Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with Adult ADHD

This time on the ADHD Minute version of Overcoming Distractions, Dave talks about creating values statements for your life and your career. Many of us may think we have values but when we sit right down and try to list those, we may struggle. Many of us complain about situations we are in such as a bad job, a bad boss, or unrealistic clients if you're a small business owner, and we're getting stressed out, resentful and even burned out. Dave talks about how you can turn negative aspects of your life into positive statements. You can define the type of people you want to work with, the type of workplace and culture you want to spend your time at, and the type of people you want in your life. Spend 8 minutes with Dave to learn more about how to create value statements for your life.

Now that COVID-19 is becoming much more manageable in our lives, it's time to ask ourselves what we have learned over the past two years that can help us in the future. That's what Dave talks about in this ADHD Minute addition of Overcoming Distractions. Dave talks about some of the things that he has learned that can help him manage his business and life much better. Dave talks about how he has gotten obsessive with time management including blocking off days, not responding to every notification that pops up, and getting very creative with his calendar. He talks about personal goals before professional goals and that your personal goals should drive your career goals. Dave also talks about how it's important to have routines but to always self-assess and be flexible when necessary. And most of us should have learned this by now but making sure you set time aside to clear your head Several times a week or whenever needed. Dave talks about the importance of this.

Improving communication in the workplace is something everyone should strive for but for those of us with adult ADHD, it needs to be an ongoing process of identifying what can be effective. Some of us receive communications differently, some of us put out communications in the workplace that can be misunderstood, and the bottom line is not every communication style is a match. This week we have back Grant Crowell, Author of Grantasms Creative twisted words for cool people! and a self-professed social wordsmith. Grant and Dave discuss how to improve strategic communications in the workplace as well as being an entrepreneur with ADHD. As you'll find Grant's book also injects a little fun and humor into the process. What exactly is strategic communications and why do we need to practice it? How do we have fun and reduce stress while improving communication styles? How do we find the right patterns of communication as well as capture the attention of our coworkers and others? How can we connect appropriately as well as implement some humor in meetings and other settings? How can we be mindful of the social context of things we say as well as read the room. Why do we ADHD'ers need to focus on being strategic in our communications? Why is clarity in communication so important for those of us with ADHD? Grant and Dave discuss the topic of co-workers or clients not giving clarity on projects or assignments. Vague directions, etc…which leads many with ADHD to procrastinate. They also talk about how some co-workers, a boss, or clients can abuse our people-pleasing nature. Many of those with ADHD are people pleasers and it leads to exhaustion, frustration, overwork, and burnout. How do we communicate properly and train others on how to treat us? And Grant gives a fast lesson and roadmap to being more strategic in our communications. Find Grant's book here: https://www.amazon.com/GRANTASMS-Creative-twisted-words-people-ebook/dp/B07ZY9JDPP Connect with him on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrantCrowell

In this short episode of Overcoming Distractions Dave talks about the concept of burning the boats. If you're ready for a new job or career change, Dave has a little bit of advice for how to hit the reset button. Some of the things Dave brings up that may trigger your need for a new career are being bored, tired, feeling disconnected, stressed out, exhausted or all of the above which equals burnout. Dave offers some quick tips from his personal experiences over the years managing his careers as well as his entrepreneurial journeys. If you're stressed out and need a change, spend the next 10 minutes getting some quick advice from Dave about hitting the reset button on your life and career.

Planning seems to be another challenge that many with adult ADHD must deal with. While the topic of planning could be a much larger conversation, on this podcast episode, we discuss what it takes to plan out tasks and projects in our professional lives. If you need to get better at planning your professional or personal life out, this is a great discussion with a ton of valuable tips. Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright from Taking Control…The ADHD Podcast joins Dave to discuss ways those of us with ADHD can get better at planning as well as executing on those plans. First, Nikki, Pete, and Dave discuss why people with ADHD have challenges with planning at many levels. They discuss how certain executive functions can get in the way of planning projects and tasks as well as more extensive items such as an entire workweek. But they also make it clear that those with ADHD are not the only ones who have challenges with planning. People without ADHD also could use a lesson in planning as well as entire companies Nikki, Pete, and Dave discuss how just planning your day the night before can be a game-changer. We hear this all the time but many of us do not practice it and end up sitting at our desk the next day with no plan. The discussion evolves into planning on a much greater scale including how being meticulous with your weekly calendar can help you plan projects, execute much better as well as manage your time and distractions. When you have a system in place for managing your entire week with proper planning, it is much easier to make progress. Something as simple as color-coding your calendar can make a huge difference in your professional life. They also discuss how a lack of planning creates a domino effect in an organization, affecting others around you. Nikki, Dave, and Pete discuss whether planning hinders the creative process or can it help the creative process blossom? Some people feel that too much planning gets in the way of creativity and idea generation. What are some of the ways we can plan and be organized as an entrepreneur or business professional and have plenty of time for creativity? The gang talks about ways to be a planner and be creative. And as always, the guests leave us with great tips we can implement in our own lives. Check out Nikki and Pete's ADHD podcast here: https://takecontroladhd.com/the-adhd-podcast

