Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with Adult ADHD

ADHD coach Jeff Copper is back to discuss the topic of being more self-aware when you have ADHD. One of the most powerful tools and strategies when it comes to thriving with ADHD is the concept of being more self-aware. That involves knowing what we are good at, what we struggle with as well as our relationship with time, our executive functions, and other behaviors that come along with having ADHD. Dave and Jeff however start out their conversation discussing the current landscape when it comes to COVID 19 and adult ADHD. They briefly discuss what entrepreneurs and executives have been struggling with and some of the ways Jeff has coached those busy professionals to get a better handle on business and life during the pandemic. Jeff points out one particularly important factor at the beginning of the discussion. And that is many of us are looking to affirm that many things about us are true. We do not often look for things that make us uncomfortable and part of self-awareness is just that. It is looking inward to uncover the challenges we experienced. Jeff gives listeners what we would call his preflight checklist for maintaining self-awareness throughout the day. That includes asking yourself about what you are currently doing and if it is serving you well. When you say yes to something and make a commitment, ask yourself what you are saying no to and decide if it is worth it. Another part of self-awareness is understanding procrastination. Jeff recommends that when you get in this situation pause, take a step back and ask yourself what is hard about taking the next step. Also, ask yourself what you feel is unclear about the situation or the task at hand. Having clarity is an essential part of moving on tasks and productivity. Find Jeff Copper from DIG Coaching here: www.digcoaching.com

Productivity strategies need to work for you and what works for others may not be an effective strategy for your own productivity. We can learn techniques, try new tactics, and listen to others about what worked for them. But when it comes down to it, you need to experiment with various strategies and get comfortable with the Productivity Tools that help you. On this podcast, Dave has a discussion with Jandra Sutton who is an author, columnist for various publications as well as an entrepreneur. It was her article in Entrepreneur Magazine that caught the attention of Dave as she discussed the topic of finding productivity strategies that work for the individual. She talked in her article about what Dave has been talking about for a long time. The fact that not every productivity strategy works seamlessly for everyone. Jandra was diagnosed with ADHD around the age of 30. She talks about some of the instances leading up to that diagnosis including work her career struggles that she faced as well as challenges around productivity. Dave and Jandra discuss how women with ADHD can be diagnosed much later in life as an adult and she talks about whether she feels the system including education failed her. With discussion then takes a turn into productivity strategies. Many are looking for a quick fix, magic wand, or even a silver bullet. They want quick answers on what will work for a whole host of ADHD struggles including productivity. The discussion centers around the fact that everyone has their own favorite and effective productivity techniques. No one can tell you what will be 100% effective when it comes to time management, productivity, or any other challenge you are facing. You can learn techniques, but the only way it will be effective is if you decide it will be. For example. Jandra says that for a time she used the Pomodoro technique but now it is ineffective for her. Dave on the other hand likes the Pomodoro technique and credits finishing his book in seven weeks to that productivity and time management strategy. As with many conversations on the podcast, Jandra is also a busy and successful entrepreneur that just happens to have ADHD. She talks about her strategies for being a successful entrepreneur staying focused, being patient, and trying to enjoy the ride. Find Jandra Sutton here; http://jandralee.com/

In this podcast Dave takes a few minutes to reintroduce himself to new listeners as well as those who have listened for a while. Don't worry, he doesn't go all the way back to his childhood but he gives you a perspective of his role as an entrepreneur and why he felt it was necessary to write the book Overcoming Distractions. Dave discusses why it was important to show adult ADHD in a positive light while recognizing that many with ADHD do struggle on a daily basis. What he found when he interviewed people for the book is that while they did struggle from time to time, there were many things that they had in common that allowed them to be successful and thrive in business and in life. Not everyone with ADHD is a train wreck. And Dave wanted to tell the stories up those adults with ADHD who are able to use their different brain and become successful. And the publisher agreed. There needed to be more books on adult ADHD that focused on the positives as well as simple and critical strategies to manage the day-to-day challenges of adult ADHD. Dave also talks about some of the common themes that come up when you talk to successful people with adult ADHD. And these are many that he himself has tried to focus on in his own personal life. Those include a finding a career and a job that you love. And knowing when to pivot due to a loss of interest or an industry fundamentally changing as Dave has experienced. Dave and others feel it is incredibly important to get a grip on your time which many adults with ADHD struggle with. However, those with ADHD are not the only guilty ones when it comes to losing track of time. We all do it. Dave and others feel that having confidence in your life is mission critical to thriving with adult ADHD. And many struggle with this because they grew up in a school system that did not give them the confidence they needed as an adult.

