“I just can’t seem to focus and get my work done!”
“I feel so scattered right now.” 
“I don’t even know what I did today.”

Sound familiar? Clients often come to me with challenges of time and productivity. They’re frustrated with themselves and feel that they can’t get their stuff done. This view comes with a heavy dose of self-judgment and often completely glosses over all they are doing. However, when I hear challenges of focus and time mentioned repeatedly, I get curious about possible neurodiversity. 

Merriam-Webster defines neurodiversity as "Individual differences in brain functioning regarded as normal variations within the human population." The coaching program I graduated from, Coach Approach Training, was founded by two amazing coaches Denslow Brown and Cameron Gott, who also happen to have ADHD. Neurodiversity awareness and education is built into every part of the program and is foundational to the way Coach Approach graduates work with their clients. 

When we speak of neurodiversity we can be referring to ADHD and executive function challenge as well as other brain-based differences, but even if you don’t identify as neurodiverse, we can all benefit from understanding our brains better. To be clear, I am not a mental health professional or physician and do not diagnose clients. My goal in discussing possible neurodiversity with clients is to help them get curious about their brains and how their wiring may be impacting their experience. 

When we bring curiosity to our experience, we start to build awareness around the things that will set us up for success such as:

• Voicing Your Values: knowing what you value and why is the North Star of coaching. Keeping these values in mind helps move you toward your big-picture goals.
• Focusing on Strengths: recognizing the things you’re already amazing at (that you likely take for granted) helps you start using them to your advantage.
• Uncovering Modality Preferences: finding the situations in which you function best helps build awareness about your wiring and design informed actions.​
• Building Supportive Routines: we all have routines, but not all of them are supportive. To function our best it’s helpful to identify and build upon routines in our life that are supportive of our goals.

My question for you:  Are you curious if ADHD is at play in your life? If so, I highly recommend checking out the resources below.​

See you soon!
 
​If you like this post you may like the post Learn How to Hack your Brain with your Body.
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ADHD RESOURCES:
Translating ADHD Podcast - I like this episode about the barriers to journey thinking.
This is a great podcast created by two ADHD coaches (who also have ADHD). Cam happens to be my mentor coach and teacher. I recommend starting around episode 185 where they do a series of shows about ADHD and the coaching process. This podcast can help supercharge your learning as a coaching client!
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ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association
​ADDA is a community and resource for adults with ADHD. It has many facilitated support groups for all kinds of adults with ADHD. ​

Don't miss my newsletter, Find Your Focus. It’s full of useful and practical ways to bridge the gap between knowing and doing to help you reach your goals. Newsletter subscribers also receive special discounts and first access to upcoming group coaching offers and memberships. 
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Before I started training as a coach, I thought life coaching was for other people, but not for me. It all felt vaguely indulgent for people with too much time on their hands. 
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On a whim in 2020, I took an eight-week coaching class and I finally grasped how powerful it can be to have a reflective and focused conversation with someone who holds your goals. I was hooked. Over the last three years, I have moved steadily through courses focusing on strengths coaching, brain-based coaching, ADHD coaching, and body-based coaching, and I have loved it all!

Now I see coaching as an important tool for growth, self-awareness, and action. It has helped me move toward my passions and through the inevitable bumps that come along the way. I have worked with many coaches over the last few years and benefited greatly from these amazing people. 

Coaching has helped me to do things such as:

• Create a greater commitment to my health through sleep and exercise
• Find the confidence to move my business in a new direction
• Envision and create the schedule I want
• Ask for the things I need
• Create boundaries where there were none
  
  

It has also given me a wealth of information and resources that I am excited to share with clients!

My question for you: Is there an area in your life that you’re feeling ready to explore and bring new awareness to? How can you cultivate curiosity this week in this area?

​See you soon!

If you like this post you may like the post My Journey from Organizing to Coaching.

Clients often reach out for support at times of transition in their lives. Life has gotten more complicated because of a move, a new job, or a health challenge. Old ways of doing things just don’t seem to be cutting it anymore, and they can’t quite put their finger on what needs to change. They’re feeling stuck and overwhelmed, and they reach out for support.

A period of transition can be an ideal time to work with a coach. Together we can find your untapped resources and strengthen your self-care, so you become responsive instead of reactive in the face of challenges. We can uncover your larger goals in life and help you work toward reaching them instead of just putting out fires.

For coaching to be productive, it’s important to be open to learning more about yourself and having reflective conversations. We aim to set aside self-judgment and bring curiosity to your experience.

The topics we can cover are endless, but here are a few ideas to consider:

• Boosting focus and productivity
• Managing your time and schedule
• Prioritizing self-care 
• Tackling a big project
• Developing helpful habits​​​​​
• Exploring how neurodiversity (such as ADHD) may be impacting you
• Learning to listen to your body ​

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​Through our conversations, we’re looking for your insights and uncovering your expertise about yourself. At first it may sound strange, but your answers are much more powerful and profound, and more relevant to your life, than my suggestions (neuroscience backs this up). Working together, we can uncover the answers and actions that will help you.

We all get stuck at times and working with a coach is a great way to move forward. You can read more about my coaching process here.

My questions for you: Is there a goal that you are trying to reach that you can’t seem to make progress on? Where do you feel stuck? Is there just one action you can take this week to move the needle?
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See you soon.

If you like this post you may like the post How I Fell for Coaching.
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