Getting started for the ADD / ADHD mind using only strategies

Getting started. It's hard for someone with ADHD / ADD to do. If the task is not novel, interesting to them, or fun, the sheer will power to get started is ENORMOUS. Or as my 4 year old son says, "GINORMOUS"

And as anyone that knows me, knows I have mild ADD. Really, the schools suspected it when I was a kid and I finally was tested as an adult around 37.

That said, I cannot take any of the medications. NONE - the non stimulates give wicked headaches and I cannot take the stimulates because of a rapid heart rate.

That leaves me with strategies when I don't have the luxury of the task I need to do being "novel, interesting, or fun" (NIF).  So that being said, these are the strategies I have found that work the best for me:

• Journal Entry to clear my Brain. Stream of consciousness writing if I cannot start tasks - it clears my mind. It's just want I am thinking, affirmations, and gratitudes.
• Breaking down the task or project into smaller components. Then prioritizing the smallest/easiest task first to gain momentum. If I find I don't get momentum, repeating the process again. And again. I use a todo list in a Google Drive Doc Spreadsheet. I have 3 sheets in the document: 
• one for my "right now list" that I only put 5 tasks at a pop, 
• one for my giant list (of things I will eventually get to), 
• and one for my week planning.
• Meditation to slow down my brain - YMMV, but I find it stops the racing thoughts.
• Planning a reward after the each task that matches the tasks weight. If folding clothes is the task, then the reward might be watching a TED talk.
• Using Idonethis.com I can put what I have done and it gives a sense of accomplishment.

Note: I have been looking at gamification to make the tasks fun (a spin on the reward tip), but I have found entering all the tasks into whatever system I am using "distracts me" and I lose momentum. Some you can try are SuperBetter and HabitRPG.

Let me know how you fair with the tips or the gamification.

Jeffrey