Dr B Interviewed By Meredith For Real: The Curious Introvert - 078
Jun 15, 2020I have something a little different for you today. In case you missed listening to my interview with Meredith for Real: The Curious Introvert, she was kind enough to share the episode with me, so I could share it with you all directly. I love responding to questions and thoroughly enjoyed my interview with Meredith.
If my podcast show is the first time you’ve been hearing about the difference between ADHD and executive function skills, you're not alone. If you’re an adult who received a diagnosis of adult ADHD, executive function skills should also have been assessed and discussed with you, in my humble opinion. The odds of having under-developed executive function skills along with ADHD are very high; in fact, almost a given that you will. It's also highly probable that you will have under-developed executive function skills if you've lived with chronic depression, chronic anxiety, trauma, addictions, or chronic illness.
Today’s episode is about offering you hope; real hope that you can change your life. How much time do we have? Not much. So let’s get to it.
In this episode Dr B talks about:
- Understanding what ADHD is
- The difference between ADHD and executive function skills
- Strategies based on my responses to questions from Meredith's listeners
- The importance of celebrating your wins
Developing your Executive Function Skills and shifting your limiting beliefs is the fastest and most effective way to overcome ADHD limitations, find focus, gain confidence, and newfound freedom in your life!
My mission is to put an end to the worldwide needless suffering of adults with ADHD and those with under-developed Executive Function Skills - whether from ADHD, chronic depression or anxiety, trauma, addictions, or chronic illnesses. And, you don't need a formal diagnosis to know you need help developing these executive function skills in order to greatly reduce your suffering.
Full Episode Transcript
Today is Episode 78 with Dr B
Do you have trouble getting started and keeping going once you start? Perhaps you think of this as motivation. What if I told you it’s not your motivation so much as it’s your EF skillset of Initiating – and knowing what that really means, so you can?
Do you have trouble “shifting” from your current task to the next task? Or maybe you have the opposite problem – where you are shifting way too quickly from thing to thing and leaving a trail of unfinished tasks in your wake. Even though most of the executive function assessments typically look at the behavioral stuff, like moving with ease from one situation, activity or aspect of a problem to another as the circumstances require, to me there is so much more to understanding Shifting than just the behavioral manifestations. What about Shifting your thoughts and feelings? By that I mean, do your thoughts and feelings seem to get stuck and just keep presenting you with the same stuff over and over again? Do you want to think or feel differently yet can’t seem to shift?
I’ve expanded the idea of this executive function skill into the thinking and feelings realm, as well as looked at the flip side, which is shifting too often. Instead of needing to make a transition from one thing to the next and not being able to leave the initial task, what about being so good at shifting your behaviors, thoughts and feelings, perhaps driven by boredom (or not), that you are constantly shifting? This can be a problem if your job or life situation doesn’t require this type of skillset.
To me, as well as my ADDventures in Achievement students, that’s a really important aspect of shifting. So, if you relate to anything I’ve mentioned so far, then this episode is for you!
Let’s dive in and start with the traditional descriptions of Shifting, and move on to some descriptions ala Dr B:
· To shift is to move or change; to put something aside and replace it by another such as shifting to your next household task, or leaving your home to run errands, or stop watching the TV show to get ready for bed and sleep.
· Transitioning between thoughts or feelings is another aspect of shifting
· Shifting is similar, yet not the same as task switching or set-shifting, which involves the ability to “unconsciously” move your attention between one task and another; except shifting is conscious not unconscious
· Some key aspects of shifting include the ability to make transitions, tolerate change, flexibility in problem-solving, switch or alternate your attention, and change focus from one mindset or topic to another.
