If you haven't figured it out yet, executive functions pretty much rule our life. From remembering to brush our teeth, working memory, planning our day, switching from one thing to the next, understanding time etc.
If those of us with ADHD do not understand and get a handle on improving our executive functions, it makes it challenging to get through work, home environment and everything in between.
This episode is dedicated to understanding executive functions 101.
Dave's guest has been here before- Lara Honos-Webb….Clinical psychologist and author as well as Cofounder of Bonding Health which is an app that helps children with ADHD. She is the author of Brain Hacks life changing strategies to improve executive functioning and her new book 6 Super Skills for Executive Functioning.
Dr, Lara gives listeners an overview of what our executive functions are. Attention and focus, planning and organization, emotional regulations, controlling impulses…
She talks about why those of us especially with ADHD rely so heavily on executive functions to get through the day.
Dave and Dr. Lara also discuss some examples many can relate to of how poor executive functions can hinder us as busy adults with ADHD.
And Dr. Lara gives everyone some advice on some of the most effective ways to improve our executive functions.
If you're really challenged with executive functions and getting projects and tasks completed, she recommends finding ways to make it more interesting, implement fun and of course ask for help.
Find Dr. Lara Honos-Webb here. https://www.addisagift.com/
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you are an adult with ADHD looking for career advice, this is a great episode of Overcoming Distractions. Whether you need to change careers or jobs or just need some adjustments in your current workplace, Shell Mendelson will give you some advice.
Shell Mendelson is a career coach for adults with ADHD and the author of the new book Unlock Your Career Path: A Course for ADHD Adults and Teens.
Shell and Dave discuss her recent book and start out by talking about how ADHD can impact our careers including some examples listeners can relate to. One area some adults with ADHD can relate to is when placed on a performance improvement plan at work which as Shell puts it can be a soul crushing situation.
When forging a new career, Shell talks about how many childhood experiences including things we like and hobbies could be an indicator as to our career direction.
Shell also discusses why she's used the word preferred many times in her book. She says it is important to understand preferences and must-haves when analyzing your career. Those include:
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And Shell and Dave wrap up by talking about some of those must haves that adults with ADHD need to consider in their career path. They include clarity, learning more about yourself, owning your career path, building confidence and being ready.
Find Shell and her new book here: www.careercoachingwithshell.com
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
In this episode, we are talking about confidence for adults with ADHD or for that matter confidence building for anyone.
Back on the podcast is Alyssa Dver, founder of the American Confidence Institute. Alyssa is one of the leading authorities on the subject of confidence out there today.
Confidence is something that allows adults with ADHD to thrive. Many of us struggle with self-doubt, which sometimes gets in the way of being our best selves, especially in our careers or the workplace.
When we have confidence, then we can earn the trust of others in the workplace, leadership, clients, and others. And it's an awesome feeling when we can walk into work and be confident.
Alyssa starts out by defining confidence in the simplest terms we can all understand.
She talks about how lacking confidence can affect us in the workplace and our personal lives.
Alyssa discusses with Dave about people who have come up with a breakthrough in building confidence and some of the things they say in how it affected their lives.
Dave and Alyssa discussed the barriers to confidence not only in the workplace but in our home environments and some of the challenges we face daily that are disguised as a lack of confidence including some red flags.
And Alyssa gives listeners a simple blueprint for starting your journey of building more confidence.
Learn more about the American Confidence Institute and Alyssa Dver here.
https://www.americanconfidenceinstitute.com/
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you're wondering if you're experiencing stress or you're going through burnout, Dave takes time to discuss the differences between being stressed out and burnout.
Busy adults with ADHD can experience stress at many levels, and if not addressed, it can eventually turn into burnout.
Dave discusses the difference in the definition, causes of burnout, the impact of both stress and burnout as well as the basics of what you need to know when it comes to recovery for stress and burnout. They can be different.
In short, stress can be a short-term experience, while burnout can be a more chronic issue that will require much more work to recover from.
If you are a busy adult with ADHD and continue to feel more challenged in business and in life, you'll want to listen to this short podcast.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
In this episode we are talking about managing distractions with the help of willpower.
While many adults with ADHD may be put off by the concept of willpower, building that willpower muscle can be an effective strategy for thriving with adult ADHD.
Back on the podcast is Giovanni Dienstmann, a sought-after meditation teacher and author of the books Practical Meditation, Mindful Self-Discipline, and ..Wise Confidence.
Giovanni and Dave discuss the following on this episode of Overcoming Distractions.
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Giovanni goes through a simple framework for improving willpower in our ADHD lives. That includes working on our environment and working on ourselves. That includes both mental and physical environment. Working environment adjustments can include minimizing any type of electronic notifications such as your phone. Website blockers if necessary and decluttering your environment.
And Giovanni discusses a process for slowing down and building effective intentions to help build willpower.
You can find Giovanni's books and his app here. https://www.mindfulselfdiscipline.com/
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Dave continues his on air checklist of distractions many adults with ADHD face. This is Part 2 and Dave discusses some not so obvious Distractions that enter our lives quite frequently.
When we think of Distractions we think of the usual suspects including office noise, doom scrolling on social media and shiny objects.
But there are many pieces of our day that when you come right down to it, end up being distracting. And maybe more so than the general distractions we always think about.
This podcast, once again, is meant to get you thinking and to see if any of these Distractions David discusses are affecting you in your work and home.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
We're talking about distractions in this podcast. And if you can't name them, then you can't deal with them.
If you are a busy adult with ADHD, distractions are coming at you all day long. You're distracted at home, and distractions are most likely entering your professional life in some way.
But the only way we can conquer our distractions is by self-awareness and owning them. Only then can we work towards minimizing distractions as adults with ADHD.
This podcast is meant just to give you a brief checklist of some of the main distractions you know you're dealing with already. Dave wants to get you thinking about how you can minimize distractions.
So if you have forgotten what's distracting you, let Dave remind you in this two-part podcast.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
There are huge misconceptions and misunderstandings about procrastination. And Dave tackles this because of a recent social media post he saw telling people that they should schedule procrastination to manage their time. That's bad advice to say the least and to a greater extent reckless, especially for adults with ADHD.
There is an enormous difference between procrastination and strategic delay and Dave goes through both and offers a few tips on how to understand your own procrastination a little better.
He also talks about how strategically delaying certain tasks or projects can actually work in your favor and help lower your stress.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Dave talks again about his two favorite words when it comes to adult ADHD. Clarity and control. Because you can't talk about these two enough. They are mission critical to surviving as a busy adult with ADHD.
Dave discusses briefly why clarity and being in control is such an important part of your ADHD life and gives some examples of how to gain more clarity and take back control. The more busy adults focus on these two areas of life, the less reactionary you'll be.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you are an adult with ADHD, this conversation is built just for you. Whether you are a CEO, busy executive, business owner with ADHD or are juggling life and professional responsibilities, you'll learn a lot about being an adult with ADHD in this conversation.
Kathleen Nadeau, PhD is the Founder the Chesapeake Center and the author of Still Distracted After All These Years: Help and Support for Older Adults with ADHD.
In this conversation you'll get a snapshot of what it's like to be a busy adult with ADHD and get some great tips for thriving in both business and home life.
First, Dr. Nadeau discusses why she wrote this book.
While we see a lot out there in the world about children with ADHD, as you well know, ADHD impacts adults as well. Dr. Nadeau discusses how ADHD impacts almost every aspect of our lives including sleep, work, distractions, overcommitting and much more.
Dave and Dr. Nadeau discuss why one of the most impactful and basic ways you can thrive with adult ADHD is have the proper support and structure in place. Having a mindset of taking control while having the proper support can go a long way in reducing the chaos of ADHD.
Dr. Nadeau discusses the importance of having brain healthy habits including research into diets and she talks about some of the basics of building an ADHD friendly environment.
How do adults with ADHD develop a mindset of taking control?
Learn more about the Chesapeake center and find Dr. Nadeau’s book here.
https://thechesapeakecenter.com/
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
In this short episode, Dave runs through some of the lessons learned from people who have experienced burnout.
While it is a harsh way to learn lessons about life and gain some self-awareness, many people who have experience burnout have learned how to understand thier capacity, manage time more effectively, learn to communicate their needs and more.
In Dave's book Overcoming Burnout, real people share these lessons from their own time feeling burned out.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
This is Part 2 of Dave's conversation with coach Diann Wingert about how adults with ADHD can understand the Four Tendencies, authored by Gretchen Rubin.
Diann makes it clear, as she did in part one of this discussion, that understanding the four tendencies, whether in ourselves or others, is all about expectations.
She also discusses with Dave the importance of understanding “it depends.” Every adult with ADHD has different wants and needs and their particular life and career circumstances. That's why when understanding someone's tendency, we also need to preface it by “it depends.”
Dave and Diann also discussed understanding your tendency and possibly the tendency of others you may be working with including direct supervision, that this can guide you to the right career or job.
And in the case of adults with ADHD who have gone on to work for themselves and explored entrepreneurship, many understand these tendencies and it has enabled them to choose who they work with including the type of clients they serve.
Diann tells listeners that if you want to understand how to work with different tendencies and personalities, you need to understand that it's not about you in their behaviors. People may behave a certain way but it's a result of their tendencies.
Check out Diann Wingert's Four Tendencies guide here. https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/the-four-tendencies-guide
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you're looking to thrive in the coming year then you're going to have to build a solid foundation for managing your adult ADHD. Dave gets street smart here and discusses briefly a number of areas that he believes make up that solid foundation for thriving with adult ADHD.
Managing ADHD does not have to be complicated and focusing on the basics is one of the best ways to get a better handle on living with adult ADHD as a busy professional.
If you want to move forward and feel better in the coming year, check out Dave's quick tips for building a solid foundation for thriving with adult ADHD.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
This week, Dave has brought back Diann Wingert, therapist turned coach.
Diann discusses the concept of the four tendencies, a philosophy by author Gretchen Rubin. Dave and Diann discuss how adults with ADHD can relate to these four tendencies and how you might find yourself in one or more of these.
Diann points out that this is not a personality assessment; it is more of a way to understand the characteristics of ourselves and others. And by doing so, we learn more about ourselves and how to work better with other people, especially in the workplace.
The four tendencies are:
The upholders.
The questioners.
Obligors.
Rebels.
Diann goes through the basic characteristics of each one of these tendencies.
Dave and Diann discuss how adults with ADHD can fall into these categories and how we can see ourselves in our personal and professional lives.
Diann and Dave also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each tendency.
This is part one of a two-part podcast series about how adults with ADHD can relate to the four tendencies.
Check out Diann Wingert's Four Tendencies guide here. https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/the-four-tendencies-guide
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Dave sits down with Russell Kramer, author of the book Hocus Focus- Coming of age with ADD and its medicines.
Russell owns and operates a contracting business and tells his story of growing up taking medication for his ADD and why he decided to stop taking meds. To be clear, Russell is not anti-ADHD medication but has learned how to thrive as a self-employed contractor without meds.
Russell talks about why he wrote this book and what people can learn from his story. In the book, he talks about critical self-awareness and as he says, coming of age. Russell uses the term growing into his ADD when discussing learning how to thrive.
Along with Russell's story, he talks about how he manages his business as a self-employed contractor.
Russell discusses everything from how important it is to keep track of his numbers through proper bookkeeping, keeping logs of his day and keeping track of time.
He also discusses how he manages his project lists which are critical to finishing jobs and how he breaks down projects.
And he talks about how important it is for those of us with adult ADHD to find our fit.
Find Russell’s book here: https://a.co/d/0YTuCkk
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Many adults with ADHD have a love hate relationship with their cell phones. While it can be a major distraction, a cell phone can be used to help you thrive with adult ADHD.
There are many tools and apps that can help busy adults with ADHD in many areas of their lives. Many of these are Productivity Tools as well as alarms and timers but other helpful capabilities exist on a mobile phone such as utilizing dictation and other apps to keep you on track and even provide you with motivation.
Dave talks about some of the basic ways he utilizes his mobile device to stay on track, get things done when he doesn't want to be on time and maximize his productivity.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you have adult ADHD and you are a manager, working in a leadership role, in the C-Suite, or just working with others on projects, Dave talks about some of the core must-haves for managing the balance between leading and doing your own job.
Dave talks about how important it is to claim your own time, communicate effectively, get what you need from others as well as one of Dave's favorite words, clarity!
There's a lot more to managing teams and others in the workplace but Dave talks about the core elements that adults with ADHD need to have in place in the workplace.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you are a busy adult with ADHD and you find yourself being late over and over again, Dave has some quick and street-smart tips to implement into your busy life.
Some of them are probably obvious as he recognizes during this podcast but it bears reminding that sometimes the challenges we have as adults with ADHD can be minimized with simple strategies.
Yes, setting alarms and timers is one of the strategies that Dave discusses but before the cynicism kicks in, ask yourself if you've really tried setting alarms and have you respected that alarm and its urgency?
Dave talks about other ways to minimize being late as an adult with ADHD.
If you need some quick reminders of the basics of getting somewhere on time, this is a great refresher episode for those of you who are late.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
The thought of goal setting can be a turn off for many people including adults with ADHD. One of the reasons is that many adults with ADHD are not clear on what goals they would like to set, both personally and professionally.
Goal setting does not have to be scary or overwhelming. Those of us with ADHD can set meaningful and achievable goals if we prepare properly and keep them attainable.
Back on Overcoming Distractions is Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D. of True Focus Coaching, Inc. She takes us right back to the basics of goal setting and advises how to make this part of our life easier and more manageable. First, she defines what a goal is to get our discussion going.
From there, Sarah gives us advice so we can determine what type of goals we should be setting in our lives. She discusses how we can understand the deeper meaning or personal significance of the goals we set.
Some of the other discussion highlights include.
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Here are the links we discussed about working with Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D.
1. Time Matters Boot Camp Virtual Workshop: www.CreateFocusNow.com
2. Website with resources: www.truefocuscoaching.com
3. Link to apply for a Strategy Session at no cost: https://www.truefocuscoaching.com/strategy-session-inquiry/
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Breaking news!!! Everyone procrastinates!!
Dave briefly tackles the topic of procrastination and how you can ask yourself for a number of questions to begin to understand why you're procrastinating. Understanding why you're procrastinating, if you have clarity and what you are procrastinating on, understanding what worked before to limit procrastination and some of the smallest steps you can take are some of the discussion points in this short podcast episode.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you are an adult with ADHD and feel like you are either heading towards burnout or are already there, Dave has some quick advice and six must haves for starting the process of reducing burnout.
Burnout is complex and even more complicated for busy adults with ADHD. And while burnout can take time to recover from, there are several ways to begin the process of reducing the feelings from burnout.
Dave talks about these short pieces of advice in the beginning of his book Overcoming Burnout. These actions are meant to begin getting rid of burnout in your life.
You can order Dave's book Overcoming Burnout here on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
Many people with ADHD have a difficult relationship with time. And if you're a busy professional and have other commitments such as family, managing time in your life can be a challenge.
Some of the ways being timeline can affect us are being late for appointments or missing them altogether. Other ways include always feeling busy at work and never feeling caught up.
If you often lose track of time, where the day went, or even got to the end of a day and didn't get what you needed to get done, Dave has some simple tips to get started improving your relationship with time.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you have listened to Overcoming Distractions for any length of time then you know Dave loves to focus on the basics of thriving with adult ADHD, especially for busy professionals. Managing and thriving with adult ADHD does not have to be complex and that's why Dave discusses 5 mission critical habits busy professionals, business owners, executives and others need to have in place.
Have we talked about these before? Absolutely, but the basics of managing and thriving with adult ADHD need to be reinforced from time to time.
If you need a quick road map on some of the basics to be following for busy professionals with ADHD, this podcast episode is a must listen.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
There's a lot more to understanding why adults with ADHD have bad days but Dave gives you 4 simple steps that you can follow if you find yourself having a bad day. Yes, simple!
And one thing is important to remind yourself. Always be kind to yourself when you have a day that didn't go your way. Nothing good comes from beating yourself and making you feel guilty.
Find out what else you can do to unpack a bad day when you are an adult with ADHD.
And keep in mind, adults with ADHD do not have a monopoly on bad days. Everyone has them.
More episodes to follow on how to minimize your bad days when you are an adult with ADHD. But start with these 4 steps.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
One thing that pretty much everyone with ADHD experiences is the concept of “out of sight out of mind.”
That can be everything from your calendar, to-do list, shopping list, backpack or laptop bag to bring to work, car keys and the list goes on.
So in this episode of Overcoming Distractions Dave sits down with Star Hansen, AKA the Clutter Whisperer to talk about how we can reduce out of sight, out of mind in our personal and professional lives.
Star first addresses the idea that for many adults with ADHD there is anxiety with clutter. But she also makes sure to tell listeners that out of sight and out of mind is not a problem exclusively to those of us with ADHD. Everyone experiences this!
Star also discusses some of the common scenarios that many of us with ADHD can relate to in both our work setting and in home. We're sure you can relate to some of these.
Star and Dave discuss the following ideas that can help reduce out-of-sight out of mind in the workplace and at home.
Star says to acknowledge habits that contribute to this.
Start somewhere because better than nothing is progress.
Less is more so reduce items within a particular space.
Establish locations for important items.
Embrace the truth.
Try and fail and try again!
Establish boundaries to mitigate walking into a room and forgetting why you were there. Yes, this can contribute to out of sight, out of mind.
Learn more about everything Star Hansen has to offer on her website; www.StarHansen.com
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
There's a clear connection between our ability to think and how we plan and when we have ADHD, it helps to understand that connection.
Because many with adult ADHD have challenges thinking effectively when we need it, planning can suffer. But fear not, we have some answers in this episode of overcoming distractions.
Back on the podcast is Jeff Copper from DIG Coaching.
Jeff and Dave discussed the concept of ADHD and thinking and why times arise when we cannot think clearly or think methodically. Because of this, it affects our ability to plan whether in the workplace or at home.
Jeff says that when we have ADHD we need to have a collection of mine tools that help us through these processes. Those need to help remove discomfort when it comes to thinking and planning.
Jeff also discusses why we need to externalize thinking when we are an adult with ADHD.
Dave and Jeff also discussed the importance of mind, body, sleep and eating habits as they are part of the core to thriving with adult ADHD.
Jeff also walks us through some of the core practices adults with ADHD can implement in their daily lives to make thinking clear and as a result planning easier and more productive.
Find ADHD and Attention Coach Jeff Copper at his website. www.digcoaching.com
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you are a busy adult with ADHD and you are overwhelmed by the amount of tasks and projects you have in front of you, this is the podcast episode for you.
Dave talks about the concept of batching tasks for adults with ADHD.
He talks about the benefits of batching tasks and projects, including increased productivity, better time management and reduced overwhelm.
Dave also talks about a number of tips to get started implementing the concept of batching during your week. That includes prioritizing tasks, grouping them into similar categories and blocking out the time to accomplish them.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
If you are an adult with ADHD and you have been skipping meals, you will want to listen to what Dave has to say about why eating needs to be part of your ADHD management.
Dave talks about how missing meals during the day can drastically affect your ADHD, focus, mood and overall attempt at thriving with adult ADHD.
He discusses what nutrition experts say about food intake including energy levels, managing executive functions and why being hungry is another distraction.
Dave lays out a few simple ways that he and others implement to make shopping and meal planning easier for those of us with ADHD.
Disclaimer: Dave is not giving any nutritional or medical advice. This episode is meant to give you ideas as to how to ensure you have regular eating habits throughout the day.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Many adults with ADHD struggle when it comes to managing email. It's a common theme for busy professionals. Depending on the type of job you have or business you are running, email can absorb a lot of time.
If we don't have some type of system for managing and organizing email, it can be distracting, stressful and contribute to disorganization. It can also be part of the problem when missing deadlines or important milestones.
Dave has a number of suggestions in this podcast about how to manage email more effectively. Keep in mind, no system is perfect when it comes to challenges such as email but this podcast should get you thinking about how you can make email less daunting in your job or business.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Many adults with ADHD also experience burnout. If you are feeling burned out, then you'll want to invest some time in listening to why many adults with ADHD also go through burnout and what to do about it.
Dave gives you a quick checklist to start the process of recovering from your burnout while managing your adult ADHD.
But before that…Dave discusses some of the reasons you may know and might be a surprise when it comes to ADHD and burnout. That includes challenges with managing executive functions, contributors to exhaustion, decision-making, chronic stress and perfectionism, to name a few.
Give this podcast a listen, bookmark it and start clawing your way out of burnout and into a life that will fulfill you and energize you.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar: https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Many adults with ADHD have challenges with sleep. That includes not getting enough sleep, erratic sleep habits, or other issues that might require a sleep specialist.
But one of the secret weapons to managing and thriving with adult ADHD is getting proper sleep.
Dave talks about the benefits of having a good night's sleep in this episode. From improving our executive functions, increasing focus when we need it during the day, regulating our emotions and more.
Proper sleep habits must be part of your overall strategy for thriving with adult ADHD.
Dave talks about the street smart and common sense benefits of getting a good night's sleep.
** Disclaimer: this is not medical advice. If you continue to struggle with sleep, contact your doctor.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Overcoming Distractions focuses a lot of attention and resources on helping busy professionals like you thrive in the workplace with adult ADHD. This week we have a general discussion about how to navigate the workplace and thrive, grow and feel less stressed.
Dave has a discussion with Jess Meredith, founder of Differing Minds based in the UK. Differing Minds consults with organizations of all types to give them a better understanding of nerodiversity and gives leadership the tools to help their workforce.
Jess and Dave talk about some of the basic reasons why some of us adults with ADHD have challenges navigating the workplace and how those spill into our home and personal life. We have challenges with our workload, systems, routines creating effective to-do lists as well as scheduling projects and tasks appropriately. That tax is our executive functions, and it can make us tired at the end of the day.
Jess talks about some of the common challenges that many adults with ADHD have in the workplace and how to begin the process of advocating for yourself without disclosing your ADHD.
Jess says that advocating for yourself requires us to understand our ADHD, work with a coach or mentor as well as do your own research to understand ADHD better. She said it is also very helpful to document and journal our challenges with ADHD as well as strategies that work in our favor.
Dave and Jess talk about the must-haves for thriving in the workplace. She says understanding your sensory profile and sensory processing can help you understand your needs. For many with ADHD movement helps us manage our ADHD. Working for a short period of time and then getting up and walking around for a minute.
She also says that noise-cancelling headphones can tremendously help maintain focus and minimize distractions.
And finding an accountability buddy that can help you stay on track can be very beneficial to thriving in the workplace.
Learn more about Differing Minds here: https://www.differingminds.co.uk/
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Understanding the overall concept of emotional intelligence and how it affects our lives with ADHD is critically important when it comes to navigating professional and personal life and thriving with adult ADHD.
This week on Overcoming Distractions, Dave has a discussion with Dr. David Sitt, the author of ADHD Refocused-Bringing Clarity to the Chaos.
Dr. Sitt first discusses his book and explains why the word “clarity” is in the subtitle. It is one of the keywords that drives how we thrive with adult ADHD. He explains that for many of us with ADHD, we wake up with the lights off and we must regain clarity on a regular basis.
Dr. Sitt defines emotional intelligence and how it relates to adults with ADHD.
He discusses self-awareness, self-management including how to regulate, problem-solving, social awareness, relationship management as well as dealing with conflict.
Dr. Sitt And Dave discuss how “reading the room” is incredibly important, specifically in the workplace.
Dr. Sitt also discusses how many adults with ADHD have a low frustration tolerance and talks about how rejection is part of emotional intelligence.
Dr. Sitt discusses many steps to get started on the process of evaluating your emotional intelligence. He says self-awareness is a great first step and a great way to achieve that is through mindfulness and meditation.
He also talks about the power of journaling about your social world and how that can improve your emotional intelligence.
He offers many other powerful tips to get started on the process of improving emotional intelligence.
Learn more about Dr. Sitt and grab his book on his website.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
One challenge that many people struggle with, regardless of whether they have ADHD or not, is clutter. However adults with ADHD do find it difficult to create the systems necessary to reduce clutter and stick with those systems.
Dave speaks with Star Hansen better known as the Clutter Whisperer about the basics of reducing clutter in our lives. Star is a certified professional organizer, a TEDx speaker and has a specialty in working with individuals with ADHD.
Star begins discussing with Dave the reasons why many of us do not want to put items in their proper place. She says one of those reasons is that it's just not fun for us.
**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Star and Dave talk about why clutter comes down to having proper systems, overcoming procrastination and many other reasons for accumulating clutter.
They also discuss why having clutter in your line of sight can affect your mood and your productivity and the reasons why.
In the podcast, Star suggests never planning and doing at the same time. Meaning, if you're planning to reduce clutter and create systems, the next phase should be executing on that plan at a different time.
Star also advises if you're having challenges getting started, body doubling is a great way to get the process started of reducing your clutter.
Dave and Star also discussed digital disorganization such as lack of systems and appropriate computer files for work and home.
Start getting organized? Connect with Star on her website here. https://starhansen.com/
Distractions are one of the hallmarks of adult ADHD. If you are an adult with ADHD there are countless types of distractions that you need to manage daily.
Many of those distractions revolve the workplace, our career and our busy professional lives.
In this episode, Dave discusses 4 types of distractions and how you can mitigate those distractions in your busy professional life.
Are there more distractions? Absolutely but these are four types of distractions that can really affect how we work in our professional careers.
Want to work with Dave? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com.
A direct link to Dave’s calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Dave talks about how you can take the book, the Four Agreements to help manage and thrive with adult ADHD. The premise of the book is to make four agreements with yourself to live a better life.
The book is not written for adults with ADHD but there is some solid advice if you can implement it in your life and your career. Dave goes through the four agreements and puts an ADHD twist on each one and offers examples of how to implement these to guide you on your ADHD journey.
Do you need a coach or a mentor for your adult ADHD journey? Contact Dave at www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom meeting to find out more about his one-on-one coaching and mentorship.
There is also a direct link to Dave's calendar here. https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
After a quick break, Dave is back to talk about why it is so important for adults with ADHD to take time off. That can include taking paid time off from your job, long weekends, planning a vacation and how to make the most of a staycation.
Many adults with ADHD are not good at taking time off when they need it. If you are one of these people, check out what Dave has to say about being proactive in getting the time off that you need.
Want to learn more about Dave's coaching and mentorship programs? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com.
Or, book a quick introductory call directly here. https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
Dave talks about why adults with ADHD can experience burnout much faster than other people. In many cases it comes down to a few habits many with adult ADHD carry with them.
He talks about four causes of burnout in adults with ADHD and discusses some simple solutions to begin the process of not feeling so burned out.
If you are an adult with ADHD and having challenges getting “stuff done” at both work and home and are feeling exhausted all the time, check out this brief podcast episode on how ADHD and burnout can sometimes collide and make our life difficult.
Are you an adult with ADHD having difficulty meeting the challenges that are required of you in the workplace or at home? Book a quick call with Dave at www.overcomingdistractions.com.
Or go directly to his calendar here. https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
What makes a great mentor for an adult with ADHD is somebody that "gets you." But oftentimes, adults with ADHD are misunderstood and our challenges are discounted. If you have decided that you would like to work with a mentor, Dave discusses a number of areas that a mentor should focus on with you.
While there is definitely some coaching involved in mentorship, a few of the ways a mentor can be most effective is when they can establish rapport and connection with you, they can listen and give you the full attention you deserve, they can be your cheerleader, and share in your wins and help you set some realistic goals that you can achieve.
Check out the full episode, and if you'd like to work with Dave, go to www.overcomingdistractions.com
This episode is Part 2 of how ADHD is showing up in our lives.
This week we discuss how ADHD shows up in the workplace, our jobs and our careers. Dave is joined again by Dr. Fiona Peters a leading expert in neurodiversity from the UK. Dr. Fiona is back for round 2 with an awesome and engaging discussion.
