Do you find that when you have to do something mentally unpleasant (such as homework back when you were in school / college, or doing your taxes, or whatever similar thing affect you), do you tend to space out? Or do you get a feeling in the pit of your stomach like you are about to be sent to the principal's office (to use an over-used analogy), and you find that you must do something else (that is pleasant) just to make that sickening feeling go away?
If it is the first (spacing out), that could be ADD/ADHD. If it is the second, then it could be fear of failure / depression. If it is neither, then you will need to find a way to re-train your mind, by forcing yourself to see hard problems through.
A professional may need to help you if it is the first two problems. But if it is the third one, the standard techniques is to do deliberate practice, starting off with mild problems and working yourself up through more difficult ones as time goes on (but going back to milder ones and spicing up your workflow with slightly more difficult than what your are used to). Kind of like interval training for physical exercise -- you don't just try to run slightly faster each time, you run at a sustainable pace and punctuate it with something above your abilities for short bursts.
Some people find that they can't do this without a personal trainer. For work type problems, you may need to team up with someone that can help coach you through.
Here's another analogy that I believe carries over. For much of my life, I didn't like tomatoes (except I liked ketchup, tomato soup, pasta sauce, etc). One day I got tired of picking tomatoes off my burgers, or out of a salad, and decided to eat them anyway. After doing this for a few months I got to where I could tolerate them, and eventually start liking them. Same thing with sour cream -- now I love it. And buttermilk. Got tired of throwing out buttermilk that I'd buy for making biscuits, so I taught myself to like it. Now I can't get enough of it.
Having spent my teens and early adult life with undiagnosed ADHD, it can manifest itself as depression and anxiety from constantly feel frustrated with yourself from not being able to focus or achieve your goals. Getting treated for ADHD may solve other problems.
And ADHD-like symptoms of difficulty focusing can themselves be comorbid with depression, and a non-stimulant medication like strattera may be able to help.
If it is the first (spacing out), that could be ADD/ADHD. If it is the second, then it could be fear of failure / depression. If it is neither, then you will need to find a way to re-train your mind, by forcing yourself to see hard problems through.
A professional may need to help you if it is the first two problems. But if it is the third one, the standard techniques is to do deliberate practice, starting off with mild problems and working yourself up through more difficult ones as time goes on (but going back to milder ones and spicing up your workflow with slightly more difficult than what your are used to). Kind of like interval training for physical exercise -- you don't just try to run slightly faster each time, you run at a sustainable pace and punctuate it with something above your abilities for short bursts.
Some people find that they can't do this without a personal trainer. For work type problems, you may need to team up with someone that can help coach you through.
Here's another analogy that I believe carries over. For much of my life, I didn't like tomatoes (except I liked ketchup, tomato soup, pasta sauce, etc). One day I got tired of picking tomatoes off my burgers, or out of a salad, and decided to eat them anyway. After doing this for a few months I got to where I could tolerate them, and eventually start liking them. Same thing with sour cream -- now I love it. And buttermilk. Got tired of throwing out buttermilk that I'd buy for making biscuits, so I taught myself to like it. Now I can't get enough of it.