Going deeper, I see the importance of addressing this skill because:
· Either you develop the ability to Shift your attention, behaviors, thinking and feelings with greater and greater ease, or you will remain stuck wherever you are, repeating the same ineffective patterns, and not moving forward in your life
· Every part of life requires us to have the ability to Shift or make transitions between things. We need to shift from being in bed to getting up; to getting ready for the day; to going to work or school; to working out; or making a phone call; or getting food to eat; or taking a bathroom break and so on. Seriously. If you can’t make these transitions and keep getting stuck, whether it’s critical stuff or easy stuff, whatever needs to happen can’t, and there are consequences
· There is a time to Shift and there is a time to not Shift and stay put; and we need to learn that balance in life. For those of you who are great at Shifting, which can result in a lot of unfinished things, you end up having to circle back around to finish up many things that are behind or overdue, rather than just maintaining day by day
So, where are you going to be able to address the traditional issues of Shifting as well as the deeper ones I’m referring to? If you have someone you can do that work with, that’s great. If you don’t, I hope you’ll consider allowing me to be that person for you. There’s a form on my drbarbaracohen.com website and well as my ADDventures in Achievement website. Just put your information into the form and I’ll email you and call you within 24-48 hours from the time I receive your info so we can chat about you, your challenges, and what solutions are available.
I respond quickly when you reach out to me because time is one of those assets that can’t be restored. When it’s spent, you have one less day. And if you feel like your life is passing and you aren’t achieving all that you want, then responding quickly is important. How much time do any of us have? Not all that much. Time doesn’t stand still for any of us; whether we are ready to move forward or not. I learned long ago that I wanted to “live ready” for the unfolding of my life. I didn’t want to have to pass on any more opportunities because I wasn’t ready and couldn’t say “yes” when I wanted to.
And it’s not just about Shifting. There are so many more skills and strategies at the very core of what you need to be able to do in order to live a fully meaningful and successful adult life. There are no short cuts or getting around the fact that we all need these skills and strategies – such as Inhibiting, Emotional Control, Self-Monitoring, Initiating, Working Memory, Planning, Organizing, Monitoring Tasks and Organizing Materials. You also need the ability to manage yourself in time, follow through, actually complete tasks, plus there’s all the emotional reasons we do what we do to sabotage ourselves that needs to be addressed, if we are ever going to live free of a derailing and limited life. Now that’s a mouthful and a lot to tackle. And, there’s no need to become overwhelmed when there’s a path and guidance to achieve all of this and more. You’ll understand more of what I mean when we chat.
If my podcast show is the first time you’ve been hearing about executive function skills and strategies, you are not alone. If you’re an adult who received a diagnosis of adult ADHD, executive function skills should also have been assessed and discussed with you, in my humble opinion. The odds of having executive function deficits along with ADHD are very high; in fact, almost a given that you will. And what is one critically important way that you would have learned some of these skills and strategies as a kid? Play. Not organized play, but the type of exploratory play that Dr. Stuart Brown, MD talks about in his book “Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul.” When is the last time you had a play date by yourself or with a friend? Play is critically important to adult development, just as it is for kids.
Real play gives you the freedom to explore, take risks, experiment, and be creative…all in a judgment free zone. When you’re playing, you’re in the zone, in the moment and learning a lot of new things unconsciously. The point is to make time for real play and then just play and don’t worry if you are doing it right or what you are learning – just play!!
Summing up…it’s important to focus on the process of play rather than the outcome of playing.
Today’s episode is about the executive function skill of Shifting and the strategies I see as relevant for you as an adult living with ADHD or Executive Function Deficits, as well as offering you hope; real hope. How much time do we have? Not much. So let’s get to it.
Today’s important points ala Dr B’s definitions are:
1. What is behavioral Shifting and how you can start to develop it
2. What is thinking Shifting and how you can start to develop it
3. What is emotional Shifting and how you can start to develop it
4. What is excessive Shifting and how you can start to reign that in
Now back to being an adult with ADHD or executive function challenges in today’s world. There might be many reasons why you haven’t heard about executive function deficits until listening to my podcast show and you can’t change that fact. However, now that you know about them, you can get moving on what you’re going to do about your deficits as well as make the most of your strengths. I have stories to share with you, including actions steps, and a favorite quote of mine.
But first, I want to talk about celebrating your WINS, big and small, since WINS are such an important part of my philosophy. Remember, what we pay attention to grows, so paying attention to what’s right instead of what’s wrong helps to generate more of what’s right. Seems simple enough. And when you acknowledge and celebrate your WINS with a full heart of appreciation and authenticity, you are giving yourself a priceless gift. That is, unless you find it painful to acknowledge and celebrate your WINS. If that’s the case, I highly recommend that you address whatever it is that makes it necessary for you to block yourself, so you can be free to appreciate all the wonders that are you. No one else may feel that way about you and that’s okay for now, because living in awe of yourself and what you learn and love about you is critically important to your well being.