Are you a busy professional with ADHD that is looking for coaching or mentorship? Contact Dave here. Www.overcomingdistractions.com
First Dave and Fiona discussed the love and loathe list that you were asked to work on the previous episode. They discuss how making the love and loathe list can help us navigate our personal lives and careers.
Dr. Fiona talks about in the workplace many of us have challenges with executing tasks and projects as well as time. Some of us go as far as to loathe these parts of our job.
She talks about how we have a conflict sometimes between good versus bad as well as the skills that are required to work in our career.
She also discusses how rejection sensitivity disorder and impostor syndrome can be hard to dislodge when we are in a career that we may not be enjoying. She discusses how when we have these situations we get into resentment and emotional dysregulation.
Dr Fiona Talks about how we can bring some calm into the workplace by working through box breathing, always pause when asked to do certain things that require us to think and even tell people that you will get back to them without making a decision on the fly.
Dave and Fiona discuss how we need to have an inventory of our capacity and as we have discussed before how to test the word no in the workplace.
Without of course, being reprimanded or fired.
Learn more about the work of Dr Fiona Peters here: https://www.drfionapeters.co.uk/
Thriving with adult ADHD sometimes requires an additional support system. And one of the best ways to make breakthroughs in your personal and professional life is to find the right ADHD coach.
Working with an ADHD coach can be a powerful tool in lowering stress, avoiding burnout and overall enjoying life and career.
In this episode, Dave talks about four ways to maximize the benefits of working with an ADHD coach. Are there more? Yes but these will give you a solid foundation for moving forward with a coaching relationship.
He talks about how to identify an ADHD coach that is a great fit for you and your circumstances, how to maximize the relationship and being engaged in the process, and how to be kind to yourself and celebrate your wins.
If you're thinking about working with an ADHD coach, connect with Dave at www.overcomingdistractions.com
So you are an adult with ADHD. Or maybe you do not have an official ADHD diagnosis but suspect you may have ADHD.
While there are many signs of ADHD such as distractions, lack of focus, difficulty with routines and systems and time management, there are also signs of ADHD that we may not initially recognize.
Are you a busy professional with ADHD that is looking for coaching or mentorship? Contact Dave here. Www.overcomingdistractions.com
In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave discusses some of the ways ADHD shows up in our personal lives with Dr Fiona Peters, a UK based leading expert in neurodiversity.
While there may be days when we are late for work, have a rough morning, and the occasional lost car keys, Dr Fiona discusses some other aspects of adult ADHD for us to pay attention to.
Some of those include tension in the household, an imbalanced relationship between partners as well as getting in the last word in discussions and arguments.
Of course we may have challenges paying our bills and cleaning the house and Dr Fiona discusses some of these as well.
This is part one of a two-part discussion about how ADHD shows up in our lives.
Learn more about the work of Dr. Fiona Peters here: https://www.drfionapeters.co.uk/
Dave talks about why clarity and ADHD need to go hand in hand on this episode of Overcoming Distractions. Being clear on what we need to do in our personal and professional lives helps us reduce procrastination, lower our stress levels and helps us get “stuff” done.
Dave talks about why seeking daily clarity in tasks projects and priorities is mission critical to thriving with ADHD in the workplace.
He talks about how to dig deeper and get clarity on our individual tasks that may require additional tasks or info and data from other people in the workplace.
And Dave talks about why seeking clarity in our personal and professional lives and the direction we are taking is also important.
Clarity is king when it comes to adult ADHD!
If you need a support system and you are a busy professional, entrepreneur, solopreneur or looking to make changes in your career, set up a time to chat with Dave at www.overcomingdistractions.com.
Adults with ADHD who are also busy professionals need simple habits, systems and consistency to get through the week with less stress and chaos. Without even simple systems, life can get hectic very quickly.
Dave discusses four simple ways that he makes life and running a business easier. There are certainly more but these are the four core areas that make weeks much less hectic.
If you've lost your car keys or can't find your wallet or you ran out of coffee in the house, this episode is for you! And if you've hit the drive thru several times this week because you had no food in the house, have a listen.
Do you want to work with Dave in a coaching or mentorship relationship?
Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com to book an introductory Zoom chat.
This week Dave talks about how adults with ADHD who have lost focus at work can regain that and get back on track.
Many times we may have it all together but we have those days or even other stretches of time where everything just hits the fan and our week turns into a train wreck. We have all been there.
Dave discusses three essential things you need to do now if you have completely lost focus in the workplace or even at home.
Of course, there's more work to do but these are three critical factors to implement now if you're having one of those days or weeks and just can't seem to get out of your own way.
Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one to get unstuck? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book a call with Dave.
Are you an adult with ADHD that is also stressed out at work? Much of our stress when we have ADHD does revolve around our work, job, and career. But there are ways to lower your stress level in the workplace.
On this episode, Dave discusses five areas for you to begin to focus on that can help the process of lowering your stress at work.
Dave gives some quick advice on guarding your time, ways to seek clarity in the workplace, and the importance of double-checking your work before submitting it to others, including your boss and clients.
Dave also discusses how information overload can stress out those of us with adult ADHD and some simple strategies to reduce information overload.
Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one to lower your stress in the workplace? Book an introductory Zoom chat with Dave at www.overcomingdistractions.com
Many adults with ADHD struggle to find a calendar system that works for work and home life. And when you're running a household with children, sometimes your calendar system can get more complex.
You not only have appointments, meetings and other commitments but every household has chores and other to-do lists. Having them in one place where everyone can see it and use it, is a must-have.
Dave introduces listeners to the Skylight Calendar.
On the podcast today is Anubhav Sarkar, product manager for Skylight Calendar. He walks us through all the Skylight Calendar's features and how this can be a game changer for individuals with ADHD.
Anubhav discusses how Skylight realized this could be tremendously helpful for people with ADHD. Including the ability to have the skylight calendar in a visible location, how we can manage multiple schedules and to-do lists and help the entire family build good habits and routines.
He also discusses the following features that are ADHD-friendly.
- The Skylight Calendar is similar to a digital photo frame but can be placed on a counter or mounted to the wall.
- He discusses the basic features, including color coding as well as syncing schedules.
- One powerful feature is the chore chart which can be used by kids, families as well as adults with ADHD managing work to-do lists.
- And Anubhav goes through how the mobile app helps everyone have their schedules and to-do lists with them at all times.
If you want to learn more about the Skylight Calendar, you can find out more on their website:
Use the code DISTRACTIONS for a special offer for Overcoming Distractions podcast listeners.
If you have adult ADHD and you're feeling burned out, you want to listen to Part 2 about how to navigate burnout when you have ADHD.
You can find Dave's book Overcoming Burnout here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
Dave discusses five more areas of your life and career that you'll need to work on if you're feeling burned out. He talks about finding meaning and purpose in work, managing your stress, of course, looking for other ways to develop a new passion for your job or career.
And Dave discusses a few other areas that need addressing if you're an adult with ADHD and burned out.
If you're new to overcoming distractions, please go back one episode and listen to part one about ADHD in burnout.
Find out more about working with Dave for coaching and mentorship at www.overcomingdistractions.com.
Dave talks about the continuing epidemic of burnout on this episode. And he discusses why burnout can affect adults with ADHD faster and even harder than others.
And to a greater extent, adults with ADHD have more difficulty sometimes navigating our way out of burnout.
Dave talks about some of the reasons including our challenges with executive functions and some of the habits we have built over time contributing to burnout.
Dave starts with five must haves for recovering from burnout or preventing it in your life.
This is a two-part episode. Dave will discuss another 5 parts to recovering from burnout in the next episode.
Do you want to work with Dave? Learn more at www.overcomingdistractions.com
After recording over 200 episodes of this podcast, writing two books and mentoring individuals with adult ADHD, Dave discusses some of the core ways everyone can thrive with adult ADHD.
While ADHD can be complicated, there are some must-haves when it comes to managing adult ADHD in both life and the workplace.
Managing adult ADHD requires you to focus on several areas of your life; sometimes, there can be roadblocks and complex issues. But Dave feels if you stick to these five simple things in your life, things can only get better.
Want to work with Dave? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com
Welcome to Overcoming Distractions Thriving with Adult ADHD. This podcast is a reintroduction to Overcoming Distractions, the mission and what types of issues we discuss each week.
We have had many new listeners in recent months so we decided to introduce new listeners and seasoned veterans about the content published each week here.
Dave talks about why this podcast is dedicated to adults with ADHD and discusses briefly why only street smart and real world tactics are discussed on Overcoming Distractions.
Dave also discusses the three must haves when trying to thrive with adult ADHD. Of course there are many more, but these are the three core themes all adults with ADHD should try to focus on each day.
Get to know Dave and Overcoming Distractions a little better in this reintroduction.
Find out more about Dave, ADHD coaching and online programs at www.overcomingdistractions.com
If you are an adult with ADHD you're going to have to find some type of checklist system or To Do List that works for you and your own personal circumstances.
Dave gives you a quick primer on some of the criteria you should keep in mind when developing checklists for work and home.
We all know we need checklists of some form and Dave discusses briefly a very simple article in a prominent psychology journal that fell short of helping adults with ADHD. The article only suggested to use to do lists which most people with ADHD already know.
But if you're like many adults with ADHD, you need to find the right system that allows you to be more productive and less stressed.
Find out why the psychology article geared towards adult with ADHD was inadequate and hear Dave's thoughts on developing a checklist system that will actually work for you.
Want to work with Dave? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com
Mindfulness does not mean that you need to sit in a quiet room for two hours and not speak or move. Mindfulness as this week's guest Chris Berlow states is keeping the main thing…. the main thing.
That's what we are talking about this week on overcoming distractions is how adults with ADHD, or anyone for that matter can implement some form of mindfulness in their daily habits.
Chris Berlow is the founder of Empowered Mastery and the author of the book Mindful Meditation for Busy Lives. Chris and Dave discuss the number of ways that we can make mindfulness easier.
Chris talks about how we only have a certain amount of mental energy as well as clarity and that energy gets depleted throughout the day. The more stressful and busy the day is, the more energy is depleted. That's why it is important especially for adults with ADHD to be mindful.
Something as simple as getting outside and taking a walk can be a great form of mindfulness. Other people choose gardening, cooking and outdoor sports. All these can be a form of mindfulness.
Chris talks about easy ways to even implement forms of meditation. By slowing our busy brains down, we have the ability to choose our own thoughts and gained clarity over what's going on in our lives.
Chris and Dave discuss even a simple form such as finding guided meditations on platforms such as Spotify and other streaming services that help you reduce anxiety and other benefits.
Want to learn more about Chris Berlow and Empowered Mastery as well as his book on mindful meditation? Find him at: https://empoweredmastery.com/
Are you an adult with ADHD that needs more clarity on the types of activities that energize you as well as the activities in your life that drain your energy?
In this shorter version of Overcoming Distractions Dave talks about the importance of making two critical lists to help you thrive with your adult ADHD.
Adults with ADHD need to recognize the types of activities that give us energy, provide us with good dopamine and excite us about getting up in the morning.
When we understand what gives us energy, We can thrive with our adult ADHD
However, we also need to understand the activities in our life that drain our energy. And we need to try hard to eliminate energy-sucking activities.
Dave talks about how to go about making these two important lists that will help you in your career, and your personal life.
Want to work with Dave? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com
Did you set goals at the beginning of the year or did you create any New Year's resolutions?
Have you gotten off track on your New Year's goals or completely forgotten what you set out to do this year? Many people set goals at the beginning of a new year but oftentimes, we struggle to stay on track.
Back on Overcoming Distractions is Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D. founder of True Focus Coaching.
Sarah and Dave first discuss whether the new year is the best time to set goals. Hint, maybe not.
Sarah suggests reframing goals and calling them either a target or a vision and even the label ghost targets and visions to better resonate with yourself.
Sarah says it's important to find what works when it comes to reminding yourself of your goals. That can include vision boards, all types of visual reminders and regular reminders to keep you on track.
Sarah also reinforces something she has talked about before on the podcast which is making sure your personal goals come before your career goals.
Sarah advises on ways you can continue to keep steering toward your targets and goals. She also says it is important to create authentic goals and those that are intrinsic.
Goals should be about you not what other people think you should be doing. You should also make sure if this is a meaningful goal or something you are just chasing.
And Sarah suggests making sure you go through goal setting and ways to stay on track in a non judgmental way.
You can learn more about Sarah and the workshops that true focus coaching puts on by going to Sarah’s website. www.TrueFocusCoaching.com
One of the many challenges adults with ADHD face is managing large and ongoing projects. Most times, these projects revolve around work or our career. And because there are so many aspects of managing and working on large projects for our job, many adults with ADHD find it a struggle.
Does this sound familiar to you?
Dave talks about what it takes for those of us with ADHD to stay on track with large and ongoing projects. As an entrepreneur, Dave has been involved in many ongoing initiatives with his clients over the years that require planning, meeting deadlines and milestones as well as the ability to work with others for a common goal.
If your job requires you to work on projects, or you feel like doing a home remodeling project around the house, spend the next 20 minutes with Dave and grab a pen and notepad.
Want to work with Dave? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com
This is a quick checkup if you're feeling a little cooked lately. Grab a notebook and a pen!
Some people feel refreshed at the new year, but it can also give us more pressure and stress about goals and other achievements. Dave talks about why this added pressure can actually contribute to feeling burned out.
Many people with ADHD can experience burnout quicker than others due to our challenges that we already face. Those include our struggles with productivity, time management, and the emotional aspect of having ADHD.
Dave talks about the common ways we feel burned out and other feelings you may not have considered. He also talks about how the combination of these things can be clear indicators of burnout or heading towards burnout.
Dave gives you a checklist of ways to begin navigating your way out of burnout.
You can find a link to Dave's recent book Overcoming Burnout at www.overcomingdistractions.com.
Conventional wisdom would have adults with ADHD believing that we need to follow a specific path to manage and thrive with adult ADHD. But as you may have uncovered by now, following conventional wisdom and accepted and unquestioned principles, is often not the best path to thriving with adult ADHD.
Jeff Copper from DIG Coaching is back to discuss the concept of conventional wisdom and ADHD and how we can challenge certain thinking.
Jeff talks about the book “Breaking the Rules” which can describe the theme of this discussion on the podcast. Oftentimes adults with ADHD need to break the rules and one great example is understanding that we cannot always fix our weaknesses. Accepting this concept can provide an opportunity for growth in our ADHD journey.
Jeff and Dave discussed the importance of placing ourselves in roles that are a great fit. one example is choosing a career or a job that allows us to utilize our strengths.
Jeff also indicates that the more clarity we have in our lives and and our daily habits, the more motivation we can experience.
Managing our ADHD can be challenging at certain times in our lives but Jeff and Dave cautioned everyone not to fall into what Jeff calls a sea of strategies. We must stop drowning in the latest greatest strategy or technique to manage our adult ADHD.
Do you want to learn more about challenging conventional wisdom and ADHD? This is a great discussion with Jeff and Dave.
Find Jeff and Attention Talk Radio on his website. www.digcoaching.com
If you want to work with Dave for coaching and mentorship, go to www.overcomingdistractions.com
Adults with ADHD seem to have a love/hate relationship regarding scheduling and using calendars. Are you one of these people?
Sure, it sounds like a simple concept but for many of us with adult ADHD, we tend to struggle to engage more effectively with schedules and calendars.
Back on Overcoming Distractions is Eric Tivers of ADHD reWired.
Eric and Dave discussed the following and a lot more.
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And Eric gives tips for getting started and getting more comfortable using a calendar to manage our work and personal lives. Those include understanding this is going to be a process, you'll need to try different methods, making sure you relax and be patient, the importance of engaging with your calendar and understanding in many cases, there is a setup and a cleanup which you'll hear his thoughts on the podcast.
Find ADHD reWired here and all Eric's offerings including group sessions and the popular podcast. https://www.adhdrewired.com/
Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com
As individuals with ADHD, by the time we are adults, we have experienced and internalized hundreds of thousands of negative inputs about who we are and how we are. This can create defensiveness, people-pleasing, perfectionism, social anxiety, oppositional behavior, and other defense mechanisms.
But one thing we need to recognize and talk about openly is shame.
Our guest Diann Wingert, therapist turned coach, says it is the elephant in the room for adults with ADHD.
Diann gives us a general definition of shame and explains the difference between guilt and shame.
She also gives people a few basic examples of shame then you may be able to relate to.
Diann also explains why she has called shame and ADHD, the elephant in the room.
She discusses why for people with ADHD, making mistakes can equal shame and the habits we can build to get ourselves out of this pattern.
And Diann gives us a road map for tackling shame in our lives, including understanding self-awareness, forgiveness, understanding that shame is a spectrum, and understanding how to take an honest look at situations in our lives that we can avoid.
Diann Wingert is a Business Strategist, Coach & Mentor and Host of The Driven Woman Podcast. Connect with Diann on her website: www.diannwingertcoaching.com
If you are an adult with ADHD and find yourself in a leadership position, you'll want to pay attention to what our guest Brendan Mahan says this week.
Brendan from ADHD essentials is back on overcoming distractions and we talk about the essential elements of being a leader, while being an adult with ADHD.
Maybe you find yourself as a shift supervisor in the hospitality industry, leading a major project at your company or wanting to learn more about how to parent through leadership, Brendan has some awesome advice.
Brendan and Dave discussed the following.
The difference between being a leader and being a boss.
What the general role of someone in leadership should be?
What would we, as adults with ADHD expect from our leaders?
The challenges of being an adult with ADHD and assuming a leadership position.
Tips for navigating a leadership role while having adult ADHD. Those include delegating diplomatically, understanding that you are supporting character as a leader, and taking time to own your ADHD and manage it properly.
Find Brandan Mahan and his offerings on his website; www.adhdessential.com
Want to work with Dave? www.OvercomingDistractions.com
Every adult with ADHD experiences the feeling of being too busy sometimes.
Dave tackles how we can minimize this feeling that many of us go through in our professional lives and at home.
Oftentimes adults with ADHD feel like there are a million things to do, and everything needs to be done now, but we often can't decide what to get started on or what to prioritize.
Dave discusses how we can sort things out, prepare appropriately so we're not always feeling too busy, prioritize tasks and projects, be in charge of others in the workplace that can affect your deadlines, understand capacity and boundaries, and when we need to say no to commitments.
And much more.
If you are feeling too busy all the time, hit the pause button and listen to this podcast episode.
Want to work with Dave? www.OvercomingDistractions.com
How does a creative digital nomad manage her ADHD on the road?
On Overcoming Distractions this time is Nikki May, owner of Nikki D May Art and Design. Nikki sold her house, purchased a bus and now runs her art and design business on the road.
In her business she does everything from drawing, designing accessories and apparel as well as web design.
As a newly diagnosed adult with ADHD, she has had to build the skills necessary to run a business on the road including carving time out for work, meeting deadlines and getting it all done.
Nikki admits that her brain doesn't always switch into working mode so it's important for her to have implemented several ways to be productive. Those include:
Time blocking
Planning
Hiring and delegating
Having a business manager
Using contractors.
She hired somebody to set up systems for her
And one big thing, not saying yes to everything.
Find Nikki D. May Art and Design here: https://www.nikkimay.com/
Want to work with Dave for coaching and mentoring? www.OvercomingDistractions.com
Many adults with ADHD can also experience imposter syndrome.
Some even say it is much more common in adults with ADHD than others.
That is the focus of this podcast with Matthew Zakreski a licensed clinical psychologist.
Dr. Matt as many address him, gives an overview of imposter syndrome and what it might feel like. He says one thing that sticks out is when somebody gives us praise, we either feel relief or we celebrate the success.
He discusses why it may affect people with ADHD more.
Dr. Matt gives several examples of imposter syndrome and discusses how we can become more self-aware, including reflecting on situations when we feel our best and our worst and how to find context in every situation that doubts us.
He discusses how we can move forward with intention.
And he gives listeners advice on how to begin limiting imposter syndrome in our lives and possibly overcoming imposter syndrome. He talks about how to build confidence, better habits around doubtful situations, and even some quick tips if you're considering a career change that may doubt you.
You can find Matthew Zakreski PsyD here: https://www.theneurodiversitycollective.com/
Dave talks about one of the simplest strategies to thrive with ADHD in the workplace.
How and why making a list the night before each workday is a powerful tool for adults with ADHD.
Many people tell us just to make a list; for others, that sounds very simple. But for those of us with adult ADHD, sometimes that is a difficult task in itself.
Dave talks briefly about how to set the tone and create the habit.
He also talks about how simple but powerful setting yourself up the night before can be.
Yes, it is super simple, but Dave breaks it down in this short podcast.
Find out more about Overcoming Distractions Community here. Join for free! https://overcomingdistractions.com/community/
Dave is back for a new year and talks about the power of having the right community as an adult with ADHD. He's talking about how being involved in a community that can support you, encourages you, and celebrates your successes is one of the best ways to thrive with adult ADHD.
Some of the ways being in the right supporting community can benefit adults with ADHD are motivation, inspiration, building new habits, hanging out with people who understand you and one of our basic needs, and putting ourselves in a great mood.
Learn more at www.overcomingdistractions.com/community
In this first podcast episode of 2023 we are discussing complex ADHD.
Dave's guest on this important episode is Jess Levy MD, Who is a board-certified psychiatrist. Dr. Levy also diagnosed with ADHD personally understands the challenges that come as an adult with ADHD. His practice is A+ Psychiatry, a one-of-a-kind Direct Specialty Care Practice and represents a fundamentally different approach to psychiatric care.
Dr. Levy First gives us an overview of complex ADHD, which is when an individual has ADHD in one or more other mental health concerns. Often, we call this Co-occurring and it comes in the form of anxiety, depression, learning disorders and other forms.
He also discusses why it matters and why it is important to seek adequate treatment for complex ADHD. In short, if not addressed the symptoms and challenges of an adult with ADHD can only get worse and make life more challenging.
Dr. Levy Runs through many of the symptoms and signs of complex ADHD and gives examples.
And he discusses treatment options for complex ADHD including how to proceed with medication, psychotherapy and other forms of support. He discusses your expectations of treatment including the trial and error of certain medications and other support systems.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: For the listeners of this podcast, when discussing diagnostic and treatment considerations it is CRITICAL to note that this is for information purposes only. It is not meant to replace medical advice from your medical professional. If you have any questions about this topic as it pertains to your physical or mental health, you should discuss these concerns directly with your providers.
You can find Dr. Jess Levy at his Website: www.apluspsychiatry.com
In this new episode, we explore emotional and cognitive processing and how to communicate effectively at home and in the workplace.
Brendan Mahan of ADHD Essentials comes back on the podcast to discuss processing and communicating during challenging situations. Situations that could involve conflict present themselves not only at home but in the workplace and it's important for us to build the skills to manage Interactions with others effectively.
Brendan starts the podcast by giving three quick tips for thriving with adult ADHD in 2023.
Brendan takes time to break down emotional and cognitive processing, runs through many examples, and discusses when these intersect.
He gives great advice on processing emotions in difficult situations.
Brendan also talks about how we need to validate our emotions.
Other discussion points include being honest with ourselves.
Asking for criticism to allow for personal growth.
Noticing our emotions
Allowing those emotions to take place.
Find Brendan at: https://www.adhdessentials.com/
Dave talks about three lists you should make when preparing for a new year. Because most of us with adult ADHD are not big on New Year's resolutions and because they are rarely effective, Dave talks about how you can slowly make the changes necessary in the coming year.
Dave talks about the power of setting personal goals that drive your professional life, spending some time understanding what is currently not working in your life, and celebrating the activities that are working in your favor.
Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com to work with Dave, or grab one of his affordable video programs on adult ADHD.
Many adults with ADHD either want a passion project or need to do something that allows them to feel a sense of purpose. When we embark on these types of projects, we feel energized, excited and fulfilled in life.
This episode features Morgan Hancock, founder of Bourbon with Heart, based in Kentucky. Bourbon with Heart is a nonprofit that helps fund the arts and other nonprofit organizations.
Morgan is a commercial real estate professional with ADHD, a U.S. Army veteran, and a successful entrepreneur, and she shares her tips for navigating a busy life and creating a passion project.
- Morgan discusses how many with ADHD need to embrace some type of chaos in life.
- She talks about how a basic To Do List saved her life.
- She discusses time blocking, including how she handles her commercial real estate duties and nonprofit responsibilities.
- Morgan also discusses how in some cases, impulsivity is a good thing when it comes to passion projects. Allowing many to take on risks that others would not.
- She also discusses how she learned the value of teamwork in the military and how to work with others.
- Morgan discusses how we cannot be scared to fail if we're going to be successful in business and life.
Find Bourbon with Heart here and explore all the great things they're doing. https://bourbonwithheart.org/
Find Dave’s video programs on adult ADHD here: www.OvercomingDistractions.com
Dave provides some quick advice and talks about how powerful it is to group tasks and projects. Assigning the right amount of time for regular tasks and larger projects is one of the best ways to not only get things done but reduce your stress.
Many of us have heard about time blocking but Dave breaks down why this is important and gives specific advice in a number of areas where you can maximize your energy and time.
Dave talks about creating theme days, dedicating time during the week for shorter regular tasks, actually putting certain tasks off to maximize productivity, and a few other tips.
Check out Dave’s new program, ADHD in the Workplace at: www.OvercomingDistractions.com
Many adults with ADHD decide to open their own business or become entrepreneurs. There are many reasons for this. But before we take on such an important journey, those with ADHD must be aware of what's ahead to succeed.
Whether you are looking at entrepreneurship or just looking to find your next career move, you'll find great value in this discussion with Aron Croft of Hidden ADHD.
Aron discusses some of the pros and cons of people with ADHD entering self-employment or entrepreneurship. He talks about why many with ADHD want and need freedom, the desire for scalability in their business, and being in charge because many with ADHD do not like being told what to do.
Aron also talks about why he decided to become an entrepreneur but is honest about his journey along the way, which was not always smooth. While Aron had a great job, he found himself looking for a higher calling and began the process of building his entrepreneurial journey on the side.
Aron also talks about the different types of fit you need to be aware of if you are venturing out on your own, including the market, whether the product fits you and your values, pricing, and the process. Do these fit into the way you can operate?
He also discusses several productivity tips, activation psychology, and building the right habits to take your next steps.
Find Aron Croft here:
Website: https://hiddenadhd.com/
Free resource: https://link.hiddenadhd.com/overcomingdistractions
One of the more challenging aspects of being in the workplace with ADHD is creating systems to get everything done. One key factor is having a to-do list system that works for your brain.
Many adults with ADHD struggle with finding a to-do list that works. When we do not have an effective to-do list that can help us get our job done, we fall behind, miss important tasks, fail to meet deadlines, and, get stressed out.
Dave runs through a few things to think about if you're trying to find a to-do list system that works for you and your job. Keep in mind there is no perfect To Do List, and everyone responds to different ways of getting it all done.
Dave also briefly discusses his new video program, ADHD in the Workplace, now available.
If you want to work with Dave one-on-one or find his new program, go to www.overcomingdistractions.com
Adults with ADHD can make more career decisions than others. There are many reasons for this, including boredom, not being challenged, and other reasons, such as overwork and burnout.
Reevaluating your career, which will affect your overall life, is a process that should not be done with impulsiveness. Thought and care need to be put into your next career move and life change.
Alex Gilbert from Cape-Able Consulting joined Dave on Overcoming Distractions to talk about how to be methodical about new life choices and the signs that you may need to make changes in your life.
Alex brings up several great discussion points about reevaluating your career and life choices.
She says to ask yourself, “what do I want and what do I need in a career?
She said it might be time to evaluate your career and your job if you experience the following.
- Having trouble getting up in the morning.
- Being constantly reprimanded at work may indicate the wrong job or career.
- Working in a toxic environment.
- You feel bored or not challenged.
- You continue to feel stressed out and experience anxiety.
Alex takes us through many important tips to get you thinking about your next move.
