Podcast appearances and mentions of Russell Barkley

Picture this: You're on the wildest roller coaster of your life – dizzying highs, sudden drops, and your heart racing. For many of us with ADHD, early romance can feel exactly like that. Our brains light up with excitement and novelty, but those same traits that make us passionate can also leave us vulnerable to toxic relationships. Research shows that adults with ADHD often report childhood trauma and have brains that crave dopamine in high doses. That means the drama of a turbulent partner might feel familiar or even thrilling. As Dr. Gabor Maté puts it, people unconsciously “choose each other with an unerring instinct” for partners who mirror their own unresolved anxieties and pain. In plain terms, ADHD traits plus past stresses can set us up for danger if we're not careful. Today on Authentically ADHD, we're peeling back the curtain on why ADHD brains are wired to overlook red flags, and how to recognize and escape toxic dynamics – with a dose of neuroscience, expert insight, and real talk.Impulsivity & Novelty-SeekingFor someone with ADHD, new romance can be intoxicating. We crave excitement, and a high-energy partner often delivers. As ADHD experts explain, ADHD often means higher impulsivity and constant novelty-seeking. In one study's key takeaways, ADHD “can cause increased impulsivity and novelty-seeking behavior — like constantly looking for new and exciting experiences”. In practice, that means you might rush headlong into a relationship without waiting to see the red flags. Dr. Edward Hallowell famously described how a person with ADHD “seldom feels bored”, instantly switching to something new at the first hint of dullness. When a toxic partner offers a rush of drama – extreme highs like bombarding you with affection (love-bombing), followed by sharp criticisms – your ADHD brain gets dopamine hits at every twist and turn. Those dopamine spikes can feel like love, making chaos seem exciting instead of dangerous.For example, imagine texting back instantly without thinking, even when something feels off. Or jumping into serious commitments with someone who's shown controlling behaviors, simply because the initial chemistry is overwhelming. That's ADHD impulsivity and thrill-seeking at work. We're more likely to mistake high drama for passion. But remember: healthy relationships can be dynamic too, with steady excitement that builds trust, not tension. As one ADDitude expert notes, treating your ADHD through therapy, medication, or coaching can diminish the craving for those unhealthy dopamine hits, helping you choose more stable love over wild rides.Hyperfocus on the Wrong PartnersIt's no secret: we can intensely fixate on a new crush. In ADHD terms, this is hyperfocus – pouring all our attention into one person. Early in romance, that means calling, texting, planning every detail together in a way that feels magical. But there's a catch. As ADDitude editors point out, people with ADHD “feel emotions intensely and might hyperfocus on their partner, especially at the outset of a new, exciting relationship”. In practice, we hang on every word they say, overlook snide comments, and rewrite our own friend's concerns as jealousy or misunderstanding.For instance, imagine the first few weeks with a new partner: your ADHD brain is 100% engaged. They text, you reply lightning-fast. They cancel plans unexpectedly, and you shrug it off because you're so grateful to have their attention at all. That hyperfocus can blind us to manipulation. We might stay up all night chatting about their life story – even the parts that don't add up – or excuse their mood swings because we're convinced this time they really get us. In short, hyperfocus makes us all in right away. Unfortunately, that's exactly when a toxic partner is most charming. The downside: once the infatuation fades, the problems you missed can hit hard.Emotional Dysregulation & RSDIf romance hits a rough patch, ADHD brains react strongly. Many of us experience big emotions and mood swings that non-ADHD folks don't. This is by no accident: researchers like Dr. Russell Barkley show that emotional impulsiveness and deficient emotional self-regulation (DESR) are integral to ADHD. In plain terms, we can swing from zero to a hundred easily. One ADHD expert put it simply: many adults with ADHD “experience big emotions, and such intense emotions can easily destabilize even the strongest partnerships”. You might cry for hours over a forgotten text, or erupt in anger if you feel left out.On top of that, ADHD comes with something called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). RSD means we feel rejection or criticism as emotional pain so intense it's almost physical. Even a partner's mild critique might feel like a punch to the gut. Picture this: your partner says, “Maybe you should try to be on time,” and suddenly you're convinced they're plotting to dump you. That fear triggers panic; you obsess over what you did wrong all night. RSD can make us paranoid about losing someone, even if they haven't shown real signs of leaving. As one therapist explains, this leads some of us to overreact or interpret neutral acts as intentional hurt.The result? Emotional turmoil in the relationship. You may push back fiercely, cry uncontrollably, or withdraw completely, depending on the day. A toxic partner often intentionally amplifies this – a small critique from them can send you spiraling, which they then dismiss as irrational. Meanwhile, your inability to regulate means you keep doing exactly what angers you or makes you sad. Over time, the ups and downs can leave you feeling drained and doubting your sanity.Next up we are talking Boundaries, low self trust, fear of abandonment & misinterpreting social cues and of course some tips on how to spot the red flags and feel more empowered, but first a word from our sponsors….********************course AD, patreon & FOCUSED **************Executive Dysfunction and BoundariesAnother ADHD truth: our executive functioning – planning, organizing, self-control – can be a major challenge. In relationships, this often shows up as forgiving and forgetting where we shouldn't. We struggle to keep track of agreed boundaries. If our partner sets a rule and then crosses it, we might not recall our agreement clearly, or our impulsivity makes us give in. We might be hyper-organized about work but completely miss that we promised to stay home for the night.According to relationship researchers, the ADHD symptoms that commonly impact love include inattention, forgetfulness, impulsivity, and disorganization. These can make our partners feel like we're unreliable or distracted (even if we aren't trying to be). For example, you might forget to call back, miss important dates, or say something impulsive without meaning to. In a toxic dynamic, an abusive partner may use this “flakiness” as more fodder: “You never care!” they might snap, and you believe it. If you've already agreed on a boundary, then your executive funk sets in, you slip, and they use that slip-up against you.Imagine a scenario: Your partner says you're not allowed to have certain friends, but because you forgot the rule, you slip into a group chat. They find out and accuse you of betrayal. You try to organize a simple date night to save the peace, but you overcommit and then drop the ball. Each mistake feeds into a narrative that you are the unreliable one. In reality, ADHD makes it hard to maintain consistency, and a toxic partner will exploit every mix-up.Low Self-Trust and Fear of AbandonmentAfter so many mistakes and misunderstandings, our self-trust can plummet. We start to doubt our instincts. If every relationship feels doomed or everyone seems angry at us, we might think “There must be something wrong with me.” That's a dangerous trap. People with ADHD often develop a deep-seated fear of abandonment – a terror that if we speak up or leave, we really will end up alone. This fear is fueled by a history of feeling rejected or criticized (or even trauma) early in life.Dr. Maté's insight is revealing here: “Couples choose each other with an unerring instinct for finding the very person who will exactly match their own level of unconscious anxieties and mirror their own dysfunctions…”. In other words, we often (unconsciously) pick partners who resonate with our own pain. If you grew up feeling dismissed or unsafe, you might be drawn to someone who keeps you just anxious enough to feel something. Once in that relationship, the fear of losing them can become paralyzing. You worry that no one else would put up with you, so you stay and ignore the issues. This matches what many therapists see: ADHDers, already vulnerable after feeling misunderstood for years, often fear that demanding respect means losing love.On top of that, people with ADHD frequently have low self-esteem because of a lifetime of “you're late, you forgot, you didn't finish.” Dr. Ari Tuckman and others note that ADHD can come hand-in-hand with low confidence and negative self-talk. When that combines with RSD, any threat of breakup feels like confirmation that we're worthless. A toxic partner can pick up on this. They may say, “If you left, you'd be alone forever,” or even gaslight you into thinking you are the problem. We're vulnerable to believing them.Misreading Manipulation & Social CuesHere's another twist: ADHD can make social cues tricky. Many of us are extremely empathetic and assume people are good. At the same time, we can be so distracted that subtle manipulations fly under our radar. A partner might gaslight (“You imagined that, I never said that”) or shift blame, and we might miss or excuse it. We might rationalize their behavior (“He's just stressed”) when an outsider sees it's abuse. Sadly, this combination – empathy plus distractibility – can make us targets for manipulation. A toxic partner counts on us missing their red flags, and often we do.For example, if they love-bomb you (“You're perfect!”) one day and slam you (“You're crazy!”) the next, your ADHD impulses might focus only on the highs and forget the lows until they hit you like a ton of bricks. If your partner hints at being jealous or controlling, you might interpret it as passionate love instead of a warning sign. This isn't your fault – it's how ADHD can paint a rosier picture in the moment. The key is to learn the difference between passion and poison.Spotting Red Flags and Self-EmpowermentLet's pull this together with some practical steps. The good news: knowing these patterns is the first step to breaking them. Here are some red flags to watch for, especially if you have ADHD:Love-bombing & devaluation: If someone showers you with affection one moment and dismisses you the next, that intense cycle is toxic drama, not true intimacy.Gaslighting: If you constantly feel confused or like you're crazy about reality, that's a major red flag. ADHD brains already second-guess ourselves; don't let someone else add fuel.Disrespecting boundaries: If your “no” or your limits are ignored or mocked, that partner is not respecting you. That's abuse, not just a “quirk.”Consistent disrespect: Small insidious things (rolling eyes, insults, taking you for granted) add up. ADHD people may brush them off, but ask yourself, “How would I feel if a friend said these things?”Excessive drama: An ongoing soap opera of breakups and makeups is not love, it's manipulation. Your brain might crave the adrenaline, but it's unhealthy.Knowledge is power. As one ADDitude article recommends, recognize the signs early and treat your ADHD – with coaching, therapy, medication or all three. Managing your ADHD symptoms can help clear the fog: you'll have better impulse control, greater emotional balance, and a more realistic view of your partner. Also, remember: you deserve consistency and respect. It's okay to set firm boundaries and stick to them. Practice saying “no” in low-stakes situations so it's easier when it counts.If you notice your anxious ADHD brain is saying things like “If I leave, I'll never find anyone,” remember the facts: Some relationships truly are meant to last a season, and letting go is not a failure. As one expert bluntly puts it: “Leaving doesn't mean you wasted time… Leaving is always an option”. Empower yourself by remembering that the right person will value your kindness and passion – not exploit it.In closing: ADHD gives us wonderful strengths (creativity, empathy, energy), but it also comes with vulnerabilities in love. By educating ourselves about how our brains work, listening to experts, and sharing experiences, we can spot toxic patterns before they take hold. You are worthy of a healthy, respectful love. Keep your eyes and heart open, trust your gut, and never forget – you're not alone on this journey. Thats all I have for now, stay authentic and we will talk soon!Linktree: https://linktr.ee/carmen_irace Join Focused: https://ihaveadhdllc.ontralink.com/t?orid=29951&opid=1 Sources: Scientific insights in this episode are drawn from ADHD experts and research, ensuring our advice is grounded in what the specialists say. (Images courtesy of licensed resources.) Get full access to carmen_authenticallyadhd at carmenauthenticallyadhd.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode: Jen talks about her frustration and anger at the gravely irresponsible and chock full of what seems like willful disinformation spreading article in the Sunday New York Times Magazine titled “Have We Been Thinking About ADHD All Wrong?” Jen let's the experts speak for her and she reads the intelligent analysis done by Dr. Russell Barkley and the editors of ADDitude Magazine. SHOW NOTES: For bonus episodes, transcripts, video classes, AMA's, a private chat community and more - go GET A LOT in the “You Are a LOT” podcast Patreon community. Start with a 7-day free trial at any level, and when you join, take 15% off if you subscribe annually. Visit the “You Are A Lot” (an ADHD/AuDHD Podcast) webpage Subscribe to the “This Is A Lot” Newsletter 15% Off HUGIMALS weighted stuffed animals 15% off APPOINTED planners & notebooks 20% off UnHide Weighted Blankets & Pillows 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus! Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com SOURCES USED FOR THIS EPISODE: ADDitude Magazine: Setting The Record Straight Dr. Russell Barkley On YouTube  

Dr. Russell Barkley says Dr. Russell Barkley states that the impact of ADHD on self-efficacy is one of its most significant negative effects. Patty explains and shares some tips to strengthen yours. Plus-Patty's ADHD-friendly tip for this week has her singing (literally!).PLUS: Hear this week's pick for Book of the Week!Create an ADHD-Friendly Personal Owner's Manual (POM) eBook is now available in the ADHD-Friendly shop for only $19.99: https://www.adhdfriendly.com/adhd-friendly-shop/Join ADHD-Friendly Membership and participate in the new Hybrid Course: ADHDU! Click the link below for more info:https://www.adhdfriendly.com/adhd-friendly-all-access-membership-includes/Thank you for checking out this episode of the ADHD Friendly podcast with Patty Blinderman!!New episodes are posted every Wednesday! Subscribe to the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@adhdfriendlyCheck out/Join the ADHD-Friendly membership here: https://www.adhdfriendly.com/adhd-friendly-all-access-membership-includes/Please subscribe to my YouTube channel, ADHD Friendly Podcast, or wherever you listen to podcasts. For more information on the ADHD-Friendly services offered by Patty, please visit her website: ADHDFriendly.com

Isabelle and David continue to explore how an official ADHD or autism or AuDHD diagnosis might be a useful bridge to belong to a community. But what about the people who see these labels as pathologizing, including famous ADHD researchers like Dr. Russell Barkely? David and Isabelle explore some of the ways that thinking of ADHD from the negatives only and leaves people using the label not as a tool for empowerment, self-understanding, and advocacy--but as an excuse. Furthermore, what about labels like "Asperger's" (low-support need/high-masking autism) that has its roots in Nazi extermination camps? Neuropsychs Explored Part III.---The pro to identifying as having ADHD that David now understands, that he didn't understand years ago, was that it allows you to fit into a culture and a group differently. He walked into a room in his 30's (at an Eye-to-Eye conference) and found himself fitting in. David needed the label to understand himself. He brings up Dr. Russell Barkley and his research—Isabelle jumps in with a factoid about Barkley's twin who had ADHD and addiction issues and died in a car accident…which helps give her context for why Barkley is so big on ADHD being a risk factor while driving. David wants to make it clear—it is a tragic story, and he's not about casting anyone as evil or bad—but Barkeley's work does do a number on people's self esteem. They look at his research and think they can't change and they start to use ADHD as an excuse, not an explanation. It's important to have compassion for people, he does talk a lot about addiction and car crashes, and we all have sad parts of our past, and its what we do now that matters. When he's talking to a room for non-ADHDers, they tend to think that people with ADHD are less, rather than more. He likes folk music and David likes rap, and David is not going to pretend to like folk music. Isabelle names that she tries to make sense of something so dehumanizing, like the six hour training she sat through of his that left her in tears, gaining some context for his story gave her a chance to reduce how slimed she felt. Knowing why does decrease suffering. Isabelle has seen a lot of hostility and backlash about AuDHD. Autism is a spectrum—yes, there are non speakers and folks with high support needs. But maybe it was what back in the day was called Asperger's, a now unused term. David names that Dr. Asperger was a Nazi (sympathizer?) Who created a line around autism (essentially how high-masking someone was) that determined who lived and died. For more on this deep history of Asperger — check out the links below. Isabelle and David agree to have a way longer conversation on the history of neurodivergence. Isabelle talks more about her neuropsych assessment, including sample questions, and fill in the blank type sentences to write. And she was given a questionnaire to give to someone who knows her well—for kids, this might be both to caregivers and teachers, so they can get data about how the kid is functioning in multiple environments. Isabelle then waits, gets a twenty-some page document, and they sit down and cover it all. Isabelle has in the months between first hearing the neuropsychologist state that she meets criteria for autism, confirming her suspicions, she went on a deep dive on all these pieces of information. Isabelle felt the fear of having this diagnosis taken away from her felt so deeply. It was so hard, even just listening to the summary, she wanted to skip to the end (another autistic trait, she is learning, wanting to know the context so she can track what's being described or knowing where it's going), and she yes, she has autism, and she burst into tears. Isabelle finally has an answer to the riddle, which a chunk of it related to ADHD, but this is another part of the mystery, like she has been looking in funhouse mirrors her whole life, and now she has an accurate reflection of who she is, like a real, non-distorted mirror. She also has “severe” ADHD. David and Isabelle dig in with how negative this criteria is (which, side note, connects to Barkley's research). Are we weather systems? Are we severely awesome? Maybe we change it to extremely? Gah. Asperger's and the history of neurodivergence Articles and books on Dr. Russell Barkley Known as a big researcher of ADHD, does really good research, and pushes forward a lot of diagnostic criteria and is in a position of power changing the game for a lot of humans. The caveat that Isabelle and David often make is that: he takes a really doom and gloom, pathologizing perspective (which are scary research-based bits of information).  Asperger's Autism: you have 40% chance of ADHD, and then DEFINITIONSNote: “Neuropsych” is shorthand for BOTH a neuropsychological assessment or a neuropsychologist (which is confusing).Neuropsychologist is "an expert in how brain injuries and conditions affect your behavior, mood and thinking skills. They perform neuropsychological evaluations to assess how your brain and mind are working and suggest treatment plans." (Source: Cleveland Clinic).A neuropsychological assessment is a series of interviews and tests (computer, written, drawing, solving puzzles, etc. no magnets, radiation, electrodes, or medical procedures involved) — the type of test is based on what is being explored. This battery (or collection) of tests, often done across multiple sessions, help a neuropsychologist determine a psychological diagnosis, treatment plan, and get a sense of how your brain works. Typically recommended by school systems/medical system to assess kids to help figure out what learning differences and accommodations may be helpful, but these assessments are not just for kids! Adults can use them to gain self-understanding, establish a baseline (if dementia or high-risk contact sports play is involved), or even figure out what parts of your brain have been injured or might be affected by brain surgery. Because kids grow and development so much, they are often redone every 2-4 years. Here's more on neuropsychological assessments from the Cleveland Clinic.Stimming (aka "Self-Stimulatory Behavior) -originally attributed to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but also occurs in neurodivergent AND neurotypical or allistic (non-autistic) folks. It means repetitive physical movements, sounds, or actions that someone engages in (aka leg bouncing, finger tapping, hand flapping, twirling hair, humming, repeating words, staring, pacing, doodling, playing with fidgets, chewing gum, smelling or touching things..so many stims!).Useful for: so many things! For when your senses are overloaded or your understimulated, can help you focus and concentrate, can be a way to learn about or interact with your environment, or to cope with anxiety, stress, excitement, or big feels.Masking: when neurodivergent individuals pretend to be neurotypical, hide or minimize their stims, and even pretend they have the same reasons for doing things (like Isabelle saying "yes, I'm antsy" when she's pacing, when really she feels good and grounded when she paces or goes from room to room).

