How To Avoid Getting Stuck

When I’m on a roll, whether it’s writing, working on renovations, catching up on Email, it’s hard to imagine why I had procrastinated starting on the task. I have momentum. I’m energized. Ideas are sparking. I’m making real progress. When I hit a problem, no worries, it’s just a speed bump. It slows me down, but not for long.

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Eventually, though, I run into a snag or a hitch that brings me to a full stop. My energy rapidly evaporates. The problem has me stumped, so I decide to wrap it up and come back to it tomorrow when I’m fresh and full of energy.

That often works. Unless I forget about what I was working on and start something new. The ADHD brain loves ‘new.’ (No wonder we are vulnerable to spending hours doom-scrolling on our phones.)

The problem arises when I return to the task I’d abandoned with new energy, only to be confronted by the issue that stopped me cold yesterday. Ugh. The fresh energy evaporates again. Writer’s Block.

Luckily, another writer taught me a trick that ensures I can pick up where I left off the next day, regardless of what I was doing. The trick is to quit for the day while I’m ahead. Rather than stop when I hit a roadblock, I pause when I have a great idea or a funny twist that I can’t wait to explore. I stop when I see a task that’s easy to get done. Rather than “I’ll just write this now, it’ll be quick and fun,” I leave it for the morning. Instead of tidying one more that would make it an easy win, I set that aside for my cleaning round the next day.

When I come back to it the next morning, there’s no “Ugh”. I’m keen to dive in. “Oh, right! This is going to be good.” Ideas flow, and in short order, I’m back in the zone and on a roll.

I’ve used this trick when I’m writing, doing renovations, organizing a room, or working in the garden.