Find Alex at: https://www.capeableconsulting.com/
In this mini episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave talks about how important having clarity is when you are an adult with ADHD. Having clarity in all areas of your life is an important goal to pursue, but in the workplace, it is crucial to thriving and surviving in a job or a career.
Dave talks about the hazards when we lack clarity in certain areas, including procrastination. He also talks about why lack of clarity leads to stress and anxiety.
Dave gives you a checklist to achieve more clarity, especially in the workplace.
So grab a pen and a fresh notebook, listen, and absorb this short podcast on ADHD and clarity.
If you are an adult with ADHD and have just been diagnosed, check out Dave's new video program. You can find it at www.OvercomingDistractions.com.
Have you ever wondered if you should disclose your ADHD to your employer, boss, or coworkers? Maybe even your clients?
First, this is your choice, but hopefully this discussion will help you make the right choice for your situation.
This week we have back Grant Crowell, Author of Grantasms Creative twisted words for cool people! and a self-professed social wordsmith.
Grant has been an employee and a contractor he's talked about his ADHD, and in some cases, he hasn't talked about his ADHD.
In this discussion about disclosing your ADHD in the workplace, we cover the following:
- What are the negatives of disclosing your ADHD?
- The positive examples of disclosing ADHD.
- Resources available to understand your options for reasonable accommodations.
- What reasonable accommodations are in the workplace?
Grant provides several tips to help you make the decision about disclosing your ADHD to your employer.
- Find an ally if possible.
- Obtain an official diagnosis of ADHD.
- Understand your strengths in the workplace.
- Don't wait too long if you need accommodations.
Grant is hosting a webinar about how to get workplace accommodations for ADHD. The link is below as well as other links to connect with Grant.
https://www.meetup.com/north-carolina-adults-with-adhd-education-group/events/289378244/
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
Have you just been diagnosed with adult ADHD or suspect you have ADHD?
Maybe you want to go right back to the basics of managing your ADHD.
Dave spends a few minutes on this shorter version of overcoming distractions on a few core parts of managing and thriving with adult ADHD.
Dave tackles this subject in the way if he had to do it all over again. These are some of the core tactics and strategies as well as areas of life that every adult with ADHD it needs to focus on and improve.
Dave has just launched a very affordable video program for people who have just been diagnosed with adult ADHD or want to learn more. You can find that here on the homepage. www.OvercomingDistractions.com
If you're looking for a little bit of motivation to kick your brain into gear, this episode of Overcoming Distractions will help you give you a bit of a kick start.
Dr. Lara Honos-Webb, author of Brain Hacks and several other books on ADHD is back on the podcast, and she is joined by Pen King. Both are co-founders of Bonding Health.
Pen is also a partner in a venture capital firm which requires him to be on his game. Both Lara and Pen off of their advice for giving your brain a little hacking.
Lara says some of the more important things to consider when we are not feeling 100% is to recognize our feelings, create some type of action steps and create a list of our needs.
She also outlines several questions you can ask yourself to get you thinking clearly again. Those include:
—If I were more confident in myself, what would I do?
—If I were more driven, what would I do?
—If I were still age 10, what would I do?
And more to get you thinking.
Pen King discusses several things that he feels are important as a busy entrepreneur, including understanding the courage to move forward, being resourceful when you need it, and understanding how to use your energy when you have it.
Learn more about bonding health here, which provides research-backed tools to help ADHD parenting.
Konrad Sanders is the CEO and founder of the Creative Copywriter based in London. The agency focuses on copywriting and brand building for many brands, large and small.
Konrad comes on Overcoming Distractions to discuss how he built his copywriting agency to be a 7-figure company, and he also discusses some of the challenges getting there as an adult with ADHD.
He talks about many of the challenges he needed to overcome as an entrepreneur with ADHD, including:
- Gaining more focus
- The shiny object syndrome
- Wanting to do everything at once
- The challenge with completing tasks and projects
- Time management
- Burnout
Konrad talks with Dave about the “must haves” an entrepreneur with ADHD needs to have in place to grow and thrive. Those include:
- Self-awareness about you and your ADHD.
- Understanding your weaknesses.
- You must have optimism.
- Drive and passion as an adult with ADHD.
- Understand there need to be processes in place.
- Identify and find people that complement your skills.
Find Konrad here: https://www.creative-copywriter.net/
More about Overcoming Distractions and mentorships here: www.OvercomingDistractions.com
Those of us with ADHD need to find the activities that provide us energy and good dopamine and allow us to maintain a good mood in outlook on life. When we constantly engage in activities that deplete our energy and even sucked the life out of us, we begin to face many challenges.
Laura MacNiven of the Springboard Clinic based in Canada is back on the podcast.
Laura talks about why it is important for people with ADHD to find the activities in their life that provide them with energy. Those going to be professional such as a career or a job, or personal activities, such as hobbies that you enjoy.
Laura, however says that it is a challenge for many with ADHD to understand their own wants and needs, and it is essential to check in with yourself regularly to gain more self-awareness around activities that either provide us energy or ZAP our energy.
Dave and Laura also discuss the concept of being more productive in our lives by removing the activities that challenge our energy.
Laura and Dave also talk about how many with ADHD can experience burnout faster than others because we may focus on activities and other areas of our life that are depleting our energy and causing us to feel exhausted.
And Laura gives her tips to help us identify what energizes us, such as a career or a job or other areas of our life.
And she discusses how we cut out the areas of our life that may be dragging us down and zapping our energy.
Laura and the Springboard Clinic are offering several upcoming courses and they are listed below. They have also provided listeners of Overcoming Distractions with the coupon code, which is also below.
Springboard ADHD ONLINE COURSE :
https://app.ruzuku.com/courses/85617/about
Springboard ADHD PARENTING ONLINE COURSE
https://app.ruzuku.com/courses/86056/about
COUPON CODE: DAVE15 (15% off either the adult or parenting course)
People from all walks of life and all careers can experience burnout at some level. And while this could be a silent epidemic, there needs to be more discussion about how burnout can affect our lives.
Dave gives you an audio list of 14 things you must know about burnout in this short podcast.
If you are going to recover from burnout and prevent it from entering your life in the future, these 14 important aspects of burnout are something you must get to know.
Do you want to buy Dave’s book Overcoming Burnout? Click here to get the book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
Managing adult ADHD can be challenging for the best of us. Managing burnout can be a tremendous effort for many as well. When we have both, that presents circumstances that should cause us to take action to improve our well-being.
This week we talk about adult ADHD, burnout, and many other challenges those of us face in our lives. Catherine Avery of Catherine Avery ADHD Coaching is the guest this week.
Catherine discusses how she managed adult ADHD, two experiences of burnout, and recovery from cancer.
She also discusses why she experienced burnout more than once and why she needed to make changes in her life after this second burnout.
One key takeaway in this podcast from her experience with burnout is telling people to ask for help.
Because Catherine is also a productivity and ADHD coach, she offers tips for improving productivity during stressful times.
It's OK to be unproductive sometimes.
Find a hobby or sport that you like.
Meditation can help with productivity.
Pause, plan, and prioritize.
Save time by taking 10 minutes to plan your day.
Find Catherine at; https://productivitybydesign.com/
Work with Dave at: www.OvercomingDistractions.com
If you can't seem to get out of your own way this week, this short podcast is a great way to learn how to hit the pause button and regroup. Dave talks about three incredibly simple things to do this week if you feel things have gotten out of control and turned into chaos.
Because life gets busy and some weeks can get out of control, those of us with adult ADHD need to make it a practice to occasionally hit the pause button and regroup.
Sometimes we allow our week to turn into chaos, and other times people around us have contributed to things getting out of control.
Whatever the reasons are, Dave talks about how important it is to regroup regularly and three simple things you can do this week.
Listen to the podcast and do these three very simple things now!
Find Dave and learn how he can help you at www.OvercomingDistractions.com
If you have wondered how accountability groups and partners can help you thrive with adult ADHD, you'll want to listen to this podcast episode.
Accountability is a powerful tool for managing adult ADHD if implemented correctly.
Eric Tivers of ADHD reWired is back on the podcast to discuss the concept of accountability and how it can dramatically improve our lives as adults with ADHD.
In this podcast about adult ADHD and accountability, we discuss:
Eric describes and gives His definition of what he feels accountability is. Because many of us think of this word as a negative, Eric dispels the myths of accountability.
Eric also discusses how the ADHD brain responds to certain forms of accountability and how it can be a powerful tool in many areas of our lives.
He also talks about what does not work when it comes to accountability.
Eric gives tips for people who are ready to bring accountability into their lives, including how to start. He discusses options such as accountability groups, individual coaching, and accountability buddies.
And, Eric gives tips to ensure the effectiveness of accountability.
If you are open to cooperative accountability with no power differential, accountability can be a great tool for managing your ADHD.
Learn more about ADHD reWired, including accountability groups and Eric's popular podcast here.
Find David Greenwood at www.OvercomingDistractions.com
In this podcast, we are talking about one of Dave’s favorite topics and that is ADHD and entrepreneurship. If you are an adult with ADHD and you've thought about starting your own business, or you have just become an entrepreneur, you'll take away several items to think about in your journey as somebody who is self-employed.
Back on the podcast is Skye Rapson the founder of the Unconventional Organisation based in New Zealand, which offers various types of ADHD support. Skye herself as an entrepreneur, discusses how she entered the world of entrepreneurship and what it took to get her organization off the ground.
Skye also talks about some of the challenges she faced as an entrepreneur with ADHD and what she did to mitigate some of those challenges to be able to grow her business.
Skye and Dave discuss some of the areas that entrepreneurs with ADHD should focus on to become successful. Those include:
Understanding your ADHD, including your strengths and weaknesses. Also, understanding that you are an entrepreneur with ADHD.
Skye says it's important to understand how the day works for you as well as the best times of day to get certain types of work accomplished.
Dave and sky also discuss how to find the best system for to-do lists and other productivity strategies.
Skye says it is also important to get the right support, whether that is administrative support or a coach that understands ADHD and entrepreneurship.
https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/post/is-adhd-good-for-entrepreneurship
Find Dave at www.OvercomingDistractions.com
Communicating your needs in the workplace when you have ADHD can be a challenge. Especially if you are hesitant to disclose your ADHD. However, to thrive in a career and a specific workplace may require you to express your needs to help you do a better job and enjoy your work.
Back on the podcast is therapist turn coach Diann Wingert. Diann will discuss with Dave the reasons we hesitate to communicate our needs as well as the reasons why we must. And she will give listeners specific ways to communicate more comfortably in the workplace with ADHD.
If you don't feel like you're getting your needs met at work, feel like you are getting walked on, or feel burned out, you’ll need to listen to this advice.
Maybe you need a change of pace at work or would like specific accommodations to be more effective at work, Diann has some great tips for moving forward.
You may also be an entrepreneur and need to have difficult conversations with clients.
Diann and Dave go over the following topics in this podcast:
- Why confidence and clarity are mission critical.
- The difference between wants and needs.
- Why you must advocate for yourself.
- How to communicate what you do want instead of what you do not want.
- How to reframe conversations in the positive.
- How to test your needs with smaller asks.
- And much more…
Find Diann here, including her awesome podcast!
Today Dave talks about how to minimize the chaos in your life when you have ADHD.
While getting rid of all chaos and turmoil in your life maybe unrealistic, there are ways where we can reduce the chaotic events that many of us with ADHD experience on a regular basis.
You do not have to live in chaos every day of your life.
Dave talks about how you can simply pause, breathe and understand the moment you are in. He talks about how to simply analyze your chaotic situation such as being late for a client project and how to understand what needs to be done to end that short chaotic event.
Dave also talks about how planning certain aspects of your life can reduce the overall chaos that you may be experiencing all the time. Systems such as planning out your week, planning your mornings as well as understanding your weekly commitments can help you greatly reduce the turmoil in your life when you have ADHD.
Learn more as well as understand how you may work with Dave on the website.
Is it time for you to get back on track? This may be the best time of the year to do that.
The fall season is a great opportunity to hit the reset button on both personal and professional goals. And by doing so, it's the perfect time of year to rebuild structure in your life and recommit to routines that help you meet certain goals.
You do not need to be an adult with ADHD to get some tremendous value out of this discussion with Sarah Reiff-Hekking of True Focus Coaching.
Sarah and Dave discuss the many reasons why this may be a great time to get back on track. Everything from the seasonal flow of business, kids back to school, and the end of vacation season for many makes this a good time to develop new routines and “get stuff done.” The right stuff…!
Key points in this podcast discussion include:
- The ability to create more structure
- More uninterrupted time because school has started.
- Putting personal goals above career goals
- What time horizons are and why they matter.
- Committing once again to regular self-care
Sarah gives listeners a road map to get back on track. Those tips include:
- First, take a 10,000-foot view of everything you have committed to.
- If you must, use visuals such as a wall chart.
- Incorporate what Sarah calls a flexible template for work each week.
- Establish when you are working and when you are not working.
- Set up an environment that is conducive to productivity.
- And she shares so much more in this podcast.
Do you want to book a strategy session with Sarah? Check out the link below to connect with her.
If you are an adult with ADHD and are struggling in a number of areas of your life, one of the ways that you can minimize crisis mode is to work with an ADHD coach. An ADHD coach can help you in so many areas, including clarity on tasks and projects, developing strategies to minimize the causes of burnout, and quite simply, just helping you get more done and get the right things accomplished. Sitting down with an ADHD coach regularly can also minimize your stress and be fun.
You'll look forward to your ADHD coaching sessions.
Do you want to work with Dave? Find out more at Overcoming Distractions; https://overcomingdistractions.com/
How do we prioritize when we have adult ADHD? How do we plan both our personal and professional lives and how do we create organization and build time management systems? All these are related when it comes to adult ADHD and that is the discussion for this podcast.
ADHD, at its most basic level is a challenge with executive functions. And many with ADHD have difficulty with planning and executing important tasks. We will discuss the basics of how many aspects of our lives affect “getting stuff done!”
Back on the podcast is ADHD coach Jeff Copper with DIG Coaching.
Jeff uses a phrase called task Darwinism to explain how executive functions play a role in all parts of our lives and he begins the podcast by explaining what he means.
Dave and Jeff discuss how many people with ADHD make planning and organization too complicated. They also discuss why clarity is one of the most important things a person with ADHD needs to have in all aspects of life. For example, being clear on directions from clients or your boss at work.
Not having clarity is a recipe for procrastination and unnecessary stress.
Jeff also discusses the difference between the word ‘should’ and ‘will’ and how these affect planning and organizing tasks.
Jeff also gives tips towards the end of the podcast about staying away from panic mode when it's challenging to get stuff done.
You can connect with Jeff Copper below.
Have you had difficulty getting anything done over the past couple of months? While it's awesome to have the kids at home during the summer as well as take the time to enjoy the summer months, often it's difficult to keep any type of routine and make any headway on important projects and tasks.
In this short episode, Dave talks about why for him, post-Labor Day is his new year.
Dave talks about why this is a great time to tear apart your schedule and routines and find better methods for getting things done for the next few months.
It's a great time to analyze all your commitments and get better at time and energy management, taking care of yourself, setting personal goals that will be supported by your career, and more.
Want to work with Dave? Find out more here: www.OvercomingDistractions.com
We can incorporate mindfulness into our busy ADHD lives in several ways. Mindfulness doesn't always mean meditation. It means that you can give something your full attention without being distracted. And it should help reduce your stress.
Can art help people with ADHD relax and increase their creativity?
This week we have Faigie Kobre on the podcast, founder of Creativity Reunited. She spends much of her time helping people create art through alcohol inks which she explains in the podcast.
She has some great tips in this podcast if you are an adult with ADHD and looking for something different to help reduce your stress.
Faigie talks about being diagnosed with adult ADHD later on in life and how seeking a diagnosis came about.
She talks about being a high end professional photographer and how after an ADHD diagnosis, she made the career change to educate people about art.
She discusses how alcohol inks can help people relax and feel at ease, even those with ADHD and how this fits into the mixed media art community.
Faigie discusses how everyone can get started with art, even if you feel you're not good at being creative through art. She says alcohol inks are a great way to express your creativity initially.
Find out more at: https://creativityreignited.com/
While there are many ways to manage and thrive with adult ADHD, one of the areas to focus on is choosing the right foods. By eliminating certain types of foods, we can begin to feel better and even develop more focus
On this episode of Dvercoming Distractions Dave sits down with Dana Kay, Founder of the ADHD Thrive Institute and the author of the book, THRIVING WITH ADHD –A Guide to Naturally Reducing ADHD Symptoms in Your Child. While dana's book is geared more towards children with ADHD, the same advice for which foods to choose also helps adults with ADHD.
Dana feels that choosing the right foods and discussing nutrition for people with ADHD do not get enough attention. It is a powerful way to manage your ADHD, and she feels more and more people should be aware of the benefits of choosing the right foods.
Dana also says that the worst foods for people with ADHD to consume are those that contain gluten, dairy, and soy.
She says that if you had to choose one to start with, it would be removing gluten from your diet because it has many benefits.
Dave and Dana also talk about how there is a connection between the brain and the gut. I think there is no better evidence of this than when you get butterflies in your stomach when you are nervous.
Dana discusses how to get on the right track, including starting with whole foods, that consist of fruit vegetables grass-fed proteins, and healthy fats. She also advises you to drink spring water.
There is a whole lot more nutritional advice when it comes to ADHD in this podcast, and Dana gives her tips for getting started.
Find Dana Kay at her website as well as her book.
https://adhdthriveinstitute.com/
Dave spends a few minutes talking about the power of routines regarding adult ADHD.
Having routines, especially in the morning, as well as those that guide us in the workplace can reduce our stress, promote increased productivity and efficiency, and ultimately reduce the contribution to burnout.
Dave talks about two areas that those with ADHD need to focus on when it comes to routines. We must have a morning routine that gets us out of the house and into the office without stress.
And when we get to work, we need to build routines that allow us to work effectively and enjoy our career or job.
Dave also talks about how it is important for us to be flexible because life changes, and we need to respond appropriately.
Burnout can happen to everyone, including those with ADHD. Adults with ADHD can burn out much faster when faced with an unhealthy work environment. Burnout also occurs when those of us with ADHD are not in the right job.
ADHD career coach Shell Mendelson is on the podcast this week talking about what causes employees with ADHD to lose interest and even burnout.
And Shell talks about the warning signs of being in the wrong job, how to correct that and how to lay the groundwork for finding a new career or job.
Some important points to the discussion include:
Why performance improvement programs at a job can backfire on people with ADHD.
Why confidence is important when trying to navigate your career.
What contributes to burnout in the workplace including poor communication, lack of flexibility, and not enough physical space or open spaces such as cubicles. And, of course the amount of house someone works.
Shell discusses how to start the process of finding a new job or career. She walks everyone through an exercise for identifying what they like and what might cause them to experience any level of burnout in the workplace.
She also has suggestions for a successful job interview to ensure you ask good questions before accepting any position.
Find out more about Shell here:
One trait that many with adults with ADHD are good at is making assumptions. However in most cases, those assumptions are about negative outcomes of various situations. We assume that when our boss or client calls a meeting or calls us, it's to discuss a negative situation or to speak with us about a job that was not done properly. We also assume that some people do not like us or do not understand us. And many of us assume that the car next to us is going to cut us off on the highway.
Dave talks about why making assumptions only adds stress to our lives and he discusses a couple very simple strategies to implement in your life to start the process of not assuming everything is bad. Sometimes it's as simple as rewriting the conversation in your head.
If you have a habit of assuming the worst in all kinds of situations, join Dave for this short podcast about ADHD and assumptions.
Learn more about working with Dave at: www.OvercomingDistractions.com
Time management especially when you have ADHD can never be about “Set it and forget it.” Your systems will only last for so long before you need to adjust to personal and professional circumstances.
This week, Dave talks about how you can go back to the basics and hit the reset button on your time management. If you feel like you are running out of time and energy each day, and you feel like your schedule is taking over your life, check with Dave on this short episode.
Sometimes we don’t see it coming and we find ourselves running in all directions and heading towards burnout.
Dave talks about hitting the pause button and doing a hard reset on how you manage your time, commitments and your schedule. With a few basic tips on how to blow your schedule up and start over.
The topic of this podcast is about the feelings many with ADHD feel about having a different brain. Many with ADHD go as far as to feel that their brain is broken. That's what many say to themselves.
Tamara Rosier, Ph.D., is the founder of the ADHD Center of West Michigan and the author of the book, Your Brain’s Not Broken. The book has received much praise from many in the ADHD community.
Tamara wants people to understand that ADHD is just a part of you and does not define you.
Dave asks Tamara why many people with ADHD feel their brain is broken. They ask questions such as “Why am I like this? Or why do have this brain?” “Why can’t I be normal?” These are common messages we feed ourselves as individuals with ADHD. It's not uncommon and the frustration that comes with having ADHD can feed this.
By the same token, Dave asks Tamara why many with ADHD have a default negative type of thinking? For example, “I have ADHD so I can't do that.” she discusses what those of us can do to begin to change our negative way of thinking.
Tamara also spends an entire chapter in her new book on setting boundaries. It's an essential part of managing your life whether you have ADHD or not. But even more important if you’re an adult with ADHD. She explains why.
In chapter 12 of her book, Tamara lays out practical ways to manage and thrive with ADHD. She discusses these briefly and tells people why it's important to be practical. Building a solid foundation for managing your ADHD is one of the most important things you can do.
You can find Tamara’s new book here:
Jeff Gibbard and Sara Ohanesian are back on the podcast to discuss ADHD and the myths surrounding productivity and focus.
Many people with ADHD have let Tick Tock, Twitter, and Instagram influence how they think about their behaviors and habits. Especially when it comes to strategies and tactics for being productive and focused. To be direct, we let others on social media tell us what works and doesn't. When in fact, those with ADHD need to try a variety of these tactics to find out what works for us and our personal circumstances.
We discuss the following in this podcast about productivity and ADHD.
First, why do we let outside influences dictate our abilities? And have some of us just made up our minds? We discuss why we need to be curious and not dismissive of productivity tactics. One tried, and true way is to break projects down into small chunks and learn about the different systems that allow us to complete these projects.
We talk about paying attention to what is working for you as a person with ADHD as well as what it feels like. We talk about paying attention to your reactions and when you try a certain productivity technique, try to understand if you like it or do not like it.
The podcast covers so much more regarding myths about ADHD and productivity. Stay with it until the end because this podcast offers many great tips.
If you have your mind made up about the productivity techniques that are working or not working for you, this podcast will change your mind.
Find Jeff and Sarah here: https://getsuperproductive.com/
Grant Crowell is back to continue the conversation about how to return to the office successfully. Grant is the Author of Grantasms Creative twisted words for cool people! and a self-professed social wordsmith. Grant has extensive experience in corporate training and support.
Grant discusses several of the challenges some of us face when asked to return to an office setting. These include having a new work set up such as a desk or workspace as well as adjusting to a possible hybrid scenario. He also discusses maybe not having an ideal office setup.
Grant also talks about how your routine could change because of a different schedule, and the need for different types of communication and real-time interaction.
Grand and Dave discuss the benefits of going back to the office. Those of us with ADHD are social animals so that face to face time for many of us is a benefit. Not only in the office but our ability to go out to lunch or other social activities. It also helps build new routines and work discipline. And of course, it gets us out of the house.
Grant talks about what we can do to analyze our best work and conditions. That includes an audit of what is working and what is not and what you may be challenged within the workplace. He also discusses how to advocate for ourselves including having discussions and conversations with coworkers and your supervisor about how you prefer to work and how you can be most productive for your organization.
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
Do you want to work with Dave? https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/
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 go back to the office full time, survive in a continuing remote work environment or how maximize hybrid working.
As we are all too familiar with, the pandemic challenged our way of working for just about everyone. Especially if you work in an office environment. Now, after two plus years, many companies are refocusing their efforts on what their workforce will look like and how they will work.
Grant is a seasoned corporate trainer in many different environments and industries and shares his tips in part one of this series on how to maximize your work environment, regardless of where you work.
Grant discusses what he saw that were some major challenges to remote work including the basic needs of having an office, inadequate Internet connections, and getting used to sporadic communication with coworkers and supervisors. Create also talks about the challenges that come with remote work and a hybrid work model whether you have ADHD or not.
Dave and Grant discussed the importance of taking control of various aspects of your work in conditions. These include getting ahead of time management, speaking up when certain communication styles are not working for you as well as not being afraid to ask for the accommodations that will help you do your job better.
Keep your eye out for Part 2 of this podcast.
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
Do you want to work with Dave? https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/
In this short podcast with Dave, he talks about some of the ways in which you can improve your mindset to believe in yourself and understand that your brain is capable of much more than you think. Yes, those of us with ADHD have strengths and weaknesses like everyone else but it's important not to focus on the weaknesses that can bring us down into negativity daily.
For example, racking up even the smallest of wins can help us create a positive way of thinking. Continuing to engage in negativity including the negativity that happens often on social media platforms only limits possibilities.
Want to work with Dave? https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/
Working for yourself is incredibly rewarding but it takes discipline, vision, and an obsession with minimizing distractions. Even if you don't actually own a business but maybe you're in sales, a freelancer, or another career where growth and revenue are directly related to your effort, listen up.
Dave talks about three habits that entrepreneurs with ADHD do very well in this short podcast. There are many more critical habits that a self-employed person with ADHD needs to have but Dave talks about some of the top ones here.
Staying focused on these three things will allow you to have less stress, manage ADHD much better as well as thrive in business and in life.
Are you a self-employed person with ADHD and want to work with Dave? https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/
If you are an adult with ADHD and you are thinking of becoming an entrepreneur or opening your own business, you'll want to listen to this brief podcast to hear Dave's must-haves before starting your own business.
Many people with ADHD end up opening their own businesses. Maybe full-time, maybe side hustle. It's important to have a number of things in place to avoid a disaster both financially and mentally.
Dave has owned a restaurant, karate school, and thriving public relations firm and he has advice if you are thinking of going out on your own.
Many with ADHD want to go out on their own because they feel they can do it better than in the corporate world, can't seem to find the right job that is a good fit for their brains or they just feel they can shape their future much better as an entrepreneur.
Here Dave's tips and must-haves for becoming an entrepreneur with ADHD.
If you are thinking of becoming an entrepreneur, you can work with Dave to put the systems in place and build a proper foundation for a thriving business. https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/
One of the best ways to thrive with adult ADHD is through effective routines and proper systems. It's also great if the important things in your life have a place where you can find them.
Effective routines that are tailored to our lives and our careers help guide us throughout the day and provide tremendous benefits for reducing the stress of having ADHD.
This week we have Skye Rapson on the podcast who is the founder of the Unconventional Organisation based in Auckland New Zealand. Skye and her team offer ADHD coaching and other services and everything are offered by those with ADHD.
Many people with ADHD feel they are stuck but Skye is a doctoral candidate. She is living proof that people with ADHD can thrive and achieve the goals they want. She discusses briefly how she has been able to navigate school and other life commitments to get to this point in her life.
Skye and her team focus a lot on routines with their clients including how they work closely to identify overwhelmed and create strategies to reduce overwhelming behavior with ADHD. She discusses how they do that.
Skye and Dave also have a discussion about the importance of developing systems because they do support our weaknesses.
Skye walks us through a process for creating routines in your life when you have ADHD. She also says that we need to consistently revisit our routines because circumstances in life and our careers are changing all the time. It's important to adjust where needed.
Dave and Skye also talk about how creating proper systems and routines can reduce the effects of burnout. Running around scattered all day only creates stress and anxiety and will ultimately lead to burnout.
Find out more about Skye Rapson and her team here: https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/
And don't forget Dave's new book Overcoming Burnout. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
If we are going to thrive in our careers as an adult with ADHD, one of the most basic ways to do that is to get good at communicating with others. We need to take charge of our communication.