And please…don't short-change yourself by thinking that it’s pointless or stupid to reward yourself for all the little things that you’re “supposed to do.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. Are you really going to make yourself wait until something HUGE happens to celebrate? Does something HUGE happen everyday? Probably not! It doesn’t for me. But the kind of WINS I talk about can and often do which is exciting. And from what I see, celebrating WINS is an absolute necessity to getting out of the emotional ditch of whatever ails you and into a better attitude and way of living. Based on the feedback I get, this regular practice of celebrating WINS is changing lives for the better.
So, what’s it going to be for you today? What are you going to celebrate? Maybe you’ve begun to develop an acceptance practice and are extending a little grace to yourself instead of poisonous negativity; that’s certainly a WIN. Perhaps you’ve taken the risk to see yourself more clearly and are pleasantly surprised with what you’ve discovered; that’s a wonderful WIN. Maybe you received a compliment from someone you barely know, who appreciates what you shared with them; that’s definitely a WIN. You get the point; celebrate all of them; big and small. And none of this “half-hearted celebrating”; you’ve got to mean it. Exaggerate your emotions. YES!!!! WOW!! AWESOME!! You want your acknowledgement and celebration to register in your neurology with the power to move you and shift your state. Many of us need a higher level of stimulation or intensity for things to register. So, if that’s you, give that to yourself and exaggerate your celebration so you can actually feel it.
And listen…you’re not broken or defective or less than! You’re YOU! You have gifts and talents that you may not think much of, like you’re really great at decorating your home or have a great sense of humor or you bring a smile to people’s faces when they see you, because those talents aren’t paying the bills. I get it. And yet these are things that are really great about you and need to be appreciated and celebrated.
You are a precious “human being” whose value is a given; because I am not talking about you as the “human doing” that most of society views you as. And you may be missing some skills that have been making your life very difficult up to now, and yet skills can be learned.
Please know that I am not making light of your struggles or unhappiness; not at all. I want you to know that there are answers to your struggles. If you are willing to be a student of your own life and develop a deeper understanding of yourself and how you are put together, and offer yourself a lot of compassion and patience, plus the time, effort and energy it’s going to take to make the necessary changes, these things can happen for you. I know this is true because my students are learning skills they’ve been missing most of their life and it’s amazing to share in the transformation of their thinking and behaviors and aha moments.
Please don’t let yourself be one of the 80% of people who don’t ever make it to more permanent change or even the 80% who want to change but never actually end up making the changes they want for many different reasons. There is training and support available to you to ensure, to the best of my ability, that you don’t become one of the 80% who don’t make it. Rather, that you are one of the 20% who do.
Let’s transition to some stories and action steps now. Our first story is about Roger and what behavioral Shifting is, and some action steps about how you can develop it.
· Roger was in his mid-40s and recently diagnosed with adult ADHD. He was prescribed medication to help with his ADHD symptoms, yet his life wasn’t course correcting in ways he desperately needed it to.
· He was mildly depressed and anxious about his life turning around soon, given his age, because he knew he had a lot of time and things to make up for (even though he couldn’t actually do that).
· Neither Roger’s therapist or psychiatrist were providing him with tools, skills or strategies to learn. He remembered reading in a Jim Rohn book that “for things to change, you have to change”…but how did he need to change? How could he know what to change or how to change it when he didn’t have important data about his executive functions?
· Specifically, Roger would get stuck a lot during the day at work when it was time to move from one task to the next. He just couldn’t seem to let go of the task he was working on. It always felt like there was more that needed to be done, and he kept second-guessing himself when he was ready to move on and ended up spinning his wheels.
· And then there were other times when he could shift quite easily, in fact, he moved from thing to thing so quickly that it seemed like he barely looked at the task, let alone get into it and complete it.
· In the previous episode, I talked about the importance of maturity and that it’s common for adults with ADHD or EF deficits to be immature. Roger was definitely immature, and I don’t mean that as a moral issue or judgment – just the facts. He was self-centered, close-minded, irresponsible, lacked self-control and self-awareness, and was very disrespectful. He was also rigid in his thoughts, pessimistic about outcomes and dishonest with himself. Furthermore, he didn’t keep long-term commitments, felt insecure, didn’t live by his values or know how to prioritize tasks and get them done; in fact, he didn’t really seem to care about any of this, even though he really did.