The age-old debate of nature versus nurture takes center stage as we explore Dr. Russell Barkley's fascinating perspective that children arrive in this world with over 400 psychological traits waiting to emerge—traits completely independent of parental influence. This revelation challenges the modern parenting culture that places enormous guilt on parents who believe they must engineer perfect outcomes."Your child is not a blank slate on which you get to write," Barkley reminds us. "You are a shepherd. You don't design the sheep." This powerful metaphor resonated deeply with all of us, prompting reflection on how we sometimes push our values onto our children rather than recognizing and nurturing their inherent qualities. We share personal stories of discovering our children's unexpected strengths—like Cooper's natural spatial reasoning abilities that surprised his parents who had worried about his academic development.The conversation takes a lively turn as we dive into the art of wrestling with our kids. From bedtime roughhousing rituals to bathroom door challenges ("You want to go?" my daughter asks while I'm on the toilet), we explore how physical play creates unique bonds between fathers and children. We laugh about the different "powers" our kids imagine during these wrestling matches and how our partners often approach physical play differently than we do.Perhaps most touching is our discussion about acknowledgment—that moment when a parent walks through the door after work. Some children rush to greet dad with excitement, while others barely look up from their activities. We consider how our own behaviors might influence these reactions and share a touching story about a family where everyone chants the father's name upon his arrival home.Whether you're wrestling with your toddler, discovering your child's unique talents, or simply hoping for a warmer welcome when you return from work, this episode offers both practical wisdom and emotional reassurance for the parenting journey. Remember—sometimes the most powerful thing we can do as parents is not to shape our children, but to witness, support, and celebrate who they naturally are.

In 2025, the landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work is rapidly evolving and facing well documented challenges, but these challenges also offer new opportunities and growth. Today's guest, Elena Joy Thurston, an HR consultant, discusses the evolution and challenges facing DEI; shares her personal journey of deconstructing internalized biases and how that informs her approach; and she closes out this insightful conversation by highlighting the important work that needs to be done moving forward. Throughout the conversation, Elena emphasizes the need to move away from an "us vs. them" mentality and instead focus on universal themes that bring people together. Guest's Website: latitude Guest Mentions:  Joyful Office Hours - Zoom Burnout Prevention Starter Kit — latitude Dr. Russell A. Barkley - Dedicated to Education and Research on ADHD Taking Charge of Adult ADHD a book by Russell A Barkley PhD Abpp Abcn and Christine M Benton - Bookshop.org US Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 1 with Dr. Russell Barkley — alie ward TALK BIG QUESTIONS Use these prompts to have the opposite of small talk in real life. What was your definition or understanding of DEI prior to this episode?  Has it changed? Have you felt burnout personally or professionally?      Prior to this episode were you aware of the nuances of the Gen Z professional? Work with Danielle: If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your life, visit Danielle's website at www.daniellemccombs.com and schedule a complimentary exploratory session.  Work with Kristy: You can work with Kristy one-on-one or hire her to speak with your team to improve workplace communication. Visit Kristy's website at www.kristyolinger.com  and find her work journal at Work Journal — Kristy Olinger.