He talks about how better communication can help us do our jobs better, reduce procrastination, solve problems, make fewer mistakes and reduce our overall stress. And he gives tips for how we can improve our communication with others.
Check out Dave's new book here Overcoming Burnout. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
Do you want to work with Dave for your ADHD support system or burnout coaching? Check out your options here. https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/
What is the difference between knowing about ADHD and owning our ADHD? Jeff Copper from DIG Coaching comes back on Overcoming Distractions to discuss this topic.
Don't forget to check out Dave's new book-Overcoming Burnout. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
If adults with ADHD are going to thrive in life and in professional settings, we are going to have to understand how to own our ADHD. It's important for us to understand our individual ADHD as well as how our brain operates but it is also equally important for those with ADHD to be able to take charge.
Jeff copper and Dave talk about what it takes to actually be in charge of your ADHD and take ownership of it.
First, Jeff gives us a refresher course on executive functions and includes information about how important self-awareness is as well as emotional self-regulation. He discusses exactly what self-awareness is and if those with ADHD can truly be aware of themselves and their surroundings.
Jeff and Dave also discussed the relationship our emotions and self-awareness have and how tuning into these can help us thrive in all areas of our life.
Another big question that Jeff answers is the difference between knowing about ADHD and owning ADHD.
And as always on overcoming distractions, there are many tips that you can walk away with to implement in your life. Jeff gives us a number of basic tips to get started on the process of owning your ADHD.
Learn more about DIG Coaching and Jeff Copper here as well as links to Attention Talk Video. www.digcoaching.com
There is one thing we absolutely know about adult ADHD. We have to try different strategies and tactics to be able to thrive in life and in business. As we mentioned in a previous podcast, we need to constantly be trying differently to find what works for our personal situations.
Sadly, many on social media discount many strategies and flat out tell their audiences that these do not work for people with ADHD. The bottom line is you need to find what works for you whether it's traditional advice or ADHD tactics that fit into your own personal situations.
In this ADHD minute, Dave briefly discusses how those of us with ADHD can continue to analyze our personal situations and develop strategies that will help us thrive. That includes advice from people who are not in the ADHD community.
Don't forget to check out Dave's new book Overcoming Burnout. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
Every organization needs different viewpoints, regardless of its size. To solve problems and move forward, different types of brains and thinking styles can be a tremendous advantage in any size business.
Sarah Ohanesian and Jeff Gibbard join the podcast this week to discuss how they work together with different types of brains. Working together, they provide companies with productivity training. And because they each have a different type of brain, they can be far more effective than other consultants.
Jeff has ADHD, and Sarah does not. Because of this, they feel they have an advantage when working with clients.
Dave, Sarah, and Jeff have a wide-ranging discussion about how different brains can work well together.
One of the major advantages Jeff and Sarah see is that they have the ability to work with other different brains as well as identify people who may need different approaches to productivity.
They also discuss why clarity is the backbone of any business and any individual. If you are an adult with ADHD in the business world and you are not seeking clarity, you will find yourself having all types of challenges with productivity, procrastination, time management, and task initiation.
What can leaders of companies take away from having different types of brains in their workforce? Sarah and Jeff answered this question. But it all comes down to different ways of solving problems.
Because Sarah and Jeff teach productivity, Dave asks them for a few tips to maximize productivity in business and in life. First, recognize different people have different strengths and weaknesses. Next is to be very open about clarity. You should seek it in every aspect of your life.
Honest conversations bring about that clarity and make productivity easier and teamwork much better. Also, Sarah and Jeff talk about the need to have systems in place especially when you need to manage adult ADHD.
And for many, visual processing is huge for being productive so look at techniques such as mind mapping and Kanban boards.
Find Jeff and Sarah here: https://getsuperproductive.com/
What are some of the common symptoms of burnout? Dave discusses three of the more common symptoms of burnout. While there are many more, and burnout is a complex and sometimes misunderstood issue, Dave discusses some of the early signs to look out for.
Dave also discusses that burnout can be very dangerous if it is not addressed. But there is hope and you can overcome burnout by recognizing some of the signs. By understanding that you are heading towards burnout, you can take care of health issues that may be bothering you, stress around your career and workplace, and get your life back in order without overidentifying with your career.
A reminder that Dave is the author of the book Overcoming Burnout and you can find it here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
This week, Dave talks about managing your adult ADHD by returning to the basics.
All too often we see on social media the complexities of managing ADHD. And while everyone with ADHD is different and responds to all types of strategies and methods to thrive, sometimes what is most effective is going right back to basic core strategies of good ADHD management.
In this shorter episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave talks about how to go right back to the basics of ADHD.
He talks about the power of self-awareness and understanding your strengths and weaknesses. He talks about how to stay away from negative forces and groups and think for yourself when it comes to developing strategies around ADHD. Dave also discusses some mind and body such as making time to just get out and move in the power of being obsessed with your own time management.
Dave also shares a couple of non-traditional ADHD tips that go right back to the basics.
Looking for Dave’s new book Overcoming Burnout? Check it out below.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
In this podcast, Dave talks about some of the causes of time blindness in adults with ADHD. Everything from the way our brain is wired, hyperfocus and flow, squeezing more things into our schedule, and other reasons.
Here are a few basic ways you can keep track of time:
Overcoming Burnout can be found here: https://overcomingburnout.net/ Overcoming Distractions can be found here: https://overcomingdistractions.com/
One of the phrases that bother people who have ADHD the most is when people tell you to “try harder.” many of us with ADHD heard this phrase growing up, and even sort written on our report cards. But those with ADHD know better. “Trying harder” is far from a solution to improving our lives.
Burnout can come from trying harder so it's important to understand how our brains operate.
Laura MacNiven from the Springboard Clinic in Toronto is back on Overcoming Distractions the podcast to discuss this very topic and to offer a different viewpoint. She is the co-author of May We have Your Attention please? With Dr. Anne Bailey.
People with ADHD need to try differently rather than focus on trying harder.
Laura takes time to explain the core differences between trying harder and trying differently and Dave and Laura even pull the phrase apart “try harder” to understand what it actually means.
Laura says that a lot can be accomplished by understanding the stories we tell ourselves. If we can reshape those stories, we have a better chance of finding different ways to accomplish the things we want.
Dave and Laura also discuss what can happen if people with ADHD continue to just try harder including the effects of burnout.
Laura and Dave chat about why understanding our brains as adults with ADHD and some self-awareness can go a long way and understanding how to create different ways of getting things accomplished.
Laura gives some tips for understanding your ADHD brain as well as creating some personal awareness. That includes taking time to check in with yourself and to check the stories you are telling yourself. Take time to pause repeatedly to look inward. Understand what's important in life and your career and what wakes your brain up. And finally, take some time to understand when you are at your best. That can be the time of day or the part of the week where you can operate smoothly and focus on what needs to be done.
Fine the Springboard Clinic here: https://www.springboardclinic.com/
Learn more about the book “May We Have Your Attention Please?” here:
In this ADHD minute edition of Overcoming Distractions, we talk about how to be a little more flexible when it comes to time management and ADHD brains. The two years of going through COVID-19 have taught us, even those of us with ADHD that we need to be a little more flexible when it comes to managing our time and our commitments. Dave takes just a few minutes to go through a few things that have worked for him and for others when it comes to trying to manage your time in an ever-changing environment.
In short, doing a thorough review of your professional and personal commitments on a regular basis will help you manage time better, feel less stress and ultimately stay away from burnout.
Find Dave's new book Overcoming Burnout here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
Are you a high achiever? And are you one of those go-getters that just happens to have adult ADHD? Even professional businesspeople and entrepreneurs can experience a whole host of distractions in their professional lives. And that's what we are talking about in this podcast episode.
This week we have back Casey Dixon from Dixon Life Coaching. Casey coaches high achievers with ADHD including attorneys, professors, and many more in high-profile and demanding careers.
Casey talks about what she classifies as a high achiever including some specific careers as well as some specific traits when it comes to those that are driven to succeed.
Casey and Dave also discuss whether those of us in high-demand careers suffer the same distractions as other people in different industries and careers. Casey suggests that many of us need to find the tasks and projects we are good at and try hard to delegate the tasks we do not like to do. She says working on things we are not good at reduces our focus.
Casey offers a number of suggestions to help high achievers with ADHD reduce distractions and gain more focus. She says even making small changes can produce high payoffs in productivity.
She highly recommends that those of us who are high achievers with ADHD take a step back and think about how we are working. This is where coaching can come in where you can work with a professional to pull apart the different aspects of your professional life and create solutions.
Casey and Dave also talk about reducing commitments to increase productivity. Some of us call it energy management and others call it obligation management. But analyzing your commitments can have big payoffs as well.
Casey also states that we are all human and we need to pay close attention to self-care. That includes proper sleep habits, exercise and taking time to be mindful. Paying attention to these will only improve our executive functions.
More about Casey Dixon:
Casey is intensely focused on building top-tier training, coaching, consulting, and advising experiences for high achievers with ADHD. She created Dixon Life Coaching in response to the grievous lack of understanding and quality services for an often-overlooked population… exceptionally smart, highly-educated, wickedly-talented, overstressed, overworked, overwhelmed, successful-on-the-outside adults with ADHD. https://www.dixonlifecoaching.com/
Casey’s online courses:
The Mysterious Paradox of Being a High Achiever with ADHD
https://register.dixonlifecoaching.com/high-achiever
Live Well ADHD
Are you burned out or feel like you're heading down the path of burnout? Dave announces his new book has just been published.
Overcoming Burnout-Real life Strategies and Solutions for Burnout Recovery and Prevention. https://overcomingdistractions.com/overcomingburnout/
Dave wrote this book to shed new light on the topic of burnout and just how complicated the issue can be for people. He specifically covers career burnout.
Dave talks about how many of us are the Co-founders of our burnout in that we brought a lot of this on our own. That may be a tough thing for us to hear but many of our habits have contributed to our burnout. Dave talks about understanding our capacity, setting boundaries, people-pleasing, and of course time management.
Listen to Dave as he discusses why he wrote the book and what you can learn from the people he has interviewed.
To purchase the book, go to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WQ17T22
Research has shown that adults with ADHD are more prone to addictions than others. That includes alcohol abuse and other substances. In this podcast, we will discuss why those with ADHD are more prone to these behaviors and we will also discuss how to mitigate our reliance on alcohol and other addictive substances.
We have back Lara Honos-Webb, author of Brain Hacks and Six Super Skills for Executive Functioning: Tools to Help Teens Improve Focus, Stay Organized, and Reach Their Goals as well as many other books. Dr. Lara Has been on Overcoming Distractions many times and it's a wealth of knowledge in the area of ADHD.
Dr. Lara Talks about how addictions such as those with alcohol and other substances not only affect those with ADHD to a greater percentage but how they have increased during the past two years of the pandemic. Lara talks about how prevalent addiction is in the ADHD community as well as why we've seen the increases recently.
She also answers the question about why those of us with ADHD have more challenges with addictive behaviors. Hint, it's our impulsivity. She also discusses that those of us with ADHD are typically addicted to other types of uses such as digital addictions, our phones as well as social media.
Laura discusses how addictions can affect the executive functions of anyone but in particular adults with ADHD. She discusses how our executive functions decrease but overall if we protect our executive functions as a regular habit in our lives, we can help stave off addictions.
She says we must do our best to build self-confidence and self-efficacy as we try to limit our addictive behaviors. And by doing so focus on self-love versus shame to recover.
Lara says that there are all different types of support groups including those that work in moderation as well as those that demand abstinence.
And she describes what she calls urge surfing which is your ability to catch yourself and understand how you may be able to delay your actions. Yes those of us with ADHD are already good at delay but there is a case for making it be used in our favor when it comes to addictions.
Find Dr. Lara Honos-Webb at:
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.
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.
To kick off the year 2022, we have ADHD coach Jeff Copper back. Jeff is with DIG Coaching and always has a wealth of information and tools for adults with ADHD.
This week we are talking about goals but, activating the necessary steps to achieve your goals and even specific tasks. Most of us have goals we want to achieve or projects we want to embark on but for those of us with adult ADHD, we need an activation plan. Sometimes it's as simple as getting the house clean or more involved such as embarking on a project for work. But for most of us who tend to be distracted, a plan is necessary.
How do we activate a plan when we have ADHD?
First as Coach Jeff Copper explains we need to understand how our executive functions work as well as possibly get in the way when it comes to getting things done. That involves some substantial self-awareness in understanding the way our brain works. Also as Jeff explains, we need to own our ADHD.
We need to understand what distractions do when it comes to being challenged with activating plans of all types and we need to get a firm grip on how uncertainty and lack of clarity delay tasks and projects.
Jeff talks about some simple steps to get better at activating plans, projects, and other tasks.
He suggests asking yourself what is hard about getting started on a particular project or simple task and to bring that further, acknowledge what is difficult about getting started.
He also recommends understanding what is easy about getting started and analyzing both.
Learn more about working with ADHD coach Jeff Copper here: www.digcoaching.com
ADHD and entrepreneurship do go together quite well, most of the time. Many people with adult ADHD end up working for themselves for a whole host of reasons. And while this might be a great option, there comes an immense amount of time management strategy involved in any entrepreneurial journey.
In this episode, we talk with Roxanne Jarrett from Swellhead Coaching and Support Services about entrepreneurship, ADHD, and managing your time effectively. Roxanne loves to work side by side with entrepreneurs that just happen to have ADHD and she offers a number of great tips for maximizing your time and staying focused.
You don't have to be an entrepreneur to get a ton of value from Roxanne’s tips.
Roxanne talks about some of the advantages that an entrepreneur with ADHD has. And she also discusses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether entrepreneurship is still a great path for people with ADHD.
She talks about many of the common time management challenges that adults with ADHD encounter when it comes to entrepreneurship, and she offers her advice for tackling those issues.
Roxanne says that as entrepreneurs with ADHD, we need to cut ourselves some slack sometimes, give ourselves the validation that we deserve as well as the credit needed to stay focused on our entrepreneurial journey. Some days we will accomplish much and others not so much.
And Roxanne talks about the must-haves for managing time and staying focused as an entrepreneur with ADHD. Those include having a passion for the work you do, having a road map to grow and continue to thrive, and putting the systems in place that work for your brain.
Freebie Link, Roxanne talked about:
https://www.swellhead.com/freeroadmap
Find Roxanne Jarrett, MA, CPC from Swellhead Coaching & Support Services on her websites.
There are a number of important ways to manage your adult ADHD. One critical factor and thriving with adult ADHD is to ensure you have proper sleep habits. Not only getting enough sleep but getting quality sleep is just as important.
In this episode we speak with Kelly Myerson is an author and a sleep expert as well as an occupational therapist. Kelly walks us through strategies for proper sleep, tackling mindset the environments as well as healthy habits for sleep.
Kelly first discusses is what happens during sleep that can help us perform better the next day. She talks about how sleep restores certain cells in the brain and how getting enough sleep helps us with both our physical and mental health.
She also talks about what happens when we don't get the adequate sleep that the ADHD brain needs. That includes a decrease in executive functions at the overall lack of focus. She also discusses why the ADHD brain actually requires healthy sleep habits.
Kelly gives us strategies for creating the best sleep environment how to create better sleep habits. She gives us tips for how to slow our brain down before sleep time and she also provides advice for people with ADHD who historically do not sleep well.
She says you need to develop good habits as well as a devotion to getting a good night's sleep.
And if all else fails, it's time to call a sleep specialist or your doctor.
Find Sleep Expert and Occupational Therapist Kelly Myerson here at her website.
There comes a time where everyone regardless of ADHD needs a great mentor or coach. How do you find the right ADHD coach and when is it time to get ADHD coaching? Those are some of the topics discussed in this podcast.
Dave's guest is Evan Kirstein of Progressive Growth Coaching. Evan coaches entrepreneurs, executives, and adults with ADHD.
Evan talks about the types of things an ADHD coach can help you with. Those include prioritizing tasks, projects, and other commitments you have in your personal and professional life. He says that a major emphasis can be placed on executive functions and how to improve those for better performance.
Evan says a great ADHD coach can help you be honest with yourself and take ownership of responsibilities and can give you a foundation for transformation.
He says working with an ADHD coach can help you with work habits, meeting deadlines, and overall effectiveness in your professional life. And one important thing. An ADHD coach can help you pick yourself back up.
Evan covers other items in the podcast including when the appropriate time to consider working with the coaches. He covers what you should be looking for when partnering with a coach and trying to find the right fit.
He talks about whether you need an ADHD coach or just a professional coach that is a good fit and matches your values.
And he discusses is what you should do if you are resisting the idea of partnering with the coach.
Learn more about working with Evan here: www.ProgressiveGrowthCoaching.com
How do you go from being broke, getting a divorce, and then creating a thriving successful life with adult ADHD? The answer is in this podcast episode. If you want to engineer a successful life and consistent habits, make sure you listen to this conversation.
This week Dave has a conversation with Aron Croft. Aron has turned his past experiences into a successful coaching and consulting practice. While we joke about crashing and burning on this segment, there are some valuable lessons to be had.
Aron discusses his story of been diagnosed with ADD, earning minimum wage, being broke, getting a divorce as well as how he got through Harvard. While he always achieved good grades in school, he went through numerous job changes and other struggles until he realized that he should try to get an official diagnosis.
Aron has implemented many systems in his life to achieve success and he coaches others to do the same. He discusses ways to manage and thrive with adult ADHD, and the ways we can implement motivation in our lives.
He talks about engineering progress as well as engineering consistency to get the things we want in life. He also discusses how the brain processes information when we have ADHD and the strategies to get things done.
And he discusses must-haves to thrive with adult ADHD.
Those include celebrating quick wins, stopping the self-blame, finding meaningful goals that are self-generated as well as self-education on adult ADHD. He thinks it is very important to find the support you need and most importantly, never give yourself problems you do not need.
You can find Aron Croft at his website here. https://hiddenadhd.com/
For many with adult ADHD, the right technology can be a game-changer. Whether that is applications that help us run our business or something as simple as maintaining and sharing a grocery shopping list. We can't escape technology anymore in our lives and we must embrace what helps us thrive.
Helping us navigate the many apps that are available to us is Brittany Smith, from Devise & Conquer Coaching. Brittany offers exclusive coaching when it comes to helping adults with ADHD find just the right apps and technology for their lives.
Britney discusses whether ADHD responds better to apps and technology or whether we prefer pen and paper. Or does ADHD respond to both methods?
Britney discusses how entrepreneurs and business professionals with ADHD can consider the several types of apps including time management, mindfulness and nother crucial pieces of technology to help us with our professional lives
And she walks us through the process of finding the right apps that work for us as individuals with ADHD. Britney has a number of recommendations for apps to help us organize our lives and she shares a few of her favorites.
Brittany also recommends a series of automation tools to help us write our lives in our business.
And she recommends monitoring what we use for technology and using it to better our lives, not complicate it.
Brittany also recommends when you're starting the use of a new app to make sure you utilize it for a few weeks to see if it works for you. You must give it time in order to effectively evaluate whether it's a good fit for your life or business.
Find Brittany Smith here: https://conquer.consulting/
In this podcast, we are going to laugh at, and about our ADHD. And we're going to learn how to find the humor with our adult ADHD.
On Overcoming Distractions this week is Pasha Marlowe, a therapeutic comedy coach. Pasha is going to walk us through how to find humor in our day-to-day activities in the ADHD world and how to use laughter as a tool to manage and thrive with adult ADHD.
Pasha and Dave talk about not only humorous things that have happened during the pandemic but what they have learned through this era of COVID-19. And Pasha discusses her own challenges.
Pasha discusses why many people find it difficult to laugh about their challenges and struggles including ADHD and she also discusses why it is important for the mind and body to be able to find humor in everyday situations.
Dave and Pasha have a discussion about how we can begin to find more humor and other things to laugh at in our daily lives and why it is so critical for our mental health to be able to lighten up throughout the day.
And Pasha talks about her therapeutic comedy coaching sessions and programs. Make sure you check out her comedy coaching.
Learn more about Pasha Marlowe and her coaching programs on her website. https://pashamarlowe.com/
How can I manage my emotions better when I have ADHD? This is a common question as well as a struggle in individuals with ADHD. Our emotions can get the best of us in both challenging times and times of excitement.
In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave has a conversation with Marcy Caldwell. She is the supervising psychologist at Rittenhouse Psychological Assessments, and she has an upcoming program called Meltdown to Mastery.
Marcy first discusses why those with ADHD have challenges in managing emotions of all kinds. She talked about how the ADHD brain can have a flood of emotions and get overstimulated and in many cases irritable.
Marcy spent some time discussing her green, yellow, orange, and red indicators for recognizing and managing your emotions. It is a great method to identify when your emotions could be getting the best of you.
Dave and Marcy also discussed how to control emotions through breathing and how that can help you process feelings and reduce anxiety. And something as simple as taking a walk to process your emotions can help soothe your anxiety.
Marcy gives us a road map and walks us through the basics of getting a handle on our emotions both good and bad.
And Marcy also walks us through her Meltdown to Mastery program which provides a framework to develop the necessary skills to manage the emotions that come with ADHD.
Connect with Marcy and her practice here: https://rittenhousepsychologicalassessments.com/
This week Dave is in search of entrepreneurs and business professionals that have ADHD. If you have a story to tell that involves your adult ADHD and the business world, it's time to connect with Dave.
The audience of Overcoming Distractions wants to hear your advice on managing and thriving with adult ADHD.
In the book Overcoming Distractions, Dave interviewed countless entrepreneurs, and much of the advice on how to manage ADHD came from those entrepreneurs and business professionals. There were also many experts in the world of ADHD but a lot of advice was street smart tactics that came straight from people like you.
If you have learned great tactics for managing your time as a business professional with ADHD, launched and grown a new business, developed other strategies to thrive with adult ADHD, or have a collection of strategies to manage ADHD as a business professional, it's time to contact Dave and possibly be on the podcast in an upcoming episode.
Take 15 minutes to listen to this podcast episode and hear what Dave is looking for and hopefully you can contribute to the overcoming distractions community and other adults with ADHD looking for great strategies to thrive.
Go to www.OvercomingDistractions.com to connect with Dave
The ADHD brain always gets cluttered when we have too much to do and too much information to process. That's why it is so important for us to take time out whenever needed to do what we call a brain dump.
That's the focus of this episode. We will talk to Jenna Knight an ADHD coach based in Massachusetts. She has come up with an organized process for conducting this must-have tool in your arsenal.
But first, Jenna and Dave discuss why the ADHD brain often gets cluttered and bogged down. They discuss why oftentimes, adults with ADHD have information, notes, and to-do lists all over the house and even all over our workplace.
Jenna talks about how at first, we just need to get comfortable writing everything down. And she emphasizes not having a filter when doing this. It doesn't matter whether it's home, school, work-related, or anything else. She encourages us to dig deep and just get everything on paper to start.
Jenna walks us through how to categorize our brain dump after that, including a seven-step process that includes prioritizing what is due, prioritizing appointments we have, and other important tasks.
She recommends creating categories, eliminating, and even delegating tasks, and possibly postpone certain tasks that are not urgent.
She also recommends planning out daily tasks that reoccur.
Jenna recommends doing this anytime you have too many lists and posted notes lying around the house or in your workplace.
Take the time and listen to this podcast and learn Jenna’s seven-step process to get more organized with a brain dump.
Find Jenna Knight here: https://www.neverdefeatedcoaching.net/
If you have ADHD and you feel you are suffering from overwhelm or even burnout, you want to take the time to listen to this new podcast episode. We discuss one of the silent conditions of mental health and that is burnout.
Back on Overcoming Distractions is Dr. Sharon Saline. She has over 30 years of experience working with individuals with ADHD, she is a bestselling author and a leading expert in many areas of ADHD and neurodiversity.
Sharon and Dave talk about burnout and how people with ADHD may experience this more than others. And not only more common but many with ADHD can also get to burnout much quicker.
Sharon points out that many of us with ADHD are also people-pleasers which over time can result and burnout because we do not want to disappoint others. She also points out that burnout can collide with other ADHD characteristics, and we need to be careful not to let it go too far before addressing overwhelm and burnout.
Sharon shares her tips to help manage overwhelmed and burnout such as identifying the stressors in your life, target what to deal with first and prioritize, pause before agreeing to commitments in your life and in your business, and to understand what flow is. Flow is when we truly enjoy what we're doing for longer periods of time and that is an indicator of what we enjoy doing.
She discusses active self-care, reducing isolation in how you can bring pleasure to your life daily such as walking or other forms of exercise.
She suggests looking at work differently and make sure you are taking frequent breaks with an emphasis on going into nature.
And one important factor in managing overwhelmed or burnout is to pay attention to what is going on in your life and do not let burnout get out of control.
She has many more expert tips from managing overwhelmed and burnout so take the time to listen to her expert advice on this subject.
You can connect with Sharon Saline here; https://drsharonsaline.com/
Overcoming Distractions is back with another episode and this one, once again it's dedicated to why exercise is so important for people with ADHD.
Our guest this week is Gabriel Villarreal, owner of ADHD Counseling in the Roanoke Valley. Gabriel has a unique concept in helping his clients manage their ADHD that more and more people should get on board with.
Gabriel meets many of his clients in the gym. He will explain why he does this and why it has been so effective in helping individuals with ADHD.
First, Gabriel discusses why it is so important for people with ADHD to embrace some type of exercise in their lives. And he gives us an education as to what exercise actually does to and for the ADHD brain.
He talks about how exercise can help in so many areas of our life including experiencing better sleep and even controlling our appetite in some cases. Gabriel talks about how can help manage our hyperactivity and help us to cope with distractions.
He discusses his program of meeting his clients in the gym and how effective it has been.
And Gabriel gives us his tips for getting started and staying on track with some type of exercise program. Those tips include finding a coach that can help you write an exercise program, stick to regular habits to see results, and cautions us about relying on motivation alone. Habits are critical to sticking with an exercise program and getting the results you need as a person with ADHD.
Learn more about Gabriel as well as the programs he offers here. https://roanokeadhd.com/
Now go to the gym!
In this episode, we bring back Nancy Colier, who has been on Overcoming Distractions before. Nancy is a psychotherapist and author of many bestselling books.
We discuss Nancy’s new book “Can't Stop Thinking. How to Let Go of Anxiety and Free Yourself from Obsessive Rumination.”
Many with ADHD have a racing mind, but you do not have to have ADHD to get a ton of value out of this discussion with Nancy. Her book is for anyone who struggles with obsessive thinking.
Nancy discusses why for many of us, negative thoughts can control us. She talks about how fear, lack of confidence, and other outside influences affect our thoughts, sometimes in a negative way.
She discusses how it's not so much the situation but the thoughts around the situation that we obsess with. She talks about how we are addicted to our thoughts, but we do not have to pay attention to our thoughts 24 hours a day.
She also mentions that it’s not always the case where more thoughts such as positive thinking can solve your problems. And she makes it a point to tell listeners that you are not your thoughts.
Many obsess with thinking at all hours of the day and even into the night because we have what she calls a rehearsal of situations, where we feel something negative may happen and we go through all the possible outcomes.
We also discussed the topic of burnout and how relentless thinking about our situation can be a major factor in true burnout. When we get to this point, Nancy points out that our mind is never really off duty.
And as we always do on Overcoming Distractions, Nancy goes through some of the tools in her book to help reduce anxiety and rid ourselves of constant negative and obsessive thinking.
Connect with Nancy Colier here and find all her wonderful books; https://nancycolier.com/
Conflict is just part of life and part of the business world. How we choose to enter conflict and resolve differences and disagreements with others can make all the difference in the world.
For those with ADHD, many find resolving conflict challenging to say the least. Because many of us can have difficulty regulating emotions, it gets in the way of resolving conflict properly and amicably.
Back on Overcoming Distractions is Brendan Mahan, from ADHD Essentials.
