An interactive blog for the adult ADD community.
Brought to you by Jennifer Koretsky, Senior Certified AD/HD Coach, Founder of ADD Management Group, Inc., and Director of the Virtual AD/HD Conference.
Have you heard of ADHD New Year? Probably not, because I admit that I made it up! Let me explain... The summer has unofficially ended and we're heading into fall. I've often referred to fall as "the ADHD New Year," because I find that many people get refocused on their goals this time of year, and renew their interest in learning how to better manage their ADHD.
While most people wait until January to set new goals and focus on positive change, most people with ADHD don't like to wait that long. As Labor Day comes and goes, we find ourselves looking for ways to get on track, and we begin thinking about self-improvement.
Can you relate? You may find yourself wanting to be more organized, or more structured. You may be thinking about how you can really shine at work. Or you might be focused on your kids and family, and how you can help them to succeed.
And thus, with a renewed interest in goals and self-improvement, this time of year feels like New Year's. Go with it, I say! If you're motivated to make positive changes in your life, ride that wave of motivation and take advantage of the energy you feel. And remember these simple guidelines, the 5 Essential Skills for Managing ADHD:
1. Break the Cycle of Overwhelm. Stress management = ADHD management. Take time to relax and slow down. Don't let stress build to the point of overwhelm. Take really good care of yourself by getting enough rest, eating nutritious foods, and exercising.
2. Work With Your ADHD. Don't waste time trying to be like everyone else. Know yourself well, and embrace your differences. Do what works for you, and don't worry about how others do or don't do things.
3. ADDjust Your Attitude. No one gets far in life by trying to turn weaknesses into strengths. Instead, focus on what you're already good at, and get even better. It will improve your self-esteem, and open up more opportunities.
4. Take Control of Your Space and Time. Plan everything in advance. Don't just figure out the steps you need to take to get organized, but figure out when you can actually do the steps. Don't just make a to-do list, but actually plan out your day. Trust yourself to make a plan, and trust yourself to follow through with it.
5. Live Out Loud. Think about what you want in your life, and what it will take to get there. Set goals that will make you happy. Remember that life is about so much more than your to-do list!
What are your goals for the "ADHD New Year"? What skills will you have to use or learn to reach those goals? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Adults with ADD often think that their differences and challenges are so awful that they don’t deserve happiness and success. And if that’s what you’ve been thinking, then I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong!
Living out loud is a fun skill to learn and practice, but it’s also a very important one. Because all your hard work learning to manage your ADD isn’t worth much if you don’t get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. There comes a point where you get to take a deep breath in your life, and stop trying so hard. You identify what’s important to you, and give yourself permission to focus on those things.
I know that you have dreams and goals in your life that you aren’t paying attention to. You’ve told yourself that there are more important things to worry about. Or you’ve played what I call the “when/then game,” in which you tell yourself, “WHEN I fix this, or WHEN I learn how to do that, THEN I’ll think about that.” “WHEN I get it together at work, THEN I’ll worry about spending more time with the kids.” Or “WHEN I get the whole house decluttered, THEN I’ll take that class and learn how to play the piano.”
The trouble is that the when/then game never ends. Something else always comes up and seems more important, and you never actually give yourself permission to focus on those things that you really want to focus on. But these are the things that you need to start thinking about in order to live out loud. You have to really get in touch with those dreams and goals, and stop telling yourself that they’re out of reach. Instead, think about how to put them within your reach.
The biggest obstacle is always fear. Adults with ADD often use fear as excuse not to work towards their dreams and goals. Just think about all the fears that have prevented you from really stepping out there.
It’s perfectly normal, when you’re working towards achieving new things, to have fear. It’s perfectly normal to worry that you won’t actually succeed. It’s perfectly normal to wonder what people might think of you. And you can absolutely take these fears into consideration when making your decisions about which goals to pursue. But don’t let these fears make your decisions for you, because fear will always stop you in your tracks.
