No more “to-do” lists — your life is an operating system with daily upgrades

I don’t like to think of myself as being highly susceptible to reverse psychology, but when it comes to my inner manipulator, I’m a real patsy. This is no more apparent than with the effect “to-do” lists have on me.

Not so much the list in and of itself, but the way in which my brain responds to the compound word “to-do” at the top of the page, which registers with me as a directive, and so deep within my subconscious, the sheet of paper itself is seen as a finger-wagging authority figure. If you’re a parent like me, you can appreciate how young children don’t respond that well to you as a finger-wagging authority figure, which is to say it drives them to open rebellion. From my own experience, when playing the heavy doesn’t work, you need to find some way to appeal to your child’s motivations, such as offering a reward for improved behavior or completed chores, or gamifying the tasks at hand they refuse to do. (Even that doesn’t always work, but that’s a topic for another day.)

As someone with ADHD Inattentive Type, I’m painfully aware of my executive functioning impairment, particularly in the areas of time management, staying on task, and attention to detail. Although these are grown-up skills or traits, having a deficit in this area does not make one childlike in any way, but rather leaves afflicted grown-ups feeling like they have to furiously paddle against the rapids to get where they need to be (i.e. accomplishing basic day-to-day tasks)…