· His therapist discussed this with him and they concluded that most of the behaviors that he displayed seemed to be more about his immaturity than his inability to shift his behaviors, thoughts and feelings. In time, it became clear that his lack of shifting was directly related to his immaturity. And that until they addressed his immaturity issues, they wouldn’t know how much of a problem his inability to shift or frequent shifting truly was or wasn’t.
Background Facts about behavioral Shifting:
· Individuals with shifting challenges often need adherence to routines and predictability in their environment because this facilitates a feeling of security.
· Using visual prompts or cues is great because it allows the person to see the big picture of the day as well as see when and where shifts will occur so they can be prepared in advance of the need to shift or make a transition. The more advance notice for transitions, the more secure the person feels.
· It’s important to focus on one task at a time and limit choices to only one or two to control for overwhelm.
· Training for mental flexibility with cognitive trainings apps, like Peak Pro, is helpful to those who have challenges shifting. Or, you can practice shifting from thing to thing yourself and get used to making transitions and letting go of things and embracing new things.
· External cues or prompts can be useful to help with shifting; such as an alarm as a warning that a transition is coming soon and then another alarm when it is time to actually shift.
· Setting time limits for working on one thing and then shifting to the next thing can be helpful to know when it’s going to be time to shift.
· Have a set schedule of what is done in the morning and what is done in the afternoon or evening can be helpful to know the predictable shifts between tasks or activities. · Developing shifting habits, skills and strategies takes time and practice and does manifest if you keep going and follow through.
If you relate to Roger’s story, your action steps are:
· Focus on what you want your daily schedule or routine to be so that you have predictable transitions and shifting.
· Follow Through and practice sticking with the daily schedule you created so you get used to making transitions and shifting from thing to thing, rather than resisting shifting because you are overwhelmed. When you are planning your schedule, ask yourself lots of questions to determine when is the best time and how is the best way of doing something for you.
Assess your transitions and shifts and ask yourself:
o What was I challenged shifting today?
o What did I successfully shift today?
o How did I handle the challenge of shifting today?
o How did I handle my emotions during these challenges?
o How did I feel about the experience and/or the outcome?
o Am I making any assumptions about shifting and my ability?
o What are some fun and creative ways to cue myself to shift?
o What can I learn from today’s experiences?
o Could I have done anything differently and if so, what?
o Where could I improve for the next time?
o How should I adapt or change myself moving forward?
· Self-Management will be based on the answers to the questions you ask yourself so you can manage the next time more effectively and feel better about your outcomes when making transitions and shifting.
Let’s transition now to our second story about Donna and what thinking shifting is, and some action steps about how you can develop it
· Donna was in her mid-60s and wasn’t diagnosed until her late-50’s. She had lived most of her life with the inability to shift her thoughts when she was probably done thinking about something and just move on; instead the thoughts just went round and round in her head and she couldn’t seem to let go of a thought in order to think about another thought.
· She had almost no flexibility when it came to solving problems and had to do things the same way every time. This really got in the way when she was working fulltime because her employers always thought that she was very stubborn and unwilling to work as a team player. Even when someone suggested a way of doing something that was clearly a better or more effective way, she just couldn’t get her mind to go along with that change of method; it kept pulling her back to the original way she did things.
· Because Donna’s memory wasn’t all that great, she was afraid to shift away from a thought in the middle because she didn’t know if she could get herself back to the thought and where she was going with it.
· In fact, her thoughts had an obsessive quality to them. She would get fixated on a thought, such as eating tapioca or ice cream and even though she knows that she needs to eat only a little of those foods if she eats them, she can’t get herself to shift or transition from the obsessive thought and hence from eating them until they are gone and then the natural transition or shift to whatever is next happens because the food is gone.
Background Facts about thinking Shifting:
· Donna’s challenges with shifting also involve her challenges with inhibiting. Talking about the skills and strategies individually is an artificial means of learning about them and practicing them, however, in real life, they are linked together and interwoven into our moment-by-moment needs.