We discuss whether avoiding conflict is something common in people with ADHD and why. Dave and Brendan discuss how emotions can get the best of us with ADHD when it comes to conflict resolution and how certain emotions limit progress.
We discuss why many people with ADHD might create conflict where it is not necessary.
Brendan discusses how resolving conflict involves us listening through the noise and getting better at active listening. We need to set and understand the rules for conflict and assume that the other person has good intentions.
Productive conflict involves asking the right questions as well as getting ahead of the conflict, so it does not get out of control. Brendan suggests owning your mistakes but owning your strengths as well.
He also suggests that it's very important to understand how self-reflection plays into conflict.
And Dave and Brendan do discuss that there are times when it is not a good idea to get involved in conflict and to revisit the matter later.
Brendan lays out other steps on how those with ADHD can get better at resolving conflicts before they get out of hand.
Brendan operates ADHD essentials which offers coaching, parenting groups, and the very popular podcast by the same name. Find Brendan here. https://www.adhdessentials.com/
In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, we discuss a topic that has become very popular in the world of ADHD. This week we discuss rejection sensitive dysphoria with ADHD.
Back on the podcast is Diann Wingert, a mindset and productivity coach. She is a former psychotherapist who now focuses her attention on working with success-driven women who may have ADHD. She is also the host of The Driven Woman Podcast.
There has been a lot of attention around rejection sensitive dysphoria in the world of ADHD. But this episode is dedicated to RSD in the ADHD entrepreneur world.
Diann discusses what rejection sensitive dysphoria is and dispels a couple of myths. First, it is not an official diagnosis as many may think. Diann points out that it is part of emotional dysregulation which many with ADHD struggle with.
Dave and Diann discuss why adults with ADHD may be more prone two rejection sensitivity. Because in the end, everyone can experience these types of feelings whether you have ADHD or not.
She discusses where and when this can show up when you are an entrepreneur or self-employed and why it can be a challenge for many in the business world.
She points out that many may pull back from critical parts of our business because we fear criticism and judgment which can hold our businesses and career back.
Diann also makes it clear that rejection sensitive dysphoria should not be your identity.
She discusses ways we can look for long term solutions to rejection sensitive dysphoria such as radical self-acceptance and self-awareness. She advises you to understand what the triggers are and not to dwell on this when you feel rejection.
She also says that one of the best ways to feel better when your experience rejection is to get up and move, exercise and reconnect the brain to positive thoughts and feelings.
Diann also recommends the think up app which helps you create positive affirmations. http://thinkup.me/
You can find Diann Wingert and learn more about working with her on her website. And find her podcast episodes.
Back on Overcoming Distractions is ADHD Coach Jeff Copper of DIG Coaching. The topic is a favorite one.
ADHD and Non med, meds.
We are talking about meditation, exercise, diet, and sleep and the power of incorporating these in your life to thrive with your ADHD. We not only talk about how effective these can be in managing ADHD but we discuss the challenges involved in incorporating these habits into our daily lives.
First Jeff discusses is how mind and machine can work together. What he means by this is that there is a thoughtful brain and a mindful brain, and the brain responds well when it is taken care of properly and fed the right fuel.
He discusses the importance of having a good night's sleep and proper sleep hygiene but also realizes that for many with ADHD, sleep can be boring, especially the first 15 to 30 minutes that we go to bed.
Jeff discusses is how critical exercise can be for people with ADHD and offers a few tips to make it more enjoyable. He says that exercise can be social in that finding an exercise buddy can be one of the ways to stick with it.
Dave and Jeff discuss how there are many forms of meditation from ways many traditionally think of meditation all the way to listening to music, walking, and other ways of mindfulness.
Jeff discusses his ways to not only get the right nutrition but plan meals as well. He says reducing the steps in food preparation is a great way, more planning, less garbage food. Dave and Jeff even discuss how using a crockpot can help you plan meals for several days.
If you're looking for ways to manage your ADHD without medication, Jeff and Dave have a great and engaging discussion.
However, keep in mind both Dave and Jeff are not anti-medication and understand the benefits when ADHD medication is needed in someone's life.
By Jeff Copper at, www.digcoaching.com
Were you ever officially diagnosed with ADHD? Are you thinking you might want to see a professional for an ADHD diagnosis?
This week, we discuss what an ADHD diagnosis might look like in the coming years as well as what some professionals feel should be included in diagnosing people with ADHD.
Back on the podcast again is Sarah Cheyette M.D., author of many books on ADHD including, ADHD & Me, ADHD and the Focused Mind, and Winning with ADHD. Dr. Cheyette recently published an article in Psychology Today with her Husband, Ben Cheyette about the future of ADHD diagnoses.
Dave and Dr. Cheyette discuss what the criterion for a diagnosis is today as well as historically and whether she feels that has been an adequate method of arriving at a conclusion. They also briefly walk through what a professional may be looking for.
They discuss why separating adults and children makes perfect sense in a diagnosis and why that is more important today with technology and innovation. They discuss why taking the working environment into consideration is important as well as a child’s environment with school and other recreation.
They discuss why screen time and the number of hours spent on social media and other platforms can help a professional understand someone’s ADHD.
Dr. Cheyette expresses what she would like to see in the future of diagnosing ADHD. Much of that is also included in her recent article.
Find the article in Psychology Today here.
Connect with Doctor Sarah Cheyette here at her website. https://sarahcheyette.com/
Dave tackled the subject of burnout in this solo podcast episode. Burnout has always been a challenge whether you are a caregiver, parent, or suffering from career burnout, the struggle is nothing new. However as we've seen during this past year and our experiences with COVID-19, many more people may be experiencing burnout in many ways.
Dave first shares his personal story a burnout in the restaurant business. It was not only mentally exhausting but took a toll on his body. He talks about some of the things you should ask yourself if you feel like you are burned out.
Dave runs through a series of questions you should ask yourself such as, do you feel disconnected, are you emotionally exhausted, are you cynical, have you set boundaries and you have challenges saying no to others and yourself when pressed for time.
He also examines whether you need a vacation or whether your burnout is much more severe.
Dave offers his suggestion based on personal experience and others he has interviewed for an upcoming project on burnout. He talks about ways to make adjustments in your life, how to slow down, how to make sure that you are running your own life in your own schedule, and suggests finding purpose once again in your life.
Dave and others also suggest finding a way to get excited about life again.
In this episode, we discuss how those of us with ADHD can develop better eating habits. Dave is joined by Sarah Stites, the founder of the Wavelength app to discuss eating, nutrition, and proper food choices. And they also talk about cutting yourself some slack every now and then.
Sarah first discusses her own ADHD as well as other challenges that led to substantial weight gain as a young adult. She talks about how she had to learn more about food in the science of food and nutrition.
Dave and Sarah chat about food comfort and that brains love to eat. Food can give us a dopamine shot.
Dave and Sarah also discussed that being hungry is a distraction for anybody and that we need to learn proper habits and routines to not get to that point.
Sarah talks about what contributes to unhealthy eating habits, the discipline when trying to eat healthy and why many with ADHD can struggle with proper meal planning and eating.
Sarah also discusses what foods can help us focus including reducing sugar and yes, increasing fat intake. But she also discusses good and bad fats.
Sarah discusses how self-care is a whole thinking approach and she also discusses how shame, which many with ADHD struggle with, can contribute to unhealthy eating.
Sarah then talks about how the wavelength app can help anyone whether they have ADHD or not, develop sound eating habits.
You can find out more about Wavelength at their website. https://www.joinwavelength.com/
Those of us with ADHD need to take careful consideration into how we structure our workplace as well as the working conditions we surround ourselves with. To feel productive, focused and to minimize the distractions we may encounter, putting ourselves in the ideal working conditions can benefit both of us, our employers, and if we are entrepreneurs, our clients.
In this episode, we talk about how to create ideal working conditions for your ADHD and distracted brain. Returning to Overcoming Distractions is Grant Crowell, the author of GRANTASMS: Twisted Creative words for cool people!
Grant also has extensive experience in the profession of workplace training and assisting those with different brains be more productive in the workplace.
Grant and Dave discuss how the past year during COVID-19 has either helped or hurt the productivity of those with ADHD. They talked about some of the common struggles associated with the workplace including focus, distractions, and accountability as well as putting the proper systems in place.
Grant suggests understanding what motivates you to work and keeping a close eye on that wherever your workplace is. He suggests keeping what he calls a 5-minute Journal, laying out what you are grateful for, trying to keep a positive mindset, and at the end of each day Journal about the good things that happened in the workplace.
He talks about how to find your energy and how joining groups of like-minded people, getting coaching as well as joining masterminds can help you work better.
Grant also suggests that there really is no ideal workspace, but you can do your best to find a setup that works for you. That includes where to place your desk, the type of chair, your computer monitors and their locations, and even the color and arrangement of your room.
Create also suggest understanding the goals when setting up your workplace, will you be on constant video conferences or do you tend to use other tasks such as writing.
Grant and Dave always have fun on these podcast episodes, and we are sure you'll enjoy this one as well!
Find Grant at the links below.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantcrowell
https://www.amazon.com/GRANTASMS-Creative-twisted-words-people-ebook/dp/B07ZY9JDPP
In this podcast, Dave gets to talk with Anjle a multidisciplinary artist and performer (drag, burlesque, illustration, opera, theater, prop-making, set design, stage managing, producing, etc.). Anjle has done it all!
Anjle was officially diagnosed with ADHD just weeks before our podcast recording. Anjle talks about struggles in the past and the tools needed to navigate those challenges. Before even being diagnosed with ADHD, Anjle was already using tools and coping skills to have a thriving career as an artist.
Dave talks with Anjle about a whole host of topics including creating systems, thriving with good strategies, identifying strengths and other ways to grow professionally. Both talk about how using paper instead of electronic organizes work best for both. To name a few...
Anjle and Dave Talk about the stigmas associated with neurodiversity, navigating the workplace and society in general and how to be better in tune with ourselves.
Anjle gives tips for navigating a neurodiverse life as an adult and an artist.
If you are in the creative or performing arts, this is a great discussion to dig into!
There is one thing all of us need in this world whether we have ADHD or not and that is more kindness. Those of us who have different brains understand that we not only need to be kind to each other, but we need to show ourselves some kindness as well.
This podcast is dedicated to the subject of kindness and how we can show more of it in our daily lives.
David Fryburg is the co-founder of Envision Kindness, an organization that believes shedding light on the positive things that happen in our life is incredibly important.
One of the ways the organization inspires kindness is through imagery and photography and if you visit the website you know exactly what we are talking about. The website is full of images that inspire kindness and show the good in the world.
The two Davids discuss the act of caring for others and experiencing kindness in many areas of our lives. They talk about how kindness makes us feel connected to others as well as our inner selves.
David Fryburg talks about the psychology of images and how they can instill love, trust, joy, gratitude, and optimism as well as compassion in all of us.
They also discuss how we are all imperfect and have flaws but from kindness, we can accept each other for who we are and what we all have to offer in this world.
And David shares his tips for living in a world full of kindness.
Learn more about the organization Envision Kindness and take some time to view the powerful images on the website.
There is never one productivity technique that will work for everyone. That is just a fact. Productivity tips for people with ADHD come in all shapes and sizes as do the tips for everyone else. You may decide pen and paper work best for you, or you may like electronic organizers and note-taking programs.
Everyone is different when it comes to productivity…ADHD or not.
This week we have back Christopher Mitchell, better known as Traveling Mitch, a successful travel blogger, and photographer. Chris is not only a professional writer but an entrepreneur with ADHD who has some great tips from managing time and productivity as someone who is self-employed.
Chris takes us through what he calls the focus and bonus method of productivity and time management that he uses in his business.
But before we get into tactics and strategies, Chris gives us an update on the travel blogging industry during this past year of the pandemic. He talks about strategies he implemented in his operations as well as finding new opportunities.
Chris talks about some of the important tasks that are in front of him on a daily basis running a writing and blogging business such as the actual writing of content, editing, distribution, and even photography.
Chris digs deep into the systems he has put in place and he talks about how he has put that focus and bonus strategy in place to be more productive.
And Chris gives us his tips as an entrepreneur with ADHD to help us be as productive as possible.
Find Traveling Mitch here with tons of great content: https://www.travelingmitch.com/
We can all get better at the habit of saying NO and learning how to say no properly is a long process.
But when we do get good at saying no, we not only free up valuable time and resources but also begin to lower our stress. Committing to certain things, events, projects, or other longer-term obligations when we do not have the time to invest, increases our anxiety and has the ability to stress out everyone around us.
Back on the podcast is Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D. from True Focus Coaching. Sarah specializes in productivity and time management training for professionals. She has been on the podcast before and gives us tremendous value on how to preserve our time and get more done.
This time we talk about how to say no… but say yes to the right things.
Sarah and Dave discuss why people say yes when they really mean no. Hint, it may have to do with us not wanting to disappoint others. But Sarah gives us even more insight.
Sarah gets into why we struggle with saying no and why we continue to be challenged with this simple word.
Sarah talks about why saying yes all the time will increase our stress and ultimately lower our productivity.
And she gives us her expert advice and walks us through the process of saying no as well as how to analyze opportunities that come our way.
Sarah also discusses ways we can hit the pause button before committing to anything and how to get into that habit in our lives.
We also discuss how we can feel less guilty when saying no and how in most cases it is a relief for everyone.
You can find Sarah Reiff-Hekking at: www.TrueFocusCoaching.com
We talk a lot on this podcast about how to have a positive mindset when you have ADHD. And we're going to discuss the topic again this week, taking a different angle and a different approach. We look at mindset through the lens of the beginning stages of entrepreneurship and career development.
Our guest this week is Tom Bergeron, co-founder of Inventive Labs based in Massachusetts. The organization helps different learners and those of us with different brains with career prep, making use of a gap year as well as helping young people develop an entrepreneur mindset.
Tom is a lifelong entrepreneur and brings incredible experience to the organization including a strong emphasis on acceptance.
Tom introduces us to Inventive labs and just how important these programs can be for different learners.
We discuss how important it is for the organization to help those that come to it create a positive mindset and how they do that through a positive environment. He talks about what happens when individuals come to the organization with negative thinking and how they work together to turn that around into a growth mindset.
Tom also talks about how fostering positivity is one of the foundations of Inventive Labs and why it is so important to focus on growth. He talks about accommodations and acceptance, how to build an environment of positive energy, the importance of that, and why it is important to be who you are.
As always on Overcoming Distractions, we like you to walk away with tips and advice you can use in your own life and Tom helps us through that.
Learn more about Inventive Labs on their website.
How can I have a positive mindset when I have ADHD? That is a question we hear all the time, and we are going to do our best to answer it and offer some expert advice on the subject in this episode. Some people call it a growth mindset in the world of ADHD and other areas of personal success, but whatever it is you call it, we are going to talk about staying away from negative thoughts.
Back on the podcast is Dr. Sharon Saline. She is the author of the book What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew. Dr. Saline has been on Overcoming Distractions a few times and always offers some great advice and expert knowledge of ADHD in both adults and children.
First, Dr. Sharon defines a positive and growth mindset. She discusses how the ADHD brain can sometimes automatically lean toward a negative mindset and why this happens. And we of course talk about how many have slipped more heavily into negative thinking during this past year of the coronavirus.
Sharon gives us clear examples of both a growth mindset and negative thinking and she also discusses how a positive mindset helps us, particularly people with ADHD to be more resilient.
Dave asks the question of whether adults with ADHD let their minds take over with negativity more than we should and sharing gives her tips for how we can continue to make the year 2021 better and focus more heavily on a growth and positive mindset.
Make sure you visit her website for more information as well as links to her books and blog posts.
https://drsharonsaline.com/
If you have ADHD and you want to set some goals for the coming year, we're going to take a fun approach in this episode. Back on the podcast is Dr. Lara Honos Webb, a clinical psychologist specializing in ADHD.
Dr. Lara is also the author of several books on ADHD including Brain Hacks, life changing strategies to improve executive functioning.
Dr. Lara takes ADHD goal setting through the past, present and future model. She talks about how you need to look at your past successes in order to build confidence as well as challenge that self-doubt in your head.
She talks about practicing being present in the moment and how to create fun for yourself and not worry about the past or the future in this part of your goal setting. She talks about the power of now.
And, Doctor Lara talks about how we look to the future when it comes to ADHD goal setting. She suggests that you imagine talking to your future self, looking at a year and even five years down the road. What advice would you give your future self, right now?
Dave and Dr. Lara also talk about the importance of practicing optimism, practicing gratitude and being proud of your accomplishments in life. Staying positive goes a long way in setting and achieving goals for yourself.
Want to find out more about Dr. Lara Honos-Webb? Find her at: https://www.addisagift.com/
Back on Overcoming Distractions is ADHD coach Jeff Copper. Dave and Jeff tackle the subject of ADHD and self-regulation. One of our core executive functions as humans is self-regulation. It is important to understand this in ourselves and how to be more self-aware about our emotions in various situations.
Jeff says that self-regulation is the ability to direct an act back on yourself to change your behavior to change the future. Jeff also states that it's the ability to pause and ponder before you proceed. In other words, those of us with ADHD need to think before we act or react.
Jeff walks us through why the ADHD brain has challenges with self-regulation as well as some of the more difficult aspects of self-regulation including some of the more common ways we struggle with this.
Jeff discusses with Dave some of the ways we can do a better job with self-regulation and some of the systems he works with his coaching clients. That includes limiting temptations, learning how to downregulate, limiting choices, how to override certain situations, and more importantly, how to become much more self-aware of our emotions.
Jeff also lists several examples of how dopamine plays into self-regulation including instant gratification and delays in gratification. He talks about many strategies for self-regulation including exercise, pausing, and more.
Jeff talks about his approach when he's working with coaching clients as well.
Find ADHD Coach Jeff Copper here: www.digcoaching.com
This week we discuss how you can serve as the creator of your own life with the goal of living big. As our guest says, when we actively create each day, we live big!
Rochelle Seltzer is our guest. She is the author of Live Big, A Manifesto for a Creative Life. She's also a coach that works with women, but her advice rings true for both men and women.
Rochelle wants you to live big and she is going to discuss how in this engaging conversation.
Rochelle talks about how she feels we are all creators and that we do have the ability to create our own path. She talks about the importance of building a proper mindset so we can create our own path and vision for a big life.
Dave and Rochelle also discuss how many of us miss opportunities that could be staring us right in the face. How does this happen and what can we do about it?
Rochelle then walks us through the process of setting up a vision so we can live big. That includes understanding what you want to be, how you want to do it and what is worth having in your life. She talks about the power of clarity and understanding your whole life, how to set intentions and even the power of creating a vision board.
She talks about how to reframe questions in your head so you can create the life you want and live big. She lays out the small steps we need to take to create the life we want.
Get in touch with Rochelle below.
This week we are talking about how to celebrate small wins when you have adult ADHD and how to learn from those little slices of success.
Daniel Warren is the guest. He is an entrepreneur and a law school graduate. Dan like many of us with ADHD had some challenges navigating the school system when he was younger. He talks about growing up and go into school with ADHD and includes the bad and the good experiences. He even talks about the stigma associated with ADHD growing up.
Dan talks about how he eventually attended law school and how he succeeded with intense demand on studying in good grades. He talks about adjustments he needed to make as well as holding himself accountable and taking responsibility in order to get through law school.
Dan talks about how to celebrate those small wins and how when you have ADHD the meaning of success can mean something different for everyone.
Dan talks about how to find those wins and to try new things in order to thrive with adult ADHD.
And then introduces us to his full metal intensive 90 day leadership seminar which he conducts.
And Dave and Dan discuss changing the term of ADHD from the word disorder to variance and why Dan thinks this way.
In this episode, we talk about getting your ADHD life back on a positive cycle and identify the lessons learned from the past year. While there has been a lot of negativity in our lives the past year, we know we can find some positives to help us through the coming years as well as lessons learned.
This week we have back Dr. Sarah Cheyette who has incredible knowledge in the world of ADHD. She has been on the podcast several times and offers tremendous insights into how we can thrive with ADHD.
This week we discuss how many with ADHD may have let certain things in our life and business get a little out of control due to the circumstances of the pandemic. They may be subtle things but are issues we need to work on to thrive in the coming year.
Sarah and Dave discuss how many of us may have lost our job, started a new job or career, had increased family obligations and how we have had to prioritize those to create a so-called normal life during these times.
Dr. Sarah digs deep into why many of us have let our negative thoughts take over and how this has happened. You do not have to have ADHD to have negativity slowly fill your life because of what we are living through. Everyone is experiencing some form of negative thinking.
Sarah talks about how we can look back at what we have learned in the past year and how much of this can benefit us in the future. That includes learning new skills, developing new routines, finding new ways to work as well as get things done around the house and even learning to be a home cook.
How can we improve focus with these new skills? Sarah offers her advice. She also offers her professional advice on how to set goals given our current circumstances.
Sarah walks us through how to get back on a positive cycle and slowly shed that negative thought process. She helps us be slightly better today than we were yesterday.
If you feel like negativity has been taking over your life this past year, this is a great discussion and worth your time.
Find Sarah Cheyette here: https://sarahcheyette.com/
Communicating in a remote workplace is much different than how you communicate with coworkers and others in person. We have all found this out since COVID-19 struck us. This podcast is going to go through how we can improve our communications when we have different brains, as well as communicating with other different brains.
Back on the podcast is Grant Crowell the author of Grantasms- Twisted Creative Words for Cool People.
Grant also serves as a trainer for various individuals and organizations and helps to train those with a neurodiverse background.
Grant and Dave discussed the fact that communication has changed and suffered in this new remote world we are living and working in. Grant talks about some of the biggest struggles with online communication and specifically for those with ADHD or other different brains.
Grant discusses the differences between face-to-face meetings and online meetings as well as the challenges that both have presented us this past year.
Grant talks about some of his strategies for better communication and he talks about how two different brains, for example, two people with ADHD can communicate more effectively with each other.
Grant offers his tips for better communication including coming to commonality with others, the power of listening, the power of follow-ups, mimicking communication styles, and making sure you do not assume anything especially when it comes to communicating online. He also discusses the power of a communication audit in an organization.
Find Grant’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/GRANTASMS-Creative-twisted-words-people-ebook/dp/B07ZY9JDPP
We are continuing to learn the lessons from the year 2020 in order to have a much more productive 2021. Many of us have lost track of time, had to adjust our routines because of COVID-19 and have found out what it really means to be productive.
On this episode we are going to discuss what productivity really means to an individual and will focus in on how to identify the productivity strategies that work for you. We have back Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking of True Focus Coaching. She is a time management and productivity guru and has been on Overcoming Distractions before with her expert advice and tips.
We start by discussing some of the lessons that many of us may have learned about productivity as a result of the year 2020. And Sarah asks the question, what went well? A question we should all be asking ourselves. Focusing on the negative aspects and what we did not get done, does not help us at all. How did you move the ball forward this past year?
Sarah and Dave also discuss that there is not one bullet proof productivity technique. Everyone is different and you need to experiment with different strategies to find out how you can be most productive and manage your time officially. Experimenting is the answer to finding this out for yourself.
Sarah discusses other aspects of productivity such as having a good relationship with your calendar in your to do list. She discusses the importance of building tools for productivity and finding simple tools to help you get more done with the time that you have.
And Dr. Sarah discusses what productivity is. When you get to do what is important to you, when you can be effective been getting things done, and how you could achieve your own goals with increased productivity.
She ends by asking you one important question. What is one meaningful thing you have done this week?
If you are struggling with productivity after this past year and you want to figure out how to take the lessons from what COVID-19 has forced us to do and turn those into positives for 2021, you need to listen to what Dr. Sarah has to say in this podcast.
You can find Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking at True Focus Coaching; www.TrueFocusCoaching.com
If you went through the year 2020 then you probably experienced a lot of ups and downs. All of us ADHD or not experienced a lot of emotions and the year was quite a rollercoaster. Because of that, many of us probably did not have as much fun as we wanted to in our lives.
Dr. Kirsten Milliken is back on the podcast to discuss ways to have more fun in 2021. And boy do we need fun after the year we've had. Kirsten is a big advocate of using fun and play to manage your ADHD and to help you thrive in life and in business.
Kirsten is also the co-founder of "World of ADHD." The project profiles many successful individuals that just happened to have ADHD. Anyone with ADHD can submit their art, writing, music and other creative projects to show the positive aspects of having ADHD. Kirsten gives us an update on this important project.
Of course, having a discussion about fun, would not be fun without some laughs and there are plenty of laughs between Kirsten and Dave in this discussion.
Kirsten discusses is why play and fun are so important to the ADHD brain. Having fun keeps us motivated in other areas and activates that all-important dopamine that we need to get through the day. She gives us examples of how we can stay motivated and how we can actually play better.
Kirsten wraps up with her tips for incorporating fun into our lives and staying connected even in a pandemic like we have been experiencing. That includes incorporating fun in smaller environments in ways we can still meet new people.
Have you found something new and fun this year? Maybe it was cooking, a new form of exercise or you found a new TV show to binge-watch. Whatever it is, make sure you have fun this year.
Find World of ADHD here: https://www.worldofadhd.com/
Let's show the year 2020 the door in this episode and let it be known that it is not welcome back.
What is your plan for 2021 and what have you learned from last year?
On this podcast, Dave talks about moving forward from a rough year and how to look back at the positives so we can all make 2021 a better year.
Dave talks about how all the negative energy of the past 10 months has been exhausting and stressful for many. But he also talks about how many of us have learned a lot and that 2020 taught us quite a few lessons.
Those lessons include how to alter our routines and how we've had to change the way we have done things in the past based on what our family life and working conditions were like this past year. Many of us with ADHD have become more resilient, have shown our toughness, and have learned how to manage our time better even though we might not have a good relationship with time.
Take checks off his To Do List for 2021 which includes consuming positive content on the Internet as well as books and setting boundaries on his time to hit better goals.
Dave goes through the next several episodes of the podcast quickly with the theme of crushing it in 2021.
Hopefully, this podcast will help you feel better about the year ahead and help you take what you've learned this past year and use it for good moving forward.
Self-discipline is the foundation of achieving what we want in life and becoming the person we were meant to be. Without self-discipline, we will never know the life we could have achieved and the goals we could have accomplished. That is why this discussion is so important.
This is part two of our discussion on the power of self-discipline for those with ADHD and others. You do not have to have ADHD to walk away with a ton of value from this podcast.
Dave continues his discussion with Giovanni Dienstmann, A meditation and self-discipline teacher and coach.
While many with a distracted brain may be challenged when it comes to self-discipline, Giovanni addresses those individuals right at the beginning about any skepticism they may have. He does so by talking about his younger years when he did not feel so peaceful or disciplined. By looking at his own upbringing, Giovanni feels confident that his advice can help just about anybody become centered and disciplined in life.
Dave and Giovanni spend time on the concept of willpower. And Giovanni specifically addresses willpower for those who may have an impulsive nature. That would include those with ADHD.
Giovanni talks about how optimism goes hand in hand with willpower and he offers his tips for being more optimistic about the process.
He also breaks down the concept of awareness both internal and external awareness. Giovanni feels this is a big part of becoming more self-disciplined in life. He discusses meditation, journaling, and integration as parts of the awareness journey.
Giovanni ends the discussion with small steps people can take to begin the journey of more self-discipline in their lives including the PAW Method, Pause, Awareness, and Willpower.
If you are looking for a methodical and well-thought-out approach to getting more out of life and finding the discipline you need to achieve your goals, this is a great discussion.
Find Giovanni at his website and learn more about the programs he offers.
We're not going to sugarcoat anything in this podcast episode. Many with and without ADHD tend to get in their own way when it comes to progress in life and creating the life and business that you want for yourself. So the topic of this podcast is how to get out of your own way.
The guest is Nancy Colier. Nancy is a psychotherapist, a past guest on Overcoming Distractions, and the author of a book by this same title. How to Get Out of Your Own Way.