Moving past these fears is going to require you to get comfortable being uncomfortable. It requires taking risks, and stretching your comfort zone. More often than not, you’ve got to be willing to endure some uncomfortable feelings or situations in order to achieve the things you want to achieve. The reward is seeing your goals and dreams come to life and feeling good about your accomplishments!
And sometimes you’ll take risks and they won’t pay off, because that’s life. And that’s okay. In fact, I think one thing that many adults with ADD really need to learn to accept is that failure is a part of life. We’re all human, and mistakes are to be expected. And if you learn from your mistakes, then they serve a purpose. If you look at those “failures” as feedback, then you learn really quickly what’s going to work and what isn’t, and you use that information to make decisions moving forward.
When you work to master the 5 Essential Skills for Managing Adult ADD, you come to a turning point when you reach this skill of living out loud. It’s a great feeling to be actively working towards achieving your dreams and goals. Don't wait. Start living out loud now!
Are you living out loud? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
How to Live Out Loud and Master All 5 Essential Skills for Managing Adult ADD
Are you STILL struggling with chronic overwhelm, self-doubt, poor time management, and other ADD-related challenges?
Let me show you exactly how to master The 5 Essential Skills for Managing Adult ADD so that you can embrace your inner maverick and move forward in life!
If you’re like many of the adults with ADD that I hear from, then you’ve read my book, Odd One Out: The Maverick’s Guide to Adult ADD, and it really hit home with you.
You’d love to work with me one-on-one to dig into the concepts and strategies covered in the book but, unfortunately, private coaching isn’t an option for you right now.
Now there’s another option. I created a home study program that will coach you to:
Embrace your inner maverick
Break the cycle of chronic stress, overwhelm, and burnout
Learn how to accept and work with your own ADD
Focus on your strengths and think more positively
Take control of your space, time, and tasks
Give yourself permission to live out loud!
The Odd One Out Home Study Coaching Program allows me to be your personal ADD coach from afar, and it’s the next best thing to working with me privately. It features 3 audio CDs, an 85+ page workbook, and a goal setting action guide. I walk you through each chapter in the book and show you exactly what it takes to build and apply each of the 5 Essential Skills for Managing Adult ADD.
Life with adult ADD really doesn’t have to be so hard. You’re not stuck living a life of stress and disappointment. I’ve coached hundreds of adults to embrace their inner maverick and live happy and successful lives. You can absolutely take control over your ADD and turn things around! And I can help you do it with the Odd One Out Home Study Coaching Program.
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Every October 11, thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and allies celebrate National Coming Out Day. They hold workshops, speak-outs, rallies and other kinds of events all aimed at showing the public that LGBT people are everywhere.
Essentially, National Coming Out Day is about acceptance of people, and tolerence of their differences. But isn't it absolutely insane that we need a day like this?
I'm a woman married to another woman and, together, we're expecting our first child. We're different than most families...and who cares? If YOU care, then I don't want you as a reader, a client, or a customer. Really.
I've spent a great deal of time in my professional life convincing people with ADD that there is nothing wrong with them in being different. Somehow our culture has taught us that different equals bad. I've often thought that the biggest problem is not the opinion of a few vocal morons, but rather the fact that we let these vocal morons chip away at our self esteem.
Differences make the world go 'round. Imagine how much more productive and succesful we could be as a society if we all just embraced that fact, instead of fighting it.
The best way to move forward is to embrace your own differences, and refuse to be put down because of them. Whether you're gay, AD/HD, fat, left-handed, bald, poor, or anything else that sometimes feels uncomfortable, hold your head high and refuse to be put down by others because of your differences.
And, please, New Yorkers, whatever you do, don't elect this moron.
I think this is a great representation of how a lot of adults with ADD feel: tired, downtrodden, and hopeless. And for many of us, the basis of these negative feelings is an overwhelming desire to fit in, follow "the rules," and be just like everyone else.
Bleh! Just thinking about that makes me want to go back to bed. So let me tell you a brief story...
