3 Tips to Finding Happiness When You Have Career ADD

Distractions of any kind can derail us... right? Couple those distractions with a diagnosis of Career ADD or living a Career ADD Lifestyle that is leading you down the wrong path. How many of us are switching activities multiple times throughout the day, and at the end of the day very little is truly accomplished? Now imagine that the same distractors are impacting your work every day. Worse yet, imagine that you are struggling with making a career decision that won’t take you down the same path of unhappiness and failure. Are you stuck? Does your mind come to a screeching halt when considering job or career options, or does it move on to the next often negative thought and subsequent action that gets you nowhere? No, you are not crazy... life does sometimes get in the way. On the other hand, if you are seeing a pattern here – one that has continued for perhaps years, it is time to take another look at what may be the root cause and some tips to help move you toward Career Happiness! Here are three tips to help you get started:

1. Take an HONEST look at your work life.

I’m talking about from your very first job, no matter what it was. Ask yourself this – How did it make me feel every day? Did I make little mistakes and could not figure out why I made them? Was I called on the carpet more times than I’d like to admit? Do I now lack self-confidence in my ability to secure work that makes me happy? Taking an inventory of our work lives is the first step to seeing a pattern in the way we have approached our careers. If you have Career ADD, it doesn’t matter if you studied for years for the job you now have, or for the one that you are now seeking, if issues of ADD or a Career ADD Lifestyle are part of your current make-up, the patterns will continue.

2. Get a diagnosis or take an inventory for ADD.

My best friend sent me the book Driven to Distraction by Edward Hallowell, which I ignored for two years. Finally, after my divorce, I knew I had to take another look and, magically, was able to locate it on my bookshelf as if some force were directing me. There are dozens of books out there, but this was the one that made all the difference and helped me to truly recognize what was going on. What a relief! And after I went through a brief grieving process, started to notice more what I was doing, how I was reacting and then sought tools to help me.

3. Get support now!

This can either come in the form of an ADD coach, or with a career professional who understands the many challenges we face in our career and in our lives, and can help guide you to make choices that can be life changing. At the very least, find a trusted friend who accepts you and will be honest with you. Ask them to keep you accountable to manage your symptoms for success. So, here are just a few of the “symptoms” of ADD that have impacted you in the career realm: easily distractible, low tolerance for frustration, low tolerance for boredom, impulsiveness, forgetfulness, restlessness... and the list goes on. Career happiness image from Shutterstock