· Thinking is also linked to emotions because when you can’t shift because you can’t tolerate a change emotionally in how things are going to be if you shift, then you would probably be blocked from shifting, yet it wouldn’t be because you can’t think your way through the transition; it’s your emotions at play
· Also, what you are thinking about or locked into thinking about could be generating “feel good feelings” and you don’t want to let them go and so you don’t want to shift your thinking because what you are thinking about feels so good
· Teasing out the inability to do things is a complex process and involves the interface of our behaviors, thinking and emotions even though this story is about thinking and shifting If you relate to Donna’s story, your action steps are:
· Focus on sorting out which executive function skills are responsible for the current challenges.
· Follow Through on building and mastering those specific skills and supporting strategies.
· Self-Management of how your feelings might be responsible for the greater part of the challenges you are experiencing. Work with your regulatory skills so you remove whatever might derail you and keep you from resolving your challenges
And let’s transition to our third story about Tom and what emotional shifting is, and action steps about how you can develop it.
· Tom was in his mid-20s, and his emotions were stuck in the negativity ditch. He couldn’t shift out of the state he was in; he just had to wait it out until it shifted on its own. He didn’t know what caused it to be able to shift because he certainly couldn’t make it happen any sooner
· He wanted to take control of his life and get things moving in a more positive direction but he just couldn’t shift his emotions and didn’t know what to do about it
· He was diagnosed with chronic depression, ADHD, anxiety and a host of other things…point being, that without knowing how to shift his state and get himself out of the emotional ditch, his depression persisted because this caused him to feel helpless about his emotional states and his life
· Tom felt he had been proactive with everything he could read or listen to, as well as seeking help in therapy, he was hoping to find answers to this mysterious emotionally frozen state – that is, until it thawed on its own.
· Nothing seemed to shed any light on this mystery, causing Tom to become even more depressed.
· He happened to stumble upon a podcast show for adults with ADHD and instead of hearing about the typical stuff, he was hearing about executive function skills and strategies. He kept listening because this was the first time he had heard this term and was learning of all the ways in which his executive function deficits could be impacting his life – in particular, the inability to shift emotionally without certain skills and strategies for doing so. He had to learn more so he kept listening.
Background Facts about emotional Shifting:
· Think of your emotions is energy in motion. When you are balanced and well integrated or regulated, your emotions don’t get stuck or block you from shifting and moving forward.
· Your emotions are tied to your thinking, and so being able to shift your thoughts is as important to being able to shift your emotions
· Emotions aren’t necessarily good or bad; rather they are messengers providing information that is important for us to act on and when you get stuck and can’t shift out of the emotion once you get the message or information, that’s a problem because you can’t act on what you know
· You can develop your ability to shift your emotional responses by practicing doing so “out of the charged moments” – meaning, practice being in one state and then in another – use cues or prompts to help you shift
· You can ask yourself to recall events in the past that had you feeling different emotions and use that to help you shift emotions during practice time:
o A time when you were over the top happy
o A time when you were scared
o A time when you were curious
o A time when you were puzzled
o A time when you were creative
o A time when you were angry
o A time when you were joyful
· The idea here is to realize that you can probably already shift from emotions or feelings to others fairly easily when you’re not under pressure or in a stressful situation. Can you think of a time when that is true for you?
If you relate to Tom’s story, your action steps are:
· Focus on coming up with a list of different emotions and when you experienced them (like my example)
· Follow Through on practicing shifting during non-stressful times between those different emotions and experiences and notice how easy it is for you to shift, if it is. Notice if it’s not easy and determine what’s getting in the way.
· Self-Management of how you feel about shifting from one emotion to the next and back and forth.
And lastly, a quick story about Teresa and her excessive shifting of behaviors, thoughts and feelings.
· Teresa was in her mid-30s, and had been diagnosed with severe ADHD, a learning disability, and chronic depression, none of which were being managed well for her. So, one of the ways this played out for Teresa in her day-to-day life was with a high level of boredom and “what is the point” attitude.
· This attitude developed as a result of Teresa desperately trying to have things matter to her, to engage her and they just didn’t. She didn’t know how to change that so she wouldn’t be bored constantly and seeking the next new thing to try and lift her spirits and get her to connect.
· Clearly the professionals she was working with needed to get underneath the root cause of her boredom and shifting from thing to thing to thing because it was feeding a vicious cycle of depression and never ending boredom and moving on to the next thing.
