The road to Frustration is paved with well intended advice!

Very little can make me lose my mind as quickly as losing my wallet. Losing my keys, my glasses, my pen, the guitar pick I just had in my hand… these recurring stories quickly led to severe negative self talk and a lingering sense of dread. They always happened with no time to spare. In the presence of others, there were limits to the outward expressions of the rage I felt in such moments. These scenarios frequently led me to being late—if losing track of the time, forgetting a meeting or appointment altogether hadn’t already sealed my fate.

“Put your keys in the same place every time! Set an alarm! Use a planner! Set a list!” None of these well-meaning suggestions worked for me. I would lose the planner, ignore the alarm, forget the list, or derail a carefully built habit within days. The repeated failures didn’t just frustrate me—they eroded my confidence and self-respect. No matter how positive I felt at the start of each new day over the years I started to believe that no matter how hard I tried, I was doomed to be scattered, late, and unreliable.

The ADHD Challenge

For many people, losing track of things now and then is an inconvenience. For me, it’s a relentless cycle—one that shapes my sense of self every day. ADHD isn’t just about being forgetful or distracted; it’s about executive function challenges that affect nearly every aspect of daily life. Executive function is what allows us to plan, organize, prioritize, and follow through on tasks. When those processes don’t work as they should, simple routines feel like complex puzzles, and small setbacks spiral into overwhelming frustration.

Much of the advice I receive assumes that better organization or stricter discipline will solve the problem. But ADHD doesn’t work that way. It’s not about knowing what to do—it’s about reliably doing it. I can intellectually grasp the benefits of systems and routines, but actually maintaining them feels impossible. When I inevitably slip up, the frustration compounds. Why can’t I just stick with it like everyone else? Why does something as small as putting my keys in the same place feel like an uphill battle?

Mindfulness as an Anchor

What’s finally helping me isn’t another productivity hack or external system—it’s shifting how I experience the moment. I’m learning to ground myself in real time, and it’s making all the difference. Instead of relying on an autopilot habit, I place my keys down with intention: pausing, breathing, and telling myself, I am placing my keys here. That small act of presence, learned and internalized by regular meditation guided with the Medito app, turns out to be far more effective than any rigid system I have tried before. It’s changing how I approach time, focus, and self-compassion. Rather than berating myself for past mistakes or worrying about future ones, I anchor myself in what I am doing right now. With practice, mindfulness is becoming more than a tool. It’s breaking the cycle of frustration and self-doubt that has held me back for so long.

Invitation to the Reader

Medito offers a range of guided and unguided meditations for relaxation, stress relief, and mindfulness. It’s a free, nonprofit app that operates on a “pay what you can” basis, making it one of the most accessible resources available. Medito for iOS. Medito for Android.

Some similar highly recommended tools include:

• Headspace – Offers structured courses, single meditations, and sleep-focused content. Free trial available, then requires a subscription.

• Calm – Focuses on relaxation, including sleep stories narrated by well-known voices. Free trial, then subscription-based.

• Buddhify – Designed for busy lifestyles, offering meditations for everyday activities like commuting or scrolling online. One-time purchase with no subscription.

Whatever approach you try in a single day must be supported by consistent practice. One way to make this easier is by replacing an existing habit—like morning social media scrolling—with meditation. A few minutes each day can lead to real transformation.

All the best!
Om Ami Dewa Hrih Om*

* The Amitabha Mantra: This mantra means "To overcome all the hindrances and obstacles. Source

§