ADHD Flow 4-3-2-1: The Obstacle Is the Way
One minute. No links. Just a reset.
4 Calming Breaths
The box breathing meditation you can do anytime and anywhere. Take 16 seconds right now to reconnect with your body and mind:
I. Inhale (four seconds)
II. Hold (four seconds)
III. Exhale (four seconds)
IV. Hold (four seconds)
Repeat as desired
3 Ideas From Me
I.
Often the obstacle is not the thing you need to do.
It is the feeling in front of the thing.
Dread. Shame. Uncertainty. The fear of saying it wrong.
That feeling can be so loud it convinces you the task is dangerous.
But most of the time, the task is simply uncomfortable.
And discomfort is manageable.
II.
When something feels huge, reduce the stakes.
Do not ask yourself to solve it forever.
Ask yourself to take one step that keeps options open.
A draft, not a final.
A first message, not the whole talk.
A small move that makes the next move easier.
III.
If the obstacle is a conversation, do not plan the entire arc.
Just plan the opening.
One sentence that starts it, without trying to control how it ends.
The goal is contact, not perfection.
Once it is spoken, it becomes something you can work with.
2 Quotes From Others
I.
“The task is not to ignore fear but to explain it away. Take what you’re afraid of when fear strikes you and break it apart.”
Source: Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is the Way
II.
“The best way out is always through.”
Source: Robert Frost, A Servant to Servants
1 Question For You
What is the decision or conversation you have been avoiding, and what is the smallest step you could take today that lowers the stakes and gets it moving?
See you next week (I promise - you are now my accountability partners).
ADHD Flow 4-3-2-1: Inspired by James Clear. Built for the neurodivergent community