We have a great discussion with Author, Kate Gostick this week. Kate is the author of two books, Finding a Place to Park My Melon and The Spy Who Saved Christmas. First, Kate explains the unique title of the book and what it means to park your melon. Kate, born and raised in the North section of the UK, explains why where she comes from, this phrase might not be as strange as those of us in America might think it is. We discussed the topic of dyslexia, what it was like growing up, the challenges that Kate faced in the education system, as well as a discussion around whether she feels she got the proper support as a young person with dyslexia growing up. As an author in writer that just happens to have dyslexia, Kate talks about how she writes, her writing process and how she is able to have the achievement of writing two books. She also answers the question of whether some people think that it is odd that a person with dyslexia can write a full-length book. She dispels that myth right away. She talks about the process of success, productivity as well as failure and she offers her inspiration for those of us who may have a different wiring in our brains. Kate is full of energy and has never let her dyslexia hold her back at all. She also has family members that have dyslexia and together, they live a life full of enjoyment and satisfaction, supporting each other every step of the way. Kate's Website https://kategostick.wixsite.com/mysite Fine her new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Place-Park-Melon-Trailing-ebook/dp/B08L1C5LPN

On this podcast we have a discussion with firefighter turned entrepreneur Mark Sullivan. Mark is a Lieutenant on the Metro Atlanta Fire Department where he currently serves, and several years ago he opened up what he would call a side hustle called Lime Biscuit Creative a branding and design studio. Mark talks about while he had challenges in high school, and how he might not have found college a good fit for him, he went to a tech school and received his EMT certification. Soon after that he was hired by the Metro Atlanta Fire Department and has earned the rank of Lieutenant. Mark talks about the ups and downs of serving on the Fire Department, how it can be extremely fast paced some days, and how it was a good fit because every day could be different. Many adults with ADHD find high energy careers a great fit and Mark is certainly no different. Mark talks about as an entrepreneur he has been able to utilize his time much better and he has been able to accomplish goals that he once thought unattainable. He also says that he is a very good fit when it comes to serving clients in the branding and design space. Many of his clients are distracted and he can connect very easily and understand the challenges they are going through. You can find out more about Mark at his website; https://www.marktsullivan.me/ Learn more about Lime Biscuit Creative here: https://www.limebiscuit.com/

I feel burned out. What do I do? Have you every felt like you have had enough of a situation, job, career or other circumstances? You may be suffering from burnout. And if you're seeing this during COVID-19, you may very well be experiencing some type of burnout in your life. In this podcast about burnout, we talk about how to recognize, and recover from challenging times in our life. Mary Ellen Wasielewski is the guest and she is the founder of BLT Strategies just outside of Boston. Her firm helps business professionals suffering from major loss, big transitions in life, as well as burnout. She works with business executives, entrepreneurs and other high demand individuals. In this discussion we talk about how burnout and COVID 19 have gone together in recent months. With the business world turned on its head, organizations needing to adjust strategies, and in the worst-case people losing jobs or businesses going under, we have seen a real surge in burnout. Mary Ellen talks about the fact that many are experiencing burnout and may not even know it. She talks about how burnout is on the rise and the stress factors contributing two people feeling uneasy this past year. Mary Ellen talks about how to recognize burnout in ourselves and others in the things to look for. She talks about strategies to reset after burnout sets in including exercise, self-reflection, and looking forward past a burnout phase. And Mary Ellen wraps up our discussion by talking about what not to do if we feel like we're heading towards burnout. If you are feeling tired, stressed out, and have lacked direction during these times of coronavirus, please listen to this discussion. Find BTL Strategies and Mary Ellen here: https://www.bltstrategies.com/burnout