· Teresa wondered how others could stay put with a task or relationship or anything for longer than the brief period of time that she could sustain interest or connection.
· She wondered what they were thinking or feelings or knew how to do that she didn’t.
· There was also a feeling of emptiness that Teresa felt as a result of her lack of connection or being able to sustain a relationship with anything – person or task or hobby.
Background Facts about excessive Shifting:
· Whether tied to boredom or a lack of knowledge and ability to do things or even another undiagnosed condition that is causing the rapid shifting, it’s definitely important to uncover the root cause and resolve it
If you relate to Teresa’s story, your action steps are:
· Focus on finding and working with a well-qualified professional who can help you determine the full picture of your rapid shifting and what drives it. Take whatever time is necessary to find the right person for you and the complete answer.
· Follow Through on differentiating between the various reasons that you shift rapidly or continuously rather than being able to stay put with the help of a professional or a good friend as support. I know this is going to be challenging given the behavior we are talking about and yet it will help you tailor your solutions.
· Self-Management of any feelings of hopelessness or emptiness and remind yourself that knowing the cause of the shifting is huge in terms of creating the right solutions and that what you are experiencing right now is a temporary situation that will get resolved; keep a lot of support around you and lean into those who are there for you during this challenging time.
Remember that no matter which stories you identify with, you need to cultivate a “practicing mindset” and come to look forward to practicing something every day that is moving you toward your destination. Whether you need to practice developing behavioral, thinking, or feeling shifting or stop yourself from shifting way too often, you have work to do. And mind you, the “work” doesn’t have to be hard or boring; it can be fun and playful. The idea is to make the process enjoyable so you will practice every day and even look forward to doing so. That’s the fun of play.
It’s not enough to know the steps you need to take in the process; you can get that from a book or other informational product. You need the support, understanding, and sense of community to help carry the load we all sometimes feel. You might even need someone to walk beside you, step by step, to help guide your actions and follow through so you stay the course and achieve your outcome.
And again, if you don’t have a place you go for support and knowledge about how to transform your life into what you’ve always wanted, I recommend you put your name and contact information in the form on either my drbarbaracohen.com or ADDventures in Achievement website, so I can reach out to you right away by email and phone and we can chat about your goals and challenges and whether or not my programs are right for you.
I say programs (plural) because I will soon be going live with 2 more programs to support your needs – a program for couples and a program for those who don’t have ADHD or EF deficits who are seeking real understanding of how our amazing brains play out in real life. Couples in Motion and ADDventures Companion will be available the first week of November And I have an awesome bonus for those of you interested in enrolling in the ADDventures in Achievement program. If you enroll between now and November 4th, you will receive free access to one of the new programs for the first enrollment period, if you meet the criteria for which one you select. Be sure to get your information to me right away so we can chat about the ADDventures in Achievement program as well as whether or not you meet the criteria for one of the bonus programs. I look forward to speaking soon and serving your many needs as well.
Learning skills and strategies may sound like a lot of work, and maybe it is but it doesn’t have to be unpleasant work. In fact, it can be fun and playful if you approach it that way and give it those types of meanings. I’ve been playing with these skills and strategies for years now because I had to learn them, just like you do. I knew that I would be more inclined to stick with learning them if I could make this a fun experience for myself; which I did. And I’ve continued to be a student of my own life as I hope you will be of yours, and stick with it until you’ve achieved mastery, and the happier and more productive life you want.
If you want to be part of an online community of listeners to my show, be sure to reach out and friend me on Facebook, so I can invite you into The Living Beyond ADHD Community. We’re going to be getting more active and engaged there and I look forward to getting to know you and helping you in whatever ways I can.
And if you want more than just the Facebook group, let’s chat and see if my program is a good fit for you at this time. If it is, you may also qualify for the bonus of free access to Couples in Motion or ADDventures Companion for the first enrollment period, as a member of ADDventures in Achievement. You won’t find any live links on my websites to just enroll in the program because I chat with everyone before they enroll to ensure that you and the program are a good fit for each other. We are definitely an amazing and unique community. So don’t miss out on this great opportunity to get your needs met.