Before my book was published in 2007, I brainstormed titles and subtitles with my Mastermind Group of coaches. The title Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADDwas born out of that meeting.
A week later, I came up with the subtitle: How to Be Happy and Successful by Breaking the Rules. I loved it! It was a fantastic summary of my personal coaching philosophy. I sent it around to some close friends and colleagues and asked for feedback.
A few people liked it a lot, but a couple of people emailed me with the same concern: they suggested I use the subtitle "How to Be Happy and Successful by Making Your Own Rules," instead of "...by Breaking the Rules."
Breaking the rules seemed a little too strong, they said. And really it means the same thing in the end, doesn't it?
I thanked everyone for their feedback, and chose NOT to change the subtitle. Here's why: Mavericks aren't content to just make new rules. Mavericks don't even like rules. And we tend to not like the people who make the rules much, either.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not encouraging anyone to indulge in a crime spree. What I am suggesting, however, is that there are a number of social rules and constraints that many ADDers struggle to adhere to, and that these rules do, in fact, need to be broken.
Think about all the rules that you feel pressured to follow, like:
You must put money before happiness when it comes to your job or career
You must sit perfectly still in a meeting or classroom so as not to disrupt others
You must have a super-clean houses if you have guests over
You must put everything away in a neat and tidy place if you want to be organized
You must put the needs of your family and friends before your own needs
You must be productive throughout the entire day
And worst of all - you must do everything in your power to hide your ADD from everyone around you
I call BS on all these rules, and the others like them!
Maverick ADDers actually function better with guidelines instead of rules. When we create structure for ourselves, it needs to flexible, not rigid.
The maverick approach to ADD management requires that you take a good, hard look at the rules you're pressuring yourself to follow, and decide which ones need to be broken.
When you embrace the maverick within and make a conscious decision to break the rules that have been holding you back, you give yourself permission to be happy and successful according to your own guidelines. You move beyond your challenges, and into your authentic self.
In this regard, the maverick approach to ADD management is easier than you might think. Following the rules can be painful... but breaking them can set you free.
About two and a half years ago, my book Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD debuted. I think the title nicely communicates who I'm specifically speaking to in that book: people who feel like outsiders because of their differences.
But I think that the subtitle of my book is the thing that best sums up my ADD coaching philosophy:How to Be Happy and Successful by Breaking the Rules. When it comes down to it, this is the sentiment behind everything I do--whether I'm coaching, producing events, or just living my life.
You see, I'm a rule breaker. But I wasn't always. And when I woke up and realized how much easier my life was when I ignored "the rules," everything changed. Not only did I become much happier, but my ADD wasn't nearly as much of a problem as it used to be!
Now let me be clear. When I talk about "breaking the rules," I don't mean breaking the law. I'm talking about breaking the unwritten personal and social rules that we hold ourselves to, and that hold us back in life.
In theory, it's pretty simple. In practice, it's a whole lot more difficult. Think about this...
If you were feeling antsy in a meeting at work, would you be afraid to stand up and move around...even if everyone else was seated? "The rules" say that you have to sit still and be quiet, just like everyone else.
When you're under a lot of stress and a family member calls you up and asks you for a favor, are you afraid to say 'no'? Even if you feel like one more straw will break your back?? "The rules" dictate that you always say 'yes' to family.
Do you share your opinions and speak your mind, even when everyone else in the room appears to disagree with you? "The rules" say that if everyone else disagrees, you must be wrong. And that little voice in the back of your head tells you to just shut up before you embarrass yourself.
In general, do you beat yourself up because your home isn't clean enough, your desk isn't neat enough, your work isn't fast enough, your body isn't buff enough, and your best isn't good enough? The crazy thing is that so many adults with ADD make themselves miserable trying to desperately adhere to "the rules."
But I'm here to tell you that the single biggest mistake I see adults with ADD make is that they cling to these unwritten "rules." I've seen it crush the life out of the most good-hearted ADDer. I've seen some really great people lose their drive, their passion, and their motivation because they can't keep up with all the rules they push themselves to follow. They feel like they're going crazy. And the real kicker is that no one even knows who came up with these rules we all feel compelled to follow, anyway!