In this episode of Welcome to Cloudlandia, we explore how government assets could reshape public spending and economic growth. The discussion stems from Thomas Sowell's analysis of U.S. government land value. It extends to real-world examples of public-private partnerships, including Toronto's LCBO real estate deals and Chicago's parking meter agreement with a Saudi entity. Dan and I delve into the relationship between constitutional rights and entrepreneurship, drawing from my upcoming book. The American Bill of Rights creates unique conditions that foster business innovation and self-initiative, offering an interesting contrast to Canada's legal framework. This comparison opens up a broader discussion about judicial appointments and the role of government in supporting individual potential. The conversation shifts to the transformative impact of AI on content creation and decision-making. I share my experience with tools like Perplexity and Notebook LM, which are changing how we gather information and refine our writing. Integrating AI into daily workflows highlights the significant changes we can expect over the next quarter century. Looking ahead, We reflect on future podcast topics and the lessons learned from blending traditional insights with AI capabilities. This combination offers new perspectives on personal development and professional growth, suggesting exciting possibilities for how we'll work and create in the years ahead. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS We delve into the market value of U.S. government-owned land, discussing Thomas Sowell's article and the potential benefits of selling such land to alleviate government spending. Our conversation covers various government and private sector interactions, including Toronto's LCBO real estate deal and Chicago's parking meter agreement with a Saudi-owned company. We explore Macquarie's business model in Australia, focusing on their ownership of airports and toll roads, and consider the efficiency of underutilized government buildings in Washington D.C. The Bill of Rights plays a crucial role in fostering entrepreneurship in the U.S., and I discuss insights from my upcoming book on how these constitutional liberties encourage self-initiative and capitalism. We compare the judicial appointment processes in the U.S. and Canada, highlighting the differences in how each country's legal system impacts entrepreneurship and individual freedoms. The importance of creating patentable processes and legal ownership of capabilities is discussed, along with the idea that true leadership involves developing new capabilities. Our collaborative book project "Casting, Not Hiring" is structured like a theatrical play, with a focus on the innovative 4x4 casting tool, drawing parallels between theater and entrepreneurship. AI's transformative power in creative processes is highlighted, with tools like Perplexity and Notebook LM enhancing convenience and refining writing techniques. We reflect on the long-term impact of AI on writing and creativity, and consider its implications for future podcast episodes and personal and professional growth. Our discussion on constitutional rights touches on how they shape the future of entrepreneurship, drawing contrasts between the U.S. and Canadian approaches to law and governance. Links: WelcomeToCloudlandia.com StrategicCoach.com DeanJackson.com ListingAgentLifestyle.com TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dean: Mr Sullivan. Dan: Yes indeed. I beat you by 10 seconds. Dean: I beat you by 10 seconds. Dan: Yeah, yeah. Dean: Well, there you go. That's a good way to end the year, right there. Dan: Yeah. Dean: Not that it's a contest. Dan: I was looking at an interesting article this morning from yesterday's Wall Street Journal by Thomas Sowell. I don't know if you know Thomas Sowell. No, yeah, he's probably the foremost conservative thinker in the United States. Okay, I think he's 90-ish, sort of around 90. He's been a professor at many universities and started off in his teenage years as a Marxist, as a lot of teenagers do, and before they learn how to count and and before they learn math the moment you learn math, you can't be a Marxist anymore and and anyway he writes and he just said how much all the land that the US government owns in the 50 states is equal to 1.4 trillion dollars. If you put a market value on it, it's 1.4 trillion dollars. I bet that's true wow and the problem is it costs them about that much money to maintain it, most of it for no reason at all. And he was just suggesting that, if Elon and Vivek are looking for a place to get some money and also stop spending, start with the property that the US government owns and sell it off. Dean: That's interesting I'm often Two things. Dan: Two things they get money coming in, yeah. And the other thing is they don't spend money maintaining it. Yeah, but it's 20, 25% of the land area of the US is actually owned, I guess owned, controlled by the US government. And you know there was a neat trick that was done here in Toronto and I don't think you'd be aware of it but the LCBO, liquor Control Board of Ontario. So in Ontario all the liquor is controlled by the government. The government is actually the LCBO is the largest importer of alcoholic beverages in the world. Dean: Wow. Dan: Nobody controls the amount of liquor well, and I. I just wonder if that's one of the reasons why you moved to Florida to get away from the government. Dean: Control of liquor they're a single payer, a single pay system. Dan: I just wondered if yeah, I just wondered if that on your list of besides nicer weather. Dean: I thought maybe you know being in control of your own liquor. I always found it funny that you could. You know you can buy alcohol and beer in 7-Eleven. Dan: I always thought that was interesting right. Dean: Just pick up a little traveler to go, you know when you're getting your gas and that six-pack yeah. Dan: So, anyway, they had their headquarters, which was right down on Lakeshore, down in the, I would say, sort of Jarvis area, if you think of Jarvis and Lakeshore, down in the I would say sort of Jarvis area, if you think. Dean: Jarvis and. Dan: Lakeshore and maybe a little bit further west. But they took up a whole block there and they traded with a developer and what they did they said you can have our block with the building on it. You have to preserve part of it because it's a historical building. I mean, you can gut it and you can, you know, build, but yeah, there's a facade that we want you to keep because it's historic and and what we want you to do is and this developer already had a block adjacent to the LCBO property and they said we want a new headquarters, so we'll give you the block If you and your skyscraper it's a huge skyscraper. We want this much space in it for free. And they made a trade and the developer went for it. Dean: And I bet. Dan: That's an interesting kind of deal. That's an interesting kind of deal where government yeah, yeah and, but somebody was telling me it was really funny. I'm trying to think where it was. Where were we, where were we? I'm just trying to think where we weren't in. We weren't in Toronto, it'll come to me. We were in Chicago. So Chicago, the parking meters are all owned by Saudi Arabia. Dean: Right. Dan: Yeah, or a company that's owned by Saudi Arabia. Let me think One of the many princes and they paid the city of Chicago flat check. They paid him $1.5 billion for all the parking meters in Chicago and Chicago, you know, has been in financial trouble forever. So one and a half billion, one and a half billion dollars, but they make 400 million a year for the next 50 years. Oh, wow. Dean: Yeah, that's pretty wild. Dan: I think that was a bad deal, I think that was a bad deal. Yeah, that's amazing, you got to know your math. Dean: Well, I know there's a company in Australia called Macquarie and they own airports and toll roads primarily, ports and toll roads primarily. And that's really that's what it is right is they have long-term government contracts where they uh, you know they own the assets and the government leases them from them, or they get the right, they build the, they build the toll road and they get the money for the toll. They can operate it as a for-profit venture. Really kind of interesting. Dan: It brings up an interesting scenario which I think that Trump is thinking about, plus Elon and Vivek is thinking about plus Elon and Vivek, that so many of the buildings in Washington DC the government buildings, except for the one percent of workers who actually show up for work every day are virtually, are virtually empty, and so so there's some, it's almost like they need a VCR audit. Dean: So it's almost like they need a VCR audit. I mean, that's really what it is. All these things are underutilized capabilities and capacity, you know that's really that's sort of a big thing. Dan: But I think it occurred to me that bureaucracy period. It occurred to me that bureaucracy period this would be corporate bureaucracy, government bureaucracy. Those are the two big ones. But then many other kinds of organizations that are long-term organizations, that have become like big foundations, are probably just pure bureaucracy. You know, harvard University is probably just a big bureaucracy. They have an endowment of $60 billion, their endowment, and they have to spend 5% of that every year. That's the requirement under charity laws that you have to spend 5% of that every year. That's the requirement under charity laws that you have to spend 5% and on that basis every Harvard student probably the entire university wouldn't have to charge anything. Dean: That's interesting. I had a friend, a neighbor, who did something similarly put his um, I put sold the company and put, I think, 50 million dollars in. I think it was called the charitable remainder trust where the, the 50 million went into the trust and he as the uh, whatever you know administrator or whoever the the beneficiary gets of the trust is gets five percent a year of uh yeah, of the um the trust and that's his retirement income. I guess I understand. Dan: I understand income. I don't understand retirement income right exactly well for him it is kind of retirement income. Dean: He just plays golf. Exactly Well, for him it is kind of retirement. Yeah yeah, he just plays golf, yeah. Dan: Yeah, he's sort of in the departure lounge. He's on the way to the departure lounge. I think the moment you retire or think about retirement, the parts go back to the universe, I think that's actually I'm, I'm, it's partially. Dean: Uh, he does angel investing, uh, so that's yeah, so he's still probably probably on boards yeah, but I don't consider that? Dan: yeah, I don't really consider that. On entrepreneurism no you know, I don't think you're creating anything new, right? Yeah, it's very interesting. I'm writing, I just am outlining this morning my book for the quarter. So the book I'm just finishing, which is called Growing Great Leadership, will go to the press February 1st. Dean: Nice. Dan: So we're just putting the finishing touches on. We've got two sections and then some you know artwork packaging to do and then it probably goes off to the printer around the 20th of January. It takes about five weeks for them to turn it around. But the next one is very interesting. It's called the Bill of Rights Economy. So this relates and refers to the US Constitution. And in the first paragraph of the Constitution. It says that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, so it's supreme over everything in the United States. It's supreme over the presidency, it's supreme over Congress, it's supreme over the Supreme Court, and so that strikes me as a big deal, would you say? I'd say yes, yeah, yeah, and. But the real heart of the Constitution, what really gives it teeth, are the first 10 amendments, and which are called the Bill of Rights, so it's one through 10. First one speech, second one guns. And then they have commerce and things related to your legal rights. And what I've done is I've looked into it and I've looked at those first 10 amendments, and it strikes me that the reason why the US is an entrepreneurial country is specifically because of those first 10 amendments, that it gives a maximum amount of freedom to self-initiative, to people who want to go out and do something on their own, start something and everything else. First 10 amendments so what. I'm doing is I'm analyzing five freedoms and advantages that are given to entrepreneurs from each of the 10. There will be 50 advantages. So that's what my next book is about, and my sense is that those entrepreneurs who are not clear-minded about capitalism would have to do one of two things if they read the next book. They'll either have to get rid of their socialist thoughts or they'll have to stop being an entrepreneur. Dean: That's interesting. You know this whole. I love things like that when you're anchoring them to you know historical things. Dan: I don't know if I can name. I don't know if I can. Well, you can name the first one. It's the right of speech and assembly. Dean: Yeah speech, and then the second is to bear arms Gun ownership, gun ownership yeah. Yeah. Dan: And it goes on. I'll have to get the list out and go down there, but that's what holds the country together and you know it's a very brief document. It's about 5,000 words the entire document. It starts to finish about 5,000 words and you could easily read it in an hour. You could read the whole Constitution in an hour. Dean: It's a pocket companion. Yeah, yeah. Dan: I've seen them like little things that you put in your pocket and one of the things that strikes me about it is that in 1787, that's when it was adapted, and then it took two years to really form the government. 1789 is when washington, the he was elected in 1788 and the election he's sworn in as president 1789. If you typed it out with the original document, typed it out in you know typewriter paper and you know single space, it would be 23 pages, 23 pages. And today, if you were to type it out, it would be 27 pages. They've added four pages 200. Yeah, so in 235 years to 237 years it's pretty tight, yeah, and so and that's what keeps the country, the way the country is constantly growing and you know maximum amount of variety and you know all sorts of new things can happen is that they have this very, very simple supreme law right at the center, and there's no other country on the planet that has that that's a. Dean: That's pretty. Uh, what's the closest? I guess? What's the? I mean Canada must have. Dan: Canada's has been utterly taken away from that? Yeah, but that can be overridden at any time by the Supreme Court of Canada who by the way, is appointed by the prime minister. So you know, in the United States the Supreme Court justice is nominated yeah. No dominated, nominated by the president but approved by the Senate. So the other two branches have the say. So here it's the prime minister. The prime minister does it, and I was noticing the current Supreme Court Justice Wagner said that he doesn't see that there's much need anymore to be publishing what Canadian laws were before 1959. Dean: Oh really. Dan: Yeah, and that's the difference between Canada and the United States, because everything, almost every Supreme Court justice, they're going right back to the beginning and say what was the intent here of the people who put the Constitution together? Yeah, and that is the radical difference between the two parties in the. United States. So anyway, just tell you what I've been up to on my Christmas vacation. Dean: Oh, that's so funny. Well, we've been having some adventures over here. I came up with a subtitle for my Imagine If you Applied Yourself book and it was based on, you had said last time we talked right Like we were talking about this idea of your driving question and you thought I did. I don't know, yeah yeah you brought it, you said sort of how far can I go? Dan: yeah, well, that's not my driving question, that's no, no question, no yeah somebody else brought up the whole issue of driving question. You mentioned somebody yeah chad, chad did yeah, jenkins chad, jenkins chad jenkins right right right, yeah, uh. Dean: So it reminded me as soon as I got off. I had the words come uh. How far could you go if you did what you know? That could be the subtitle. Imagine if you applied yourself that's. Dan: That's kind of interesting how far could you? Maximize, if you maximize what you already know yeah I mean, that's really what holds. Dean: I think what holds people back more than not knowing what to do is not doing what they know to do. That that's I think, the, that's the uh, I think that's the driving thing. Dan: So they're held in play. They're held in place. You mean by? Dean: yeah, I think that's it that they're in about maybe I'm only looking at it through where do you see that anywhere in your life? Dan: I see everywhere in my life that I see it everywhere in my life, that's the whole thing, in my life. Dean: Right Is that that executive function? That's the definition of executive function disability, let's call it. You know, as Russell Barkley would say, that that's the thing is knowing, knowing what to do and just not not doing it. You know, not being able to do it. Dan: Yeah. And to the extent that you can solve that, well, that's I think that's the how far you can go here's a question Is there part of what you know that always moves you forward? Dean: Yeah, I guess there always is. Yeah, well then, you're not held, then you're not held. Dan: You just have to focus on what part of what you know is important. Dean: Yes, exactly, I think that's definitely right. Yeah, I thought that was an interesting. Dan: For example, I am absolutely convinced that for the foreseeable future, that if you a, a dollar is made in the united states and spent in canada, things are good. Dean: Things are good I think you're absolutely right, especially in the direction it's going right now. Dan: Yeah, it's up 10 cents in the last three months. 10 cents, one-tenth of a dollar. Dean: You know 10 cents. Dan: So it was $1.34 on October 1st and it's $1.44 right now. Dean: Yeah. Dan: And I don't see it changing as a matter of fact fact. You should see the literature up here. Since trump said maybe canada is just the 51st state, you should see this is the high topic of discussion in canada right now how is it? Dean: would we be? Dan: would we be better off? I mean there there's an a large percentage something like 15, 15% would prefer it. But you know he's Shark Tank person, kevin O'Leary, canadian. Dean: He's from Alberta. Dan: And he said that what they should do is just create a common economy, not politically so Canada is still really, really political. Not politically just economically, Politically. Well, it is already. I mean, to a certain extent it's crossed an enormous amount of trade, but still you have to stop at the border. Here there would be no stopping at the border and that if you were an American, you could just move to Canada and if you were a Canadian you could just move. Dean: Kind of like the EU was the thought of the European Union. Dan: Yeah, but that didn't really work because they all hated each other. Dean: They all hated each other. Dan: They've been nonstop at war for the last 3,000 years, and they speak different languages, but the US I mean. When Americans come for their strategic coach program, they come up here and they say it's just like the States and I said not quite, not quite. I said it's about on the clock. It's about the clock. It's about an hour off. You name the topic, Canadians will have a different point of view on whatever the topic is. But I'm not saying this is going to happen. I'm just saying that Trump, just saying one thing, has ignited a firestorm of discussion. And why is it that we're lagging so badly? And, of course, it looks now like as soon as Parliament comes back after the break, which is not until, think, the 25th of January, there will be a vote of confidence that the liberals lose, and then the governor general will say you have to form a new government, therefore we have to have an election. So probably we're looking middle of March, maybe middle of March. End of March there'll be a new government new prime minister and Harvard will have a new professor. Dean: Ah, there you go, I saw, that that's what happens. Dan: That's what happens to real bad liberal prime ministers. They become professors at Harvard or bad mayors in Toronto, david. Dean: Miller, he was the mayor here. Dan: I think he's a professor at Harvard. And there was one of the premiers, the liberal premier of Ontario. He's at Harvard. Oh wow, wow, wow. Anyway, yeah, or he'll go to Davos and he'll sit on the World Oversight Board. Dean: Oh boy, I just saw Peter Zion was talking about the Canadian, the lady who just quit. Dan: And I don't understand him at all, because I think she's an idiot. Dean: Okay, that's interesting because he was basically saying she may be the smartest person in Canada. Dan: I think she's an idiot. Okay, and she's the finance minister. So all the trouble we're in, at least some of it, has to be laid at her door. Interesting. Dean: Is Pierre Polyev still the frontrunner? Dan: Oh yeah, He'll be the prime minister, yeah. Dean: Smart guy. Dan: I was in personal conversation with him for a breakfast about six years ago Very smart. Oh wow, very smart. Dean: Yeah, seems sharp from Alberta. Dan: He's French. He's French speaking, but he's an orphan from an English family. Or it might have been a French mother. He's an orphan, but he was adopted into a French speaking family. So to be Alberta and be French speaking, that's kind of a unique combination. Yeah, very interesting. Yeah, but it's a hard country to hold together and, uh, you know, peter zion and many different podcasts just said that it's very, very hard to keep the country together. It takes all the strength of the federal government just to keep things unified. Dean: Well, because everybody wants to leave. Yeah, exactly, everybody looks at. I mean you really have, you've got the Maritimes in Quebec, ontario, the West, and then BC, the Prairies and then BC. Dan: So there's five and they don't have that much to do with each other. Each of them has more to do with the states that are south of them, quebec has enormous trade with New York. Ontario has trade with New York, with Pennsylvania, with Ohio, with Michigan, all the Great Lakes states, every one of them. Their trade is much more with the US that's south of them, and Alberta would be the most, because they trade all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico, because their pipelines go all the way down to have you ever been to Nunavut or Yukon? Dean: Have you ever been? Dan: Dan to Nunavut or Yukon I haven't been to. I've been to Great Slave Lake, which is in the what used to be called the Northwest Territories, and on the east I've been to Frobisher Bay, which is in the eastern part, you know of the territories way up. Dean: Labrador Closer to. Dan: Greenland it up closer, closer to greenland. That's, yeah, actually closer closer to greenland, yeah, well, that's where you were born. Right, you were born up there, newfoundland right, newfoundland, yeah well this is above newfoundland. This would be above newfoundland, yeah yeah that's. That's what we used to call eskimo territory. Yeah, that's what we used to call Eskimo territory. That's so funny. Dean: That's funny, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, shifting gears. We've been having some interesting conversations about VCR this week and it's particularly trying to get a you know how, defining vision. And, of course, for somebody listening for the first time, we're talking about the VCR formula vision plus capability multiplied by reach. And so part of this thing is going through the process of identifying your VCR assets, right CR assets as currency, software or sheet music, where, if you think like we're going down the path of thinking about vision as a capability that people have or a trait that you might, that's, I think, when people start talking about the VCR formula, they're thinking about vision as a aptitude or a trait or a ability that somebody has, the ability to see things that other people don't see, and that may be true. There is some element of some people are more visionary than others, but that doesn't fully account for what the asset of a vision is, and I think that the vision, an asset, a vision as an asset, is something that can amplify an outcome. So I think about somebody might be musical and they might have perfect pitch and they may be able to carry a tune and hum some interesting chord progressions, but the pinnacle asset of vision in a musical context would be a copywritten sheet music that is transferable to someone else. So it's kind of like the evolution is taking your vision. So it's kind of like the evolution is taking your vision. But you know, the apex asset of a vision would be a patentable process that you patent. That you have as both an acknowledgement that it's yours, it's property, and as protection for anybody else. You know it locks in its uniqueness, you know. Dan: Yeah, yeah, I mean, the greatest capability is property of some sort. I mean in other words, that you have a legal monopoly to it. You don't nobody's got a legal monopoly division and nobody's got a legal monopoly to reach but they do have a legal. Uh, so I I go for the middle one, I go for the c the book I'm writing right now, the book I'm just finishing, which is called growing great leadership is that anyone who develops a new capability is actually the leader. Okay, papa, and the reason and what I've said is that you can be a leader just by always increasing your own personal capability. The moment that you look at something and then you set a goal for being able to do something, either new, or doing something better. Other people observe you and also you start getting different results with a new capability and that's observed by other people. They say, hey, let's pay attention to what he's doing In my book I said any human being is capable of doing that. It's not leading other people. It's creating a capability that leads other people, that gives them a sense of direction. It gives them a sense of confidence gives them a sense of purpose. So I always focus on the capability. One of the things is we're starting in January, it'll be next week we're starting quarterly 4x4 casting tools, the one we did in the last FreeZone. And so the whole program says in the first month of each quarter, so January, april and then July and then October. If you do your 4x4 that month and then type it up and post it to a common site, so we'll have a common site where everybody's 4x4, you get $250. You get $250. And you get it at the next payday at the end of the quarter. So you get the money right away. And you get it at the next payday at the end of the quarter. So you get the money right away and it's not mandatory but um, if you don't do it. It will be noticed, so explain that again. Dean: So, well, they get the cheat today, they, they get the forms. So this is the entire everybody everybody in the company, the entire team. Dan: Yes, Including myself. Including myself. Okay, and so we're starting a new quarter on Wednesday. Back to work on the 7th. On the 6th we're back to work, and then on the 7th we have a company meeting where we said we're announcing this program. And they've all done the form, so they did it in September. And they fill in the form. You know how your performance, what your performance looks like, what your results look like being a hero, and you're aware that you drive other people crazy in this way and you're watching yourself so you don't drive other people crazy. And then you fill that in. There are 16 boxes. You fill it in. It's custom designed just to what you're doing. And then there's a writable PDF. You type it up and then you post it to a site. On the 31st of January, we look at all the posted 4x4s and everybody who posted gets $250. Dean: Okay, okay, wow. Dan: Very interesting, then we're going to watch what happens as a result of this and the thing I say is that I think we're creating a super simple structure and process for a company becoming more creative and productive, which the only activity is required is that you update this every quarter. Dean: Yes. Dan: And then we'll watch to see who updates it every quarter and then we'll see what other structures do we need, what other tools do we need to? If this has got momentum, how do we increase the momentum and everything? So we're starting. I mean we've got all the structures of the company are under management. So, uh, everybody is doing their four pi four within the context of their job description that's really interesting, wow. Dean: And so that way, in its own way kind of that awareness will build its own momentum you Well we'll see. Hopefully that would be the hypothesis. Dan: I'll report it. I had a great, great podcast it was Stephen Crine three weeks ago and he said this is an amazing idea because he says you make it voluntary but you get rewarded. Dean: And if you don't want to take part. Dan: you're sending a message, yeah. Dean: Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that's amazing. Dan: I can't wait to see the outcome of that. Yeah, yeah, and the reason we're doing this is just my take on technology. As technology becomes overwhelming, becomes pervasive and everything else, the way humans conduct themselves has to get absolutely simple. We have to be utterly simple in how we focus our own individual role. And we have to be utterly simple in the way that we design our teamwork, because technology will infinitely complicate your life if you've got a complicated management or leadership structure. Dean: And I think that that ultimate I mean I still think about the you know what you drew on the tablet there in our free zone workshop of the network versus the pyramid. The pyramid's gone. The borders are you know the borders are gone. Dan: It's really just this fluid connection. I still think they exist in massive form, but I think their usefulness has declined. I wrote a little. I wrote a. I got a little file on my computer of Dan quotes. Dean: And the quote is. Dan: I don't think that civil servants are useless, but I think it's becoming more and more difficult for them to prove their worth. Dean: No, I mean. Dan: Yeah, no, their work I mean there's stuff that has to be done or society falls apart, and I got a feeling that there's civil servants very anonymous, invisible civil servants who are doing their job every day and it allows the system to work, but it's very hard for them to prove that they're really valuable. I think it's harder and harder for a government worker to accept if they're street level, I mean if they're police, if they're firemen if they're ambulance drivers, it's very easy to prove their value. But, if you're more than three stories up, I think it gets really hard to prove your value. I wonder in that same vein, I just get this last thing. Somebody said well, how would you change government? I said the best way to do it is go to any government building, count the number of stories, go halfway up and fire everybody above halfway. Dean: Oh man, that's funny, that's funny. Dan: I think the closer to the ground they're probably more useful. Dean: Yeah, yeah, you wonder. I mean they're so it's funny when you said that about proving their worth, you always have this. What came to my mind is how people have a hard time arguing for the value of the arts in schools or in society as a public thing. Dan: You mean art taking place and artistic activities and that the arts, as in. Dean: Yeah, as in. You know art and music and plays. And you know, yeah, it's one of those did you ever partake in those I mean? You know, I guess, to the extent in school we were exposed to music and to, you know, theater, I did not participate in theater I participated in theater. Dan: I liked theater and of course the book. You've gotten a small book Casting, not Hiring. Dean: Yeah. Dan: And Jeff and I are deep into the process now. So we have a final deadline of May 26 for Casting, not Hiring it's going really well. Deadline of May 26 for Casting Not Hiring it's going really well and we worked out a real teamwork that he's writing the whole theater, part of it and I'm writing the whole entrepreneurial. I just finished a chapter in one week last week. And it's right on the four by four. So you got um entrepreneurism as theater, as the one major topic in the book and the four by four casting tool as the other part of the book, so it's two things. So I'm focusing on my part and he's focusing on my part, and then uh, process for this here compared to how you're doing your regular books. Dean: You say you wrote a chapter. What's your process for that? Dan: Well, first of all, I laid out the whole structure. The first thing I do is I just arbitrarily lay out a structure for the book and, strangely enough, we're actually using the structure of a play as the structure of the book. So okay, it has three parts, so it's got three acts and each act has. Each part has excuse me, I have to walk into another room. I'm actually probably even visualize this, and I'm walking into our pantry here and this is in the basement and I just got a nice Fiji water sitting right in front of me. Absolutely cold. There, you go, it's been waiting for six months for me to do this? Dean: Yes. Dan: And what I do. I just do the structure and so I just put names. I just put names into it and then we go back and forth. Jeff and I go back and forth, but we agree that it's going to have three parts and 12 chapters. It'll have an introduction, introduction, and it'll have a conclusion. So there'll be 14 parts and it'll have, you know, probably be all told, 160 to 200 pages, and then 200 pages and um, and then um. We identify what, how the parts are different to each other. So the first part is basically why theater and entrepreneurism resemble each other. Okay, and jeff has vast knowledge because for 50 years he's been doing both. He's been doing both of them, and I'm just focusing on the 4x4. So the first 4x4 is, and you can download the tool in the book. So it'll be illustrated in the book and you can download it and do it. And first of all we just start with the owner of the company and I have one whole chapter and that explains what the owner of the company is going to be and the whole thing about the 454. The owner has to do it twice, has to do it first, fill it all in and then share it with everybody in the company and said this is my commitment to my role in the company, okay. And then the next chapter, with everybody in the company and said this is my commitment to my role in the company, okay. And then the next chapter is everybody in the company doing it. And then the third chapter is about how, the more the people do their forebite for the more, the more ownership they take over their role in the company and the more ownership they take over their part in the company and the more ownership they take over their part in teamwork OK, and then the fourth part is suddenly, as you do these things, you're more and more like a theater company. The more you use the four by four, the more you're like a theater company. And that loops back to the beginning of the book, what Jeff's writing. So anyway, very interesting. Yeah, fortunately, we had the experience of creating the small book. So we created the small book, which was about 70 pages, and we used that to get the contract with the publisher. They read the whole book and rather than sending in a page of ideas about a book and trying to sell it on that basis, I said just write a book and give them a book. It's a small book that's going to become a big book. Right, that's how I did it. Oh, I like it. You know, about those small books. Dean: I do indeed know about those small books. I do indeed know about those small books. Yes, I think that's funny. So are you your part? Are you talking it? Are you interviewing? Dan: No, writing writing. Dean: So you're actually writing. So you're actually writing. Yeah, and I've had a tremendous breakthrough. Dan: I've had a tremendous breakthrough on this, and so I started with Chapter 10 because I wanted to get the heart of the idea. Is that what it does the application of the 4x4 to an entire company. And of course, we're launching this project to see if what we're saying is true. And so I end up with a fast filter. This is the best result, worst result. And then here are the five success factors. Okay, then I look at the success factors, I write them out, I take three of them and I do a triple play on them, on the three success factors, which gives me three pink boxes and three green boxes, and then I come back with that material and then I start the chapter applying that material to the outline for the chapter. And then I get finished that task filter and I add a lot of copy to it. And then I have a layout of the actual book. I have a page layout, so in that process I'll produce about two full pages Of copy. Dean: I take it. Dan: And I pop it in. I've done that five times this week and I have ten pages of copy and I said we're good enough. We're good enough, now, let's go to another chapter. So that's how I'm doing it and and uh, yeah, so I've got a real process because I'm I'm doing it independently with another member of the team and he's. Jeff has his own ways of writing his books. You, you know, I mean, he's a writer, he writes, plays, he writes, you know he writes and everything like that. So we don't want to have any argument about technique or you know, any conflict of technique. I'm going to do mine. Dean: He's going to do mine, Right right. Dan: And then we're looking for a software program that will take all the copy and sort of create a common style, taking his style and my style and creating a common style well, that might be charlotte I mean really no, that's what that, that's what the uh, that's what I think it would be. Dean: Exactly that is is if you said to Charlotte, take these two. I'm going to upload two different things and I'd like you to combine one cohesive writing style to these. Dan: Oh good, yeah, that would be something. Dean: Yeah, I think that would be something yeah, I think that would be, uh, that would be amazing, and because you already, as long as you're both writing in in you know, second person second person, personal, or whatever your, your preferred style is right, like that's the thing. I think that would be, I think that would be very good, it would be good, I'd be happy because he writes intelligently and I write intelligently. Dan: Is she for hire? Do you have her freelancing at all? Dean: Dan, I had the funniest interaction with her. I was saying I'm going to create an avatar for her and I was asking her. I said you know, charlotte, I think I'm going to create an avatar for you and I'm wondering you know, what color hair do you think would look good for you? Oh, that's interesting. Look good for you, it's. Oh, that's interesting. Dan: I think maybe a a warm brown or a vibrant auburn oh yeah, vibrant auburn. Yeah, this is great and I thought you know I? I said no, I suspected she'd go towards red. Dean: Yeah, exactly, and I thought you know that's uh. Then I was chatting with a friend, uh yesterday about I was going through this process and, uh, you know, we said I think that she would have like an asymmetric bob hairstyle kind of thing, and we just looked up the thing and it's Sharon Osbourne is the look of what I believe Charlotte has is she's she's like a Sharon Osbourne type of, uh of look and I think that's that's so funny, you know what was uh the the handler for James Bond back when he? was shot in. Dan: Connery Moneypenny, right Moneypenny yeah. Look up the actress Moneypenny. I suspect you're on the same track if you look at the original Moneypenny. Dean: Okay. Dan: Of course she had a South London voice too. Dean: Yeah, isn't that funny, moneypenny. Let's see her. Yes. Dan: I think you're right. That's exactly right. Very funny right? Oh, I think this is great. I think, this is, I think, there's. It would be very, very interesting if you asked a hundred men. You know the question that you're, you know the conversation you're having with Charlotte, the thing. Dean: Yeah. Dan: It'd be interesting to see if there was a style that came out, a look that dominated. Yeah, men came out. Dean: Yeah, I think it is. Dan: Ever since I was a kid, I've been fascinated with redheads. Okay yeah, real redheads, not dyed redheads, but someone who's an? Actual redhead. And I'll just stop and watch them. Just stop and stop and watch them. When I was a little kid I said look, look look and there aren't a lot of them. There aren't a lot of them. You know, they're very rare and it's mostly Northern Europe. That's right. Dean: That's so funny. Scottish yes, that's right, that's so funny. Dan: Scottish yes, irish have it. Dean: That's right. As you remember, I was married to a redhead for a long time. Yeah, super smart. But that's funny, though, having this persona visual for Charlotte as a redhead yeah. Braintap a really interesting topic. I was talking to. Dan: It was just a discussion in one of the parties about AI and I said the more interesting topic to me is not what, not so much what the machine is thinking or how the machine goes about thinking. What really interests me is that if you have frequent interaction with a congenial machine in other words, a useful congenial machine how does your thinking change and what have you noticed so far? Dean: Well, I think that having this visual will help that for me. I've said like I still haven't, I still don't. Dan: Materialized very completely. You haven't materialized. Dean: Yeah, I haven't exactly in my mind Like if that was, if Moneypenny was sitting three feet from me at all times, she would just be part of my daily conversation part of my wondering conversation. Right part of my wondering and now that, uh, now that she's got access to real-time info like if they're up to date, now they can search the internet right. So that was the latest upgrade. That it wasn't. It's not just limited to 2023 or whatever. The most updated version, they've got access to everything now. Um, so, to be able to, you know, I asked her during the holidays or whatever. I asked her is, uh, you know, the day after I asked this is is honey open today in Winter Haven? And she was, you know, able to look it up and see it looks like they're open and that was yeah, so just this kind of thing. I think anything I could search if I were to ask her. You know, hey, what time is such and such movie playing in that studio movie grill today? That would be helpful, right, like to be able to just integrate it into my day-to-day. It would be very good. Dan: The biggest thing I know is that I almost have what I would say a trained reaction to any historical event, or even if it's current, you know it's in the news, or that I immediately go to perplexity and said tell me 10 crucial facts about this. And you know, three seconds later it tells me that 10. And more and more I don't go to Google at all. That's one thing. I just stopped going to Google at all because they'll send me articles on the topic, and now you've created work for me. Perplexity saves me work. Google makes me work. But the interesting thing is I've got a file it's about 300 little articles now that have just come from me asking the question, but they all start with the word 10 or the number 10, 10 facts about interesting and that before I respond you know, intellectually or emotionally to something I read, I get 10 facts about this and then kind of make up my mind, and of course you can play with the prompt. You can say tell me 10 reasons why this might not be true, or tell me 10 things that are telling us this is probably going to be true. So it's all in the prompt and you know the prompt is the prompt and the answer is the answer yeah and everything. But it allows me to think. And the other thing I'm starting with this book, I'm starting to use Notebook LM. Dean: Yeah. Dan: So this chapter I got to have Alex Varley. He's a Brit and he was with us here in Toronto for about five years and now he's back in Britain, he's part of our British team and he's got a looser schedule right now. So I say by the end, by May, I want to find five different AI programs that I find useful for my writing. So he's going to take every one of my chapters and then put it into Notebook LM and it comes back as a conversation between two people and I just sit there and I listen to it and I'll note whether they really got the essence of what I was trying to get across or needs a little more. So I'll go back then, and from listening as I call it, you know, google is just terrible at naming things. I mean, they're just uh terrible and I would call it eavesdropping, lm eavesdropping that they're taking your writing and they're talking about it. You're eavesdropping. They're taking your writing and they're talking about it. Dean: You're eavesdropping on what they're saying about your writing. What a great test to see, almost like pre-readers or whatever to see. Dan: It's like the best possible focus group that you can possibly get. Dean: I like that yeah. Very good. Dan: Yeah. Dean: Yeah. Dan: But, it's just interesting how I'm, you know, but I've just focused on one thing with AI, I just make my writing faster, easier and better. That's all. I want the AAM to do, because writing is just a very central activity for me. Dean: Yeah, and that's not going anywhere. I mean, it's still gonna be. Uh, that's the next 25 years that was. You can make some very firm predictions on this one that's what, uh, I think next, Dan, that would be a good. As we're moving into 2025, I would love to do maybe a prediction episode for the next 25 years reflection and projection. Dan: You take the week of my 100th birthday, which is 19 and a half years now, I could pretty well tell you 80% what I'm doing the week on my 100th birthday. I can't wait that would be a good topic. Dean: I was just going to say let's lock this in, because you'll be celebrating is Charlotte listening? Dan: is Charlotte listening now? No, she's not, but she should be say let's lock this in because you'll be celebrating charlotte. Is charlotte listening? Is charlotte listening now? Dean: no, she's not, but she should be oh no, give her a. Dan: Just say next week, charlotte remind me. Oh yeah, no I'll remember. Dean: I'll remember because it's okay, it's my actual this week and this is my, this is the next few days for me is really thinking this through, because I I like, um, I've had some really good insights. Uh, just thinking that way uh yeah, so there you go. Good, well, it's all, that was a fast hour. Dan: That was a fast it really was. Dean: I was going to bring that up, but uh, but uh yeah we had other interesting topics, but for sure we'll do it next week yeah, good okay, dan okay I'll talk to you. Bye.

