Progress is not a straight line. If that is your expectation, you will disappoint yourself. And, likely you will eventually stop trying to make progress. Setbacks, backsliding, and “relapses” are part of the progress. Three steps forward and two steps back exist as an aphorism for a reason. It is part of the human condition. We, as ADHDers, are no exception to that. In fact, we are double vulnerable because we crave and often expect instant gratification. But progress is a process. It does not happen in a day. It is rarely a smooth and rutt-free road.
This is triply true of ADHD humans who struggle with depression and anxiety. As a setback can trigger all the negative thoughts and feelings in our heads that send us deeper into a shame spiral and take us further away from the process of progress. I have learned over the years to judge my progress in many areas not by whether or not I fall off the proverbial horse, but by how quickly I get back on it.A bad week is better than a bad month. A bad day is better than a bad week. A bad morning when you can recover and have a good afternoon… well, that’s just not so bad at all.
So, be kind to yourself when you fall. Dust yourself off. And get right back up. Eventually, it’s worth considering why and how you fell, especially if it is a pattern. (Maybe talk to your coach about it.) But in that moment getting back to the process of progress is the biggest victory you can achieve.
Standard Disclaimer: In an effort to foil my own perfectionist tendencies, I do not edit my posts much… if at all. Please excuse and typos, mistakes, grammatical errors, or awkward phrasing. I focus on getting my content down. In my humble opinion, an imperfect post posted is infinitely better than a perfect post that goes unfinished.