Many never really live the life or achieve the goals they want because of limiting beliefs, negative mindset and telling ourselves that we are not worth the goals that we're trying to achieve or a successful life. We tell ourselves some things and after time we believe it whether it is negative or positive.
And that by definition is being in our own way. And Nancy is going to walk us through how to tear down that internal brick wall in front of us.
Nancy and Dave discuss what it actually means to be in your own way as well as how this actually happens in our personal lives and in our business. They discussed the many things that limited beliefs and an improper mindset can prevent us from doing in our lives.
Nancy talks about how negative internal thoughts, chasing perfection and self-doubt can limit our ability to live the life we want and to actually enjoy that life.
The two talk about how you need to be present in the moment and how to get into the “now,” they discuss how elite athletes get into the zone and how successful people block out what does not work for them.
This is part one of a 2-part series on this topic so stay tuned for Nancy’s next appearance here.
Learn more about Nancy Colier on her website and find more books written by her; http://nancycolier.com/
This is part two of our discussion about radical self-acceptance with ADHD coach Diann Wingert.
Diann and Dave continue their discussion about why it is so important to get comfortable with yourself and accept your strengths and weaknesses. Doing so is a very powerful way to thrive in life and in business.
Diann talks about the negative biases of the brain and how that affects accepting who we are. She also talks about knowing what your triggers are so that you can minimize limiting beliefs and mindsets.
She also talks about how to embrace ourselves, moving towards a positive attitude, and how our emotions can control our behaviors.
Diann gives her road map to getting on that path of radical self-acceptance.
She talks about how to begin the process of creating a positive mindset. Diann also talks about the fact that there are people in our lives that are going to like us and not and that is all right. She said it is OK to stand out and be different and to share our gifts with others.
Diann also talks about how important it is to do things we are good at in our personal lives and in our careers.
She discusses how we must laugh at ourselves to begin to accept ourselves, we need to release resentment and self-pity and we need to forgive ourselves often.
Find Diann Wingert on her website: https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/
This podcast is dedicated to the journey of self-discipline. At times to be clear, it may be a tough discussion, we get in your face a little bit, and we show you what's possible when you can implement some self-discipline into your life.
We have back Giovanni Deinstmann, a mindfulness and discipline coach based in Sydney Australia. Giovanni works with all types of people including those of us with a distracted mind.
We have a frank discussion about how to implement self-discipline strategies into our daily lives. We talk about how long-term goals should take precedence over our short-term urges and instant gratification. We recognize that this is one of the biggest battles for many with adult ADHD and in fact we also recognize that it can be an hourly battle to reduce our short-term urges.
We discuss why the distracted mind is challenged with self discipline and some of the strategies to slowly get on the path of disciplining your life so you can thrive.
We address how many with ADHD can run out of steam or energy during the day and how we can factor that into practicing self discipline for the long term.
Giovanni also discusses what some may think is a radical approach to hitting the reset button with his monk week. He describes it as a dopamine detox, staying away from bad dopamine such as social media in other instant cravings.
This is part one of a two-part podcast series with Giovanni on self discipline.
Learn more about how to work with Giovanni here: https://liveanddare.com/
We begin a two-part series on the subject of ADHD and self-acceptance. In fact, we bring it to another level on this podcast by calling it radical self-acceptance.
Adults with ADHD can truly thrive in life and in business with the proper mindset. And this podcast episode hits adult ADHD head-on and hard to uncover why some of us cannot get out of our own way.
Dave has a very frank and open discussion with ADHD coach Diann Wingert. Diann is a former psychotherapist turned ADHD coach for busy women and executives. While she does work with women; her advice will help anyone as you will see in this podcast.
Diane talks about what thriving with adult ADHD really means. Dave and Diane discussed negative talk that inside comparison with ourselves and they touch on how to love and respect ourselves. They discuss at length how adults with ADHD are not broken and how we can reduce the stigma within ourselves about our adult ADHD.
Diann defines radical self-acceptance and what that means for us as we try and thrive in life and business.
This is a very upfront discussion about the truths and realities of thriving with adult ADHD. Diann prides herself on taking a no BS approach to living an enriched life with ADHD.
But let's make it clear, we both know many struggle as adults and children when it comes to ADHD. We recognize that and we hope that a blunt discussion about how many people have thrived with ADHD can bring about greater awareness and help people accept themselves including their strengths and their weaknesses.
This is part one of a two-part series with ADHD coach Diann Wingert.
Find out more about Diann here: https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/
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!
Yes we are still dealing with coronavirus, COVID-19 and ADHD. And having ADHD doesn't make navigating the coronavirus and the disruption in schedules and routines any easier. We’ve had many months to figure things out, change schedules, set up our home offices and more. But, we are still dealing with this and will be for many more months to come.
Add in the unpredictability of school in different models including at home, hybrid an others, and we still have to deal with the challenges of navigating distractions.
Casey Dixon is back on Overcoming Distractions. Casey is an ADHD coach for high demand professionals including attorneys, professors, and other executives. Casey walks us through on this podcast how to navigate the coming seasons, fall and winter while we still have to deal with the disruptions of COVID-19.
Dave and Casey discuss how locking down your schedule while a very popular and effective way to manage your time, has been a challenge from many. Casey discusses strategies to make sure you can still get your work and other responsibilities completes but leave room for some distractions.
Casey works with many attorneys, and many in the legal profession have seen an incredible increase in business and demands on their time during COVID-19. Depending on the type of law you practice, this could be a reality and scheduling could be a challenge. Casey discusses how high-demand professionals are dealing with the disruptions and how she has worked with many to achieve some normalcy in their daily working environment.
Dave and Casey discuss why sometimes it is important to just hit the pause button for a short time and come up with new routines and schedules. If you have kids in school, your workday may revolve around remote classes and other activities. To get the most out of your own schedule, you may need to revisit your way of doing things in the past.
Some distractions are unavoidable, whether it is during COVID-19 times or not. Dave and Casey discuss this and how we can deal with a constant flow of distractions. From kids at home remote learning fiascos and family commitments.
Casey wraps up with her top tips for navigating the fall and winter with ADHD and the coronavirus outbreak still upon us.
Find Casey Dixon here: https://www.dixonlifecoaching.com/
If you want to learn and understand how successful entrepreneurs who just happen to have ADHD thrive in life and in business, you're going to want to listen to this episode of Overcoming Distractions the podcast.
This episode Dave interviews Greg McDaniel a real estate guru located in California. Greg is prominently featured in Dave's book Overcoming Distractions and talks about life as an entrepreneur as well as growing up with a less than favorable relationship with schooling. Greg is a top real estate agent in California and now trains other real estate agents to be successful in their business.
Greg talks about how important his routines are as a thriving entrepreneur with ADHD, the power of positive thinking and going for what you want in life, and not letting the little things get in your way. Greg talks about a positive mindset and what it takes to crush it in business as a person with ADHD.
Greg talks about many of the strategies and tactics that helped him be a successful entrepreneur. He talks about journaling, writing down his goals, making sure he has a positive mindset, exercise, and just having a positive outlook on what he wants to accomplish as a businessperson.
Many adults with ADHD make great entrepreneurs. And after you listen to Greg McDaniel, you'll understand why this entrepreneur has been so successful in the real estate business.
Greg is high energy, a disciplined entrepreneur, and you'll be able to learn a lot about how he has been able to thrive in business and in life. You will begin to understand what is possible as an adult with ADHD.
Greg wraps up the interview with his tips for starting, growing, and thriving in the business world.
And Greg also tells us why people on House Hunters freak out when they don't see a double sink in the bathroom. You will be entertained, and you will laugh.
Find Greg here and connect; http://mcdanielrealestatesystems.com/about-greg
This week we have another podcast about ADHD, entrepreneurship, following your dreams, and becoming a success in your chosen field. This week we interview Christopher Mitchell who is a travel writer and Blogger based in Canada and he has done just that, followed his dream.
Support the show at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/OvercomingD
Chris talks about when he was in school and what he was good at and what he was not good at. He says he was always good at English classes so being a writer was a natural for him. Chris talks about how he taught overseas in Korea in other countries and how he ultimately got the chance to follow his dream of being a travel Blogger.
Chris talks about why he always wanted to work for himself, and why right now it is a very good fit for his lifestyle. He's doing what he loves and that makes all the difference in the world. He also credits being persistent for being successful as a travel Blogger and how he developed a philosophy of nothing to lose in his journey.
We wrap up with Chris giving his tips for starting, growing and sustaining a business. First he says you have to believe 100% in yourself , you have to have gratitude for the things you have, you have to give yourself the time, be patient, be able to chase new ideas , and find the time to do it. He also says you need to be kind to yourself in your entrepreneurial journey.
Find Chris at: www.travelingmitch.com
On this bonus episode of Overcoming Distractions, it's all Dave and no guest this time. Dave talks about what is on the minds of many during this COVID-19 era and as kids go back to school how we can start to adjust to get back to some new normal or a new routine to increase time, productivity, and focus.
In short, some random thoughts from some personal experience from the past several months and how to make the most of our personal situations. What has worked for him and adjustments he is making as an entrepreneur.
Dave shares his personal thoughts on getting kids back to school reworking your routine, finding flow and some of the best ways to be productive now that the kids are back in school. Understanding the kids could be remote learning in person or both. Dave also takes the time to talk about new ways to get work done creating small habits, taking an inventory of your priorities and seeing if this is the time to start something new.
And Dave also goes through a couple tips that he has been using himself such as making sure his desk is clean, saying no to commitments that he cannot commit to. Something as simple as taking a walk instead of going to the gym and finding some new ways to work to make productivity that much easier.
It is a common question and there are many resources out there for adults with ADHD. In this podcast we go over the many types of resources available to those with ADHD, how to navigate those resources and find out what the best fit is for you.
From podcasts about ADHD, blogs , online courses , as well as virtual coaching, there are a whole host of resources available and this week we have Laura MacNiven from the Springboard Clinic to go through those topics and sort out what the best ones are . Laura is the author of the book and workbook May We Have Your Attention Please and is the cofounder of the Springboard Clinic in Canada.
Laura will take us through the pros and cons of managing your ADHD virtually , She will discuss what our expectations should be when trying to manage ADHD through a virtual program , she will talk about accountability and how you can best use accountability in a virtual setting.
We discuss some of the negatives of the online world of ADHD including unhealthy dialog on platforms such as Twitter and why in many cases, this serves us no good in helping us thrive with our ADHD. While social media has helped many with shared experiences and meeting like-minded people, there tends to be some unhealthy conversations that do not serve us well.
Laura talks about the commitment that you need to manage your ADHD in an online setting and we discuss one of the most powerful tools in thriving with ADHD-self-awareness.
Self-awareness is the foundation for anyone who want to thrive with ADHD and make positive change.
May We Have Your Attention Please Online Course for ADHDLaura introduces us to the online version of her book, May We have Your Attention Please. The book is a fantastic resource and we know the online version will be just as effective in helping those with ADHD manage and thrive.
Laura takes us through how the course works, what those who go through the course can expect as well as how the course is run from month to month.
She has also given listeners of Overcoming Distractions a 15 percent off code that you should use if you want to subscribe to her course. Find the course link below.
MWHYAP15OFF
This week we have a great conversation about schooling, music and proving people wrong. Yes, that’s a thing in the world of ADHD.
Jesse Friedberg (aka Jesse Jukebox) is a Cleveland-based children’s musician who grew up struggling with ADHD and we discuss a number of topics during our conversation.
In school, Jesse had challenges with paying attention like many kids with ADHD and he also had challenges in speech delay which made learning in school even more difficult. With the proper support and guidance, Jesse went on the Berkeley College of Music in Boston and studied songwriting.
Jesse talks about how teachers called him stupid when he was young and how that made him feel. As well as how it motivated him to prove them wrong.
Jesse went on the earn a Master’s Degree in early childhood education and now teaches among others, kids that might have been like him in his early years. He talks about what it took for a kid with ADHD to get through schooling at that level.
He talks about how now as a teacher, he does work with children that have attention challenges and how he can relate as well as take from his own personal experiences.
Jesse is also running a business and recording albums so he also discusses what it is like running his own creative business and what it takes to do so.
Jesse has a great story of how a child with ADHD can not only become successful but thrive and find work that has meaning to them.
You can find Jesse Friedberg at; www.jessejukebox.com
We are going right back to health and wellness 101 on this podcast episode. The guest this week is Dr. Pat Boulogne, founder of Health Team Network and the author of Why Are You Sick, Fat and Tired? And we’re talking about getting back to the basics of being healthy and fit.
Dr. Pat and Dave talk about how many have either let their health decline during COVID-19 and how many others have taken this time to get back in shape, eat healthier and get on a better path and healthier lifestyle overall.
Why is it a challenge for some to get healthy and stay fit? Dr. Pat discusses why this may happen and some tips to stay focused on that healthier lifestyle. Dr. Pat also talks about the signs that we need to be aware of before we let our health and wellbeing go too far.
Dr. Pat walks us through some of the basic steps to get our health and wellness back in order, and back on track. We talk about how to implement healthy habits into our daily lives and how to make it easy and simple to follow.
And Dr. Pat wraps up our discussion with her top tips for staying healthy and fit.
Whether you have ADHD or not, or just a distracted entrepreneur, you’ll find our discussion valuable and simple to follow.
You can find Dr. Pat Boulogne and her book here:
Are you an overthinker, procrastinator, or book lover? Are you distracted but focused all at the same time? Do you hate waiting but love daydreaming new ideas? And do you feel you have multipotentiality? You might be a gifted adult.
This podcast is dedicated to those who feel they are gifted adults. The guest this time is Paula Prober, a licensed psychotherapist and the author of two books, Your Rainforest Mind and Journey into your Rainforest Mind.
Paula begins by talking about her definition of someone who has the rainforest mind including qualities, and examples of those gifted adults. She also discusses some of the challenges of gifted adults including waiting for things, overwhelm and meeting up to one’s potential as well as the ability to focus.
Paula talks about the many gifts of those who are gifted adults and talks about where the term rainforest mind comes from.
And she gives advice for anyone who might need a little help in fostering their gifts.
Find Paula Prober at: https://rainforestmind.wordpress.com/
I’m looking for you the listener to tell your story and at the same time, give others advice on how to minimize the distractions in life, become more focused and get more out of life. It does not have to be focused around ADHD. As long as you can provide value to the listeners of Overcoming Distractions.
If you have experience in creating time management practices, entrepreneurship, productivity, and solid tips for those in business, that will help others.
If you have an inspirational story of how you have overcome the odds in life, or business and become successful despite some setbacks, please send in your story. Did you have a horrible time in school? Let’s talk. Have you found the perfect career and want to share that with others, lets talk.
Have you come up with an awesome business idea? Cool, lets talk.
Go to https://overcomingdistractions.com/ and hit the Contact page. Don’t forget to fill in as much detail as you can including what other listeners can take away from our discussion.
Remember, I cannot get back to everyone who submits an idea but please know that every single submission will be read.
If you are looking for some great advice on how to achieve some peace of mind in this busy world, this is a great podcast for you to listen to. Giovanni Dienstmann is the guest and he is a meditation teacher and coach. Giovanni is also the author of Practical Medication, A Simple Step by Step Guide. Giovanni calmly walks us through some of his approach to gaining a more peaceful life on this episode.
We talk about the concept of the monkey mind, what it is and what the monkey mind can prevent us from doing in life and business. How the monkey mind clutters our thoughts and ways we can tame that distracted mind.
Giovanni discusses the three pillars of mindfulness including calm, centered and focused. He discussed the difference between all of them and how achieving some mastery over these traits, we can become much more relaxed and aware of our minds, body and surroundings.
Giovanni gives his experts tips on how to get started on a mindfulness program and simple exercises to begin the practice of mindfulness. He also talks about other ways to practice meditation and mindfulness including walking.
We take time toward the end to have a chat about the bully in our minds and Giovanni takes time to walk us through ways we can tame the bully in our heads.
You can find out more about Giovanni, his courses, book and coaching here at his website.
For many people, feeling guilty is a daily thing. It consumes our way of thinking and it can paralyze us, and get in the way of feeling good about ourselves. It can also control our thinking and be the go-to reaction to many circumstances we encounter in life and in business.
This is a podcast about guilt and other feelings we encounter in our lives. The guest is Nancy Colier a psychotherapist and author of the books, “Inviting a Monkey to Tea: Befriending Your Mind and Discovering Lasting Contentment, among other publications.
Nancy talks about what guilt is and she defines guilt as well as discusses where guilt originates from in our lives. Have we trained our brains to feel guilty? She answers that important question as is there a part of the brain that feels guilty.
We talk about how sometimes we feel guilt and we don not even know it because it has become a major part of our lives.
Why do some people anticipate guilt before it evens happens? And how do shame and guilt live together in our minds?
Nancy walks us through how we can begin to change the patterns of guilt in our lives with actionable tips and skills to begin mastering. Those include an understanding of guilt, self-acceptance, what is impostor syndrome and how we can shape our relationships so we can feel less guilty over time.
Find out more about Nancy Colier here: https://nancycolier.com/
Find her article on guilt for Psychology Today here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inviting-monkey-tea/201801/when-feeling-guilty-is-your-natural-state
This podcast has pretty much nothing to do with ADHD and everything to do with personal growth, development, creating successful habits and achieving goals. There’s a story here for everyone who wants more out of life.
But, if you do have ADHD, or not...you will learn a lot about focus and habits from this discussion with Alicia Doyle.
Alicia Doyle is the guest and she is the author of Fighting Chance, the story of her journey from journalist to female boxing champion.
Alicia describes her journey starting as a reporter covering a boxing gym for youth and how that ultimately got her into the sport of boxing. Dave and Alicia discuss a number of topics about her training including the feeling she got out of training, how she gained more focus through boxing and why it was critical, and she discusses the personal benefits from training in the world of boxing.
She discusses what she is most proud of as a result of training in the sport of boxing and what others can take away from her journey in the boxing world.
What is it like training in the boxing gym for hours? Alicia talks about the rigors of training for a fight.
Alicia also talks about how boxing helped her with routines and habits, goal setting and personal growth. And of course, health and wellness.
And Alicia gives her tips on how to achieve what you want in business and in life and how the world of boxing helped her set a path for success.
You can find out more about Alicia Doyle as well as purchase her book here: https://aliciadoyle.com/
If you are looking for a creative outlet and have some fun at the same time, you’ll enjoy this discussion with Grant Crowell, author of the book, Grantasms. The book has hundreds of made up words created by the author to describe all kinds of people, situations and other things that might bother us, make us happy or, need a more accurate description.
What is a nononoshow? What’s a social beef? And are you a gerk?
ADHD or not, you’ll have a laugh and maybe learn a few things about yourself in this podcast and figure out that there is a word for everything!
Grant talks about the inspiration he had in writing the book and the creative efforts it took to build a library of word to describe some of our everyday situations. He uses many in our discussion, (like they were our first language…) and he goes through some of his favorite Grantasms.
He speaks about how creating and using these words, he has been able to interrupt many negative patterns in his brain and clear a path to creativity and focus.
Grant also speaks about his rewarding work at Dell Technologies and how he has the chance to work with all types of individuals and all kinds of brains.
Grant offers his advice for his advice for those of us who may be distracted for a better experience in the workplace and he speaks about the acceptance of those with different brains in the corporate world as well as what many have to offer an organization.
And we have fun! Which is most important.
You can find Grant and his book Grantasms, Creative Twisted Words for Cool People, here: https://www.amazon.com/GRANTASMS-Creative-twisted-words-people/dp/0578523469/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1595604805&sr=8-1
We have Dr. Hackie Reitman back from DifferentBrains.org on this podcast to discuss why we all need some inspirational stories in our lives to boost our mood.
Hackie is the founder of Different Brains, a website that has tremendous resources for all types of brains and is an incredible place to learn and be inspired.
Hackie recently published a blog about Hunter Wittrock, a young man with cerebral palsy who trained for months to be able to walk across the stage to get his diploma. Dave and Hackie discuss that story and why others stories just like it help to improve our mood and sometimes get us out of a slump or bad day.
Dave and Hackie talk about what they think his motivation might have been and what others can take away from his strong desire to make such an impact for his own life.
Hackies discusses why he feels we need these stories in our live and how they help the brain cope with bad days and how they assist us in improving our moods.
How can we create these stores for ourselves? Hackie talks about that as well.
And we talk some boxing from Hackie’s pro boxing days and some lessons we can all take away from that.
Find Different Brains here: https://www.differentbrains.org/
And read Hackie’s blog post here: https://www.differentbrains.org/turning-tough-days-around-the-brain-improving-moods/
People, whether they have ADHD or not, are always looking for ways to build more confidence and get rid of the doubt going on inside their heads. This week, we’ll talk about going from doubt, to increasing your self-confidence with Rochelle Seltzer, and executive coach based just outside of Boston, MA.
Some of the discussion points we have during the conversation include talking about what cause doubt in our lives including business and in our personal life. We talk about whether doubt is the same has being stuck and how the two can work together to get in the way of moving forward in life.
We discuss how some people may have a real burst of confidence and the suddenly have that last-minute doubt when it’s time to execute on a project or other large life event. We talk about self-sabotage and if they could be related.
The discussion transitions to what confidence can do for us in business and in life and Rochelle talks about the process for changing your mindset from constant doubt to having more confidence.
Rochelle lays out some daily exercises that help us control doubt and increase confidence and talks about some of the routines we can get ourselves into to help.
How do we handle outside forces that try to tear our confidence down? Rochelle talks about that and she presents her top tips to go from doubt to increasing self-confidence.
Find Rochelle and her book here: https://www.rochelleseltzer.com/
There are many of us that have a different relationship with time. By that, some of us are what we call time blind. That is when we not only loose track of time, but also have difficulty estimating how much time you might need to perform some task or project.
You do Not have to have an ADHD diagnosis to experience being time blind. All brains can underestimate time for a whole host of reasons. But those with ADHD, do get most of the attention when it comes to the subject of time.
This podcast, Dave talks with Jaclyn Paul a writer and Ap developer. Jaclyn also runs the website ADHD Homestead where she writes about ADHD and all types of topics associated with it. Jaclyn wrote an article recently about how she combats her time blindness and Dave and Jaclyn discuss some of her techniques.
Jaclyn and Dave discuss what being time blind looks like and what can happen when we completely lose track of time. And they chat about how sometimes being time blind can be humorous and how many times it can be frustrating.
Jaclyn talks about some of her strategies she uses to reduce being time blind including one special technique that involves the kitchen and keeping on track.
She also goes through some of her favorite techniques and methods including the Apple watch.
You can find Jaclyn Paul here:
If you have ever felt like you did not belong in a certain situation or you thought you were not good enough to be working in a career or job, this is a great podcast episode for you to listen to.
Impostor Syndrome is feeling inadequate in various settings or having a feeling that you have not earned the right to be where you are. Are you working in a career that you did not get a formal education in? Are you constantly in a room full of very successful people and feel out of place or feel like a fraud? That’s impostor Syndrome.
In this podcast on Impostor Syndrome, we talk with Jen Coken and she walks us through what impostor syndrome is, how it might be formed and why we think we have not earned the right to be where we are in life. Jen works as an executive coach, a speaker and she holds several other programs to help individuals achieve their best and get the most out of life and career. You’ll also find her performing stand up comedy from time to time so you know this podcast interview is going to be a great one!
Jen talks about how damaging this can be to our self esteem, our confidence and our ability to manage our career or business and what we can do to start to overcome this negative pattern of thinking.
Jen talks about what regular activities you can practice to stay positive and who can help you work through these types of challenges.
And as always, our guest gives us her top tips for overcoming impostor syndrome that you can implement today!
Fine more about Jen Coken and her offerings at her website: https://www.jencoken.com/
Find her webinar on impostor syndrome here: https://www.jencoken.com/courses/imposter-syndrome-webinar
On this episode of Overcoming Distractions, we talk about a common buzzword lately and that’s the topic of pivoting. You can call it pivoting, change of direction, or change of course. Whatever you want to term it, some of us are going to make a major change in our lives more than once.
For many with ADHD, we can get pretty good with this. But this podcast is a great discussion for anyone who is considering a major change in their life. You do not have to have ADHD to benefit from this discussion.
The guest this week is Sherry Dutra of Dutra Associates. Sherry is a professional certified coach working in New England but has had clients all over the world. She works in the areas of talent development, career management as well as serving as a retirement coach for many. She has a wealth of expertise when it comes to making major life and career changes.
We often hear the word Pivot so Dave asks Sherry what pivoting really means. We talk about some of the more common reasons that would cause someone to want to make a major change and if she has seen more people take “inventory” of their career during the COVID 19 crisis.
Sherry walks listeners through the steps a person can take to minimize any mistakes when making a change in your career life or business.
Does it always have to be a big change? Or just a small shift? Sherry answers this question about maybe making small changes that help us feel renewed.
What does Sherry caution people with before going out and making a pivot? She talks about real motive, adequate finances, education and training.
Sherry wraps up the conversation with her top tips for pivoting, making a career change or starting a new business.
You can find Sherry Dutra at her website:
We have Dr. Lara Honos-Webb back on Overcoming Distractions to talk about how to make your gifts shine with ADHD. Many of us with ADHD need to work extra hard to find our gifts as well as believe that our ADHD can be a gift. With so many negative thoughts about our attention span and other traits, we often feel that our ADHD is a total curse.
Dr. Honos Webb gives is a sense of why there is so much stigma in the public associated with having a differently wired brain. And we reverse that question to find out why so many with ADHD have a personal sigma about themselves and not believe in their own gifts.
She also helps listeners understand how we can actually convince ourselves that we have gifts associated with our ADHD. We may fall into that negative talking trap and she walks us through how we can all better understand our gist and positive qualities.
We talk about the workplace and ADHD and how we can gain more confidence in the workplace and how we can thrive and show our boss or our employer how valuable we can be to an organization. And, how we can have more confidence in ourselves in business and in life.
Dr Lara gives us her top tips for ways we can identify our gifts and put them into action including some great tips on self-care and mindfulness to help of foster more creativity and harmony in our lives.
You can find out more about Dr. Lara Honos Webb here including many of her books on ADHD: www.addisagift.com
The power of positive self-talk is the topic for this important podcast this time. There are many ways to thrive with Adult ADHD and many ways to focus on your strengths. This episode is decided to having a positive mindset and learning how to be nice to yourself.
The guest this week is Lara Honos Webb, a clinical psychologist based in California and the author of many books on ADHD.
We talk about how many of us, ADHD or not, get stuck in a trap of negative self talk and where that negativity comes from. For many with ADHD or other types of different brains, school was not a great place for us and in many cases, it was the cause of negative thoughts and patterns.
We discuss they types of things you may find in common with people that get in this habit of negative self talk and how this can progress into other areas of life.
Lara talks about how negative self talk can affect us and affect others around us and why it is such a negative force in our lives.
We discuss the benefits of positive self talk and why it is so important to our wellbeing and mindset. And what brain scans can tell us about how to talk to ourselves.
Lara walks us through how we get on a path of minimizing these negative behaviors and some final tips for everyone, whether we have ADHD or not.
Find Lara’s article on Psychology Today here. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-gift-adhd/201903/self-talk-solutions-adhd
Lara’s website for more info. https://www.addisagift.com/
This week, Benjamin Cheyette, M.D. is back on Overcoming Distractions to speak about how you can embrace your ADHD brain. Many of those with ADHD do struggle with many of the negative aspects of having ADHD but countless also embrace that ADHD brain they were given and have used it for forge great careers and launch successful businesses.
On this podcast, we discuss how adults with ADHD can embrace their strengths that come with ADHD and learn how to live with and manage some of the limitations that they might be experiencing. We also first take the time to discuss why some individuals may or may not identity themselves as ADHD or having ADHD and we do address how some may struggle with getting to a place where they can feel they are thriving in life.