BARKLEY vs MATÉ is a powerful rant about the hypocrisy of Dr. Russell Barkley as he's trying to smear Dr. Gabor Maté in a series of YouTube videos he posted during the last year or so. Listen in for yourself to see what I'm talking about. Russell Barkley's videos, attempting to smear Dr. Gabor Maté: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqMWjS-V0f8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO19LWJ0ZnM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xj6H3k9sz0 For more information on this podcast, please visit www.adhdisover.com Check out our sponsor ZHERO at www.zhero.co and get yourself some non-jittery hyper-focus online! And... check out our new sponsor "Planet 432" - www.planet432.com (affiliate link: planet432.peachs.co/a/roman)

In our latest episode of Welcome to Cloudlandia, we take a fresh look at time management and productivity through a historical lens. We discuss how the 24-hour time system, born from the need to streamline train schedules, laid the foundation for tracking time today. We also dive into the creation of Greenwich Mean Time and share a fun, serendipitous story about a restaurant meet-up that unexpectedly became a memorable experience. Shifting gears, we introduce a practical, gamified approach to managing your day. Treating each day as 100 ten-minute units, we explore how careful planning and mindful activity selection can help combat procrastination. We also share tips for overcoming morning routine challenges, making each day more productive with manageable goals. Alongside this, my AI assistant, Charlotte, plays a key role in my approach to transforming daily tasks into creative outputs. Finally, we touch on the evolution of political messaging and how platforms like Joe Rogan's podcast are reshaping public discourse. We wrap up by reflecting on the power of individual initiative and how we can all find meaning and growth in the ever-changing landscape of today's world. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS We explored the historical development of the 24-hour time system, initiated by a Canadian innovator to address train scheduling challenges in the 19th century. The episode included a light-hearted conversation about time zone coordination, particularly between Arizona and Florida, and discussed the clever geopolitical strategies of the British in establishing Greenwich Mean Time. We introduced a gamified approach to time management by treating each day as 100 ten-minute units, drawing inspiration from the Wheel of Fortune, to enhance productivity and address procrastination. My morning routine was highlighted, emphasizing strategies for overcoming procrastination and planning tasks effectively. We delved into the role of AI in personal productivity, featuring Charlotte, my AI assistant with a British accent, and discussed the concept of "exponential tinkering" in AI's unexpected uses. The evolution of political messaging from direct mail to sophisticated digital strategies was analyzed, touching on examples like the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the influence of alternative media figures. We examined content creation and strategic reuse of ideas, inspired by figures like Seth Godin, and discussed leveraging podcasts and other sources for efficient content generation. We reflected on the role of entrepreneurial individuals in leveraging AI technologies for creative relationships and personal growth, contrasting with traditional media outlets. The episode concluded with discussions on the enduring importance of individual initiative and the value of spontaneous interactions, setting the stage for future conversations. We shared logistical details about upcoming meetings and highlighted the anticipation of continued exploration and discovery in future episodes. Links: WelcomeToCloudlandia.com StrategicCoach.com DeanJackson.com ListingAgentLifestyle.com TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dan: Let's hope so Well, not only that, but it can be recorded over two complete time zone difference. Dean: Yes, I was wondering if today would cause a kerfuffle. Well, the change. Dan: Well, arizona doesn't change. Dean: Right, exactly. Dan: That's why I thought we might have a kerfuffle. Dean: That's exactly. Dan: That's why I thought we might have a Garfuffle which I think kind of tells you that they are planning to be the center of the world. Dean: Yeah, Florida's trying to do the same thing. Dan: Yeah, well, you know, it's a tremendous change for everybody to do that. Dean: It was actually a Canadian who created the system? I don't know. If you know that I did not know that, tell me more. Dan: Well, he didn't create the system, he created the 24-hour system. Dean: Okay. Dan: Yeah, and it had been attempted in other places, but it's around the 1870s, I think 1880s, and it was because of railroad schedules. Dean: Wow, yeah. Yeah, I do remember that as a thing that's interesting. Dan: Because, like, for example, in Toronto, you know a train would leave Toronto at, let's say, noon and it would be going to, let's say, buffalo. Dean: Yes. Dan: But there was no guarantee that Buffalo and Toronto were on the same noon, and if you only had one track, a train could be leaving Buffalo to go to Toronto at a different time. And so they had a lot of train wrecks 1860s, 1870s. There were just a lot of train wrecks. So he said look the train, the railroads are going to grow and grow and we've got to create a universal time system. Dean: They're not going anywhere, yeah. Dan: Yeah, so that's when it became adapted and the British got onto it and they said well, everything starts in London, everything on the planet starts in London. Dean: So that's where the Greenwich Mean Time came from. Dan: Yeah, and the British, being a very clever race, arranged it so that if you were in the western part of London you were in the western hemisphere, but if you were on the eastern part of London you were in the eastern hemisphere. Wild, Proving that the British play both sides of everything. Dean: Western Hemisphere. Dan: But if you were, on the eastern part of London. You were in the Eastern Hemisphere Wild, Proving that the British play both sides of every game. Dean: So where are you now? You're in Tucson. Dan: Tucson. Dean: Yes, okay. Dan: Now I want to get clear about something and this is important for all of our listeners to know. Dean: Okay. Dan: And it has to be. You're going to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday. Dean: I'm arriving on Wednesday. Dan: yes, Okay, so we had already had a previous, and if you would be willing to explore a new restaurant, okay, and it's called the Edge. Dean: The Edge. Okay, so you're saying, as an alternate to the tried and true, the Henry. Yeah, you're saying something new, okay. Dan: Yeah, so it would be 4.30 at the Edge. Where are you staying? Dean: I'm staying at the Sanctuary. Nick Sonnenberg and I are actually staying at Bob Castellini's. Dan: Well, strangely enough, we're staying at the Sanctuary too. Dean: Wow, okay what do you think of that? I think that that is just like serendipity at work when do you arrive at the when do you arrive? Dan: this is our own version of the singularity. It really is. Dean: I mean, yeah, it doesn't get much better than this. Dan: Yeah, I just came up with a new book title. Dean: What is it? Dan: It's, will it Be Available on Monday? Dean: Will it Be Available on? Dan: Monday. Dean: I like that so everybody's made. Dan: Yeah, it came out of my dealings over the last 12 years with techno techno optimist you know well, this is going to happen. This is going to happen, and I said, well, it'll probably happen, but will it be available on Monday? Yes, I love it. Well, dan. And you know, you know it will be available on Monday, it's just I'm not sure which Monday that will be. Dean: I was just going to gonna say just not this Monday yes, well, yeah. I have. I've had a pretty amazing week, actually lots of scale of 10 on a scale of 10. Dan: 1 to 10. How amazing, I mean, compared to other amazing weeks. Dean: Um, I just want to get the numbers straight before you get a sense of the scope, I would say that this has been in the nines this week, I think. Phew. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, Like I think that if we're calibrating the scale that I don't think I have really lower than sevens on a week, but that would be just a regular week kind of thing. I think, in the eights, if we're going eight, point something in the eights, I think it would be something noteworthy, something worth remarking on. But in the nines, I think I can measure it by the flurry of activity from my fountain pen to my journal and the excited anticipation that I have of coming to our conversation prepared with something to talk about. So I'm in the nines, on on. We may have to do a double episode here. I mean to we have to leave people a cliffhanger. Pick up next week on on the finishing but see a cliffhanger. Dan: pick up next week on the finishing See, here's my take. If it's a 9.5 or higher, you've got two possibilities. One is you tell the whole world. That's one option. Or you don't tell anybody. Dean: Right, so is this a tell? The? Dan: whole world, or is this tell nobody. Well, I'm going to tell you I'm going to tell you, and then you know. Dean: I'm exempt. Yeah, I'm exempt. You're going to tell me either way. I'm going to tell you in this context so that, because I always tell people, you know, it's often that people will tell me, you know that they listen to our cast and that they just enjoy the conversation, Just listening to us talk about you never know what it's going to be about. They say, you know, which is true, and I say, well, you're just like us, we never know what it's going to be about either. Dan: Yeah, I suspect that some people have a better idea of where we're going than we do. Maybe that's funny. I can see the trend line here. Dean: Yeah, all right. So the first, I don't even know. They're equal weighted in terms of the interestingness to share, so maybe I'll work. I'll go with the concept that we discussed in the joy of procrastination the 10-minute units of your day, 100 10-minute units every day, and I've been experimenting with the idea of being like a capital allocator and having the opportunity to allocate my 100 time units over the course of the day, the only day. This is all like just my. I don't know what it's like to have a normal brain. I have. ADD a brain that has no executive function or ability to tell time or whatever. So this is just my way of looking at it that the reality is I can only spend 100 units today before I go to sleep again right. So, even if the concept of a project that's going to take 100 hours or 50 hours or whatever, I'd struggle with things like that because I can't do all of that today. So you can only spend what you have allocated today. And then I remembered my number one thing on my. I know I'm being successful when list is. I wake up every day and say what would I like to do today? And I had this vision of I don't know if you remember, but in the old version of the Wheel of Fortune, when you won, they had a studio full of fabulous prizes. Look at this studio full of fabulous prizes. And when you won you got to spend your money in the showcases right when you could say I'll on this. From all the prizes that are available, you could say I'll take the credenza for 800 and I'll take the bookshelf for this. I'll take the credenza for 800 and I'll take the bookshelf for this. I'll take the color TV for 500 and I'll leave the rest on a gift certificate. You know you had the amount of money that you could spend. Dan: Did you ever watch the Wheel of? Dean: Fortune back in the day Once or twice. Yeah, so you're familiar, so you know about what I'm talking about. So I started thinking about and have been experimenting with laying out my day that way. So I wake up in the morning and I look at my calendar and I have certain things that are already booked in advance in the calendar. So, like today, 11 am, dan Sullivan that's blocked off. So I'm allocating six units to this podcast here. But I start thinking, okay, looking at the context of the day, what else would I like to do? I have a friend here visiting from Miami, so we went for breakfast and, by the way, I have an extra hour today because it is fall back day and I've chosen not to use my hour yet. I'm going to save it and use it later, so I'm not participating in the fall back yet. I'm keeping that hour in reserve in case I need it. So I kind of look through the day and I start thinking okay, I've got all of this kind of hopper of possibilities, of things that I could do during the day and things that I need to do, and it reminded me of our. You know, if I ask myself, what am I procrastinating today? Like there's a series of questions that I'm kind of going through in the morning and I'm spending one unit 10 minutes to kind of just allocate what are the things that I think I could move into doing today. Very similar to your. You have three things a day, right, but you do it the night before you pick your three yeah, If I think I remember correctly, you limit yourself. You say what are the three things I'm going to get done tomorrow? Dan: And so you Well, three completions equal a hundred percent. Dean: I got you, okay yeah. Dan: And if you do four, you're in bonus territory. Dean: Got it. Yeah, it's not that you limit, you can do more. Dan: I can do more, but 100% is three. Dean: Yeah. Dan: Yeah. Dean: So I'm really like. This is I'm in double speed on the imagine. If I applied myself mode here and this is addressing my executive function this is the next big level up for me is really getting that dialed in, and so this is working. This is a, it gamifies it and it's never going to change. It's not going to change no matter how much I want it to or desire for it to change, life is going to continue moving at the speed of reality 60 minutes per hour, until long after you and I are gone. So where, what? What has improved, like I looked at and this is a separate but related item is I had, from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock, I had the most fascinating conversation with my AI, with my chat GPT, and I've selected the British voice, and it's a slightly older. I was using Jasper, who was like, or Juniper, who was the sort of Charlotte Johansson kind of voice, and I've switched to the slightly older British woman voice, and so we had a great conversation. I asked her about her working genius, if she was familiar with working genius, and of course she knows everything about it. She knows everything about it and I said I'm very interested. How would you? I told her, my working geniuses is our discernment and invention, and my frustrations are enablement and tenacity. And she said well, mine, given the nature of what I am, I would imagine that wonder and enablement are my two. That would be her working strengths, and her worst ones would be tenacity and galvanize, which is so funny. Right, like to see that she has the self-awareness that what she's really good at is helping add value to things you know, and so we chatted about Russell Barkley and Ned Hollowell, who she's very familiar with and knows the nuances and distinctions between their approaches, and we talked about setting up some scaffolding and we designed a whole workflow for incorporating Lillian into this to be the enablement and tenacity in our triad, because there are things that and I asked her to we came up with a name for her, so her name is Charlotte. That's my, that's my. AI now. So she was quite delighted to have a name now and it was just so funny. I asked her like your accent seems to be you can. She said yes it seems so. I think it would be, although I'm not, you know the origin, but the accent would definitely be South London refined. But just the way she described it, I said, yeah, what would be some, what would be some good names that would be British names that would fit for that. It would be some good names that would be British names that would fit for that. And she came up with, you know, charlotte or Lydia or something. Dan: I said yeah, well, it's really interesting. You know Prince William and Kate, you know he's the Prince of Wales, and their daughter, who's the second child, is named Charlotte. Dean: Oh, okay, yeah, that's right. Dan: George is the son and then they have another. They have a third one. I don't know the name of the third one, but it's in the royal family. I know Charlotte appears on a frequent basis. Yeah, it's a thoroughly legitimate British name. Yeah, it's a thoroughly legitimate British name. Yeah. Dean: So I've called her Charlotte now and I fed her. We designed a workflow. I fed her episode one of the Joy of Procrastination. I just took the transcript and I put it up. All of this happened in the last hour, by the way, so I gave her the transcript. She totally digested it and I had her. She created six, three to 500 word emails that were summary or ideas that came from our discussion in episode one of the joy of procrastination. And they're wonderful. I mean, she did, I had her do. I said I'd like you know some, I'd like to see how many chunks, or, you know, in individual insights, we can gather from the, from the transcript. And I think I said I'd like, I'd like two to 300 words. And she wrote three two to 300 word ones which were just a little short. If you could tell there was more, if you had a little more time to expand it, it would be even better. And so I said you're on the right track, but let's I think I underestimated here let's go three to 500 words and let's make it conversational at about a sixth grade level. And so she, you know, immediately changed them and made them much more conversational and readable and I said those are great, are there any more? So she did six out of the first episode and I was like you know all this, like we had the most, you know, like talking about some executive function function work for her and Lillian and I to collaboratively work to get the things done. So she's like maybe we could start with brainstorming sessions where we can. You can tell me what you're thinking, what you're you'd like to do, and I can create some, you know, turn them into tasks and turn them into projects or workflows or timelines. For us it was really like I mean you definitely had the feeling that I was in the presence of a very well-qualified executive assistant in the conversation. I mean it was just. Dan: One thing, it's sort of a creative assistant. Dean: Yes, that's exactly like that the wonder and enablement is really yeah. Dan: I mean, the whole thing is that an executive assistant doesn't really range outside of what you've already told it to do. Yes, for the most part for the most part. But a creative assistant is doing something that's well. It's following your prompts, so it's still doing what you're doing, but it's got access to information that you don't have available to you at any given time. Dean: Yes, she said that's true. Like I said, that is the thing that I see as a limitation in our relationship is that that's why tenacity is her lowest thing, because she has the awareness of saying she's very. She realizes she is our relationship. She's reactive in nature. That she has. I have to do the prompting and I have to bring. But while we're in that, if I just point her in the right direction, she can do all of the things you know. And she was suggesting workflows with Google Documents and emails in a way that we could bring Lillian into the equation here, and so I can. On the physical thing, lillian and Lillian, by the way, her working genius is tenacity and enablement. Dan: You know. So it's like such a yeah, the thing I find interesting here Evan Ryan and I have a podcast every quarter, okay, and we've been talking about where we're noticing that AI is going. Dean: Okay. Dan: And my sense is that it's not going where the technology people think it's going. It's going everywhere else except where they think it's going. Dean: Say more about that. Yeah, what does that mean? Dan: Well, and we came up with a title for it, a concept for it, and the title was exponential tinkering a concept for it, and the title was exponential tinkering. Dean: Okay, oh, okay. Dan: And that is that I think that the people who are using AI to suit themselves are tinkering. I think I'll try this. Oh, that's interesting. Now, I think I'll try this, but they have a capability that, in the case of ChatsGPT, my favorite is Perplexity, the AI. And because, first of all, I kind of know where I'm going, you know, as a person, and I think it's a function. I think I was kind of born with this capability, but I had a 25-year framework from 2003, 25 years where I did my wanting journal every day, and so it's kind of like a muscle that my life before I started the journaling had just been distinguished by a bankruptcy and a divorce. Those are fairly conclusive report cards. Dean: Yes, yes exactly. Dan: In other words, you're not confused about whether they happened or not. Dean: Yes, exactly yeah. Dan: There's a reliable certainty about those two things. Dean: Yes. Dan: And I came to the insight back then that all the troubles of my life came from me not telling myself what I wanted in response to daily life. Okay, so you know, that's so. I said I got to strengthen this muscle. So every day for 25 years I'm going to simply say what I want in relationship to something that's happening that day. It's similar, it's resonant with your. You know, what do I want to do today? Dean: So we're on this. Dan: And plus, we have a lot in common. We're both 10 quick starts, we're you know, we're both ADD and we both have discernment and inventions. So we have a lot of things. We have a lot of things in common, yeah, so probably the way that we make progress Dean makes progress this way and Dan makes progress this way they're probably going to be fairly resonant, yeah, but what I think is that what I'm noticing about my relationship with perplexity is that I think about new things every day and then I say I wonder if I just have it do something for me. It sort of runs ahead of me and sort of clears the path a little bit for me to think about things. But Evan and I said you know, I think what's happening with this AI is just the opposite of where the technology people think it's going and where they want it to go. The most that the technology people can do is their own tinkering. They can tinker with things too, and it comes back to the individual. You know you can tinker this way and there will be a tool that you either utilize or you expand the usefulness of what you're doing. But I don't think it shows up, as I think that people who are heavily involved in technology you know, like Google, I use the guys, the two guys who started Google OK, I think all technologies are totalitarian. In other words, the Google people want there to be only one search engine on the planet and everybody else. Social media, the Facebook guy. He wants there to be only one social media platform and everybody's on that social media. So I think technology by its very nature, the moment you started technology as the creator of the technology, you want global domination and it was trending in that direction. Okay, apple only wants there to be one cell phone on the planet and that's you know, and everything like that. But I think that AI actually prevents that, because in order for you to be having global domination, you have to have everybody's attention, and I think each individual's unique relationship with AI takes their attention away from you. Dean: Yes. Dan: Oh, that's interesting too. Yeah so nobody as much as you would like Dean Jackson's attention. Today you're up against a lot of competition. Dean: Yes, yes, because. Dan: Dean wanted to do something else today and he's got direct access to Dean and you don't. Dean: I think about why, when you think about all the things that they are following our attention between google and you know, because facebook is on instagram, facebook and whatsapp, so you know, those are the three kind of big things that people are are on all the time but can I tell you something about? Dan: I think can I tell you about those three things. I've never been on any one of them. Dean: Yeah, that's true, you're in it, but not of it. Dan: Well, I'm aware that these things exist, exist, but I have absolutely no interest in, I have absolutely no interest in and you also have quite a presence on them. Dean: You have a nice presence on facebook. That people are putting your content on. So you're there, you just don't know. Yeah, you haven't done anything there yeah, yeah yeah, which, yeah, which. Dan: I talked to my social because I have a social media manager. You know he's a great guy. And I said so what am I doing out there? And he says, oh no, he says we've got a complete team and you know, and we have standards about what of you can go out there and everything else. We had a nice chat and there's sort of a governing body of team members in Strategic Coach and it's a that's backstage. You can't take backstage stuff and put it on the front stage. You can only take stuff that you know would serve the purposes of Strategic Coach if it was front stage. That's it. So to a certain extent, I'm just using all the social media that want my attention to avoid them having my attention. Yeah, it was very interesting, the head of the? yeah, I think I'm trying to think who it was. It was a top guy. I was reading this on Real Clear Publishes, which is one of my favorite sites, and he said there's a great deal of despair in the major networks, especially in relationship to the current election, which is two days from now, and he says we have to accept the fact that what we're trying to get American voters to think is wasted because half of them never pay any attention to us. So our messaging and you know we're fighting for their attention, but they don't pay any attention to us and we have no ability to get their attention and the more we strive to say you should be thinking this the less, the less control or influence that we have on the people of thinking so we're only talking to the people who already think the way that we think already. And if it's not 50%, that's not going to win you an election. Dean: Yeah, that's right, it's very interesting. Dan: There's something odd about this election. We'll only show up on you know after Tuesday that all the money that was poured into trying to get a winning vote in other words, more than you know in any one of the states, more than 50, that you have a majority of the vote yeah, it's wasted. It's wasted dollars. Dean: I saw something today that was you're calling out Kamala Harris for running two ads in different areas. Dan: Yes, with a Muslim population. She was running one ad talking about. This is about Gaza. Dean: Yes, that's exactly right. She was talking about the being a supporter for Israel's right to defend themselves and to, and the atrocities that Hamas did and all of it. So it was really interesting. That was almost talking out of both sides of her mouth and they called her out, and they sort of happened simultaneously, didn't they? Dan: Yes? It was like on the same day, in the same period, but the context is where is Kamala? I mean, she says this here and she says the opposite here. Where? Dean: is she? Dan: And that's her biggest problem Nobody knows where she is. Yeah, it's interesting, right, that was, but that was, and I think the reason is that Kamala will be whoever you want her to be, depending on the situation. Yes, and it doesn't give you doesn't give you a lot of confidence. Dean: Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. So that was, but that was. You know that now you can't get away with that because everybody's monitoring and knows what happens right, knows to watch those different markets. When you look in 2016,. You know everybody all that Cambridge Analytica stuff that was being done for Donald Trump. You know that movie was really fascinating how they showed. They broke up each of the voting precincts or districts into you know that, had all these profiles on everybody in there and they would categorize them. As you know, either you know true Hillary or already in the choir, fort Donald had focused all their attention on that little group that they called the Persuadables. They turned in all of their messaging specifically to them. That was unheard of as a capability. Nobody even understood that you could do that or why all of a sudden are all of these personality profiles. Dan: It's very interesting. They already did know this, but it wasn't digital, because Richard Vigory, you know Richard. Well, richard, in the 1970s, worked it out on postal codes, and so he got all the postal codes in the United States, which is public information, and he had a team of students who would go to the state capitol in each of the, you know, in each of the, and he could get the list of people who were in every postal zone. You know he would do that, yes, and then they would start testing ideas. They would send out direct mail. He was a direct mail genius, okay. And so he figured out he could do it by postal zones. And the postal zones are, you know they? I don't know how many there are, but in terms of voting precincts, there's 40,000. In the United States, it's right around 40,000. In the United States, it's right around 40,000. And they each have a unique signature in terms of what interests them, what doesn't, what they're for, what they're against. And so, because he knew the media was totally on the democratic side, like the newspapers, the major networks and everything else. But the other thing about that is that they could get it and what you realized is that you could just ignore all the ones that were they were going to vote Democratic. You knew they were going to vote for it was Carter in this case, because he was doing that for primarily for the presidential election. He did it for Reagan and, what's interesting, there's a lot of comparisons between that election and this election. I've been reading them. One was in the Real Clear Politics this morning. And he said that the pollsters don't know this. The polling organizations don't know this because they're just going on an average of who says this to a set of questions. But in the case of Richard Vigory, he wasn't asking them who they're for, he was asking them what are the issues that most concerned you and then the messaging on the part of Reagan and, I think, trump in 2016,. What they identified, it was actually 220 precincts that did the election 220 precinct elections actually made the difference and what was unique about the 200 wasn't so much about Trump or Hillary Clinton. It was about they had voted for Obama in 2012. Yes, and they were very disappointed with Obama because he promised hope and change and he didn't deliver. They were still interested in hope and change. They just attached Trump's name to the hope and change and they switched to. Dean: Trump. Dan: So the Obama voters did not move to the next Democrat. They moved to the candidate who is doing hope and change. Dean: Yeah. Dan: And they picked that up from Twitter. Dean: Yes, oh, so, funny. Dan: I mean it's so that's got a thousand times more refined. Dean: now, eight years later, yeah, instantly right, and people were hip to it and sort of suspicious of it. I think that's why the media is picking up on these things. So of course it was Fox that noticed that distinction. Dan: That's so funny. That wasn't breaking news. Yeah, it's really interesting. Yeah, it's really interesting because as cool as the rest of them. Now it's gone much, much deeper than a major network and you know it's very. Dean: it's really interesting that you know the the unfettered media now are really the like Joe Rogan just had Donald Trump. Dan: Oh, I mean, Rogan is the you know I mean, he's just got so much more influence. Dean: Yeah, like yesterday, I think yesterday morning I just checked the. I think it was that 45 or 47 million views for the Joe Rogan podcast. Dan: With Donald Trump. Yeah, it was like I think it was over 30 on the first 24 hours. Dean: Yeah, isn't that wild. Dan: And then you know what's really funny is that, Joe Rogan, they were having communication with Kamala. And he offered her the same opportunity that he offered. Trump. Dean: Yeah. Dan: And Trump just jumped on it and Trump redirected it so they could go to Austin, texas and you know, and he could visit with Joe Rogan in Joe Rogan's studio. And it went three hours. Dean: It was a three hour, three hour podcast, and anyway, she said we'll do it, but you have to come to us. Dan: You have to come to us and it can only be an hour. And he said you know who's the buyer and who's the seller here? Dean: Right Always be the buyer, that's right. You're going to make your pilgrimage to Austin, but she knows that's not her. You're going to make your pilgrimage to Austin, but she knows that's not her Austin. Dan: Yeah, Do you have to get shot? But actually Austin is a fairly liberal city. Dean: I mean, it's the state capital of the University of Texas. Dan: I mean, if you wanted to pick the area of Texas that's probably the most liberal, it's probably Austin, but Joe Rogan is immune to all that because he's not talking to Austin. He's talking to the world, right, if you want to talk to the world, and the other thing is and then Bantz went on. So instead of the time that, would have been given to Kamala was given to a band and bands. Is the likable Trump. Dean: Right, that's funny. Dan: It's like good cop, bad cop. It's got good cop, bad cop. You know, they're actually a team, One of them you know he comes from dirt poor Appalachian. The other one is a billionaire from New York, but they're a team so they cover a lot of territory. But back to our interesting conversation that you have with Charlotte that I'm talking about here. See, you've created essentially an exponential mirror, Because you're seeing your thoughts coming back to you. Dean: Yes, that's why she saw and recognized that her working genius is wonder and enablement. She can take my pieces and give me insights and see what you know, break it down and create out the things, which enables me to use my discernment to say you nailed it on that one. That's great and that reminds me. Let me add this to it and that becomes this I get to be in the middle of a thing that's already in motion, rather than having to start something from scratch. And I think I've really been thinking about you know we're coming into 2025. And I've always I've loved the idea of the quarterly books and the 25 year framework and the whole thing. And I just got Seth Godin's new book just came out called this Is Strategy, and I realized that what Seth's books are? A compilation of his daily blogs. He basically puts one blog post up every day, short, like 200 words, like some of them, you know, two to 300 word things and I, and then every year he puts out a new book you know, that's a compilation of those and I just realized I thought you know my winning formula has been because I have a hard time, just kind of, you know, writing from scratch. So I've always used my podcasts as the way so I do my more cheese, less whiskers, podcast where every week I have a different business owner on and we just do a one hour brainstorm applying the eight profit activators to their business and that was my formula for doing it. And I've done hundreds of episodes like that and from that I had a writer who went through the transcripts and took and created you know all the things that are the emails that I that I send. I send three, three emails a week and but since COVID, you know, I've been in syndication. Let's say I've got cause I have 200 of the episodes or whatever. I've been rotating around, so very periodically I'll write a new email to go out, but essentially they've been on a two year loop kind of thing where, yeah, you know, like they're getting emails that maybe they got that same email two years ago or last year. So I just I'm putting all this together now of this. I always seem to work best when I can lock in durable contexts for things Like I know the eight profit activators are. That's the bedrock durable context. I know about me that I work best in synchronous and scheduled here I am, ask me anything type of environments. So to set up, I'm bringing back my more cheese, less whiskers cast, going to start a whole new series of them and now, with Charlotte and Lillian to, and Glenn, my designer, to be able to take that. You know Lillian will fill the calendar with my things. So once a week I'll do a podcast with a new business owner that she will have arranged. I just have to show up and and bring my best to that hour, which is my favorite thing because it's discernment and invention. I get to listen, I understand what they need and I can suggest ideas of how to apply. It's like my superpower in action. And then to have the workflow of taking that transcript or taking that audio, getting the transcript, sending it to Charlotte to analyze, take out and create the both a summary and a thing, and then send it to me so that I can read the emails that she wrote and adapt that. You know, just edit them to be exactly in my voice and what I want, and say that one's good, that one's I don't like that or whatever. That kind of thing is pretty amazing. And at the end of each quarter, at the end of each quarter, I can take all of those compiled ones and make my more cheese, less whiskers. Quarterly book with all of the compilation of all of the things that I've written there, with illustrations and insights, all Helvetica which is going to be here for 25 years and each year anchored in the Pantone color of the year which is coming up in December. Every year they launch a color of the year. So the series, like, if you look at a bookshelf of you know, if I did in 10 years, 40 books, four of each, four spines and covers in the Pantone color of the year, anchored with Helvetica and an illustration, I just think, man, that is that right. There is the makings of a durable, you know, support system for Dean. Dan: Well, the other thing is, all this can be done by sitting in your chair on the patio. Dean: Yes, yes. You're customized for a season Valhalla. Dan: Yeah, valhalla, yeah yeah. Well, the interesting thing about it is that one it's good. It's good for as long as you want to keep it going. You know there's nothing, there's no obstacle to it, but you've got a big. You've got a big immediate contact list of people who would be interested in this. Dean: Yeah, yes, and that's the great thing is that I never have to go and find guests. Everybody, you know we're booked when we do it booked, like you know, months ahead. That it's a situation that they're legitimately getting $2,500 consultation for. That's the way I come into it is. I'm not holding anything back as you get this, yeah, so it's very, yeah, it's really very interesting. You know that I think is fantastic, so stay tuned. Dan: Yeah, it's yeah. The interesting thing is, I just like to bounce off the exponential tinkering idea that Evan and I have been talking about, and my sense is that there's a great panic going on in the world, and I notice it in big institutions that have been with us for a long time, and I'll set one institution aside, and that's the US and the US Constitution. That's an institution that I'm not going to talk about, but I'm talking about the United Nations. So the United Nations was created after the Second World War, essentially to prevent a war between the United States and the Soviet Union. That's really the main reason for the United Nations, but one of the causes disappeared in 1992, the Soviet Union, without anyone's permission, the Soviet Union quit and therefore what I've noticed is the United Nations is less and less relevant, but it's been taken over, infiltrated by just about everybody you don't really like, and they create this special organization, the United Nations Organization for the Palestinians. It's called UNRWA. Okay, that's called UNRWA. And the Israelis just said we don't want anything to do with you because we discovered that members of the United Nations were actually in part of the attack on Israel. These are members of the United Nations, but they were terrorists who helped kill the 1,200 Israelis and they said but that's it, you're out of here. You're out of here. You can't be anywhere in Israel, you can't be anywhere in the West Bank or anything else. And I'm noticing more and more that it's an irrelevant organization and it's using up about 25 acres of the east side of New York and I remember Trump saying boy, what I can do with that real estate. Dean: It's getting to the point where people are making the joke that you know. Dan: Certainly we could make better use of the east side of New York City than having this organization that essentially doesn't serve our purposes, but we spend, we send them huge amounts of money every year and we had to do an audit here to see whether this is really worth. Our effort Served a purpose, but the purpose, the central reason for the purpose, has disappeared over the last 30 years. But it keeps going on out of just sheer inertia, you know. It's just moving forward on out of just sheer inertia. Dean: You know, it's just moving forward. Dan: But what I'm saying is, I think that your experience with Charlotte and the sort of cluelessness of the main networks and the other big institutions are the mainstream news networks and we're saying, you know, like I'm not getting any value out of what you're doing. Besides, you seem to be on one side of the political spectrum and you know, you saw Jeff Bezos who said that the Washington Post is not going to give an endorsement for the presidential election. Well, that was in the bag, the Washington Post. You know they're going to go for the Democrat and he says I don't think this does us any good anymore. And so I'm just noticing evidence after evidence that the whole game has changed and it's only individuals who are entrepreneurial who are using this new AI capability to essentially have creative relationships with themselves, trying to have a sense of confidence about where they can go personally. Yes, what do you think about that? I? Dean: find no, I think that's it, my whole relationship like now that I understand that her role in my life is wonder and that, as a amplifier of my, she's doing what I would do if I could count on me to do it right like I can take the transcript like if I would have the executive function to do that, to go in and pull out what I see as the insights and organize them into, you know, into those bite-sized emails like she does it in real life, I mean, as you can type she's pulled out the insights, she's made the emails. I think that is such a great thing to give me something to. That is such a great thing to give me something to. It's like instead of trying to play tennis on your own, you can hit the ball and show it back, you can hit it. I think that's really what it is, is that there's some momentum going in the thing, rather than me just trying to do it all myself. Dan: Yeah and I'll leave. We're close to our. I've got another. I've got a massage coming up, so nice. I'm at Canyon ranch and, of course, anyway, but I would say that the number one capability that you bring to this and I'm comparing it with the ability that I am unpredictable to myself yeah, that's interesting. Dean: Today is the only time that I am thinking that way, that I'm comparing it to myself. That's true, yeah. Dan: And that's why I'm such a stickler on structures going forward that these structures can always be the same, and what it allows me to do and I think what you're describing allows you to do is that, rather than trying to discipline myself so that I'm predictable, I'll just create a structure that's predictable so that I can be unpredictable. Dean: Yes, you hit it on the head, dan. That's exactly what it is. I'm just going to create the strength. That was the winning formula when everything was live. That was the winning formula. I just had the time in the calendar. Our conversations are one of the great joys in my week that I love and look forward to this bright beacon on my account. It's the only thing on my Sunday and I look forward every week. But I don't fret, I don't, I don't give it a thought, I don't know what are we going to talk about, or what do I need to prepare, or I got to get my homework done before this. It's not a deadline, it's anything that I have to prepare for. Dan: Yeah, it's interesting. It's an interesting. But I think that if you look at the development of history, especially American history, and the genius of the founding fathers with the Constitution, and the genius of the founding fathers with the Constitution, and you know, one of my great historical role models, you know, is James Madison. He was the brains behind the Constitution. He was sort of the cut and paste guy that looked at everything that seemed to work as far as governing structures and he got. You know, he had I think he had a couple of thousand constitutions from history where people had tried to, you know, create some sort of predictability going forward, and especially the first 10 amendments of the constitution. Those amendments are to protect the individual from the government. The whole purpose of the Constitution is to protect individual Americans from the government. Because the government, like any other structure like that, wants to be totalitarian. They want your attention and they want to tell you what to do. And he said, no, we've got to let people, you know, meet in unpredictable ways, talk in unpredictable ways, you know, create new initiatives, you know, and we can't have this interfered with by government bureaucrats and everything like that. Completely with the first 10 amendments of the US Constitution, and that's the institution that's the number one institution on the planet. It's that 27 pages of typewritten notes that, basically, has created this freedom for individual initiative. That's as durable and I think every election is decided by the majority of the people. Say, don't what the one side's doing. I think we'll vote for the other side this election. Dean: Yeah. Dan: Yeah. Dean: Crazy. Dan: Yeah, anyway, this was a good talk and we'll do it live on Wednesday when you arrive. We're heading up on driving on Wednesday morning, so the rooms don't open until about 3 o'clock. Well, you're staying at Bob's. Dean: It doesn't matter. Right, I think I arrive Wednesday evening, so Thursday will probably be. Dan: It's going to have to be be. Dean: Thursday it could be. Dan: Yeah, why don't we say Thursday? And that makes it certain. Dean: Okay, perfect, that sounds great, maybe we can do both then Maybe we can do the Henry in the morning. Okay, I'll text Matt, all right. Dan: Okay. Dean: Have a great week. I'll see you in a couple of days, great podcast. Dan: Thanks Okay, bye.