Oh, and yes, I did say "crazy" in the last two paragraphs. I might take some heat for that, because someone somewhere will be offended that I equated having ADD with feeling crazy. But I really do think that we drive ourselves crazy sometimes! And I'm including myself in there, too.
In fact, if you feel like you're going crazy sometimes because you can't seem to keep it all together despite your best efforts, then you're one of the people I had in mind when I created the agenda for this free teleclass.
Because I've also seen people who have gotten a hold of their ADD challenges and turned their lives around by embracing their inner maverick and letting go of those oppressive rules.
Let me say, however, that the Unleash Your Inner Maverick teleclass is not for everyone. If you've been reading this letter and it hasn't really moved you at all, then let me be the first one to tell you that you can skip this teleclass. And I won't be offended. One thing I've learned in my many years as a coach is that not every coach will click with every person. There are some people my words really resonate with and, if you're one of them, then you'll want to attend. (And if not, then no worries.)
Another thing I've learned in my many years as a coach is that there are a lot of people out there who will invite you to a teleclass and then spend 60 minutes trying to sell you a product. If you know me, then you know that's not my style.
In the spirit of transparency, I will tell you up front that I'm launching a new coaching program on this topic next month, and I'll be spending a few minutes at the end of the class to share some details about it. If you don't care about that, you can just hang up early.
However, the new coaching program will not be the focus of the teleclass. A frank discussion about what it takes to be an ADD maverick will be the focus of our 60 minutes together. I'll be walking you through:
Why your health, happiness, and success DEPEND on your being a rule breaker and maverick ADDer.
Why it's so important to break the cycle of overwhelm, work with your ADD, adjust your attitude, take control of your space and time, and live out loud. <-- These are the action-oriented chapters of my book.
How you can turn your ADD around so that it becomes a GIFT, and not a curse.
Okay, enough talking! I have a teleclass to prepare for so I won't keep you any longer! If you'd like to join us, then here are the details:
Unleash Your Inner Maverick: Learn How to Be Happy and Successful by Breaking the Rules
This is a FREE coaching teleclass!
Date: Wednesday February 17, 2010 Time: 8pm-9pm EST (Not on EST? Get your local time here.) Note: Don't worry if you can't attend live. Everyone who is registered will receive an email with the teleclass recording.
You'll receive an email in return with everything you need to attend the class by phone or by webcast.
If you're looking forward to this teleclass and want to share your thoughts, or if you have something specific that you'd like to request I cover on the call, then I want to hear from you in the comments section of this post!
I'm tired of this life-with-ADD-sucks attitude that I see so often. Let's start a maverick revolution--together!
A couple of weeks ago I published a newsletter and blog post titled A Personal Note from Jen in which I began to tell the story of my (continuing) journey toward health and wellness. I promised that I would talk about the different elements in that journey on this blog, and so I begin with this post.
Before diving into my personal story, I want to first explore what "being healthy" means to me. For starters, being healthy is not something that can be defined by someone or something else.
Health is not about an "all clear" at my yearly physical.
Health is not about being "in range" on blood or other lab tests.
Health is not about a revolving (and evolving) schedule of medications.
Health is not about a number on the scale or a size on the tag.
Health is not about feeling "okay."
Quite simply, health is about feeling I'm at my best--just about all the time. It's about being able to do what I want without limitations. It's not about feeling good, it's about feeling great! And I firmly believe that if you don't feel great the majority of the time, then you're not healthy.
