The Wall of Awful

The Wall of Awful is a metaphor created by Brendan Mahan to describe the emotional barrier formed by repeated failures, fear, anxiety, and disappointment that prevents people, particularly those with ADHD, from engaging in tasks.

The 'wall' consists of 'bricks' made of negative emotions and past failures, which build up over time and create a strong emotional resistance to starting or completing tasks.

Mahan offers strategies to overcome this wall, such as awareness, acceptance, mindfulness, and breaking tasks into manageable chunks.

He is in the process of writing a book on this topic, which expands on these ideas and provides practical tools to help individuals climb or put a door in the Wall of Awful to move forward.