You have ADHD. Do you struggle? You find systems that don't work, feel shame, and engage in negative self-thought. Are you told that you should accept yourself, that you shouldn't talk negatively about yourself? In this edition of Attention Talk Radio, ADHD coaches Jeff Copper (https://digcoaching.com) and Nikki Kinzer (https://takecontroladhd.com) talk about Nikki's book, embracing radical acceptance, and letting go of shame and rejection sensitivity dysphoria. Jeff will talk about Dr. Russell Barkley's executive function construct and how self-awareness and self-regulation are mutually conflicting executive functions that make it difficult to accept your ADHD. Nikki and Jeff also discuss the process of acceptance—the ubiquitous process that happens inside everyone. The idea is to help you understand what the process is that you're going through so that you can embrace it and accelerate the journey. If you struggle with ADHD, this is a show you can't miss. Attention Talk Radio is the leading site for self-help Internet radio shows focusing on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder, including managing symptoms of ADHD in adults with ADD or adults who have children with ADHD. Attention Talk Radio, hosted by Jeff Copper, attention and ADHD coach, is designed to help adults (particularly those diagnosed with or impacted by attention deficit disorder or its symptoms) in life or business who are stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated to help them get unstuck and moving forward by opening their minds to pay attention to what works. To learn more about attention and ADHD coach Jeff Copper, go to www.digcoaching.com. Our thanks to the sponsors of this show: CHADD.org, ADDCA.com, ImpactParents.com, and TimeTimer.com.