Dr. Cheyette also talks about the fact that some run away from their ADHD and decide not to address it or even characterize themselves as someone who just might have a different brain. We discuss the pros and cons of that situation.
How do we work toward embracing ADHD or the brain we were given? Dr. Cheyette talks about how we can look inward and find the good in our ADHD. We also discuss why it is important for people to focus on the positives and Dr. Cheyette offers his perspective from a clinical point of view
Ben also discusses the difference between an ADHD coach and a psychologist like himself. When should you see someone like him and when does it make sense to use the services and guidance of an ADHD coach. Having a professional by your side can help you embrace your own ADHD in different ways.
Find Dr. Cheyette’s article we mention in the podcast below.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/1-2-3-adhd/201709/thinking-focus
The title of this podcast interview is interesting and so is the project by the same name. What would our world look like without the minds of those with ADHD? The ADHD mind is responsible for so many of the inventions, discoveries and other things we enjoy and many of us are unaware of that. Those with ADHD are thinkers and problem solvers and so much progress has been made by the minds of neurodiversity.
This podcast has Dr. Kirsten Milliken and ADHD Coach Kris Mitchell as guests. Their project “Would You Want to Live In A World Without ADHD?” is meant to show the world that there have been many positives from the world of ADHD.
We always hear about negatives with ADHD but the three talk about some of the positive aspects of ADHD.
They discuss why those without ADHD should change their perspective about ADHD as well as individuals with ADHD. Both can have a negative view.
The group talks about why so many with ADHD need to chart their own course including some of the professionals they profile on the website. www.worldwithoutadhd.com
How does someone really find out what their strengths are? Dr. Kirsten and Kris have some thoughts on how to really home in on what you are good at.
Dr. Kirsten and Kris talk all about the project “Would You Want to Live In A World Without ADHD?” Why they launched it, what they are trying to achieve and how you can be a part of this groundbreaking effort.
They also answer the question- What life lessons do you feel can be taught through the lens of ADHD? To anyone regardless of whether they have ADHD or not.
This is a great discussion about looking at ADHD through a different and positive lens.
You can be a part of the project by logging on to their website: www.worldwithoutadhd.com
For most of us, we want to be truly happy and that involves finding out who we really are, what we were put on this earth to do and our purpose in life. Not the meaning of life, but our purpose. And that’s what this podcast is all about. Back again is Grandmaster Chris Berlow from Empowered Mastery and he talks about how to identify your purpose and get to know yourself a little better.
Chris talks about ways to find happiness in your life and how to identify your own personal values as well as why that is important to everyone. He also defines happiness as he sees it and it is not all related to money.
Chris also walks us through what Empowered Mastery calls the LAB Report which is the Life Alignment Blueprint which he walks many of his clients through to help them create clarity in their lives. And he talks about how to draft a Worthy Ideal which is a personal statement of what is important to you in life as an individual.
You can find Grandmaster Chris Berlow at: https://empoweredmastery.com/
What is ADHD? What role does dopamine play in the brain? How does dopamine work in the brain? These are some of the questions we answer in this episode of Overcoming Distractions the podcast this week.
Benjamin Cheyette, MD, Ph.D is the guest this week and we go back to some basics of ADHD and the brain. Maybe you were diagnosed with ADHD but don’t really know more about the how ADHD really works and what some of the characteristics are. Ben breaks ADHD down beautifully and with a lot of detail.
Ben and Dave spend a lot of time on dopamine. What dopamine is and how it works in the brain. Dopamine is not an ADHD thing. Every human relies on dopamine as well as animals and Ben walks us through a very detailed explanation from the neuroscience point of view. Ben says that it is the reward system for the brain, and we all need it.
Ben also takes time to distinguish between short term dopamine rushes such as when someone likes your photo on social media and longer term dopamine such as when you find the job and career that you love.
Ben wraps up by discussing what it takes to be you. At least in the world of ADHD, many of us must find out who we are and what we like and dislike. Ben says to start with writing down your values and finding what you want to accomplish and what you ultimately need to say no to and cut off.
Ben is also the co-author of the book ADHD and the Focused Mind. He talks briefly about the book and some of the lessons in the book.
You can find the book here; https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0757004148
Find his blog here on Phycology Today; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/1-2-3-adhd
This week on Overcoming Distractions, we talk with Brendan Mahan about what he calls the Wall of Awful. Brendan who has been on the podcast before and was featured in the book, Overcoming Distractions talks about how those who struggle with various takes can find a way to tackle those responsibilities that might be plaguing them to no end.
Brendan is also the founder of ADHD Essentials and coaches individuals of all ages. He runs the popular podcast by the same name.
Brendan says that there is a progression that many with ADHD go through when it comes to getting things accomplished. They run from failure, disappointment, rejection, worry, self-doubt and the emotions run high sometimes. There are just some days when anyone, regardless of whether they have ADHD or not, can run into this Wall of Awful and we need to find ways to tackle this wall.
Brendan talks about the ways in which you can tackle the Wall of Awful. Some ways are much better than others. He talks about putting a door in the wall, smashing though the wall and going around the wall. He talks about the strategies involved in trying to get from goals and tasks to done and accomplished.
Brendan and Dave also spend time on the topic of email and how it can slow our days down. Brendan shares some of his tips for making email more manageable and fun at the same time.
In this podcast, Brendan answers the common question, why is it so difficult some days to get things done! And he has the answers.
Find Brendan Mahan at his website which includes ADHD Essentials the Podcast.
This is an important episode for anyone that has had their work environment abruptly altered due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus crisis. Many of us are now working from home and may not be ready for that change to our working environment.
Dave sits down with Casey Dixon of Dixon Life Coaching about how you can continue to work and stay productive during this drastic change in our work and home life. Casey works with professionals including lawyers, professors and others in high-demand careers to help them stay on track and stay productive.
Dave and Casey talk about how in a time of crisis, there can be a shock to a person’s work environment and they talk about what can happen. However, many with ADHD who have become successful, have systems in place and can transition during these times. But there still can be challenges.
They discuss how to set up a place in your home if you don’t already have a dedicated space to work from. And they walk through how to set priorities when you suddenly have a house full of children that do not have a school to go to.
Casey also talks about what happens when you suddenly have nothing to do. Many in the COVID-19 crisis lost their jobs or had a sudden drop in client work. While we hope this is temporary, Casey talks about how to stay active during these times.
And Casey goes through a checklist if you have suddenly had to change your work environment. She talks about time management, routines, staying healthy with mind and body exercises, blocking distractions and negotiating some structure with the rest of the family.
You can find Casey Dixon here: https://www.dixonlifecoaching.com/
If you want to improve your focus with ADHD, this will be a great podcast for you to listen to. Back for round two is Dr. Sarah Cheyette, a specialist in ADHD and the author of Winning with ADHD and the title of our podcast, ADHD and The Focused Mind.
In her book, Sarah and her co-authors Peter Johnson and Ben Cheyette walk readers through how you can use the techniques of athletes and martial artists to achieve greater focus when you have ADHD.
Sarah and Dave first talk about the myth that those with ADHD cannot focus. In fact, people with ADHD can have tremendous focus when they want to and on things that matter to them. They address both the public’s perception as well as the self-talk that many with ADHD tell use to tell themselves otherwise.
Sarah and Dave discuss our need for goals, how we have our best performance when we have practical and achievable goals and how self esteem comes from achievement. Sarah also goes through the concept of SMART Goals and how to implement them in your life.
Sarah talks about the will to train versus the will to win and how they differ.
And Dave and Sarah discuss how to how mind and body work together to help those with ADHD including nutrition, sleep, exercise, a healthy breakfast and positive visualization. How to keep your spirit up and the importance of believing in yourself.
Find Sarah Cheyette and the book here: https://sarahcheyette.com/
This week we are talking about time again but this is not a time management episode. This episode we are talking about how those with ADHD experience time differently than others. Dave sits down with ADHD Coach, Shelly Collins. Shelly also co-hosts the ADHD podcast Translating ADHD with Cameron Gott who has also been on Overcoming Distractions for a couple of discussions.
Dave and Shelly discuss what adults with ADHD struggle with when it comes to time and of course, the list could become numerous. But they also point out that those with ADHD are not the only ones that have challenges with time and that it is important for anyone with ADHD to understand this.
Dave asks Shelly what time “feels Like” for adults with ADHD and how that can be different than those that are neurotypical. Shelly discusses time horizons and how many with ADHD struggle with long term planning in regards to time. Does the future exist for adults with ADHD and what is destination thinking.
They also discuss topics such as procrastination as well as other forms of time delay that could be mistaken for time management issues.
And Shelly gives he tips for starting down a path of having a better relationship with time.
You can find Shelly Collins at: https://www.gatewayproductivity.com/
And find Translating ADHD the podcast at: translatingadhd.com
This week we chat with Sarah Cheyette MD about social anxiety. While many adults with ADHD might be very outgoing and have the gift of being a great communicator, some of those with ADHD also experience social anxiety in various situations.
Sarah Cheyette is the author of two books on ADHD; ADHD and the Focused Mind, as well as Winning with ADHD.
Sarah starts out by describing just what social anxiety is and how those with ADHD can experience this in various settings, both at home and at work. She discusses negative thinking and the neuroscience around it. Sarah also talks about the anxious part of our brains and that sometimes, we have challenges thinking straight when we are nervous.
Dave and Sarah talk about extrovert versus introvert and how for many of us, depending on the situation, can be both. Many with ADHD are outgoing. Can we be both?
Sarah says that from many that experience social anxiety, it can start at an early age. Many with ADHD experience a large amount of negative talk as we grew up. From school and classroom, as well as bad report cards to other areas of our lives where maybe we didn’t quite fit in.
Dave and Sarah talk about having more self-awareness about social anxiety and how you can better understand your own challenges. They discuss the types of issues can this cause as an adult or young adult including college and getting into the workplace.
And Sarah goes through some of her tips for managing social anxiety and getting more comfortable in public settings.
You can find Sarah Cheyette at: https://sarahcheyette.com/
Back this week for another podcast is Dr. Sharon Saline to discuss the topic of whether people grow out of ADHD. It is another one of those common discussions in the world of ADHD and a topic that many have different views on.
Dr Saline is the author of the book What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew and in private practice in Western Massachusetts.
Dave and Dr. Saline first discuss her book and that fact that there are many parts of the book that resonate with both children and adults with ADHD and there are valuable lessons to be taken away from her book.
Dr. Saline cites various research that suggests some children do outgrow ADHD but there is another camp that suggests that in most cases it is more about adapting to your environment and becoming more self-aware.
Dr. Saline brings up our 11 executive functions and how they operate. When we are doing the things we love, in the right environment or we have a great career that we enjoy, those executive functions may work great.
She also brings up what she calls the 5 C’s that she outlines in her book. Those are, Self control, compassion, collaboration, consistency and celebration. She details these and how they help an individual with ADHD.
Join Dave and Dr. Saline for a great discussion about whether we do in fact grow out of our ADHD>
Find Dr. Sharon Saline on her website at: https://drsharonsaline.com/
You can find her latest book here; https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143132393
If you have ADHD, you are probably a creative person and this podcast is dedicated to you. This week, Dave has back Laura MacNiven, founder of the Springboard Clinic based in Toronto.
Laura is also the co-author of the book, “May We Have Your Attention Please.” and Dave and Laura had a chat back several months ago about the book and several other topics with adult ADHD.
Laura and Dave discuss the topic of having ADHD and being a creative person. While many of us are creative by nature, some struggle with getting in that creative zone. Once we do, magic can happen. But we need to get there first.
Laura walks us through some of the tactics we can do to harness our creative expertise and make it flourish. She talks about learning when you can be most creative and what setting provides a flow of creativity.
Laura also speaks about how to track your creative ideas and how to find the easiest way to express your creativity.
And she speaks about finding out if you have a certain time of day that your creativity flows naturally.
One of the gifts of having adult ADHD is that we can be creative and make that work for us both for enjoyment as well as for our careers.
Find out more about the Springboard Clinic here and find the book, May We have Your Attention Please.
This week Dave invited Jeff Copper from Dig Coaching back to continue the theme of ADHD myths. There are many myths about ADHD and Jeff and Dave tackle one that is always on the minds of many.
Myth- People with ADHD cannot focus.
This myth discussion is for both the general public and those with ADHD who feel they cannot focus.
While many with ADHD do have issues with attention, the fact that those with ADHD cannot focus is simply not true. Yes, some with ADHD do have challenges with focus but there are a few key elements when it comes to focus, attention and getting important matters taken care of.
Jeff explains that what we focus on depends on what we are interested in which is not unlike anyone. Whether an individual has ADHD or not, humans pay attention to things that they are interested in.
That goes for career and other interests.
Dave and Jeff talk about emotions, social media, getting in the right job and right career and they discuss positive self-talk. They also talk about how certain jobs and industries change with innovation and technology and how that can affect someone’s ability to focus.
Jeff also discusses way in which those with ADHD can increase their focus.
Find Jeff copper at: www.digcoaching.com
This week, Dave sits down with Dr. Hackie Reitman, the founder of Different Brains. Different Brains is a tremendous resource for those who consider themselves neurodiverse and their families. And for that matter, anyone that wants to learn more about those of us with different brains. From ADHD, autism and so much more, the website covers a wide range of topics.
Hackie and Dave talk about what neurodiversity is as well as where Hackie got his passion for this stage of his life. Hackie talks about his daughter and her challenges early on and how this inspired him to bring more attention to the world of neurodiversity.
Dave and Hackie talk about how a different brain can add value to a business and how different perspectives can be gained by an organization that listens to those with different abilities. Is ADHD misunderstood by the public and the business world? Hackie and Dave discuss this as well.
Hackie talks about his book Aspertools which is a guide for those with Asperger syndrome and others on the autism spectrum. You can find that book here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0757318533/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0
Hackie also talks about how he got his movie made, The Square Root of 2 about his daughter’s experiences growing up. He talks about being a professional boxer, surgeon and so much more.
In all, this is a great discussion about those of us who have different brains.
Learn more about Hackie and find all the incredible resources he has developed with his team at: https://www.differentbrains.org/
This week, Dave gets to sit down and chat with Max Fennell, a professional triathlete, entrepreneur and ADHD advocate. Max was also featured on the CBS show Million Dollar Mile, produced by LeBron James.
Max talks about growing up and how he found the world of triathlons and how a sports injury led him to this sport.
Max also discuses his tips for adults with ADHD and how he manages his ADHD including running and why he feels that is an important way to start the day.
Max and Dave also talk about the fact that many professional athletes have ADHD and that is the path in life they took.
Max gives the parents who may be raising a child with ADHD some hope and inspiration as he talks about making sure children and young adults who may be neurodiverse, the chance to find their way in life. Academics may not be for everyone and many with ADHD thrive in careers and business opportunities that they did not go to school for.
Learn more about Max at: https://www.maxfennell.co/
This week we discuss some of the more popular myths about ADHD. And back to discuss this topic is Cameron Gott, an ADHD coach that works with adults, leaders and others in high-demand positions. Cam was on Overcoming Distractions in episode 39 when we discussed good brain management for those with ADHD.
There are countless myths about ADHD that you will find out there on the internet and beyond. Dave and Cam discuss some of these in a humorous and frustrating way to try and shed more light on the topic and understanding of ADHD.
Cam and Dave talk about the ultimate ADHD myth and that is the notion that ADHD is not real. With science behind the diagnosis of ADHD, there is more than enough proof that ADHD is a real thing. But listen to hear more about this myth.
Another very popular myth as that ADHD is just in kids. If you know anything about ADHD, it is best described as an unregulated amount of dopamine that enters the prefrontal cortex of the brain. While many may learn to cope, and become more self-aware, the fact is that you do not outgrow your ADHD.
Another topic that Dave and Cam chat about is the belief that people with ADHD are not successful. As you may know, Dave wrote Overcoming Distractions and interview many successful entrepreneurs with ADHD so those of us in the ADHD community know that there are many successful individuals that have made a great impact in business and in life.
How can we educate people about ADHD? Cam and Dave chat about the countless resources out there that both those with and without ADHD can tap into to find out more about the topic.
If you want to find out more about Cameron Gott and ADHD coaching, check out his website: https://www.camerongott.com/
This week, Dave chats with Peter Shankman, author of the book, Faster Than Normal. The book is about adult ADHD and how to use that gifted brain you were given at birth. Peter also hosts a very popular podcast by the same name.
Peter Shankman as you may know is a very successful entrepreneur and keynote speaker. Peter travels the county and the world and can be in New York one day, and across the globe the next day. And that’s what Dave and Peter discuss.
How to manage your ADHD and thrive with ADHD when you are a busy entrepreneur.
Peter talks about how he has created routines that help him with his very busy schedule. Whether he is in New York or another part of the world, Peter keeps a routine to make sure he stays on track and as productive as he can be. Peter talks about the importance of exercise and working out. And how he uses it to stay on track when he might cross several time zones.
Does Peter have a different routine for when he’s home and when he travels? He’ll answer that question as well as how manages his busy schedule in a different time zone.
Peter also talks about whether he uses pen and paper to keep track of everything or if he uses technology for projects, to-do lists and other tasks. He talks about some of his favorite aps he uses to stay productive and why he pretty much puts his life in the cloud.
And Peter gives some hope to those who may be raising a child or young adult with ADHD and that may be struggling. Many who have gone through hard times with ADHD come out very successful in business and Peter has a few words to say about staying positive.
Peter has been a tremendous advocate for how you can thrive with ADHD and how you can see the positive aspect of having ADHD. As long as you are managing it properly. Find out some of Peter’s top ADHD tips in this value-packed episode.
You can connect with Peter at: www.Shankman.com or www.Fasterthannormal.com
This week Dave sits down with Cena Block and they discuss why many of us always feel too busy. Cena is an ADHD coach, working with many professionals and entrepreneurs. Cena is also a certified organizer coach and productivity consultant.
Why do I always feel so busy? Cena talks with Dave about this important question.
Dave and Cena discuss why many of us feel like there are just not enough hours in the day to get what we need to get done. We always feel like there is just too much on our plate. Cena talks about the reasoning behind this and offers her thoughts on the way our busy world works today.
Cena talks about some of the reasons that contribute to our business including time management, cluttered mind and clutter spaces as well as our lack of systems in our business life.
Cena offers us some advice for when we are actually too busy and we have too many things on our plate. Sometimes we can feel busy but other times, we actually do have too many items on our to-do list. Cena sorts this out for us.
Cena also walks us through how to begin the process of managing how busy we are and how busy we feel and gives us some actional tips to think about.
You can find Cena here at her website: www.SaneSpaces.com
This week we have Jeff Copper back from DIG Coaching to talk with us about working memory. Lost your car keys, forgot why you walked into a room or forgot to pack the right cloths for your trip? Your working memory is probably to blame.
Jeff explains what working memory is and how we need a good working memory to get things done during the course of our day. How working memory can affect our productivity and frustrate us when we do forget things are a major topic of discussion.
Jeff and Dave also have a little fun at our own expense. Forgetting things around the house such as walking into a room and not knowing why you are there is sometimes amusing. But also, in business, it can affect our business and the people around us if we don’t come up with solutions.
Jeff gives us real life scenarios and small examples of tests we could do to see how our working memory manages and he runs through actionable ways in which we can come up with solutions to the challenge of a lack of working memory.
Jeff also lays out a number of tools he and others use to keep track of daily tasks and large projects such as Evernote, Copy Talk and Live Scribe.
Find ADHD Coach Jeff Copper at these websites:
The topic this week is about how to have more confidence in business and in your personal life. This week on Overcoming Distractions the podcast, Dave speaks with Alyssa Dver, founder of The American Confidence Institute.
Many who might have had a challenging upbringing (such as ADHD) have had their confidence eroded over time. Dave and Alyssa talk about why some people have lost their confidence or in many cases, never had enough confidence to chase their dreams or big goals.
Alyssa defines confidence and lets us know exactly what she feels leads to a professional having the confidence they need in business.
Other discussion points in this podcast include, the topic of what actually contributes to lack of confidence and what brain science has to do with confidence. They discuss what can do for us in a business setting and the steps someone needs to take to create more confidence in their lives.
Alyssa and Dave also chat about one of the age-old questions-Confidence VS> Arrogance. What is the difference and how do we spot it.
Alyssa and her team also offer confidence coaching and she explains how confidence coaching is different than other coaching such as a business coach or life coaching.
Alyssa also discusses imposter syndrome and how this is connected to confidence. Many men and women as well as people with ADHD experience imposter syndrome at one time or another in their lives and Alyssa talks about what this is and how to counter it.
Alyssa works with professionals from all walks of life. From business professionals, entrepreneurs, lawyers, academics and many others.
Learn more about Alyssa Dver and the American Confidence Institute at: http://www.americanconfidenceinstitute.com/
Grandmaster Chris Berlow is back on Overcoming Distractions to talk about how to set and achieve the biggest goals of your life.
In 2017 Chris climbed Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet) in Tanzania, in 2018 he went to Everest Base Camp (17,600) and climbed Kalapathar (18,508) in the Himalaya’s in Nepal, in 2019 Chris went to Ecuador and climbed Cotopaxi (19,347) which is one of the tallest active volcanos in the world.
Chris will tell us about how he prepared to do these climbs and he tells us what drives him to set and achieve big goals such as climbing.
He talks about some of the highlights of those climbs and what he did to prepare mentally for these climbs.
He answers the questions:
How do we get “out of our head”?
How do we deal with frustration?
How do we set and achieve the biggest goal of our life?
Find Chris Berlow and Empowered Mastery: https://empoweredmastery.com/
This week we have Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking back on Overcoming Distractions. And we’re talking about how to get the most out of going to or attending a time management workshop or seminar. Dr. Sarah runs True Focus Coaching just outside of Boston, MA. She coaches professionals on how to get a grip on their time and she also runs the Time Matters Boot Camp.
Dr. Sarah and Dave discuss how to make sure your walk away from a time management event with actionable goals and a plan to maximize your time and why you should consider taking the right time management workshop.
Dr. Sarah walks us through some of the indicators that may lead us to decide we need to get a handle on our time and if it actually makes sense for the entire team in your business to attend as well. How do we maximize our investment is such a program and how do we follow through on the tactics and processes we have learned?
Dr. Sarah also discusses how we can do our best to make time management not complicated and what to do when our week seem to blow up in our face.
We then chat about her Time Matters Boot Camp that she holds in the Boston area.
To learn more about Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking and her Time Matters Boot Camps, check out www.CreateFocusNow.com
On this episode of Overcoming Distractions, we chat with Cris Sgrott who will guide us on how to get and stay organized when you have ADHD. Cris is with Organizing Maniacs a firm that works with many people but has a specialty in working with individuals with ADHD.
Cris is becoming well-known in the ADHD world and helps her clients with many aspects of getting organized which include physical items as well as other things including time.
Whether you have ADHD or not, you will find some incredible value and some great tips on how to get organized.
Cris answers the following questions about organization and ADHD:
On the list of challenges those with ADHD face, how high on the list is disorganization?
Is there a root cause of someone being disorganized? Why are some people with ADHD disorganized?
Why is it so hard for some of us to get and stay organized?
When has disorganization gone too far in someone’s life or business?
Organization comes with physical items as well as time. Cris and Dave chat about how time gets compromised when we are disorganized.
Dave and Cris talk solutions to getting organized. Where do we start? And how do we get organized without getting frustrated?
Do we try to get organized on our own or is it best to get help?
And Cris gives us her top tips for getting started in the office when it comes to being organized.
Learn more about Cris here: https://www.organizingmaniacs.com/
Overcoming Distractions was founded on the belief that people with ADHD can thrive and be successful, despite what you see and hear from others. Many entrepreneurs have ADHD and many with ADHD become entrepreneurs.
Many also enter leadership roles in other organizations and are responsible for not only the direction of a company but are charged with leading others. How does someone in leadership manage their ADHD and use it to their advantage?
This podcast we chat with David Rickabaugh of Leading With ADHD. David works with professionals and leaders that just happen to have ADHD and help them become better leaders as well as use their Superpowers of ADHD to become even more effective.
We discuss:
What superpowers can a leader with ADHD bring to an organization and what are the challenges associated with having ADHD in a leadership role. We chat about how to stay focused as a leader when you have employees and others under your direction.
We also discuss if it is difficult for someone to lay out their challenges honestly or if it comes naturally. Can someone with ADHD be true to themselves to work through challenges.
David walks us through how he helps leaders with ADHD create an “Owner’s Manual” so they can perform better as a leader and david gives us his top tips for fostering the superpowers of ADHD when you are in a business setting.
Find out more about David here: https://www.leadingwithadhd.com/
This week we are talking about ADHD and entrepreneurship, something that Overcoming Distractions was founded on. We chat with Rick Fiery of Inventive Labs based in Massachusetts.
Inventive labs is just that, a lab were those who think and learn just a little differently, can grow, thrive, learn and build their ideas. With a main focus on entrepreneurship, Inventive Labs also focuses on career advice, gap years and they host a pitch competition.
Rick and Dave discuss more about Inventive Labs and what the atmosphere and vibe there is like.
Rick chats about why he feels feel those with ADHD make great entrepreneurs and what separates someone with neurodiversity from others in the area of entrepreneurship?
Finding a career for many with ADHD can be a challenge so Rick discusses how Inventive Labs helps in that area and how the team atmosphere helps everyone thrive and drive their ideas forward.
He discusses how to bring ideas to the next level including writing a business plan and how to get funding for your new business idea.
And Dave asks Rick one of those powerful questions. How do you recommend someone with ADHD, etc.. “find themselves?”
Find out more about Inventive Labs here:
This week on Overcoming Distractions, we chat with Cameron Gott, an ADHD coach that works with those in business, entrepreneurs and other professionals.
We are going to talk about brain management and how to thrive with Adult ADHD, focusing on the total person, rather than just one type of technique.
While many might focus on time management techniques for those with ADHD, Cameron will discuss with us that the picture is much larger than that and if we focus on the individual, we will have a much better chance of managing our ADHD and actually thriving with it.
Cameron describes what good brain management is and the components of being self-aware.
He talks about why sleep so important to thriving with ADHD and how to achieve that goal.
Why is exercise part of good brain management? And what does it do for the brain.
He speaks to what impact proper brain management can have on an individual with ADHD.
And we discuss what other aspects of brain management are important and he gives us some quick tips for getting started with a program of good brain management. Such as.
Give credit to yourself for the good things.
Pay attention to yourself.
Collect data on yourself including good and negative traits.
And, start slow. Try one thing at a time such as exercise, meditation, etc…
You can find Cameron’s blog about good brain management for those with ADHD here: https://www.camerongott.com/blog/2019/8/14/first-things-first-good-brain-management
Check out Cameron’s new podcast here: www.TranslatingADHD.com
ADHD and shame sometimes go together and for many, it’s a real struggle. This episode of Overcoming Distractions we chat with Dr. Sharon Saline a licensed clinical psychologist and one of the top experts on ADHD for both children and adults. She is also the author of the popular book on ADHD, What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and Life.
David talks with Dr. Saline about the topic of shame and where it might stem from at an early age.
Dr. Saline defines shame as it relates to adult ADHD and explains where shame might come from. Hint, it might be some of those bad report cards…
Why shame is such a critical issue when trying to thrive with ADHD and why negative self-talk is not good for anyone with ADHD>
Dr. Saline talks about how shame can get in the way of thriving with adult ADHD and we talk about whether shame is in any way, related to imposter syndrome.
How do we begin the process of overcoming shame? Dr. Saline talks about how to begin that process.
And she gives us her top tips for someone who is experiencing shame in their life.
You can find Dr. Sharon Saline here and her book below.
Find her book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143132393
In this episode, we dig a little deep into the mind and mindset of an adult with ADHD.
