You have freedom. You have the freedom to live the life you want to live. It is up to you to decide how you live your life, but it will not be easy. The world is not wired for ADHD brains. You have to work for your right to have the life that will support you. It is up to you to achieve your ideal life. Here are some tips for living and creating the life you desire.

In May of 2018, I was trying to decide what to do with my life. I knew I needed a career and that substitute teaching was not it. I hated being a substitute teacher, so I decided it was time to move on. However, I could not decide on what I wanted for a career. I had thought a couple of times about being an ADHD coach, but I was too afraid to take the plunge. Then, I did something that made my path clear. I applied to be a proofreader at a label-making company. Soon after applying, they scheduled an interview with me.

When I was in college, I had to interview three entrepreneurs for one of my classes. One of the entrepreneurs I chose to interview was my grandfather. During the course of the interview, he gave me a piece of advice that I’ll never forget. He said, “No matter where you want to go in life, work hard to get there, but also, take the time to play hard along the way.” He went on to tell me that he feels he did not take the time to play enough early in his career and that he was trying to make up for that a bit in his later years.

When we think about dealing with our ADHD, we use words like “control” and “manage.” What I would like to propose is that we change the way we talk about ADHD management. What if we started using words like “play” or “harness?” How would that change the way we think about ADHD? I maintain that this is a better way of approaching things. Now, I am not proposing to make ADHD a superpower. I am not one of those people; I see the dangers of ADHD. In fact, I have called ADHD the “ignored public health crisis.” However, I think the answer to this public health crisis is play and fun.

When I get inquiries from potential coaching clients, they mention typical ADHD struggles. They want to be able to focus better, be more productive, be more organized, etc. Is there anything wrong with these goals? No, but why stop there? I often find myself wishing my potential clients would come in with grander goals.

It’s easy to say, “I want my boat to stop sinking,” and then follow up with plugging the holes with temporary fixes. Why not patch up the holes with new materials that will be permanent and will give the boat a shiny new look? Why not upgrade the boat?

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Adderall shortage. It has been dragging on for months and shows no sign of ending anytime soon. Word on the street is that other ADHD medications are beginning to see shortages as well. This is bad news for those of us who take our medication daily to combat the effects of ADHD. Many are finding it hard to find their medication which raises the question: What is an ADHDer to do? Here are some ideas.

In last week’s blog post, I made reference to the 2016 graphic novel Dark Night: A True Batman Story, written by Paul Dini. I mentioned a quote at the end of the graphic novel that encourages us “to be the hero of our own stories.” Saying that is all fine and dandy, but how to we actually do that? Well, I have a few tips.

The other day, I told my coach that I was overwhelmed with all the things I wanted to do. He got curious about what I was feeling and started exploring. Through his questions and observations, I came to realize I was not overwhelmed. I was just looking at things incorrectly. I needed to reframe how I was looking at all of the projects I have on my plate right now.

There are many aspects to life – play, work, self-care, etc. We need a balance of all to live a healthy life. It can be hard to balance everything, especially when one has ADHD. The hyperfocus caused by ADHD can cause one to be so preoccupied with one task that nothing else gets done. It can also cause one to forget about taking care of oneself. And, there are many other aspects of ADHD that are troublesome when it comes to balance. I am not here to list every possible way ADHD could get in the way of living a balanced life. I am here to give you one tiny little secret that will help you live a more balanced life.

I have written several books despite having ADHD. It is definitely possible to do so, and I hope any budding writers out there believe in themselves enough to do so as well. What I would like to share in this blog post is just a few things I do to help me write books.

ADHD is a weird condition. Some people with ADHD need the structure of having a boss, and others need the freedom to be an entrepreneur. I cannot tell you what the best work environment is for you, but I can tell you that I have found what works for me as an entrepreneur with ADHD. If you own your own business or desire to start your own business, read on for some ideas that might help you. (REMINDER: What works for me may not work for you; you need to find what works with your brain.)

Technology is great, but it can also be overwhelming. Emails fly into your inbox at an incredible rate and can get out of control if you are not on top of things. Many ADHDers struggle with their email. It is normal, but it is a problem. So, what can be done? I have four ideas to share with you today.

Each week, I take a half sheet of paper on which I have pre-printed the days of the week. I use this half-sheet of paper to plan out my week. I look at the previous sheet of paper, note any repeating items, and write those down on the appropriate day. I then go through the calendar on my phone and write down any scheduled activities. Then, I give my week a once over to see where I can schedule time for other projects on which I am working. This is how I know what I am doing when. If I write it down, it gets done.

Being a parent is hard enough, but being a parent of a child with ADHD can feel like an uphill battle. It's often hard to know how to best support your child, and you may feel like you're constantly trying new things without seeing much progress. 

But it's important to remember that you can't pour from an empty cup. In order to be the best parent you can be, you need to make sure you're taking care of yourself, too.

When I received my undergrad degree, I had no idea what I wanted to do with it. I spent that first summer after graduation doing basically nothing, waiting for inspiration to strike. A few writing gigs popped up, and I decided to try my hand at being a freelance writer. It was not a lucrative decision. However, I enjoyed writing and made some interesting connections. To make a long story short, I ended up becoming an ADHD coach. Shortly after I started coaching, I was approached by at least one person to apply for an executive editor job. It was quite tempting. In the end, I chose to stay an ADHD coach and not apply for the job. Why did I choose the uncertainty of entrepreneurship over a steady job?

For the first few years after my diagnosis, I did very little in terms of managing it. I took my medication, and that was pretty much it. However, when I started noticing I was still struggling, I began to do some more research. Learning about ADHD quickly became a favorite activity. I now love learning more about how my brain works. I hope this will inspire you to go out there and learn all you can. To me, this is crucial for proper ADHD management.

One day, I was in gym class as a kindergartner. The gym teacher was having us run from one end of the gym to the other. I am not sure why he was having us do this, but there we were running from one end of the gym to the other end of the gym whenever he blew his whistle. Before one sprint, my best friend turned to me and said, “You’re gonna get last.” Sure enough, as soon as the whistle blew, I found myself running behind the other kids and reached the other end of the gym last.

I write these blog posts on Thursdays. So, as I type these words, it is a Thursday, specifically Thursday afternoon. I have two things on my to-do list for this afternoon before I need to coach a client. I found myself debating which one I should do first. The issue was my nervousness about being able to get both done. “If I can only do one,” I thought, “which one would be best to get done?” I finally said to myself that my blog is something that I do for my business and the other thing is not. Yes, both are important, but between the two, my business is of higher priority. Therefore, I chose to start with this blog post.

When you have ADHD, it can be hard to have confidence. There is so much that seems hard to do. However, we can do hard things. It is possible. When you find yourself facing a seemingly impossible challenge remember these things.

I perform in an improv group. I have also been known to write poetry. I also design sports jerseys. Why do I do these things? Because I have a need for creativity in my life. Having something into which I can pour my creative juices helps me stay sane. Without a creative outlet, I get restless and depressed. In short, I need to be creative. In fact, I believe all ADHDers need a creative outlet.