by Cherrilynn Bisbano @bisbanowrites

 “I can’t focus! How am I going to get this book done?”

 For years I thought I was weird and impulsive.

After my son was diagnosed twenty years ago, I finally had the answer to my fidgeting, lack of concentration, unfinished projects, and my urge to blurt things out during a conversation because I was afraid the words would escape me. I, too, have ADHD. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

 I liken my thoughts to a squirrel scrambling to collect nuts. There are so many that he stops in his tracks.

 “Which way do I go?”

 “Which nut do I focus on first?

 Which one is the biggest?”

I am that squirrel, with a hundred thoughts flashing around in my brain.

What chapter do I focus on today? What will touch the reader’s heart? What Bible verses do I use? LUNCH!

“Lord, I need your help!”  I knew God would not call me to write and then leave me scurrying about gathering up words that don’t make sense.

 My biggest problem is finishing a task. I continued to pray.

A friend of mine mentioned a Discipleship Counseling Course that he completed through Eternity College. The course was free, and I like free. I signed up and found myself with ten hours of homework each week—homework that would change my life forever.

We had to complete Tim Chester’s book You Can Change. The book states to pick one thing you want God to help you change. I chose Procrastination. Working through the book helped me figure out why I procrastinate. It is not just ADHD. I lost that excuse.

It is disobedience. I know God called me to write.

I can’t blame the squirrel for everything. I searched the scriptures. and the next verse became my marching orders.

  “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.” 2 Corinthians 8:11 (NIV)

I try to apply this verse daily, trusting God will keep His promise.

Now, I make a schedule and follow it. The schedule changes my Disorder into order.

Squirrels still invade my day, I have even chased a few, but God gently reminds me to focus. Instead of chasing them, I try to learn from them.

They chase each other up and down trees, scurry across the yard, hang from the bird feeder, and gather nuts like it is a relay race. Their actions seem like a bunch of craziness. However, their work gets accomplished, and they have fun while doing it.

I accept my ADHD and give God the glory for using this squirrel chaser to further His Kingdom. I revise my schedule according to my workload.

Do you chase squirrels? What distracts you? Join the conversation.

If you need help with writing or keeping a schedule, read Cindy Sproles’s article. She is a wealth of great information.

https://www.blueridgeconference.com/five-ways-clean-writing-work-schedule/

Cherrilynn Bisbano is an award-winning writer, coach, editor, and speaker. As former managing editor of Almost an Author, she helped the website earn the #6 spot on the Top 100 best writing websites for 2018 by The Write Life and Top 101 Websites for writers with Writers Digest. Cherrilynn is a speaker with Women Speakers. Her topics include leadership, book proposals, and the Bible.

She is a two-time winner of Flash Fiction Weekly. Her work in progress, Accidental Findings, won the first 10 pages award with, When Words Count Retreat. You can find her published in Blue Ridge Writers Blog, Southern Writers, More to Life (MTL), Christian Rep, Christian Voice, Refresh, and other online magazines. Cherrilynn is a contributor to award-winning, Get to the Margins-Author Anthology; Breaking the Chains; Heart Reno, Kiss Guilt Goodbye; and Chicken Soup for the Soul-Miracles books. Her latest book, Shine Don’t Whine, released October 2020. Cherrilynn proudly served in the Navy and Air National Guard, earning the John Levitow Military leadership award.  She lives with her eighteen-year-old son, Michael, Jr., and husband of 22 years. Cherrilynn loves Christ, Chocolate, coffee, and Cats. You will often find her on the beach sea glass hunting.