If you are following my YouTube channel, you know that I am currently writing a book. This project is unique because, in writing my previous books, I had the opportunity to write in a different way that I am writing now. My early books were written by giving myself a word count for each day and writing until I hit my daily word count. My latest books (The Reset ADHD Trilogy of Books) were written using my blog posts. This time, I am trying to write a book while running a business. So, how do I go about this?

One of the hardest parts about living with ADHD is dealing with the ramifications of when things go awry. We quite often find ourselves not where we want to be. This is frustrating and can lead to negative self-talk. This can quickly devolve into a harsh relationship with oneself. When we are constantly berating ourselves, we begin to internalize the messages we are receiving. How we break out of this vicious cycle is not easy and seems overly simplistic, but it can be done.

So, I have this bad habit. I leave my email open on my computer. This means I am frequently checking my email. When faced with writer’s block, I check my email. Any time I open my computer, I check my email. When I am bored, I check my email. I am constantly checking my email. This hurts my productivity. Is this blog post a declaration that I will check my email less? Well, no. I am still probably going to check my email quite a bit, but I think being aware of how often I do it is creating a new awareness for me. I want to be more aware of how I use my time and how various tasks either drain my energy or re-energize me. In short, I want to get off auto-pilot and be more in control of my life.

One of the tragedies of living life with ADHD is we do not give ourselves enough credit for what we are doing. We forget about the good things we have done, those things that help us move forward in life. There is a negativity bias that we need to overcome. We tend to focus on the things that have not gone according to plan. Yet, we need to remember that, sometimes, reality is better than what we had planned and that we have been making strides. Yes, there is always room for improvement, but we tend to discount the progress we have already made. So, I say to you, dear reader: You’re doing better than you think.

Getting an ADHD diagnosis can be a life-altering event, especially if it is an adult diagnosis. You have learned something new about yourself and how your brain is wired. Things are the same as they have always been, but now, you know more about what is happening. You have a name for your struggles and unique traits. While it is a good thing to finally have answers, it can be a hard thing to handle. How does one make peace with oneself after an ADHD diagnosis? How does one make peace with one’s past after an ADHD diagnosis? It is a journey following an ADHD diagnosis, for sure, but there is hope.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the 2023 Applied Improvisation Network Conference. I arrived at the Improv Centre in Vancouver for registration, got my badge, got the lay of the land, and then walked outside. There, sitting on a bench, was one of the keynote speakers, Colin Mochrie of Whose Line Is It Anyway? fame. I was able to sit next to him and tell him how much he meant to me as an improv performer and practitioner of applied improvisation. Reflecting on my encounter with Mochrie and learning more about his life and career has led me to wonder how he can help those of us with ADHD.

For the past few weeks, I have been in a funk. I do not like being in a funk, yet here I am. While discussing this with my mentor, he came up with an acronym. G.O.O.F. Get Out Of Funk. The key to getting out of a funk is to G.O.O.F. around. Be a G.O.O.F.! I love this idea and am going to run with it. I pledge to be a G.O.O.F. while I am in this funk.

I think this idea can be helpful for others with ADHD. Sometimes, the ADHD can get to us, and we get down about our struggles. To all those in a funk, I say, “Be a G.O.O.F.”

I was recently interviewed by someone, and I was asked about what message I would like to give my younger self. I was not ready for that question, but my response was: “You are where you are meant to be.” As I think about that statement, it occurs to me that it, not only makes sense for myself at younger ages, but it also applies to all of us at any age. Where we are in life is preparing us for where we are going. If there are struggles in our lives, they are making us stronger and ready for what is to come in our lives. In short, we are where we are meant to be.

Recently, I had a conversation with Alan P. Brown, Jay Perry, and Ryan Mayer. It was an awesome conversation, and I encourage you to go check out the video replay. One nugget of wisdom that came up was the three ways of motivating someone with ADHD. My mentor Jay Perry dropped this nugget of wisdom, and it blew our minds. The three ways are: Scare, dare, and care. Let’s look at these three rhyming ways of motivation…

It can be hard to trust oneself when one has ADHD. There are many mistakes that get made made when living with ADHD. Most are not a big deal, but the frequency of mistakes can erode one’s self-confidence. Building up trust in one’s abilities and self-efficacy can be challenging. So, what can be done? Here are a few tips.

Those of us with ADHD can struggle with sleep. ADHDers struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, getting out of bed in the morning, and daytime sleepiness. ADHD can make sleep worse, and sleep can make ADHD worse. It’s a vicious cycle. However, it is possible to get a good night’s sleep.

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.

On March 23, 2023, Reset ADHD hosted a webinar on ADHD and improv. At the end of the webinar, it was announced that Reset ADHD would be hosting virtual improv “playdates.” If this sounds intriguing to you, sign up. If you are wondering why I am pushing ADHD and improv so hard, read on, for in this blog post I will be discussing what can be learned from improv.

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?

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.

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.

This blog post is scheduled to be released on the last day of ADHD Awareness Month 2022. Every year, I find the end of ADHD Awareness Month bittersweet. All of the cool activities designed to raise awareness about ADHD end, but at the same time, there is a relief. As someone who works with those with ADHD, I feel pressure to include ADHD awareness in my marketing during the month of October. This year, I did that. Other years, I have not. However, I am of the belief that ADHD awareness is for the whole year, not just October.

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?

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.