So many of us with ADHD have real challenges with motivation. That comes in many forms and we see it in all areas of our lives. Motivation challenges us from simple tasks at work, getting up enough energy to go to the gym or complete large projects. And motivation even challenges us when we need to do basic things such as clean the house. Jandra Sutton is back on the podcast, founder of the Wildest Company a full-service creative agency. Jandra also offers various coaching services and has been featured in many major publications. She was officially diagnosed with ADHD right before the pandemic and has some perspective on what it takes to create meaningful and effective motivation. **Please support the podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/overcomingd One of the top ways that Jandra has looked at motivation is the focus on the process rather than getting excited about an entire project. Sometimes it takes just a little bit to get us off the mark. Jandra talks about what prompted her to write an article for the Metro UK about motivation. She has learned about what it takes to get motivated as a person with ADHD running a business and she shared some of her advice in that article. Dave and Jandra also talk about whether many with ADHD take a look at motivation incorrectly and whether we look at the mountain we cannot climb or whether we are better at picking away at small parts of a larger project. Dave and Jandra also talked about how the ADHD brain responds to motivation differently as we may require different types of prompts to get started. Jandra talks about what works for her and she has her tips for motivating herself as an entrepreneur with ADHD running a business. As you'll find out, some may surprise you but they work for her. And the bottom line of this conversation is that you need to find what works for you because every person is different when it comes to motivating factors. Connect with Jandra on her website: https://jandralee.com/ Find Jandra's article for Metro UK here: https://metro.co.uk/2021/12/05/why-waiting-for-motivation-to-strike-doesnt-work-15675469/

Don't be afraid of this goal-setting discussion because we are going to discuss setting goals in a way that supports both our professional and personal desires. Ask yourself this question when setting goals. Who do I want to be? If you're like many people, you set some New Year's resolutions, and then by February, you fell off track pretty quickly with meeting your goals or even getting started on them. On this episode of Overcoming Distractions, we are going to discuss how to stay consistent on the progress needed to achieve our goals. We have back on the podcast, Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D. of True Focus Coaching. First, we discuss whether setting New Year's resolutions is a bad idea or if there might be a better time of the year to set them as well as implementing goal setting on a more frequent schedule. Sarah says that we have to understand who we want to be in order to set and achieve goals. This means finding a way to align both professional and personal goals so they are harmonious. Your professional goals should help support your personal and family goals and the way you want to live. Sarah also says that setting and achieving goals helps us with our self-esteem and gives us purpose as well as meaning in life. It also facilitates engaging with others which can help with the process. Dave and Sarah also discuss why good habits and routines are some of the keys to making progress with our goals. With behavior change, small moments can help you in the long term. And as always Sarah gives us some quick tips to get back on track. She says always keep restarting and a good rule of thumb is to revisit your goals every three months. She also says if you're struggling, just focus on today. You can work up to revisiting your goals weekly, make sure you're taking your whole life into consideration, and renew your goals when needed. If you want to connect with Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D at True Focus Coaching, you can reach out to her here: https://www.truefocuscoaching.com/apply/

Welcome to the ADHD minute version of Overcoming Distractions. In this mid-week check-in, Dave talks about some of the initial signs that you may be burning out in your career or your job. And it gets a little tricky when it comes to adults with ADHD because some of the signs of burnout are some of the things many of us experience in our daily lives. Dave goes through a few questions to ask yourself to see if you may be burning out. Those include continuous exhaustion, your passion or excitement for your job or career, and whether that may be drifting off, physical symptoms that medical professionals can't give you an answer for as well as a loss of focus over and above what you already experience with your ADHD. Join Dave for this really quick ADHD minute.

This week we tackle a common question that many adults with ADHD have. Should I use a therapist or an ADHD coach? Back on the podcast is Diann Wingert, former therapist and now mindset coach working with adults that have ADHD. Diann is uniquely qualified to answer this question and talk about when you would want to work with a therapist and when an ADHD coach might be able to provide you with the tools you need. Diann first discusses the differences between a therapist and an ADHD coach. She talks about what each can provide and the skills that each discipline might possess. She says sometimes it comes down to a therapist looking at past experiences you have. An ADHD coach would work with you to build a thriving future with tools, skills, and accountability. However, she cautions you that that is not always the case when working with both. Diann also cautions listeners to recognize that most of these working relationships, especially with a therapist should not be long-term. For example, if you're seeing a therapist for 10 years, you have to ask yourself why. And do you really need it at this point? When choosing a therapist or an ADHD coach, the first and most important factor is to make sure it is a good fit. Does this professional get you and do they respect you? And of course, very important, do you feel they can help you and are they confident they can help you as well? Diann also cautions listeners to understand that there are many therapists that have not been formally trained in ADHD. You don't want to be in a position where you're teaching your therapist about ADHD so ask them for some examples of how they have assisted other clients with ADHD. And Diann wraps up her conversation with Dave about choosing an ADHD coach and some of the things to look out for. You can learn more about Diann Wingert and the Driven Woman Podcast on her website. https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/

Welcome to the ADHD minute version of Overcoming Distractions. In this mid-week check-in, Dave offers a quick little snippet of advice for thriving with adult ADHD. This week, Dave talks about three things that you can do this week to make your life easier. We're talking about how to manage your time, claim your time off, have fewer commitments that stress you out, and more. Take Dave's advice, hit the pause button for a few minutes this week, and do these three things. They just may make your ADHD life a little simpler.