my way!

Some people with ADD actually tend to hyper-focus on things they’re interested in and block out all distractions (including people trying to get their attention, police sirens, and other important events), and working on what you’re most interested in every minute is one way to take advantage of that.

Of course, if you decide to go this route you need to take a small leap of faith to test it out and make sure everything does get done. We’re all different, and some writers simply need to create and stick with a schedule.

So, all you writers who are ADD or even just easily distractible — have you ever tried to force yourself to stick to a writing schedule? Did it work, and if so, how did you do it? If it didn’t work, did you manage to come up with a better plan? [lf]

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 23, 2011

We have three copies of Avril Webster’s Off We Go to the Dentist to giveaway. This is a great book for parents, occupational therapists, teachers, and aides of children with autism, Down syndrome, sensory processing difficulties, speech and languge delays, ADHD, Executive Function Disorder, and even children for whom English is a second language. Giveaway begins March 23, 2011, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends April 20, 2011, at 11:59 P.M. PST.

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 14 pages

Book overview: Typical everyday and once-in-awhile outings to the grocery story, hair salon, and dentist, with their unexpected noise levels, lights, smells, and people, can be a minefield for kids with developmental disabilities.

Author Avril Webster created the Off We Go! series to help her son with an intellectual disability practice and visualize these routines to alleviate anxiety about what’s going to happen during these activities.  Brightly illustrated in an uncluttered cartoon style, and featuring simple text vetted by a speech language pathologist, these stories tell and show kids what to expect.

In Off We Go to the Dentist follow a little girl as she greets the dentist office receptionist, reads a book in the waiting room, sits in the dentist’s chair (“The dentist puts a towel around my neck.  It’s not too tight.”), gets an exam (“The dentist uses a small mirror and a shiny tool to check how well I brush and floss my teeth.  It doesn’t hurt.”), and receives a new toothbrush after the exam.

These are great stories for parents, occupational therapists, teachers, and aides to read aloud to children with autism, Down syndrome, sensory processing difficulties, speech and languge delays, ADHD, Executive Function Disorder, and even children for whom English is a second language.  They provide good opportunities to improve language development, communication skills, self-esteem, and confidence.

Check out the other stories in the Off We Go! series:  Off We Go to the Grocery Store and Off We Go for a Haircut

About the Author: Avril Webster and her husband, Robert, have three kids, including a son, Stephen, with special needs.  They can see that he has lots in common with children on the autism spectrum and children with Down syndrome.  Avril believes it’s important for Stephen, and children like him, to participate in as many everyday activities as possible and she created the Off We Go! series to help them do just that.

How to enter:

• Leave a comment in the comments field below

• An extra entry will be given for each time you twitter about the giveaway and/or blog about it. You will need to paste the link in a separate comment to make this entry valid. Click here to follow us on Twitter.

• Maximum entries: Three (3)

Giveaway Rules:

• Shipping Guidelines: This book giveaway is open to participants with a United States address.

• Giveaway begins March 23, 2011, at
  Add a Comment