Do you have trouble getting things done when bipolar disorder is active?
Do you care about someone who would like to be more productive, but the bipolar disorder mood swings make it difficult to get things done?
I have good news. People with bipolar disorder can learn to get things done!
I was recently interviewed by health and lifestyle guru Dr. Lorraine Haataia on the topic of how we can learn to get things done no matter what we are going through in life. She asked me about my own experiences around bipolar disorder and work and we then had an inspiring conversation on how the strategies in my book Get it Done When You’re Depressed: 50 Strategies for Getting Your Life on Track can help anyone who struggles with motivation (my views on motivation may surprise you!), getting started and following through!I hope you find the tips helpful- and if you have read the book, the interview offers more insight into my work process when my bipolar is giving me trouble.
PS: If you have read Get it Done When You’re Depressed, how do you use the strategies?
Please visit me at Julie A. Fast on Facebook and share your experiences. Let’s help everyone with bipolar disorder get things done.
Julie
My thing is that I have been having trouble focusing on one thing at a time. I want to get everything done and then feel overwhelmed and angry, which I think is my manic side.
Ive never posted on a blog. We’ll see what happens.
Julie’s tips apply to anyone who wants to be more successful in his/her personal or work life. Everyone has rough days. But successful people like Julie decide to work anyway. One of the biggest takeaways I had from this interview is the importance of having systems in place . . . and then deciding to use them every day no matter how I feel. After this conversation, I decided to toughen up on myself . . . to:
– stop waiting for motivation and work anyway
– perform in my work more like an athlete
– ignore my negative self-talk and focus on getting things done
– adopt a personal drill sergeant
I got so much out of this interview that I decided to adopt Julie as my drill sergeant. She has an astonishing talent for encouraging and directing at the same time.
Her book is packed with 50 useful suggestions. Instead of reading the book in a few sittings, I suggest reading one chapter a week every year using the table of contents and index to help you decide which chapter to read each week. That way you have time to digest and apply each strategy in a timely manner.
Three of my favorite chapters in this book include:
21 Don’t worry about something, do something
46 Find your work purpose
48 Allow time for positive results
In the introduction to her book, Julie sums up the number one benefit of her book: “Getting things done is one of the best ways to feel better about yourself, which is automatically an antidote to depression.”
Hello Lorraine,
It was a pleasure doing the interview. I learned a lot from you as well! Julie