We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect and no one should hold you to the expectations to be perfect. There are all kinds of mistakes we can make and some can be fixed easily and others can have serious consequences. Someone with ADHD may tend to make more mistakes. There are many reasons for this. For one thing, we have less attention to start with (it’s literally in the name). Also, I have mentioned that there are things we can hyper focus on when it is something we want to be doing. Otherwise, it falls in to the category of things we can lose focus on easily. When we lose our focus easily, it is especially easy to make more mistakes. We also see time differently than those without ADHD and can often misjudge how much time we actually have, so when we have less time than we think we do, we end up rushing and have a higher chance of making mistakes. Here are a few things that have helped me to avoid making too many mistakes.
Do something you are good at. It is true that you don’t always have the choice to do something you like. That doesn’t mean you can’t work towards something you are well at and enjoy at some point in your life. You should be getting closer to your goals.
Find the best time. Find the best time to do important tasks. Pick a time when you are most focused to do the most important work. Even you do not have much flexibility in your schedule, you can arrange it the best that you can in most cases.
Slow down. Whether your have ADHD or not, you are going to make mistakes easier if you are in a rush.
Prioritize. Priorities are very important. It will do you well to focus the most on where the consequences of making a mistake are the highest. If you are going to make a mistake, make one that is easily reversible.
I do want to reemphasize that we are all human and make mistakes. While you may make more mistakes if you have ADHD it does depend on what you are doing and how focused you are. If you know you are prone to making mistakes, then it is good to come to terms with who you are and how you function. We can always get better if we put the effort in.