I felt unhealthy at many points in my life. Specifically focusing on my life as an adult:
I felt unhealthy when I was in my early 20s, fresh out of school and new to the corporate world, and I simply couldn't handle all the stress without burning out
I felt unhealthy in my mid 20s when I started to feel powerless over PMS
I felt unhealthy when I started to gain weight in my late 20s--more than just the few "extra pounds" that I carried most of my life
I felt unhealthy when I was in my early 30s and I couldn't lose that extra weight--no matter what I did right
And I felt unhealthy when, beginning last year, I felt like I lost all my energy and motivation
During these times, my blood tests and other labs were fine. My doctors and other health care providers couldn't pinpoint a problem. They told me to eat this, or don'teat that. They told me to take this pill, or don't take that pill. Exercise more, exercise less, exercise differently. Sleep more, sleep less, get more sun, stay out of the sun...aaargh! Everyone had advice. No one had answers.
And all I knew was that I didn't feel well. I didn't feel like myself. And that's really what health and wellness is all about to me: feeling like myself. Sure, my metabolism might slow down as I age. And no, I can't really stay up all night like I used to be able to. But despite getting older, I still want to feel like myself. And I don't feel like myself when I'm chronically stressed, overly emotional, unable to lose weight, or tired all the time.
In my quest to feel like myself again, I've seen many different professionals, taken many different pills, and tried many different strategies. I'm going to highlight some of the more important ones in the coming months. Some things will be related to ADD, and some things won't. But I do think that the topics will be of interest to a lot of people, especially because I'll be sharing my lessons learned.
Now, I have just one favor to ask of you and everyone who is reading: please don't try to "diagnose" me. Yes, I know it sounds a lot like a thyroid problem. It sounds a lot like a different problem to a lot of different people. And yes, I know that you're only trying to help. But I ask you to please understand that there are many more pieces of this puzzle that I haven't revealed (yet). There are hopefully some solutions, too.
As I share elements of my health and wellness story, I would absolutely love for you to share elements of your story.I welcome you to comment on these posts with your own personal experiences. While I'm not able to respond to every comment, I guarantee that I will personally read every comment!
And in particular for this post, I'd like to know how you define "being healthy." Please share your thoughts, and anything else that feels right, in the comments field below.
Thanks for being a part of this journey with me. I think this transparent discussion of health and wellness is going to lead to some really cool things...I just don't know what they are yet. ;-)
I have a confession to make. I’ve had a number of health issues in the last couple of years, and I’ve been keeping quiet about them. But all that’s changing.
Now before you start worrying about me, let me just come right out and tell you that my health concerns are not life-threatening. I don’t have cancer, I don’t need an organ transplant, and I’m not in the hospital! Nonetheless, I’ve been miserable. And I have a hunch that many of you will be able to relate.
And before you read too far, I just want to warn you that this note is me unbridled. I’m holding nothing back. You may encounter a swear word or two, and I hope that doesn’t offend you.
So here's the deal: I’ve felt awful for the last 3 years. I’ve been overly fatigued, gained weight that I couldn’t lose, and suffered with hormonal mood swings. And every so often, a new symptom would pop up and add itself to the mix, despite my best efforts to stay healthy. Things just got worse and worse.
Then, about a year ago, we unexpectedly lost our beloved dog Punky to cancer. Now I know that many people think that dogs are just pets, but my Punky meant the world to me. When she died, I felt like my internal motor burned out and grinded to a halt. And my health only got worse from there. There is no other way to describe to you how I’ve felt in the last year other than to say that I’ve felt like shit!
I’ve been to countless doctors and health professionals in the last 3 years, including a number of internal medicine doctors, gynecologists, psychiatrists, an endocrinologist, a dermatologist, a psychotherapist, and a dietitian. (And I’m sure there are a few I’m forgetting.)
To each doctor, I explained my symptoms, and recounted my efforts to address them. Good nutrition, lots of rest (even though I have a lot of trouble sleeping), and plenty of exercise. I would stress that despite my best efforts, I just haven’t felt like myself in years.
Now, I saw a few well-meaning doctors, and I saw a few idiots (and I mean idiots!) My favorite was the endocrinologist who reviewed my daily food intake, decided that I was lying to him and that I must be eating more than I said, and insisted that an appetite suppressant was the key to all my problems. I still want to scream when I think about that jerk!