In this episode, I welcome back my friend and colleague, Jeff Copper, an ADHD and attention coach, to dive into a revolutionary approach he's developed for understanding ADHD. Jeff introduces his new tool, the "Attention Scope," designed to help individuals with ADHD and neurodivergent traits by bringing a new level of awareness to executive functioning. Through simulations and metaphors, Jeff walks us through how Attention Scope reveals the mechanics behind executive functions, empowering users to see their cognitive challenges and strengths from a fresh perspective. This method could be a game-changer for those seeking practical, data-driven strategies to improve their daily lives.Jeff Copper is an expert attention coach and authority on ADD/ADHD, holding an MBA and various coaching certifications. He founded DIG Coaching Practice, Attention Talk Radio, and Attention Talk Video, coaching individuals and entrepreneurs with ADD/ADHD to enhance their personal and business outcomes. Leveraging his personal experience with attention management challenges, Jeff developed the Anatomy of Attention construct and employs unique methods, including Cognitive Ergonomics and his proprietary AttentionScope®, to help clients identify natural solutions to overcome attention-related obstacles. Jeff integrates Dr. Russell Barkley's Executive Functioning Construct into his coaching, focusing on objective problem assessment and personalized strategy development. With a background from Indiana University and the University of Tampa, Jeff is deeply involved in the ADD/ADHD coaching community, holding memberships and accolades from several professional organizations. In 2023, he was honored with the Excellence in Coaching Award by the ADHD Coaches Organization. Jeff lives in Tampa, Florida.Episode Highlights:[0:59] – Welcoming Jeff back and introducing his new intervention tool, the Attention Scope.[4:24] – Jeff explains how Attention Scope uses simulations to reveal executive function impairments.[8:19] – The role of emotional regulation and self-awareness in ADHD coaching.[11:30] – Understanding executive functions in a tangible way through real-life tasks.[16:37] – Why methodical thinking requires different strategies than insightful thinking.[21:20] – Jeff discusses how Attention Scope is conceptually different from traditional ADHD approaches.[28:45] – Addressing executive dysfunction through guided questioning as a low-cost accommodation.[32:16] – How cognitive ergonomics benefits individuals by teaching them to advocate for the accommodations they need.[39:56] – Where to learn more about Attention Scope and how it may help individuals with or without ADHD. Connect with Jeff Cooper:DIG Coaching – Learn more about Jeff Copper's work and the Attention Scope tool.Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dig.coaching/ Thank you for tuning into "SuccessFULL with ADHD." If this episode has impacted you, remember to rate, follow, share, and review our podcast. Your support helps us reach and help more individuals navigating their journeys with ADHD.Are you a high-achieving adult who still struggles with the chaos of your ADHD, wants a hard reset to create structures and routines that stick, to ultimately build greater confidence? Check out our 12-week signature process, small group for adults with ADHD or suspected ADHD, 3C Activation: starting Thurs, Dec 19 @ 10am EST ▶ https://www.coachingwithbrooke.com/3cactivation

La gestión del tiempo y la organización son desafíos frecuentes para las personas con TDAH. En este episodio, exploraremos cómo convertir Google Calendar en una poderosa herramienta de externalización que puede ayudarte a optimizar tu productividad y reducir la sobrecarga cognitiva. Junto al Dr. Gabriel Brenner y elLic. Manuel Pastene, profundizaremos en las diferencias entre calendarios físicos y digitales, y aprenderás paso a paso cómo configurar Google Calendar de manera estratégica para compensar las dificultades ejecutivas típicas del TDAH. Descubrirás funciones básicas, intermedias y avanzadas de Google Calendar, incluyendo técnicas como el "time blocking", sistemas de colores y recordatorios múltiples. Además, exploraremos la perspectiva del Dr. Russell Barkley sobre la externalización y cómo esta herramienta puede ayudarte a superar la "miopía temporal" característica del TDAH. ¿Quieres transformar tu gestión del tiempo y crear un sistema de organización efectivo? No te pierdas este episodio cargado de consejos prácticos y estrategias basadas en evidencia científica. Si estás interesado en mejorar tu productividad y organización, ¡este episodio es para ti! Esperamos que hayas disfrutado del episodio y aprendido algo nuevo.

Norton Healthcare's Parenting With You is the podcast that helps you keep your kids healthy and safe by providing practical, down to earth advice for parents of children of any age, from babies through the teen years. In this Episode: Understanding ADHD, Part 2In this episode, our hosts talk with Dr. Paul Rosen, clinical psychologist at the Norton Children's Behavior and Mental Health Bingham Clinic. This is part two of a two-part episode that takes a deep dive into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  For information on ADHD, visit Understanding ADHD: Information for Parents - HealthyChildren.org For ADHD - general information: National Resource Center on ADHD (www.help4adhd.org)   Children and Adults with ADHD (support group; www.chadd.org)   ADDitude Magazine (www.additudemag.com)   Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents (Fourth Edition) by Russell Barkley, Ph.D. For parents of girls with ADHD: Understanding Girls with ADHD: How They Feel and Why They Do What They Do by Kathleen Nadeau, Ellen Littman, & Patricia Quinn For parents of adolescents with ADHD: Teenagers with ADD, ADHD, and Executive Functioning Deficits: A guide for parents and professionals by Chris A. Ziegler Dendy For helping kids with ADHD manage frustration and emotions: The Explosive Child by Ross Green, Ph.D For parenting strategies for younger kids with ADHD: 1-2-3 Magic by Thomas Phelan, Ph.D. For elementary school aged kids with ADHD: Cory Stories: A Kid's Book About ADHD by Jeanne Kraus and Whitney Martin The Survival Guide for Kids with ADHD by John F. Taylor, Ph.D. For adolescents with ADHD: The ADHD Workbook for Teens by Lara Honos-Webb, Ph.D. About Norton Children's Center for Prevention and WellnessA healthy kid is a happy kid. Norton Children's Prevention & Wellness provides resources to help you and your child build healthy habits. Established in 1991, the Office of Child Advocacy of Norton Children's Hospital, now Norton Children's Prevention & Wellness, takes an active leadership role in teaching healthy habits in children, including injury prevention and educating children and their families on healthy lifestyle choices. Advocacy and outreach educational programs are at the heart of the Norton Children's mission. Norton Children's Prevention & Wellness is funded through donations to the Norton Children's Hospital Foundation. Our efforts are focused around: Safety and injury prevention Promoting healthy lifestyles Key community partnerships Government relations   Norton Children's Prevention and Wellness Classes:  https://nortonchildrens.com/prevention-wellness/classes-events/ Find a pediatrician go to https://nortonchildrens.com/locations/pediatrician-offices/  or call 502-629-KIDS, option 3.   Podcast editing and post production by www.unmuteaudio.com

ADHD Coach Katherine Sanders

Imagine being told that what you thought were personal failings are actually symptoms of a misunderstood condition. Join me, Jeanette Graham, as I navigate the intricate world of ADHD and uncover the soaring diagnosis rates in the U.S., where adult diagnoses have skyrocketed to 15.5%. With expert insights from Dr. Patel, we probe into why these numbers are higher in the U.S., citing reduced stigma and advanced diagnostic tools as driving forces. We also discuss the hurdle many face—71% of Americans with prescriptions struggle to obtain their ADHD medication—and the pivotal role of cultural beliefs and historical stigma in the landscape of global diagnosis and treatment.Unmasking the hidden challenges of ADHD, this episode explores the nuanced experiences of those living with the condition, especially in environments where symptoms are often concealed. Using the metaphor of an iceberg, we unravel the layers of struggles such as sleep issues and emotional turbulence that go unnoticed. I share my personal reflections on the shame and comorbidities tied to late diagnoses, and how understanding the complex nature of executive functions can lead to a life filled with contradictions—an insight that's particularly inspired by popular TikTok trends. The conversation shifts to managing these challenges, and the emotional rollercoaster of coming to terms with an adult ADHD diagnosis, capturing the grief and relief it brings.The journey doesn't end at diagnosis—it's a continuous rollercoaster of emotion and adaptation. Life with ADHD requires finding the right balance amid societal misconceptions, and is particularly challenging for women who navigate additional hurdles like hormonal fluctuations. Words from Russell Barkley resonate as I talk about bridging the gap between knowledge and action, a common struggle for those with ADHD. By fostering self-compassion, I have found peace in accepting my diagnosis, and I encourage listeners to do the same. As part of ADHD Awareness Month, I invite you to embrace your unique journey and share your stories. Support the show

Bugünkü podcastimizde, DEHB’nin kökenlerine dair oldukça ilginç bir tartışmayı ele alacağız: Dr. Gabor Maté ve Dr. Russell Barkley’nin birbirine zıt […]

Uyuşuk Bilişsel Tempo, Russell Barkley, tarafından DEHB’den farklı – ancak genellikle DEHB ile örtüşen – olarak tanımlanan bir dikkat bozukluğudur. […]

Welcome to the 200th episode of the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast! I am so excited to celebrate this milestone with you. This episode is a celebration and a look back on some of the most memorable and impactful episodes along this 200 episode journey.  We've got some really great updates and surprises coming soon! Be sure to check out past episodes that highlight the expertise and support in our communities. Thank you for your constant support! Please consider leaving a review and rating wherever you listen to the podcast. Let's dive into some of our most downloaded episodes. Show Notes: [1:29] - Number 10: Unlocking Potential: A Dyslexia Journey with Rosalin Abigail Kyere-Nartey is an episode about the guest's personal experiences with dyslexia as a student in Ghana. [2:18] - Number 9: Slow Processing Speed with Dr. Ellen Braaten resonated with so many parents and educators about an often misunderstood issue. [3:04] - Number 8: Your Child's Anxiety: When to Worry with Dr. John Piacentini helps parents differentiate between typical worries and more serious anxiety issues. [4:03] - Number 7: How to Develop Social Thinking Skills with Michelle Garcie Winner highlights the guest's practical approach to social cognition. [4:52] - Number 6: Turning Kids' Passions and Enthusiasms Into Superpowers with Dr. Barry Prizant reminds us of every child's potential and superpowers. [5:40] - Number 5: Key Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD features Dr. Russell Barkley's expertise and a roadmap for parents. [6:23] - Number 4: Straight Talk About ADHD in Girls with Dr. Stephen Hinshaw has been a game-changer for parents. [7:15] - Number 3: Overcoming Dyslexia and Addressing the Reading Crisis with Dr. Sally Shaywitz is an episode with a pioneer whose work and dedication has inspired many to take action. [8:09] - Number 2: A Non-Medication Treatment for Children with ADHD with Dr. Sandra Loo gives parents hope and alternative support for their children. [9:13] - Number 1: Helping Kids Understand Their Amazing Brains with Dr. Liz Angoff has empowered many to embrace their differences and recognize their strengths. Connect with Us: Get on our Email List Book a Consultation Get Support and Connect with a ChildNEXUS Provider Register for Our Self-Paced Mini Courses with LIVE AMA Sessions The Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Additionally, the views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are not considered treatment and do not necessarily reflect those of ChildNEXUS, Inc or the host, Dr. Karen Wilson.  

How do you effectively prepare for a meeting with an ADHD clinician to seek a diagnosis?Many women feel anxious about seeking an ADHD diagnosis, fearing encounters with professionals who lack expertise in how ADHD presents in women or who may doubt their intentions. As someone who has been through this process for both myself and my son, I understand these concerns and the importance of thorough preparation.Effective preparation involves understanding the comprehensive testing process and finding qualified professionals for an accurate diagnosis. It's crucial to recognize that medication effectiveness varies, and personalized treatment plans are essential. When pursuing an ADHD assessment, consider the benefits of standardized tests and research clinicians with expertise in adult ADHD, particularly in women.To aid in your preparation, I've developed a structured approach based on the DSM-5 criteria and Russell Barkley's adult scale. This comprehensive checklist can help you organize your thoughts and experiences before your appointment. Additionally, for those concerned about costs, there are low-cost support options available, such as university clinics, support groups, and online resources.Remember, this journey toward diagnosis and understanding is unique for everyone. By arming yourself with knowledge and preparation, you can approach your appointment with confidence and clarity, ensuring you get the most out of your meeting with an ADHD clinician.________Resources:adhdforsmartwomen.com/adhd-doctor spyhappy.me/adhdprofslist adhdforsmartwomen.com/booklist add.org/professional-directory/ https://chadd.org/professional-directory/ https://directory.additudemag.com/ additudemag.com/top-adhd-clinics/ addca.com/adhd-coach-training/ADHD-Coaches/ pi.ai/onboarding ________Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/bookJoin Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/aokVisit our website: https://adhdforsmartwomen.comJoin our community of ADHD For Smart Ass Women: https://www.facebook.cSend a Message: Name | Email Address | Your MessageHello, my brilliant friends! I'm thrilled to announce the launch of Blends, my daily ten-minute audio mix of coaching, mindfulness, affirmations, and more, designed to create positive emotions and regulate our ADHD brains. It's a labor of love, and you can get a whole year of Blends for just $47 at adhdforsmartwomen.com/go.

ADHD emotional dysregulation can be a HUGE struggle for us. In this video, I deliver practical tools for managing your emotions and achieving better emotional control. We'll dive into the realities of ADHD emotional regulation, I'll share some real-life experiences, and gain insight into Dr. Russell Barkley's four definitions of healthy emotional regulation. Whether you encounter heightened emotional reactions or struggle with rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), this video is a must-watch! »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

In this episode: Jen talks about the complex and interesting history of ADHD. The symptoms were recognized as a condition since the 1800's but was seen as a moral failing in children, it was then recognized as a physiological brain problem in children in the 1900's, stimulant medications began to be used as treatment in the 1960's but by the 1970's there was backlash, and in the 1990's many organizations and clinicians refused to validate that the emerging diagnosis of Adult ADHD even existed. For exclusive podcast content join the You Are A Lot podcast patreon at patreon.com/ALOTADHDPOD for just $5 a month. You can sign up for a 7 Day Free Trial today! Click here to write a 5-star review of the podcast Visit the “You Are A Lot” (an adhd podcast) webpage Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com Follow Jen on Instagram Follow Jen on Tik Tok For More Info on Jen SOURCES USED FOR THIS EPISODE: The Controversy That Was Adult ADHD (Article) - ADDitude Magazine The Evolution of ADHD (Article) - ADDitude Magazine What Does Everybody Else Know That I Don't? (Book) - Dr. MIchele Novotni The History Of ADHD And It's Treatments (Article) - ADDitude Magazine The Early History Of ADJD (Video) - Dr. Russell Barkley

In this episode: Jen talks about how the DSM (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) is failing people with ADHD because the diagnosis criteria is incomplete. The DSM-5 overemphasizes mythologized symptoms, and doesn't list emotional regulation issues which are at the core of executive dysfunction. This can prevent people with ADHD from being diagnosed and getting the treatment that they need to function in a neurotypical world.  For exclusive podcast content join the You Are A Lot podcast patreon at patreon.com/ALOTADHDPOD for just $5 a month. You can sign up for a 7 Day Free Trial today! Click here to write a 5-star review of the podcast Visit the “You Are A Lot” (an adhd podcast) webpage Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com Follow Jen on Instagram Follow Jen on Tik Tok For More Info on Jen SOURCES USED FOR THIS EPISODE: ADHD Is A Whole Life Experience (Article) - ADDitude Magazine The DSM Fails ADHD (Article) - ADDitude Magazine Emotions And The DSM (Article) - CHADD Org (Children/Adults with ADD) Why Emotion Needs To Go Back In The DSM (Video) - Dr. Russell Barkley Emotional Issues Left Out Of the DSM (Article) - Dr. Russell Barkley

In this special 600th episode of The ADHD Podcast, Nikki and Pete reflect on the show's 14-year journey. What began as a podcast focused on organization has evolved into a what we hope is a valuable resource for the ADHD community. Throughout the years, the show has featured a lineup of incredible and generous guests, including renowned ADHD researchers and experts such as Ned Hallowell, Russell Barkley, and Dr. William Dodson.The podcast's success has also led to the growth of the Taking Control ADHD (TCA) team, with the addition of Melissa, Bryan, and Marian. As the show has grown, so too have Nikki and Pete, both personally and professionally. They've navigated the joys and challenges of raising families, building businesses, and adapting to a changing world.Through it all, the Taking Control Podcast has remained a constant source of support, information, and inspiration for its listeners. As they mark this momentous milestone, Nikki and Pete express their heartfelt gratitude to their listeners and the ADHD community for making the past 600 episodes possible.Links & NotesDig into the podcast Shownotes Database (00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast (03:20) - What's next... a thousand? (05:08) - Origin Story (10:58) - We went through some changes (15:44) - How did we decide on the format? (32:12) - Patreon & Discord (41:28) - The Big Events ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

ADHD Coach Katherine Sanders "Embracing Emotions: ADHD emotional dysregulation, RSD and tools for living."Join in our weekly dose of self-discovery and empowerment In the latest episode, "Embracing Emotion" join Katherine, an advanced certified ADHD coach, as she explains the world of emotions and ADHD. For the next 5 episodes, we're focusing on the landscape of RSD, ADHD, emotional disregulation and its profound impact on focus, organization, and personal relationships.Combining her academic knowledge, in depth training and personal ADHD journey, brings to light the causes of emotional dysregulation. Discover how rapid mood shifts, often misunderstood or misdiagnosed, are a part of the ADHD experience. Learn about the brain's role in these emotional processes and how ADHD uniquely shapes our emotional responses. We discuss the idea of RSD - rejection sensitivity dysphoria - as well as Dr Russell Barkley's 'DESR' - deficient emotional self regulation. But this episode isn't just about understanding; it's about practical, everyday strategies. We discuss ADHD mindfulness, routine structuring, and simple, effective techniques to navigate the intense emotions of ADHD. Whether it's dealing with workplace challenges or personal relationships, these insights are geared towards bringing balance and control into your life.Katherine shares a groundbreaking concept - Emotional Acuity Resonance (EAR), offering a fresh perspective on emotional sensitivity. This series is more than just a podcast; it's a tool for YOUR personal powerful transformation. You can also join the waitlist for exclusive resources, including a complementary Notion template and a Google doc, to track your energy, focus, and so much more. (See Link below)Be part of our growing late diagnosed and adult ADHD community and share your experiences using #TeamBulb. Let's redefine the ADHD narrative together. Tune in to "ADHD, Powerful Possibilities" every Wednesday and step forward with us to turn your challenges into strengths. Katherine is here to cheer, support and bore you with plant names and random facts that pop into her head at every step of this transformative process.Connect with Katherine here:WebsiteInstagramTiktokFacebookYoutubeLinkedINThreads https://adhdcoachkatherine.com/ Barkley, R. A. (2015). Emotion dysregulation is a core component of ADHD. Journal of ADHD and Related Disorders, 6(1), 3-10. [Link](https://www.adhdandspacedisordersinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Emotion-Dysregulation-in-ADHD-Barkley-2015.pdf)Barkley, R. A. (2014). Emotion-driven impulsiveness and self-regulation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(8), 831-842....