First of all one thing should be clear, the ideas in this podcast episode are not a complete or entire solution to your challenges with time management. This is one idea that has worked for many people and if implemented properly, and followed through, it can be a simple solution to getting certain things done on time and relieving some stress that comes with time management and ADHD. Dave fires up the microphone and the coffee machine in this short podcast about one simple solution that has worked for him as an entrepreneur with ADHD. It is called Parkinson's Law and while it has nothing to do with ADHD, it has everything to do with how we allocate time for projects and tasks. Parkinson's law is stated as this. "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion" In short do not let the timeline of your project expand. Set a time for it to get done and try to stick to it as best you can. Dave talks about how he uses his interpretation of Parkinson's law as a busy entrepreneur with ADHD. It's very simple, in his own opinion, and he uses it in two different ways to get more work done and meet deadlines as well as reduce the stress of having multiple projects hanging over his head. If we tell ourselves that a certain project or task needs to be done by a certain time and we use it as a game, it can be an effective tool and getting things done. Sometimes adults with ADHD and especially business professionals need simple solutions to get things done and by twisting Parkinson's law just a little bit, we can do just that. And sometimes we just need to put a name on a certain technique to make something work for us. There is nothing wrong with that. If it works, we win. Find out how Dave has interpreted this law about time and deadlines to get more done in his business.

Many of us have been thrown into a brand-new way of doing business during COVID 19. From online meetings, networking on Zoom, prospecting in the sales profession, and even conducting online presentations, many of us have had to adjust the way we do business in this new digital world. Some of us could use a little confidence building in this area and that's what this podcast is all about. Confidence in an online world. If you have listened to Overcoming Distractions the Podcast before you know that not every episode solely revolves around ADHD. And this is one of those episodes. Everyone including those of us with ADHD could learn a little bit about how to conduct ourselves online, and make ourselves actually look good and impressive in this video type Zoom world we're all living in. Alyssa Dver from the American Confidence Institute takes us through many topics in this discussion that may make us a little uncomfortable but will help us work those online meetings and presentations a little better. We talk about the social skills surrounding conducting business in an online world. And in all honesty, we have a little bit of fun. We talk about the things that make us uncomfortable online or lose interest in online meetings and presentations can we talk about some of the things that we have both seen that people may do and may not be aware of that they are embarrassing themselves in these online settings. Alyssa takes us through how we should prepare for that Zoom networking event or that online presentation. And by doing so she helps all of us build more confidence conducting business online and through video platforms. At the end Alyssa gives us a preflight checklist on what to do an what not to do in preparation for an online video meeting. You can find Alyssa and the American Confidence Institute here: https://www.americanconfidenceinstitute.com/

This podcast we chat with Alex Hey, an ADHD coach and founder of Reset ADHD. Alex walks us through his journey through school into adulthood an ultimately getting an ADHD diagnosis at the age of 20. While Alex's is story is a common story in the world of ADHD, it is still Alex's story. He confesses that he did not do well in elementary school, teachers always wrote the proverbial "Alex needs to try harder" quote, and he claims he was fidgety as well as a child. When Alex was 20 and in college, he had so much difficulty paying attention that he finally asked his doctor for an ADHD analysis. And from there, Alex was diagnosed with ADHD. Ultimately, Alex went and got certified as an ADHD coach and now helps others in similar situations. Alex talks about his journey in becoming an ADHD coach, who he likes to work with, and how he can help others. Alex is a huge advocate for getting a good night's sleep. He talks about why sleep is so important when you have ADHD, his own personal sleep routine, and he gives tips for healthy sleep habits. Find Alex here: https://www.resetadhd.com/ And find the sleep podcast he talks about in our discussion here: https://www.sleepwithmepodcast.com

If you have been telling yourself that you cannot do something for years and years, this is the podcast for you. In this episode, it's all Dave and no guest. Dave goes on a bit of a rant but also a positive message at the same time as he talks about blanket statements about ADHD that we tell ourselves and tell others. Dave shares that he is not a doctor, and certainly not a psychotherapist, but does know quite a bit about having a negative mindset and telling himself that he cannot do something. Dave talks about a personal story as a young adult and how he reflects on that to this day. We cannot put everybody with ADHD into one box. Saying things such as people with ADHD cannot focus. Cannot resist urges. Cannot do math. These sweeping statements do not help us and do not help others in any way. Just because you have been diagnosed with ADHD, does not mean that you are handed a brochure of things you cannot do. Many successful entrepreneurs, attorneys, professors, doctors and other successful people do have ADHD. They did not let a limiting mindset control their success and their destiny. Bottom line if you are an adult with ADHD, please give yourself some credit. Although Dave does mention he sucks at math… Enjoy!