And even the doctors I liked weren’t very helpful. Each one disagreed with the others, and each doctor thought that treating my symptoms was the answer. No one listened—or rather, no one understood—when I told them that I wanted to find the cause of all these symptoms!
I’ve since learned that most doctors today aren’t trained to treat the whole person, they’re trained to treat symptoms. It’s a band-aid approach.
I was tired of the band-aids. I wanted to get to the root of my problems so that I could feel like myself again and get on with my life!
Now before things get too gloomy, there is some good news in this story. First, I may have finally found the cause of my health concerns! I was just about to give up on doctors completely when I found one who was able to look at the big picture and locate the source of my problems. It’s a little premature to say that I’ve been cured, but I’ve embarked on a new course and it seems to be making a big difference. When the time is right, I promise that I will share all the details.
Second, I’ve learned that I just can’t be so reliant on doctors and other professionals when it comes to my health. If I didn’t listen to my instincts and take action on my own, I’d probably be more miserable now than ever before. I know now that while having a good doctor on my side is important, I’m the one who really holds the power. I know I have a long road to healing ahead of me, but I’m ready for it! And I’ll be talking a lot more about this stuff on my blog in the coming months.
Third, and maybe most importantly, I’ve been inspired by my own health crisis to reach out to people who are facing the same challenge.
You know that I coach adults with ADD. But what you probably don’t know is that about 95% of those clients are dealing with health concerns over and above ADD. Obesity and inability to lose weight, fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue, migraines, insomnia, infertility, depression, and debilitating anxiety are just a few of the conditions that readily come to mind. So I know for a fact that I’m not the only one who’s been going through life—working, raising a family, trying to be happy—all the while feeling like shit!
It’s all of this—my own health concerns, my clients’ struggles, and my new knowledge—that led me to put together the Holistic Health Virtual Conference.
In the last year, I’ve become just as passionate about holistic health and wellness as I am about ADD. I’ve seen too many people suffering with not just their ADD, but a cascade of other health problems. I also have a sneaking suspicion that it’s all related, and the connections between general health and ADD are ones that I will definitely be exploring in the coming months.
For now, I’ve gone out of my way (and perhaps worked a little harder than I should have in my current state) to put together a stellar online event that introduces holistic health to people who are struggling to figure out the causes of their illnesses and move on with their lives.
The Holistic Health Virtual Conference speakers are experts on their topics who aren’t afraid to buck the establishment. They understand that health is about more than band-aids. They understand that health and wellness means paying attention to the whole person, and not just the person’s symptoms.
And even more importantly, each and every one of the Holistic Health Virtual Conference speakers is “in the trenches,” working to educate the public and make a positive difference in the lives of their patients and clients.
Just take a look at the Holistic Health Virtual Conference presenters, and you’ll see what I mean:
Dr. Charles Parker (one of my favorite presenters from the Virtual AD/HD Conference) will talk to us about causes of and treatments for psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and ADD in the context of your overall health
Shane Ellison will share his experience as a former big pharma chemist, and offer natural alternatives for curing and preventing cancer
Dr. Steven Hotze will share some comprehensive and really powerful information on hormonal imbalances in men and women—from thyroid disorders to estrogen dominance
Ann Louise Gittleman will be teaching us detox strategies for weight loss and improved health
Dr. Rodger Murphree will be educating us about the medical myths of heart disease
Nancy Desjardins will be telling us how to live better by beating sugar and food cravings
Dr. Michael Holick is one of the world’s leading authorities on Vitamin D, and he’ll be sharing some surprising benefits of Vitamin D when it comes to treating autoimmune diseases and chronic illnesses
Kelley Herring will educate us on the hidden dangers in our food that can lead to infertility, birth defects, and cancer
Dr. Daniel Amen (a favorite in the ADD community) is our Keynote Speaker and he’ll discuss the connection between our brains and bodies when it comes to losing weight
And I’ll be addressing the topic of stress management, which I think is one of the most important wellness factors no matter who you are or what health concerns you’re dealing with
These are the people and the information that I wish someone put in front of me 3 years ago! But if you know me, then you know I’m not a complainer. I’d rather make a difference and help others in the way I wish someone could have helped me.