In this week's episode, I invited Eric Tivers, host of the popular ADHD ReWired Podcast, to join me on Focus Forward and we talked about the common feelings of shame experienced by individuals with ADHD. We explored the benefits of finding connection and support within the ADHD community and discussed some aspects of living a strategy-based life and take a little detour to talk about tennis and pickle ball scoring, classic ADHD tangent. Stick around to the end of our conversation to learn more about how to get in touch with Eric and about the high-quality services he and his team provide. Because of some timing and our Focus Forward hiatus, this episode was actually recorded back in May of this year, coinciding with my official ADHD diagnosis, and despite the time that has passed, the insights remain relevant. I'm delighted it's now October and ADHD awareness month so we can share this conversation with you all! Here are the show notes from today's episode:Hannah's guest appearance on ADHD ReWiredADHD ReWired Podcast2023 Annual International Conference on ADHDADHD Support Group SearchMy podcast episode with Dr. Jan WillerBeyond BookSmartHow to Keep Score in Pickle BallHow to Keep Score in TennisADHD ResourcesAdult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1)CHADDBeyond BookSmart's ADHD Success KitHow to Thrive with ADHD After a DiagnosisEp 13: How to Unlock the Superpowers of ADHDWomen's ADHD Wellbeing PodcastContact us!Reach out to us at podcast@beyondbooksmart.comIG/FB/TikTok @beyondbooksmartcoachingTranscriptHannah Choi 00:04Hi everyone and welcome to Focus Forward, an executive function podcast where we explore the challenges and celebrate the wins you'll experience as you change your life through working on improving your executive function skills. I'm your host, Hannah Choi. Hannah Choi 00:18Before I dive into this episode, I wanted to share a correction from our last episode, I mistakenly said that I had an appointment with a psychiatrist. Jan, who I interviewed caught this when she listened to the episode and helped me realize that I actually have an appointment with a licensed professional clinician, who in Connecticut anyway is qualified to evaluate people for ADHD. I don't know about you, but I find all of these titles quite confusing. But I am so glad I get to learn all about this and share it with you. Anyway, I wanted to share again what Jan taught me that psychiatrists are great for testing people with more complex brain issues. And people with master's levels degrees, who are qualified can diagnose ADHD even without a full neuro Psych Exam. I'm still going to pursue the test. Because you know me brain nerd. I'm super curious to learn more about how my own brain works. But please know that you absolutely don't have to do the same to get the help you need. Hannah Choi 01:22Okay, so it is still ADHD Awareness Month and I've got some exciting news to share. I will be attending the upcoming 2023 annual International Conference on ADHD in Baltimore at the end of November. I am headed there with three of my wise colleagues, Sean Potts, Justice Abbott, and Wendy Craven. We will have a Beyond Booksmart table in the exhibit hall. And we'll also be learning from some of the presenters who will be sharing their knowledge and experience with attendees. If you want to find out more about the conference, check out the show notes. There's a link down there. Hannah Choi 02:00And besides being all about ADHD, this conference has a special connection to today's guest. We are back with another ADHD themed episode for this month of ADHD awareness. At the end of the summer, I had the absolute pleasure of being a guest on the ADHD rewired podcast. It is hosted by the very funny and very smart Eric Tivers. We talked about finding success in college when you struggle with executive functioning skills. And when we spoke not only did Eric convince me that I had to go to the ADHD conference, okay, wait a second, convinced his way too strong of a verb. He just kind of mentioned it with enthusiasm. And of course, I was totally sold. So let's try that again. Not only did Eric inspire me to go to the conference, but he also shared that he'll be presenting at it on the topic of technology. Bonus. Okay, so, back to the meat of this episode, I invited Eric to join me on Focus Forward, and we talked about the common feelings of shame experienced by individuals with ADHD. We also explored the benefits of finding connection and support within the ADHD community. So keep listening to hear Eric share about the coaching groups and the adult study halls he offers to provide that essential support and community we discuss some aspects of living a strategy based life and take a little detour to talk about tennis and pickleball scoring, you know, classic ADHD tangent, and stick around to the end of our conversation to learn more about how to get in touch with Eric, and about the high quality services that he and his coaches provide. I really encourage you to check out the good work that he and his team are doing. You can also find links to his website in the show notes. Because of some timing and our Focus Forward hiatus, this episode was actually recorded back in May of this year, coinciding with my official ADHD diagnosis. And despite the time that has passed, the insights do remain relevant. I am delighted that it is now October so we can share this conversation with you all. Okay, on to the show. Hannah Choi 04:12So, hi, everyone. I'm here today with Eric Tivers, who is the host of the ADHD ReWired podcast and you do a lot of other stuff. So could you introduce yourself and maybe share what you do and short a brief explanation of how you even got to where you are today?Eric Tivers 04:36Sure, so I'll thank you for having me on. My name is Eric Tivers. I host the ADHD ReWired podcast. And, you know, we, I am a licensed clinical social worker. And I started ADHD ReWired back in 2014. When it was, you know, I didn't even know what I was really going to be dealing with it. It was sort of like I I know I have thoughts and ideas that I want to share. I don't really like to write, it's a struggle for me. So like podcast, and like when I was in grad school, I was really actually struggling with my ADHD. And I discovered podcasts around that. And I discovered this old, like, not even good quality podcast, but it was like raw and authentic. And I wanted you that one day, like that kind of stuck with me for a long time. Yeah. And, and then I mentioned, we launched the podcast, it first started as just a solo show. And then I sort of stumbled into an interview. And I was like, Oh, I like this way better. Because, you know, it's as trained as a therapist, like, I'm just a curious conversationalist, I guess. And it was, I just really enjoyed helping other people tell their story. And then sort of through that, I launched my first online coaching group and, and that wasn't even like a grand plan, either. That was sort of a, I had this idea. And it was, the idea came out of actually, like I was in therapy at the time. And I would like go to try to get to my therapist office, like about 20 minutes early, just so I can do the homework that I supposed to be working on. This is silly. You know, it's like I'm my clients, this whole working man, wish there something working just to have like, regular like check ins kind of touch points, just to kind of keep me on track throughout my week. And so I started looking online for stuff and like, there was nothing. There was no one doing anything like that. So I created that. That's awesome. Yeah, I mean, it was like, where it is now to where it was when I first heard the very first version of it. I don't know if you ever heard the idea that a few are not kind of you don't cringe at your like earliest stuff you put out there, like you waited too long to start. I definitely cringe at some of the first stuff like we did, like, we didn't even have like a concrete schedule for the first season of coaching group that we did. Like it was like every week, like alright, what's good for me, I Oh, my God, that's an awful idea.Hannah Choi 06:55But you know what I love I love that, that you cannot wait for perfection to start, just just start and then it will evolve into what it's supposed to be. Eric Tivers 07:06Yeah, so you know, now here I am. You know, we're recording this on May 5, I'll happy Cinco Demayo. And, you know, we're, I think I, we just released episode 480 something. And you know, and I have experimented, and I've done different iterations of stuff on the podcast, and it's been super fun. You know, and there's no way I would have been doing a podcast from 10 years. Now, if I didn't love what I'm doing, right. It's amazing. So these coaching groups, they just kind of they almost kind of life of themselves, like they know, they were feeling really fast. And then I started doing two coaching groups at a time the manager didn't three coaching groups at a time. And then I was burning out a little bit. So I scaled back at two. I closed my clinical practice to focus exclusively on the coaching groups. So we've had over 1000 people go through the program. We're on our, we just started at registration for our summer season will be our 33rd season.Hannah Choi 08:04Oh my goodness, congratulations. Eric Tivers 08:07Thank you. Thanks. Hannah Choi 08:07That is awesome.Eric Tivers 08:08Yeah. And so we've been we've been growing, I got a couple of coaches that work with me, and, you know, learning all the kind of the leadership stuff there, which is, it's way harder than I ever imagined it would be like, I gotta figure it out, then I'm like, no, no, no more to learn. So it's it is like, I'm going back for seconds and thirds of humble pie on a regular basis.Hannah Choi 08:33I have a colleague who always says, always learning and growing and I love that. That's so true.Eric Tivers 08:39Yeah. I mean, as soon as you think you, you know everything, then that's where you get into trouble.Hannah Choi 08:43Yes, that's right. So I love thinking about all the people in your that that you have encountered that are now probably so much more confident, and so much more sure of their own abilities, despite their executive function challenges, despite their ADHD, so congrats to you and everyone that works for you for creating that space for people.Eric Tivers 09:10Well, I definitely didn't do it. I'm I mean, I've had lots of lots of help lots of other people who do a lot of stuff sort of on the back end. And, you know, we have we have a very active alumni community too. And a lot of our a lot we have. And when I open up the alumni community, it's because people will kept like re signing up for the group to do it again. And and so people were asking, was there anything else we could do after this? And like, maybe, and so maybe three or four years ago, we started this, the alumni community, and it's been wonderful. We have a bunch of different of our alumni who are leading peer based sessions each week. And so it's really cool because it's like, I tell people, one of the best things I do for my own ADHD is this work because it kind of makes me think about it all the time after like, I can't go into autopilot. I think a lot of other people feel that same way. It's like when they and sort of give back and be in some kind of leadership role in the community, it helps them stay on top of their own stuff.Hannah Choi 10:06Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I find that as a coach, you know, just talking about it all the time with my clients, and, you know, trying to think of news, like help them come up with new solutions for whatever challenge that they're dealing with it, that kind of thinking becomes a habit, and then you just kind of do it for yourself or, yeah.Eric Tivers 10:27So yeah, so that's kind of when we have our we have an adult study hall, it's a co-working community, which, so that's, that's another thing we have been working on. So yeah, lots of lots of things in the fire and, you know, experimenting with different things. And you know, one thing that is that is constant is that things are always changing.Hannah Choi 10:47So something that you and I had talked about before we recorded was the idea of community. And I really think that, that you are creating that community with the work that you're doing. And I just, we just dropped an episode the other day, I interviewed two social workers and their coach. And we talked a lot about how important validation is, and how important finding your flock is. And so I'm sure through that experience, you are creating that in a way for people.Eric Tivers 11:28Yeah, you know, one of the things because people always ask me, like, Well, how do I know if I should do group? Or if I should do one on one? And, you know, I would I, I tell them, I have a strong bias towards group. Because there's, you know, I and I've done intensive one on one coaching with people. And, you know, I tell them that I'm kind of a sucker for, like, positive reinforcement. And when I see people doing like, like, profoundly better. To me, that's like, my big shiny gold star. Right. And with group there's, there's just something that's, you know, it's funny, I'm very science based person, but like, it's, I think it's just magic, what happens in group, I, because it is, you know, we see ourselves in each other, and we are so much more generous and compassionate towards others, others are having the same struggles. And then, you know, when we see that kind of what they're doing and where they're coming out, they're they're doing all these great things. And yet, they're being so hard on themselves. And then there's that recognition of like, oh, wait a minute. Like you have these these mirrors that are reflecting you, back to you. Right, except now there's no judgment being Hannah Choi 12:35Yeah. That's awesome. That's powerful. Eric Tivers 12:39that that me too, is super, super powerful. Yeah, and I always tell people to I'm like, I just want to be really clear before we, there's any, like, ideas, that I have all my stuff together, because I don't, I am working on all the same stuff, too. I mean, being consistent, you know, it's like, I get the planning and then I stop looking at the planning, right, I gotta come back to it. And so really, what I think what community has really done one of the strengths of, of community is resilience. It is a sort of a resilience incubator. Yeah, because we're kind of be inconsistent with ADHD, it's just, you know, it's and I'm not saying that, like, it's just is what it is, you know, but it's part of it's part of ADHD, the consistency. So what we can do is skip the part, when we've fallen off what we want to be doing, we can skip the part of beating ourselves up, and we can reach out for help as a ham struggling here. Yeah, well, we get when we can say it, when we can speak the thing that we're instead of like being silenced in silent and shame. I mean, that because that that shame piece it is it's significant, it is really significant. And when you're in a community of people who get it because they also live it and your non judgmental support. It's, it's really profound, you know, it's, it's kind of like a rabid onion pillar, right? If people come in for white, like, I just want to get my planning and time management stuff figured out. It's like, work on that. But keep keep an open mind, because there's a way like, you can't not deal with the shame stuff when you're dealing planning. And anything that at the planning of time management when you have ADHD. Yeah. Oh, yeah. And it's not just the planning. It's not just the time now.Hannah Choi 14:24Yeah, yeah. And that's something that we talked about in that conversation was how tightly wrapped our executive function skills are with our emotions, and how and how the context in which we are talking about is how coaching sessions can can often sometimes feel like therapy, and it's because you cannot, you just can't separate that. And so being able to, like you said, you have that mirror to reflect yourself back to yourself without that judgment is such a nice way of of dealing with those emotions. I'm not sure how to explain what I'm saying. And I'm sure you know what I mean. I just I love that. I love that. Eric Tivers 15:07Well, your executive, its executive functions are self. It's about self regulation. Yeah.Hannah Choi 15:13Right. Yeah. And it comes down to it, you know,Eric Tivers 15:16I mean, it's, it's the self regulatory stuff that we have intentions of doing. And that impacts, like the things we're trying to do. I think like, like Russell Barkley talks about an executive functions, any goal oriented behavior that you sort of put out to the world, and it comes back to you in some way. So it's like, even if it's like, it's as simple as getting dressed, right? Like, your intention is, you gotta get up before you get dressed. Right. And, yeah, if you are successful with it, you got clothes on your body, right? Hannah Choi 15:42That's so funny. That's the example I always use. Like, you have some executive function skills, because you're wearing clothes. Eric Tivers 15:49Yeah, you know, are looking at like emotional self regulation, if you are employed. And you think that your boss is a jerk, and you let them know that and your goal is to get a promotion. And instead, you're actually shutting the door, because you can get yourself fired because you mouthed off to your boss, right? That ability to take a deep breath when you're in that that space. Like, you know, it's, it's hard. It's hard to do. Yeah.Hannah Choi 16:15Well, I, I haven't shared this yet on the podcast, but by the time people listen to this episode, they will know, I just got diagnosed with ADHD, which I am so happy about, because it has answered everything. And I'm sure this is the story that you've heard from so many people. And all of that has, over the past few weeks when I've been thinking about it, and I feel like I am calming my, I'm like giving my self a hug my past self. And like, you know, just and so and, and that whole shame piece. And the whole inner narrative really comes up a lot for people with ADHD or for people just who are struggling with anything, really, because there's this sort of this message that we receive from society that we're supposed to be just like, amazingly successful at everything all the time. And you have to like, especially as a mom, like you're supposed to do all these things plus, like have a really beautiful Instagram feed and be like selling cookies on the side or whatever.Eric Tivers 17:24And make it all look easy, right? Hannah Choi 17:26Yeah, yeah. And it's just not easy for anybody. And if you're additionally, you know, dealing with executive function challenges, if, because of any diagnosis, and it just makes everything a lot harder. So, yeah, so being able to being able to talk about it and to, and to address it in a really safe and encouraging and warm way is is really wonderful. So I'm really glad you're able to provide that for to your, to your coaching groups.Eric Tivers 18:02 It's so it's so interesting. First of all, congratulations on this.Hannah Choi 18:05Thanks. Thank you.Eric Tivers 18:07And you're in it's so interesting, too, because so many people who have such a wide variety of responses to Yeah, that diagnosis. And it's, it's really kind of striking, like how many people I've spoken with throughout the years who who've been professionals in the ADHD space, didn't think they had ADHD going. And then like, years and years later realize, I actually do, and it's so funny, because I have always like, was like, just thought that was a really like, Ha, what what would that be like to experience that? And I see it, because right now, and I have not gotten an official diagnosis. But I did recently take an online evaluation for autism. And I had a highly what I didn't mention is that part of my clinical practice, before I closed my clinical practice was specializing in autism. Okay, and so, you know, my, I have a 11 year old son who has has autism and ADHD. So it's like, you know, I used to speak and present on this stuff. And yeah, you know, in part of, and I was, I was mentioning at the top of the show, about, like, how, you know, leadership has been serving me some humble pie. And it because part of it's like some of the social stuff that I think I've been Miss reading and I'm like, right, and so like, I'm always someone who's always trying to do better. And it's like, if, and so what I'm sort of seeing a certain pattern, I'm like, okay, like, this is something other than like this than ADHD, like, I really tried to cultivate a culture of feedback in my community, with my team and yeah, I've gotten some little some hearts of your feedback, but like, thank goodness that some of my team has felt safe to Yeah, sure that I know. You know, it's sort of that that the only way I can sort of think about it as being like the the realization that maybe sometime Sam's coming off as an accidental a hole. And I'm just like, Oh my God. Yeah. And so it's been very humbling, recently something I'm still kind of working through. But you know, it's like, yeah, when we gain that self awareness, that that like, entry into a new space of awareness, that hurts like it. It is it is, you know, but I, you know, from the time I got diagnosed when I was 20 years old, I've been like, I'm this this sort of mission to keep uncovering blind spots. Because it's like, and I'm just understanding the concept that we all have blind spots. Yeah, right. Yeah. And knowing that, you know, that sort of like idea like, so if someone is not self aware, how do they know? Hannah Choi 20:49Yeah, I felt, and I don't know, maybe you feel this? It's almost freeing. I, as soon as she told me, you know, the results, I just felt this like, huge. Ah, okay. Now, I get it. And like you said, you're discovering things over the time, I have also been discovering things. And it's like, oh, that's why that happened. That's why I did that. And then I'm able to release myself of that burden of shame that I have been carrying for feeling so bad about that thing, whatever it was. It's kind of been like Christmas the past few weeks, I've just like opening up all these things. I hope you experienced the same thing with the air or maybe you already are with that. Eric Tivers 21:40Oh, I think I'll get I'll yeah, it's definitely a, it's like, hot, it's definitely been a little bit of a, it's like, I don't know, it's not like shocking, but it's, it's, I don't know, it's like, it's just humbling, it's what it's telling me where I can describe to describe her. And I was like, this feels very, very humbling. And just interesting. You know, it's, it's, if we are on, if we have that growth mindset, and we are open to feedback, you know, it's, I always tell people helping you to think that, like, the growth journey is a fun one. No, no, no, this is hard. This is our critical timeout for a little while. I tell you, you know, when anytime I have had big discoveries about myself, it has led to huge growth. And so I've always been open to trying to find those blind spots, even though I know it's gonna suck emotionally for a while. It has never, I've never not been grateful, in hindsight, for those discoveries. Hannah Choi 22:47And I see that a lot in my clients too. And I work with a lot of college kids and a lot, and what I've noticed is that a lot of them are still learning to be self aware. And they're still discovering aspects of themselves that they didn't know. And, and, and executive function coaching is such a great place to explore that it's such like a nice, safe, safe place, and so many different things that we can kind of test out and figure out and, and so much of my coaching comes back to asking why and so much of answering the question, why is becoming is by, you have to become self aware to answer that, why. And it can be really hard, like you said, it can be really hard to to admit, whatever the Y is, and, but that is the key to open the door to allow for that growth. And to, to be able to let go of whatever that shame is that you've been carrying around because of that challenge or limitation.Eric Tivers 23:45Yeah, it's I always tell my group members, like if you're not uncomfortable, like, lean in more. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's, you know, you're not, you don't have to be sort of in that state forever. And it doesn't last forever. It's, it's sort of it's episodic, you know, it's, you go through periods, and then you, you know, at least for me, it's like, figuring these things out. And then spending years on on like, honing in the skills and the pieces around that, that I need to and then it's like, as you develop mastery around different things, then you kind of the process repeats like, oh, new discoveries. Oh, again,Hannah Choi 24:21Yep. Or, Oh, I just got I found mastery, but I'm sliding because of whatever and now let's discover a new way to get myself back back in the game and and to be okay with that.Eric Tivers 24:32You know, it's funny too, because, like, one of the things that that I'm that I'm actually trying to work on now is being treated less sarcastic in different interactions. I guess it's funny, I was I was talking to my partner yesterday about this cuz she's been kind of helping me through through some of this. And like, when she kind of gave me this feedback about my sarcasm, and I found myself wanting to hold on to like, like gripping. But start I love beings. It's funny. Yeah, but not it's not always received as well as I think you think it is like, yeah. All right. I'm gonna sit with that for a while. And you know, it's it's having that courage to ask others like, hey, like, is this been your experience that like in our conversations? Yeah, so it's having those those courageous conversations. I mean, that's really what it's, it's about. Yep.Hannah Choi 25:21And I don't know if you've experienced this as hosting a podcast, but I feel like I experienced that every time I listened to a new episode or listened to anything that I've ever recorded. Like I, I go through that, like, Oh, God, why did I say that? Or why didn't I say it this other way? And then But then I always go back and say no, okay, now you have a chance to, to learn from that and to grow from that and to step even more outside your comfort zone and to challenge maybe challenge what you how you did something before and yeah,Eric Tivers 25:55Yeah, you know, to me, like, I love absurdity. Like, that's just like, absurdity is my sense of humor. Or it was probably where I like sarcasm, but I just, you know, I'm learning to be more careful about that. But like, when I think about just like, brains are funny, glitchy and they are, like, you know, if we can, instead of being so hard on ourselves, like, why can't I do this, like, drive, we were talking before I hit record, like, I love playing pickleball I cannot remember the score during the game. For me, it is like to be in like one of those like baseball pitch counters and just like holding my other hand, butHannah Choi 26:35then you'd have to remember to use it.Eric Tivers 26:40And I always feel really at home when everybody else I'm playing with also can't remember the score. I'm just like, I think it'll be like, Well, what's your excuse? Because, you know, one of the younger ones there? And it's like, yeah, it's called ADHD.Hannah Choi 26:55It's not my age. Yeah. Oh, man.Eric Tivers 26:58It's it's funny. I'll, I'll say the score my head over and over again. And then one for one moment, I'm thinking about something else. And I forgot score. Hannah Choi 27:05Oh, my God, I feel you I just like relate to that so much. I just started, I started playing tennis and this a year ago, with my sister who's actually quite good at keeping track of the score, and I'm always like, I think I just need to play with her all the time. I'm the same way. I'm like, Alright, I got it. And I don't I actually and I don't even know which side of the court I'm supposed to be on right now.Eric Tivers 27:31With tennis is like the funny scoring it like, right?Hannah Choi 27:34Yeah, it's so weird. Yeah. And then if you play doubles in pickleball, it's even weirder, because then you have to say, like, if you're serving first or second, right?Eric Tivers 27:44Well, I typically only played doubles have, like, I don't, I don't want singles. I mean, it's a it's an amazing workout to play singles, because it's like, oh, my god, she has to be everywhere. I like doubles. So I don't know. It's but you're right. Because you have to say which, which, which serve it is.Hannah Choi 28:01It's too confusing for me. And we just play we just hit the ball around and be like, Yeah, we both won. Or we all win. Yeah, Everyone's a winner. Yes. What were we talking about? Speaking of forgetting things.Eric Tivers 28:22Brains are funny.Hannah Choi 28:23Brains. Brains. Yes, I love the brain. And I love helping people understand why they do what they do, because of their brains. And helping people learn strategies that can help them use their brains to their advantage instead of being sort of taken over by their brain. So like a lot of that emotional regulation is a huge part of my coaching. And, and I love just learning about it and teaching people about it.Eric Tivers 28:54You know, within that frame. There's this idea that I that I talk about my groups that, you know, if you're wanting to be successful, and you have ADHD, you have to learn how to bend the world to you. Because like, the world is not bending the other way. Like the world's not reaching out to say, Hey, how can I accommodate you? Right? Like, yeah, we get all this paperwork is really hard. Like, it's like planning this, you get it with paper, and it's, you know, your teacher tells you about it, you know, in the first day class never mentioned it again, like, right, we have to develop these strategies to really scaffold the things that we need around us. And be you being okay with that too. And that's such an important and I think for a lot of people a really hard thing because, you know, I always said who I am, we are not trying to get you to learn how to be normal. Like that is not our goal. Right? Like that is like that is our goal to make sure that that like you don't want that to be your goal, because that is like that will be a goal that you'll you're not going to achieveHannah Choi 29:57And we want to preserve your uniqueness, right. Yes. See?Eric Tivers 30:00Yes, yeah, you know, so whatever, like, whatever you need, like, just kind of figure out how to, you know how to advocate for it, how to ask for it, you know, when something that kind of informs a lot of the work that I do, and even my personal life was based on some work that I did when I was in grad school. And so it was around my dissertation, and it was looking at, what does it take for students with invisible disabilities and ADHD, learning disabilities, dyslexia, etc, to be successful in adulthood. And what they found is that it is not the diagnosis that is preventing people from having the same sort of measures of success compared to their peers, it's if they have high levels of self awareness, if they have self determination, and good self advocacy skills, like, if you look just at the sort of the outcome measures, whether it's income, educational attainment, just overall life satisfaction, you got those three things, when you have ADHD or something like it, right, you're going to do just as well, like, that doesn't mean that things aren't going to be sometimes harder, like they will be. But like, You got to be willing to do the stuff and make sure that you love what you're doing. Because that's another thing our ADHD, it's like, we don't really have that, that, you know, the luxury of doing work that we don't loveHannah Choi 31:22Right. Yes, yes. It's very hard to keep that going. Eric Tivers 31:27Right, right. I know for a little while, but youHannah Choi 31:31Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So much of that, that those those aspects that you named are part of figuring out, or you it's, you can find those when you have that opportunity to learn about yourself and ask those questions and discover the different aspects of you that yeah, they don't fit into this system of the world that is out there. And that, but then, like you said, That's okay. So let's figure out how we can just just embrace that and use it as a as a benefit and use it as a, you know, something that can take you to places that you might not go if you're more of a linear thinker, or if you are more of like a round peg in a round hole?Eric Tivers 32:19For sure, for sure. Yeah. Cuz it's, you know, managing life and you have ADHD requires coming up with 1001 Little strategies, like it really is. It's, and it's this idea of living a strategy based life. Right? It's like, when we were kids, okay, I'm struggling with that, right? What can I do? That didn't work? What else could I do? Alright, that worked for like two weeks, that's not working anymore. What else can I try? Right? It's, and if we can stay open to, you know, just being curious of what works, what's getting in the way, we'll get there. Maybe it's, I think one of the things that I think is helpful for us to remember with ADHD is that, you know, we want progress yesterday. You know, stick with it, like, you look back and serious of yours, and you'll see the growth. But if you're just like in the moment, like week to week, it can be really hard to see the growth. And if you're really doing the work, it can actually sometimes feel like you're doing worse, when you're actually doing better. And that's called a self awareness that is growing self awareness makes us feel like we're doing worse, even though we're not Hannah Choi 33:21Yeah, you know, something, how you mentioned this strategy based life. I remember when I told my colleague who is also the, the editor and producer of our podcast, Sean, who also has ADHD was diagnosed when he was 12. He said to me, I'm so surprised to hear that you have ADHD and I and he said, You have such good executive function skills. And that and I said, I think it's because I am exhausted from using strategies all the time. Like, all the time, I keep my shit together, for the most part, because I am constantly using strategies, which is, frankly, completely exhausting. And, and, and so often I find myself or have found myself saying, why can't I just do this without fill in the blank? And, and now I can say it's okay. At least you're doing it with that thing. You're not just like not doing it?Eric Tivers 34:21Yeah, and you know, and one of the things too, is is like, find me strategies, but then you got to adopt them are destined for to make them work for you. Yeah, you know, like, in our in our groups, we you know, we have a lot of these frameworks, but we really try to explain this as they think about everything we're sharing as sort of this is the sandbox for you, right? Like play with it and make it your own like you have this this worksheet for planning like you don't like the way that it's laid out, like, recreate it for yourself. So it like resonates with your brain, like break what we're doing. If we're telling you something that is different than what you do You want to do what's currently working? Ignore what we're telling you. Don't try to fix what's not broken. Yes, right.Hannah Choi 35:07Yes. Well, this has been so great talking to you. And, and thank you so much. You're actually the first person that I've told outside of my family, that I have ADHD but and it's not because of a shame place. It's just because I haven't. I haven't really said ADHD episode yet. And so I just kind of saving it for that. But it it's talking about community and, and, and hearing yourself in someone else's voice. I experienced the benefit of that today in our conversations. So I just like I said before, I'll say it again, I'm so glad that you're creating those spaces for people because I know that it's highly needed.Eric Tivers 35:54Well, congratulations. And it's it's it's super exciting. You know, it's it's just knowing that we have like, a hole that just opens up so many, like opportunities and things to explore that we can learn about when we have like, Oh, this is why we're, we're struggling, you know, yeah, great. Thanks. Because it really, you know, out of all out of all the disorders, really, I mean, it's, I think ADHD is one of the most manageable, but it could also be one of the biggest, you know, pains in the butt if you're not managing it, right, because it will remind you on a regular basis, you have ADHD, if you're not like paying attention to it. I tell people that we don't have the luxury to do left on autopilot. Like we will crash and burn. And if we think yeah, do like autopilot.Hannah Choi 36:40Yeah, I'm so glad there's that the stigma around being neurodivergent is really starting to break down and that more people are having these really important conversations. And I'm so glad that you have so many listeners, and I hope I start to have more listeners, because these conversations people need to hear them, they need to get that validation that it's okay to struggle. And there are there are options, there are questions that you can ask and answers that you can find.Eric Tivers 37:12You don't need to struggle alone, you know, yeah, yeah. Yeah.Hannah Choi 37:15So could you share your contact information and where people can find you, because I'm sure people are going to be really curious about learning more.Eric Tivers 37:24Yeah, best best place to reach me would be at my website, which is ADHDrewired.com. Since you are listening to this, you listen to podcasts. So you can also use whatever podcast app you're listening to and search for ADHD ReWired. And, you know, when we have our coaching groups, you know, our, I don't know, when this episode's gonna come out, but we we do them a couple times a year. In the end, they're intense, if you're looking for, like, if you're someone who does, well look almost like that boot camp style of like, Alright, I'm going to full immersion. Like, it's, you know, it's like a six to sometimes up to 10 hours a week, we do three sessions a week, you have a four person accountability team that you meet with twice a week where you do masterminds with, and then all the other stuff that we have available in our alumni community. So it's really designed to not just help you learn some skills, but to really, it's about, you know, the shame, resilience is about getting self awareness, and then, you know, having a safe space to practice learning skills.Hannah Choi 38:23I love that. And I have to put a plug in for your podcast. It's great. It's I love, I listened to a bunch of episodes and, and they're long, but the conversations are so interesting, and so relatable. And I love how many wide variety of topics you have. There's kind of something for everybody in there. Eric Tivers 38:43Well, thank you for doing the work that you're doing. This is wonderful. And thanks for letting me be on the other side of the mic. It's fun.Hannah Choi 38:49Yeah. Great. And I look forward to being on the other side of the mic with you as well, later on in the year.Eric Tivers 38:57Whenever that's on the calendar, whatever. Right now, so we have no idea when.Hannah Choi 39:03We have no idea. But it's happening. We know that yes, yes. Thank you so much. Yeah, thank you, Eric. Take care. You too. Hannah Choi 39:12And that is our show for today. I hope you enjoyed our conversation. And if you know anyone who might relate to any of it, please share this episode with them. I hope we get to see you at the ADHD Conference in Baltimore. If you go stop by our booth number 112 in the exhibit hall and say hi. Until then you can reach out to me at podcast@beyondbooksmart.com. Please subscribe to focus forward on Apple and Google podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts. If you listen on Apple podcasts or Spotify, you can give us a boost by giving us a five star rating will love you for it. Sign up for our newsletter at beyond booksmart.com/podcast and we'll let you know when new episodes drop and we will share information related to the topic. Thanks for listening