While we often discuss some of the basic techniques and habits to thrive with ADHD such as sleep, exercise, time management and others, we are going to get into our minds a little bit in this episode.
Having a proper mindset is important in all aspects of a successful life but when it comes to managing and thriving with ADHD, it’s a critical part of the mix. Having the proper mindset allows you to make better decisions, not dwell on challenging situations you are placed in and it gives you the ability to see things in a different and more positive way.
Jeff tells us about his ADHD coaching practice and other activities around ADHD such as Attention Talk Radio.
Jeff defines mindset and he tells us why it’s an important part of thriving with adult ADHD.
We did into some examples of the wrong mindset with ADHD and how to think differently about challenging situations.
And we touch on how to start on a new path of mindset and self-awareness in order for an adult to thrive with ADHD.
We also chat about procrastination and the true reason why we do so, obstacle to a positive mindset and how to work with your ADHD brain.
If you need some new thoughts and inspiration to manage your ADHD, this is a great episode.
You can find Jeff at the websites below;
In this episode we chat with Melissa Orlov, author of The ADHD Effect on Marriage and The Couple’s Guide to Thriving with ADHD. Melissa aside from being an author of books on ADHD, also hosts seminars and groups on how to navigate ADHD and relationships. She is the leading authority on this subject and her groups are very popular.
In this Podcast on ADHD and Marriage we cover:
- We chat about the main reasons people come to her and her workshops?
- Melissa takes time to discuss how her ADHD groups and seminars structured.
- She details what she wants to achieve when working on a relationship with a couple.
- Melissa says that one of the keys to success is that both people in a relationship need to have an understanding of ADHD.
- We talk about relationships when it comes to entrepreneurship.
- How can that busy entrepreneur or businessperson do their part in maintaining a healthy relationship?
- Melissa’s top tips for maintaining a healthy relationship when ADHD is involved.
You can find Melissa Orlov at the website below, learn more about her books and sign up for her groups and seminars on ADHD.
This podcast we speak with Mary Ellen Wasielewski of BLT Strategies based just outside of Boston, MA. Mary Ellen and her team coach executives and others that are experiencing burnout in their career, have suffered a loss in their immediate family or they are in major transition in business or their personal life.
Mary Ellen talks with us about her personal story about how she got into this line of work and introduces us to BLT Strategies.
She talks about some of the common reasons her and the team are brought into a company or hired by an individual for coaching.
We discuss burnout and why many might experience this and not know it. How do we recognize burnout in ourselves?
We chat about the steps we need to take to overcome burnout.
We then talk about how the team works with a professional after a loss in the family and steps a busy professional needs to take to get back to work and productive after a death or major life event.
Mary Ellen has health and wellness professionals on her team and we discuss why this is so important to her goals and objectives with a client.
Mary Ellen talks about her top goals when working with a client.
You can fine out more about BLT Strategies and Mary Ellen here; https://www.bltstrategies.com/
This episode we chat with Laura MacNiven, co-founder of the Springboard Clinic based in Toronto and the author of the ADHD workbook, May We Have Your Attention Please?
The workbook is a great tool for anyone with ADHD trying to sort things out and find their way. Laura’s book is certain to do well with individuals with ADHD of all ages.
Some of the topics we discuss are:
- We discuss the general theme of the workbook
- Did the workbook fill a void in the ADHD world?
- We talk about “the hidden you” and ways to find out what the perfect day is in your life.
- We chat about how this workbook can help the busy businessperson or entrepreneur who might have ADHD.
- We also have a discussion about how the Springboard Clinic works with someone to maximize their gifts
- And for the busy professional, Laura gives us her top tips for managing and maximizing a distracted mind.
You can find the book on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.ca/Have-Attention-Please-Living-Thriving/dp/1999571908/
Find out more about the Springboard Clinic here. http://www.springboardclinic.com/
This week we talk with Lysa Miller, cofounder of 3MediaWeb, a digital marketing agency based in Hudson Massachusetts. We talk with Lysa about running and growing a digital marketing agency in a fast-paced industry, taking into consideration the constant changes in the world of marketing and PR. Lysa offers her advice and tips for creating systems that work for everyone on the team and how to manage the distractions of a digital world.
Some of the other topics we discuss are:
Running a fast-paced company in a rapidly changing industry. How do her and her team keep on top of the changing digital marketing landscape.
Social media is a big part of her business, so we discuss how they make it work in their favor.
Lysa likes to keep busy and we discuss why this is such an important part of how she manages her day and how it works in her favor when staying productive. She also keeps her team busy as well in the community and she speaks about the culture they have established by getting involved in the local community.
And she shares her tips for those that need a little help in staying on track, focused in business and need to minimize distractions.
You can find Lysa at: https://www.3mediaweb.com/
Instagram: @lysapreneaur
One major distraction in any size organization is when there is workplace conflict. When your team is not getting along, getting on the same page or working together as a team, conflict arises, and distractions become part of the workplace.
This time we chat with Carol Marzouk, “executive lion tamer” with Leadership N Soul. Carol gives us some great insight into what happens in any size organization when conflict comes into play.
Here is what we discuss:
- Some of the main reasons for workplace conflict?
- How does someone recognize that conflict is becoming a problem?
- Is there good conflict? If so, how can that be productive?
- Is conflict worse in a small business rather than a larger organization?
- How does constant conflict distract us as well as the overall business?
- How do you work to align an organization?
- What if we just can’t get along?
- Carol’s top tips for “taming the lions”
Learn more about carol here; https://leadershipnsoul.com/index.html
How to manage a crisis in your business.
There is one distraction that takes on a life of its own sometimes and it is a crisis in a business. Having a public relations crisis can not only distract you, it can stop you dead in your tracks if not handled properly.
You may say, this will never happen to me. But guess what, you would be wrong. It can happen to anyone in business. And in this world of social media, it is very different than when the only way to get news out was TV, radio and newspapers. News travels faster than at any time in our history.
We talk with Judy Rakowsky of Liberty Square Group in Boston about how to prepare, handle and mitigate the effects of a business crisis. Judy is the Senior Vice President of the firm and works with many organizations in managing and planning for a crisis.
Our discussion includes:
- We define a crisis.
- A crisis is the ultimate distraction in an organization. Why does it disrupt so much?
- Why does Judy think many in business are unprepared?
- We talk about how a crisis in this digital/social media world is a different event.
- Does Judy feel there are always advance signs of a crisis?
- In this digital age with social media, can we adequately create a crisis plan?
- What are the first few things a business should do when presented with a crisis?
- Judy’s top tips for staying out of or managing a crisis.
Find out more about Judy and Liberty Square Group at: https://libertysquaregroup.com/
Advancing Wellness is a workplace wellness consultancy based just outside of Boston. Mari and her team help build cultures of wellbeing in organizations.
We talk about what makes a company a great place to work and how an organization can build that culture of wellbeing so everyone can thrive. Even those of us who are prone to distractions.
Some of our conversation points include.
- What makes a great place to work?
- What are the items people should keep in mind when looking for a great place to work?
- What contributes to a culture of well being?
- Is work-life balance a fad, a real issue or something that many need and want?
- Does the corporate world understand the importance of work-life balance?
- Distractions- What should a person that could be prone to distractions look for in a workplace? Even in the interview.
- And, how does a person with other gifts or abilities find the right work environment? What’s the best way to work with management, your boss? Etc…
- Mari talks about her book and why she wrote it the way she did in story form.
Learn more about Mari Ryan and Advancing Wellness Here: http://www.advwellness.com/
Find Mari’s book here; https://www.amazon.com/Thriving-Hive-People-Centric-Workplaces-Engagement-ebook/dp/B07H3879LT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537111671&sr=8-1&keywords=the+thriving+hive
This week we have a great chat with Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D, and Founder of True Focus Coaching, Inc. based just outside of Boston. Sarah works with professionals at all levels to help them overcome procrastination and overwhelm and prioritize all the important tasks in their life.
If you are professional in the business world then you have no doubt experienced, overwhelm, distractions and have even procrastinated on various tasks. Sarah walks us through how to overcome various distractions in our business life and gives us actionable tips on how to be more productive.
Our conversation:
- How Sarah worked on her own struggles with procrastination and overwhelm.
- We talk about why procrastination is such a big issue with those in business
- Sarah walks us through the four issues we struggle with when it comes to time management
- Sarah’s three core philosophies when it comes to time management
- Fives step to busting through our own procrastination and overwhelm.
- The power of positive self-talk but understanding it is not the only solution
Sarah runs coaching programs as well as time management boot camps. Learn more about Sarah Reiff-Hekking here; https://www.truefocuscoaching.com/
Find Sarah’s eBook, 5 Steps to Bust Through Procrastination & Overwhelm at www.Truefocustips.com
In this episode we talk about kindness and we touch upon the related item of respect. We discuss why kindness matters in life, your business world and more importantly, kindness to yourself.
This week’s guest is Tara Cousineau, PhD and author of the book The Kindness Cure; How the Science of Compassion Can Heal Your Heart and Your World. Tara is a clinical psychologist a meditation teacher and is connected with Harvard University.
In her book she talks about the many subjects related to kindness including, stress, compassion, emotions and gratitude.
On the podcast we discuss
- The definition of kindness
- In 2019, is kindness is lacking in our society?
- She explains why kindness takes effort.
- What does stress have to do with kindness or lack of kindness?
- How do we be kind to ourselves? Despite our past experiences, etc…
- Is kindness being embraced in business culture?
- The benefits of meditation both personally and in the business world.
You can find out more about Tara and her work at: https://www.taracousineau.com/
Her book The Kindness Cure can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Kindness-Cure-Science-Compassion-Heart/dp/1626259690/
The Ted talk she refers to in our discussion with Rick Hanson can be found here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpuDyGgIeh0
The practice of marketing and public relations in a business has fundamentally changed in the past decade. When social media came into our landscape and began to take shape, it changed the way we did business on a number of levels. Those in business were left scrambling to make the best use of these new platforms. And that continues today as the rules keep changing.
In this podcast, we chat with Louis Gudema, author of the book, Bullseye Marketing. Louis helps us understanding the marketing trends in 2019 and beyond. We talk about how public relations and marketing has changed, what has stayed the same and how those in business can continue to create valuable and effective marketing and PR plans without letting is distract us into frustration.
Some points we discuss are:
- Has marketing always been a somewhat confusing part of an organization?
- Does Louis feel that marketing and PR frustrates certain people? Even marketers…
- How has marketing changed over the past decade?
- What are companies doing wrong in this digital age or marketing and PR?
- Have marketing, PR and advertising become just the same thing in this digital world?
- How do we begin to make our marketing less of a distraction and bring in more ROI?
And we have Louis Gudema’s top tips for getting an organization of any size on the right track in their marketing and PR?
You can find out more about Louis Gudema at: http://revenueassociates.biz/
And find the book Bullseye Marketing here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173220361X
When the message in your business is complicated, it causes many distractions as well as many other barriers to running a successful and growing company. From the front line, speaking with your potential customers all the way to the top to understand why your company does what it does, a lack of clarity and simplicity can make it difficult to convey what you do and why you do it.
This episode we chat with Stephen Melanson of Melanson Consulting based just outside of Boston. Stephen’s firm specializes in verbal branding and simplicity. He helps companies of all sizes get clear on a simple but effective message to help drive sales and revenue and provide a framework for that business. And in the end, help to differentiate your business from others in the market.
Here are some of our discussion points and takeaways;
- What do you companies get wrong in this area of messaging?
- Why does a mixed message cause distractions in a business?
- How does complicating matters around your message, hurt a business? Internal, external?
- For the busy and distracted entrepreneur or person in business, why is this even more important? Or for that matter, an entire organization that’s distracted, unfocused.
- When everyone is aligned in an organization, what happens?
- Is the elevator speech still a thing?
- How does a busy company or small business begin the process of simplifying their message?
- Stephen’s top tips for implementing solid verbal branding and simplicity in a business of any size.
You can find out more about Melanson Consulting here:
http://www.melansonconsulting.com/
This week we chat with the high-energy Master Paul Melella. Paul is a 6th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and runs a very successful martial arts business in New York. Paul is also a partner in the firm Empowered Mastery where he coaches high-performing individuals to take their career and business to new levels.
Paul talks about what is needed to gain and maintain some mental toughness in the business world. There are so many ups and downs as well as emotions when it comes to being in business or being in a career that has high demands. Paul walks us through what it takes to navigate the rough waters of business.
Some of the things we discuss are:
- Defining mental toughness in business
- Why is it important to have a little bit of toughness when you are in the business world?
- What from the martial arts can someone bring into their business?
- For someone that might be prone to distractions or unfocused, how does Paul work with them?
- How do we work through frustrations, such as being in sales, building a business? Meeting goals?
- Do things like fear and confidence tend to chip away at someone’s ability to hang tough in business?
- Paul’s top tips for mental toughness in the business world
You can find out more about Paul and Empowered Mastery at: www.EmpoweredMastery.com
What happens when the distracted child or youth becomes an adult? All kinds of things. And it’s the topic of many discussions of those who have children working their way through school and beyond. Between emotions, changing interests, demands from school and others, those who may be prone to distractions, including people with ADHD can struggle at first before they find their way.
With the proper strategies in place, routines and some self-awareness, a young adult with ADHD can thrive, become a responsible happy adult and make great things happen in their life.
Our guest this week is Brendan Mahan of ADHD Essentials. Brendan is an ADHD coach in Massachusetts and works with children, young adults, adults with ADHD and entire families.
Some of the topic we cover include:
- How is ADHD different in adults than children. What are the more significant challenges in each?
- As a young adult gets older, what types of challenges do you try to address?
- Are there common issues that arise as a child enters adulthood? Opposition, defiance, or on the flipside, motivation and energy?
- Does this time of change present anger, sadness, frustration? Etc…
- How can a person be more self-aware?
- How can those around them offer support?
- Tools to be more focused.
You can find Brendan at www.ADHDEssentials.com
This week on Overcoming Distractions the Podcast, we tackle one of the most misunderstood topics in the world of getting things accomplished. Procrastination. What you will learn quickly from our guest is that procrastination is not a time management issue. It is an emotional regulation issue. Does procrastination cause us to lose time? Yes, but at its core, it is not a time management issue.
Our guest is Dr. Timothy Pychyl Associate Professor of Psychology at Carleton University and the author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. Dr. Pychyl has been studying and researching procrastination for over 20 years and is the leading authority on procrastination.
If you have ever procrastinated this will be a fascinating podcast on procrastination that will have you engaged from beginning to end.
Here’s is what we cover:
The real definition of procrastination.
What procrastination is not.
Do “experts” out there that have procrastination wrong?
Recognizing procrastination.
How do we break the cycle of procrastination?
Tips for those who are habitual procrastinators.
ADHD and procrastination.
Assuring people, they are not alone…
Find out more about Dr. Pychyl’s work at: http://www.procrastination.ca/
You can find his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Solving-Procrastination-Puzzle-Concise-Strategies-ebook/dp/B00DGZKJ3Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548335913&sr=8-1&keywords=Procrastination+puzzle
Everyone wants to set goals at the beginning of the year. And most of us do set some type of goals. But many of us also come away dissatisfied with our results or we just find ourselves not sticking to the plan. Maybe we try to set huge goals that end up being unrealistic or our goals are so big and broad that we don’t know how to take the next step.
This episode of Overcoming Distractions the Podcast we bring back Chris Berlow of Empowered Mastery. Chris will walk us through a number of items to help us set and archive our goals that we have set out to execute. And if you are prone to distractions, like many of us, he will offer smart suggestions for setting goals and staying on track. From our daily goals we set out to get done to long term goals.
This is not just another boring podcast on goal setting. This is real world and actionable advice.
Other topics we cover include:
Why do people hate goal setting?
Is a new year the best time to set goals?
Small goals or big goals?
How to stay on track when easily distracted?
What is an easy system for goal setting?
There are lessons we learn in school and there are those lessons, skills and habits we acquire out of school. For those who learn in a different manner, those that can be distracted and others that just love to use their time to leverage the right side of their brain, this is the episode for you.
Not every valuable lesson for the business world is taught in the classroom. In fact, it much the opposite. Real skills are acquired and built away from the classroom, where we can focus our attention on what makes us happy, what drives us and what ultimately gives us work that is satisfying.
In this episode we interview Nicolas Cole. Cole as he goes by with his friends is a regular writer for Inc Magazine, a top writer on the platform Quora, and runs Digital Press, https://www.digitalpress.com/ , a content marketing agency that helps founders, CEO’s and other top executives with personal branding.
Cole wrote the article 9 Valuable Lessons I learned in the Real World featured on Inc Magazine and that’s why he’s on this episode of Overcoming Distractions the Podcast.
This article and of course this podcast episode is a huge wakeup call to those who want reassurance that what they have learned by being and working in the real word is just as, if not more important than what they learned in school.
Being in debt is one of the biggest distractions anyone can have. Not having the money to pay our bills can be both stressful and take our mind off important matters in our life and business. Avoiding our financial obligations can be an enormous distraction and one that won’t go away any time soon.
When we think of distractions, we think of not getting our work done, but money is a major distraction if not handled properly in our lives. It can take over almost all your thoughts and energy because for many of us, our lives revolve around having enough money.
On this episode, we interview Jeff DiMatteo, one of the owners of collection agency American Profit Recovery. Jeff goes through why people get into debt, the stress involved and then he gets into how to work with a debt collector. He gives some great advice for removing the stress of being in debt out of your life.
Other items he goes over include:
Reasons people get into debt.
Why is being in debt a major distraction for someone?
The process of working with a collector.
Why it is important to communicate with your creditors.
What resources are there to help those in debt?
We have so many distractions in business and in life. From our own minds trying to take over every minute to the external distractions that invade our lives at every minute of the day. And then we enter clutter and disorganization into our business and that’s when things can get frustrating.
In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, the Podcast, we talk with Dana Rayburn, an ADHD coach and former professional organizer. Dana still works with business professionals to help them be more productive as well as get organized in the office and at home.
Some of the items we discuss about getting organized are:
Why is clutter and disorganization so distracting?
What can disorganization do to your job performance or your business? And, what does it do to your life?
How do you get started on organizing your professional world? Without getting frustrated.
How do you get organized electronically? Such as computer files, banking records, etc…Other non-paper items…
What should people ultimately strive for in getting organized?
To learn more about Dana Rayburn, her coaching, ADHD Success Club, Clutter Free with ADHD, and other offerings, check out her website at: www.DanaRayburn.com
On this episode we walk you through an extensive lesson on how to use LinkedIn for a job search and how to use LinkedIn for a business. Why are we talking about LinkedIn? Because any type of social media can be a distraction so learning how to use it and be productive can be an asset in job hunting and to promote your business.
This week we have Donna Serdula who is the founder of Vision Board Media and LinkedIn-Makeover.com. If you want to build a better LinkedIn profile, there is no one better than Donna Serdula.
Donna talks about
Why LinkedIn for the job seeker?
Why LinkedIn for the entrepreneur?
Overview of a great LinkedIn profile
The importance of a great title
How to connect with someone on LinkedIn
The dos and don’ts of LinkedIn
A few hidden secrets of LinkedIn
You can contact Donna and her team at https://www.linkedin-makeover.com/
In this issue of Overcoming Distractions the Podcast, we talk with Dan Galloway, motivational speaker and former job recruiter. Dan also offers career coaching based off his 20 plus years of experience in hiring and training.
In this podcast, we talk about what you need to do to get the job you want. Topics we discuss are the dos and don’ts of interviewing, resume writing and cover letters as well as how to follow up on a job interview.
We also chat about soft skills such as humor, communication skills and the ability to focus during a job interview. Dan tells us what he wanted to see during his years as a job recruiter and the things that made him cautious about moving forward when hiring a job candidate.
Whether you have ADHD or not, you’ll find quite a bit of value from Dan’s advice on how to get that next job.
Find Dan at: https://www.dangalloway.com/
The word accountability can sometimes come off as a negative word or concept. But leveraged properly, accountability can be a powerful way to achieve more in life and in business. However, accountability techniques need to be implemented in the proper way to ensure success.
Many of us have heard about accountability groups or accountability partners/buddies and on this ADHD podcast, we talk with Eric Tivers who runs many accountability groups for those with ADHD.
Eric is a LCSW, an ADHD coach and hosts the very popular podcast ADHD rewired.
Eric and I have a great discussion about many facets of accountability.
Some of the topics we discuss are:
What is accountability?
Why does accountability work?
Is accountability a difficult concept for some? And what is the resistance?
For those in business, why is this important?
Are there different kinds of accountability?
How do you get a business professional comfortable with being accountable. To others and themselves?
If someone is new to coaching or having an accountability partner, what is the best way to get started, get used to having someone there?
Where do people fall down?
To find out more about Eric, his podcast and his coaching programs visit him at his website;
How to set goals when you have ADHD.
It’s that time of the year when many of us try to set goals for ourselves. Whether we are goalsetting for our business or for our personal lives, this seems to be the time of year when we try to usher in many improvements for ourselves.
If you are easily distracted, have ADHD or just have a difficult time setting realistic goals that you can meet, this is the podcast episode for you. In this episode, I talk with Abigail Wurf, an ADHD Coach based in Washington DC.
Abigail works with adults, those in business, executives and entrepreneurs to help them achieve more success and enjoyment in life. And she also holds a number of workshops and trainings for those with ADHD.
This podcast may have come out in December but the content is relevant all year long if you are serious about setting goals and making forward progress.
Some of the topics we discuss on this podcast include:
What are typical goals that people try to set in business as well as personal?
Do you find there are ADHD -specific goals?
How should adults with ADHD start the process of setting goals for the New Year?
What frustrates people the most about this process?
What is realistic when it comes to goalsetting?
You can learn more about Abigail Wurf here.
We all want and need to love what we do for a career but when you have ADHD, it’s almost a requirement that you absolutely love what you do for work. Jobs or careers that don’t offer us the opportunity to dig into our passions usually end up being short-lived.
In this episode of Overcoming Distractions the Podcast, I talk with Shell Mendelson, a career coach that specializes in working with adults who have ADHD and need or want to find or change their career. She talks about why it’s important to find a career that you can fall in love with, what makes a good career for those adults with ADHD, why some with ADHD jump from one job to the next and much more about how to manage your career with ADHD.
Other questions I asked her include;
What are some of the reasons those with ADHD begin to dislike their work or profession?
What are the signs those with ADHD need to look out for if their career is turning out to not be a good fit?
What is the worst adults with ADHD can do when they decide they don’t want to do that line of work anymore?
How do you start the process of finding a new career?
How do you really find out your passion?
Where does ADHD and career intersect?
How do you know if you made the right or wrong choice?
You can find out more about Shell Mendelson on her website.
What happens when you’re the person in charge and you are prone to distractions? Many entrepreneurs as well as those with leadership positions can be easily distracted when it comes to leading an organization. And distractions don’t just come in the form of not getting your own work and tasks completed. Distractions can lead to an entire organization getting off track.
When you are running an organization of any size, you are going to have both internal and external distractions. There will be days when you have trouble with focus and there will be other days when distractions just lead the day.
In this podcast I talk with Dave Turano, founder of JCE Consulting, just outside of Boston. Dave works with organization to help foster better communication, build trust among teams and foster better leadership within an organization.
What distracts leaders and entrepreneurs?
What are the hazards of a distracted leader? How does this affect their business?
What is the ball that gets dropped most often?
What can leaders and entrepreneurs do to communicate better with their team?
How can a distracted leader or entrepreneur do to get their own tasks completed while leading a team?
You can find Dave at: http://www.jcegrp.com/
Marketing and public relations has changed drastically over the past decade. From traditional marketing to updating your website, blogging, creating other forms of content and posting to social media. All these tasks take time and resources. And many times in a business, they can take a back seat.
How do we get it all done?
Our guest on this podcast is Matt Ward...Matt is the President and CEO of inConcert Web Solutions and the founder of Breakthrough Champion...In 2002 Matt began working with business owners through his website agency to improve their bottom line, helping them gain more traction on the internet.
He’s the author of Making Your Website Effective, a book you can find on Amazon and owner of multiple businesses as well as an international keynote speaker…Matt and his companies have received numerous awards, including: 40 Under 40, Chamber Small Business Owner of the Year, Top Web Firm seven Years in a Row and Better Business Bureau Torch Award Finalist.
Matt talks to Dave on this podcast about what it takes to keep your website current, as well as your social media timely and engaging.
How to find Matt.
Chris Berlow is back on Overcoming Distractions. Chris, the author of three books including You Have Infinite Power as well as Mindful Mediation For Busy Lives comes back to discuss the concept of the Worthy Ideal. What is a Worthy Ideal?
Chris believes that everyone should have this in their lives. It is a message to ourselves that guides our direction. It tells us who we are, why we do what we do and our general purpose. Do you know why you are here on this earth and what drives you? Chris walks us through how to identify what makes us get up in the morning and our reason for doing what we do in life. Are you on a mission in life? Are you here to help others? Let Chris help you sort all that out.
This week we chat with Kathleen Goneau who coaches entrepreneurs and others in business. As the owner of GRB Coaching based just outside of Boston and a certified business coach, she works side by side with business professionals to help maximize their productivity. As she puts it, she helps people who just can’t seem to get things done, both in business and in their home life.
We talk about the number one thing that most business professionals need to tackle-getting stuff done! Kathleen gives us a number of great tips and strategies for getting not only more done, but the important tasks in our business accomplished. Everything from planning out your days, managing by calendar and journaling, she has some great productivity tips.
Spencer Shulem is the Founder of WeDo, an Ap that helps anyone with productivity. Spencer was developing aps and programing computers at the age of 13, if not earlier. He’s now a successful entrepreneur growing a successful technology company. In our video blog, we talk about how he grew up thinking a little faster than other kids and what it takes to stay on task whether you have ADHD or not. He also introduces us to WeDo. You can find out more about WeDo at: https://wedo.com/
Let’s talk about how important goal setting is and having a routine; a couple of the cornerstones of being successful in business and in life. Greg McDaniel is a very successful real estate professional based in California. Growing up with ADHD and Dyslexia, he struggled through school. Today Greg runs a very successful reals estate business, he is the head trainer for his firm and he produces a weekly podcast and video podcast on how to be successful in the real estate business.
Heather Havenwood is another high-energy entrepreneur that I interviewed for the book Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with Adult ADHD. Heather is now a sales and marketing coach, a leading authority on internet marketing and personal branding and a well-known podcaster.
Heather has a ton of energy and even more ideas on how to grow your business. Oh, and she has ADHD.
Check out our chat and learn more about Heather at: http://heatherhavenwood.com/
Dana Rayburn is a very successful ADHD Coach and is one of the first professionals I spoke to for the book Overcoming Distractions. Dana spent years as a professional organizer and then a transition to be an ADHD Coach.
In this episode, Dana talks about what it takes to develop a positive mindset when you have ADHD and how to remain determined when life doesn’t go so well.
You can find Dana Rayburn at: www.DanaRayburn.com
And the ADHD Success Club can be found at: http://danarayburn.com/adhd-success-club/
Ryan MCrae is the ADHD Nerd. In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Ryan talks about how he works with individuals to create increased productivity. Not in a dry way but in a more direct and even fun way. Ryan is a big fan of the mind dump which he goes over and a bit of technology to help him stray organized.
A few links.
Ever Note https://evernote.com
Master Chris Berlow is a sixth degree black belt in Taekwondo and a personal and business coach with Empowered Mastery Consultants. Chris talks about meditation, the martial arts and how we all have the ability to control our own thoughts. Find Chrsi at: https://www.empoweredmastery.com/
This introductory podcast introduces you to the book, Overcoming Distractions, Thriving with Adult ADHD. David Greenwood interviewed many entrepreneurs with ADHD and got their advice on being successful in business and in life with Adult ADHD. The book comes out in stores and online on November 1, 2016 and is a street smart guide to thriving with Adult ADHD. you can learn more at www.OvercomingDistractions.com