If you can relate to my story and you can’t seem to get your own health on track, then you’re one of the people who I had in mind when I put this event together.
Remember, this is an online event, so you don’t need to travel, and you don’t even need to attend the live sessions because downloads will be availableto everyone who registers. And, of course, there will be ample opportunity to connect with others who are also struggling with health concerns and learning how to take charge of their own health.
I’ve made the whole process as easy as possible to ensure that the people who need this information are able to take advantage of it. If this sounds like you, then please do join us next week!
At the start of a New Year, we often find ourselves thinking about all the things we didn't accomplish the prior year, and we vow to accomplish them this year.
Few of us take the time to reflect on the past year and look at our successes and the experiences that we have learned from.
It's actually right around this time (the second and third week of January) that many people begin to have difficulty keeping up with their resolutions. Naturally, disappointment, frustration, and low self-esteem are likely to follow from what we perceive as "failure."
So rather than beating yourself up for not being able to stick to a New Year's Resolution, try taking a different route.
I'd like to offer you a coaching exercise that will help you reflect on what's really important to you, and create meaningful intentions for 2009. It is this kind of self-awareness that ultimately leads to action in the areas of your life that are most important to you.
To do this coaching exercise, set aside 15-30 minutes to think about, write about, or talk about your answers to the following questions:
Looking back on 2008...
What were your successes?
What did you do or accomplish that you haven't given yourself credit for?
What unrealistic expectations did you hold yourself to?
What one thing would you do over, if given the opportunity?
What lessons did you learn from that experience?
Looking forward in 2009...
What one goal did you want to accomplish in 2008 that you weren't able to?
Why was this goal important to you?
What got in your way of achieving this goal?
What are you willing to do differently to accomplish this goal in the future?
Looking at yourself...
Who are the people that you are most grateful for?
Which of your strengths and skills are you most grateful for?
What is your best quality?
How will you use these strengths, skills, and qualities to help you move forward in life?
Would you like to share what comes up for you in this coaching exercise? If so, please feel free to post your thoughts and reflections in the comments!
My friend Sital Ruparelia tipped me off to this great video on TED of Sir Ken Robinson speaking on "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"
It's an incredibly entertaining and thought-provoking talk, and he even touches on ADD. (Although one might argue that his conception of medication is slightly off.)
If 19 minutes is too long for you, skip to the 15-minute mark and watch it to the end. Let me know what you think!
You're probably expecting me to talk about Michael Phelps, the gold-medal-winning, record-breaking, ADHD-swimmer-extraordinaire whom everyone--especially the ADD community--is rooting for. But that's not what I'm going to talk about.
Now, don't get me wrong. I think Michael Phelps is one hell of an ADD role model, and he's really helping people see AD/HD in a whole new way. I'd love to write a post about how wonderful he is.
But what I really want to say about the Olympics is...when are they over?
No, seriously. Does anyone know when the Olympics are over?
I really, truly have never understood the appeal of watching sports on television. I barely understand the appeal of watching them live. I mean, participating is one thing. Watching is something completely different. It's boring as hell.
Swimming, handball, skiing, curling, kayaking, archery, weight lifting...I'm supposed to watch this stuff? And like it? And root for people? Really???
I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I haven't even seen Michael Phelps do his thing. Just the thought of sitting around and watching the Olympics is enough to make me flop over and whine "boooooooooring!" I think I'd need Concerta in an IV drip just to attempt watching.
So good luck to Michael Phelps! And good luck to me...because it right now it seems like the Olympics are never. going. to. end.
Adults with ADD often think that their differences and challenges are so awful that they don’t deserve happiness and success. And if that’s what you’ve been thinking, then I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong!
About two and a half years ago, my book 
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