I remember how my sister had called me one time to tell me she had symptoms for ADD. I kept convincing her that she didn’t because I knew that ADD people were usually hyperactive, and she obviously was not. What were the chances of her having ADD? We had a very healthy family history, and the possibility of her having Attention Deficit Disorder was really out of question.
But then I started noticing signs, not only in her but also in my brother and I. The three of us grew up with procrastination as our first names, usually rushing to complete projects and turn in papers at the last possible second. I thought it was learned behavior from my parents, but I discovered that both of them were good with deadlines. Things around the house always got taken care of promptly. So what was wrong with us?
Attention Deficit Disorder is more commonly diagnosed now that it was some 30 years ago. But what we don’t usually know is that hyperactive people are not the only ones to develop signs of ADD. Others can also go through the same symptoms without being hyperactive, and in this case, my sister, my brother and I are high candidates of ADD.
Our actions indicate symptoms, though not to the point that it sabotages our daily lives. We tend to miss deadlines not because we were notified late, but becaues we often felt too overwhelmed by the project to actually start it. Moreover, in the case of my sister and I, we usually focus on too many things at the same time. My sister would have several projects running simultaneously, such as making invitations for a party, planning a dinner for the family, buying late gifts for a number of friends, sending out holiday cards, and crocheting a hat for her baby. She would be doing all these things, at the same time, and she would often give-up halfway because she could never quite complete everything. In my case, right now I’m planning a trip abroad for March while looking for airplane tickets for trips abroad in May, July, and August. I also started a new restaurant review blog, am working on a new art project that I started back in November, working on a house-warming gift that I was supposed to have given it to him back in August (six months already), finishing a knitting project that I started in December, and working on my grad school application. You would think that by now I would have learned my lesson, but I continously overschedule and over-think without any positive outcomes.
My friends tell me that I spread myself too thin, and it is true. But what is harder for me to admit is that my attention span is like that of a 1-year old. I can’t focus on SOMETHING for long periods of time before I jump on another new venture. And I have my job, on top of that. Twenty-four hours for me are not enough.
Even now, while I’m typing this blog, I’m working on a lesson plan, reading ADD articles online, and replying to emails. And it’s not that I’m completing this entry on one sitting. I’m toggling in between screens and then coming back to it. It’s just so damn hard to focus!