In addition to the bonus opportunity as an ADDventures in Achievement student, you’ll also receive an Executive Function Assessment and the opportunity to discuss the results with me in our initial 1:1 appointment after you enroll. I’ve remodeled the program so we are focusing on you developing the executive function skills and strategies you’re missing in our working workshops every week, in addition to the weekly coaching you receive as a member of the ADDventures in Achievement program and community. And of course, you have access to the forum 24/7 and to me there helping you 6 days a week.
A Favorite Quote:
Albert Camus said, “There is no happiness if the things we believe in are different than the things we do.” So, the question I have for you at this point of our journey together is, “Are you spending your precious irreplaceable time being and doing what you believe in? I hope so because this is your life we are talking about!!!
That’s about it for today’s episode about shifting behavioral, thinking and emotional flow, as well as reign in excessive shifting, and a little about how you can start to develop these skills. Thanks for letting me know how much my show helps you and means to you. It means a lot to me to know that your life is getting a little bit better every time we get together. Listening to every podcast episode is a small action step, and something that can help you move your life forward, one episode at a time, if you take action on the steps I include for you. If you just listen and hear the value but don’t take action, you won’t gain the value that’s there for you. Remember, for things to change for the better for you, YOU have to change – which means you need to do your best every day to do something that will lead you in the direction of your destination.
I love chatting with you about your challenges and needs and helping you know what options are available for real solutions and a more satisfying life. So reach out after you finish listening to this episode and let’s set up time to chat.
If you’d like to do something more, and you like what I'm doing here on the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher or Google Play or YouTube or wherever you’re listening from, and share this show with your friends and family. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. The greater the number of reviews, the higher the ranking, and the easier it will be for other people to find this show; people who also need this information. Plus, I’d love to know what more of you think of the show and the information I share with you. Thanks in advance for that gift.
It helps me in my mission to make sure that all adults with focus, follow through, self-management or executive function challenges have the information and skills to help them live a happier, more productive, and wildly successful life. That’s the driving force behind this show and expanded content of the ADDventures in Achievement program. It’s also what drove me to create Couples in Motion and ADDventures Companion, because I was seeing how relationships were changing and getting off balance as a result of the work my students are doing on themselves. Maintaining balance in your relationship with yourself is important, and so is the balance in your other relationships.
Feel free to rate the show, even if you don’t choose to write a review. I am grateful for whatever you are willing to do that helps me bring benefit to greater numbers of people. Thank you in advance for your kindness and participation.
Part of what I love about the growing community of ADDventures in Achievement is the support that members are receiving from one another. Years ago I conceived of something I called “The ADD Squad.” The idea for The ADD Squad was an outgrowth of my growing up years watching the TV show, Little House on the Prairie, where it didn’t seem to matter whose barn burned down, the town rallied and raised a new barn so that family could be okay. I’ve always felt that the world might be a much better place if we viewed each other that way. In other words, seeing the needs of others and reaching out as a community to help one another because we can, rather than just thinking of our own needs. In the case of my online program, the reaching out has been the sharing of knowledge, support and time to help one another and it’s amazing to be a part of. We are not alone in this life of ours! We are all inter-connected in such unique and mysterious ways, and we can see that even more so by developing our executive function skills and strategies.
I know my episode production schedule is a little erratic still, so if you don’t want to have to remember to look for new episodes, just subscribe and the newest episode will be in your feed as soon as it’s released.
Episode Resources:
- Put yourself on the informational list for the ADDventures In Achievement Foundational Skills Program, so that you receive all the amazing emails we’ve written to both educate you about Executive Function skills as well as the details of the program; there is absolutely no obligation by being on the Information List. You’ll thank yourself for getting informed.
- Free Video and e-Book - Many Mental Health Providers & ADHD
- 13 EF Skills
- Join the amazing Living Beyond ADHD Facebook Group & hang out with your peeps
- Follow me on Dr B Facebook Page and enjoy live videos and more
- Follow me on Instagram and enjoy relevant resources
To Help The Show:
Subscribe at your favorite listening spot and my podcast player has social media links (icons) in the episode player so you can share episodes you love with others!
Please rate the show and leave a thoughtful review on iTunes so I know you're benefiting from the episodes. The greater the number of reviews, the higher the ranking, and the easier it will be for others to find the show; people who also need this information.
Let's put an end to the worldwide needless suffering together! We can do this!