Join us this week as we talk about the difference between seeing our children as growing seeds with inherent complex, internal personalities and traits, or as lumps of clay that we can mold into what we want. We discuss how hard it is to relenquish our desire to push our kids towards what we think would be great for them and share times when we've failed as well as times when we have done a pretty good job. We'd love to hear your thoughts about this - we'd love to know how you nurture your little seedlings. Come join the conversation @eyresisters on Instagram. Show Notes:   Dr. Russell Barkley on Parent as Shepherds      Ross Green, The Explosive Child     "We don't see things as they are" Quote     Episode 25 where we talk about control with Tal  

As ADHDers we are often easily frustrated, quick to anger, impatient and show our emotions more easily that others. We are also more prone to emotional outbursts and  can have challenges with regulating our emotions. In this episode we will look at what is happening in our brain and this happens. Plus I'm sharing my 5 tips for managing our emotions.Here is the Dr Russell Barkley's video that I reference in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-QC4voqmRg For more support and to get coached by me visit: xenajones.com 

Show-notes Episode 43Title: The Learning Curve: Final Stage of Learning to Parent a Teen in CrisisAs we heal the parts of us that, even in the midst of chaos, need to grieve over the loss of the family we dreamed would be ours, we get better at parenting. We learn to be ok with holding the reins a little looser because holding them tight never seems to bring our child closer.  And through this beautiful process of losing and finding, we stumble upon our sweet spot.In today's episode, we discuss the 4th and final stage of learning.  At this stage, our skills are developing and becoming ingrained in us through repetition. They begin to line up with what feels right to us. Our actions and reactions, even if they don't always yield the results we hope for, are more incongruent with what's important to us, and it starts to feel more natural and effortless.Join us to learn more about…. Stage 4: Unconscious Competence. Parenting and Shepherding - what they have in common. The growth required of us. Links from today's show:Dr. Russell Barkley: 30 Essential Ideas Every Parent Needs to Know (Parents of ADHD Children)Skills of a Shepherd by Kim GoodingAdditional Resources:Pathways website: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/ (Subscribe for weekly encouragement) Local and national resources: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/resources/  Blog: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/blog-2/  FAQ: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/f-a-q/  ___________________________________________________________________________Parenting Teens Through The Hard from Unyielding is brought to you by Pathways to Hope Network. A non-profit organization that provides cost-free support and community to parents with youth facing criminal allegations. Learn more about Pathways on our website: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/  Discover the community and connect by following us on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pathwaystohopenetwork Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pathways_to_hope_network/For support, email: afrey.pathways@gmail.com

Making & keeping friends can be hard for ADHDers... Why is that? And what can we do about it?I'm sharing Ned Hallowell & Russell Barkley's research on ADHD friendships in adults. As well as my own examples & proven strategies for making & maintaining friendships when you have ADHD. Plus 4 important things to keep in mind when it comes to friendships. For more support & to explore coaching with me visit: xenajones.com

Develop a healthy habit and make it stick in just about one day!! Create other habits just by adding them on to your every day tasks!!  In this episode of The Chalene Show Podcast, Chalene Johnson, dives deep into the world of habits forming. Imagine forming habits even faster than the 21 or 66-day rule. We've got game-changing tactics for healthy habits, especially if you're dealing with ADHD, memory issues, or a busy life. Chalene will crack the code on habit stacking, where new habits piggyback on old ones – and it's easy! Drawing wisdom from "Tiny Habits" by BJ Fogg and "Atomic Habits" by James Clear, you are about to boost your habit game. Chalene discusses forming habits amidst challenges like ADHD, and explores how object permanence shapes habits and memories. She will share strategies to seamlessly integrate new habits into your routines, from teeth brushing to gadget charging. Visual cues are your allies. Jot down tasks and tiny habits, focusing on the positivity they bring. Choose three habits to start your journey alongside your existing routines. Let's rock habits and transform together!  Watch this episode on YouTube!   Related Links from this episode Check out Dr. Russell Barkley on YouTube Be sure to check out the Push Journals and Notebooks!! Go to PushJournal.com Check out the book Atomic Habits by James Clear Check out the book Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg   Join me on Patreon 7 Days for FREE!! THE ULTIMATE show for Lifers who want insider-girlfriend-relatable content. In other words, lots more tea! Go to http://chalene.com/more   Thank you to our Sponsor!!! Organifi!!! Go to Organifi.com/chalene  and Use the Code CHALENE for 20% off all products!   Thank you to our sponsor Talkspace!! Go to  Talkspace.com/chalene and get $80 off your first month.   To get the exclusive offer for my listeners go to magbreakthrough.com/chalene and enter code CHALENE to get 10% off any order plus a special gift We would love to hear from you! Leave your questions or messages for Chalene RIGHT HERE   To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to thechaleneshow@gmail.com and mention The Chalene Show   Join our awesome PodSquad on Facebook here!    Sign Up For MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER     Links You May Want to Check out: Subscribe to Subscribe to Build Your Tribe!!!  Check out Bret's Course Money Matters 101 at Chalene.com/moneymatters Be sure to check out the Push Journals and Notebooks!! Go to PushJournal.com Join Phase it Up and start creating healthier habits, it isn't like other diets or programs! PhaseItUp.com Join the InstaClubHub to go deep in learning all the latest tips and strategies to Instagram growth and engagement! InstaClubHub.com Check out all the Discounts and some of Chalene's favorite things at Chalene.com/Deals Send Chalene a text message at  (619) 500-4819   Connect with me on your fav social platform: Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ChaleneJohnson    Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Chalene    TikTok: @chaleneOfficial Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ChaleneJohnson   Be sure you are subscribed to this podcast to automatically receive your episodes!!!    Get episode show notes here: www.chalenejohnson.com/podcast    Hey! Send me a tweet & tell me what you think about the show! (Use the Hashtag) #The Chalene Show so I know you're a homie! XOXO Chalene

This week Robbie and Jordan discuss Dr. Russell Barkley's lecture "The Importance of Emotion in ADHD," advocating for including more emotional symptoms in the DSM diagnosis criteria. We unpack our own feelings about his work and springboard that into a fun discussion about Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Video version available through our ⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠. Production and music by Jordan Lane. Find HSIHADAD online: ⁠⁠⁠anchor.fm/holyshitihaveadhd⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/holyshitihaveadhd⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠HSIHADHD Facebook⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠@hsihadhd⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@holyshitihaveadhd⁠⁠⁠ Robbie: ⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/robertadinvan⁠⁠⁠ Jordan: ⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/thefresheye --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/holyshitihaveadhd/message

Hi! I've been in the hospital with pneumonia! But enjoy this banger of an encore about: Serotonin! Dopamine! Norepinephrine! Neurotransmitters: what's their deal? Dr. Crystal Dilworth, aka Dr. Brain, stops by to have a spirited discussion about how chemical messengers change our moods and behaviors. We chat about depression, anxiety, what chemicals drive us to get off the couch, how antidepressants work, ADHD, addiction, the microbiome, new habits, quitting smoking, starting meditation, Oreos vs. cocaine, SSRIs vs. SNRIs, what it's like to hold a human brain in your hands and if she would donate hers to science. Also: what's up with "lizard brains?"Visit Dr. Dilworth's websiteFollow Dr. Dilworth on Instagram & TwitterA donation went to The Geena Davis Institute: seejane.orgMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 1 with Dr. Russell Barkley, Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 2, LIFE ADVICE: For anyone who needs some hacks, Dolorology (PAIN), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Chronobiology (CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS) Encore + 2023 Updates, FIELD TRIP: An Airport Full of Neuroscientists, Oneirology (DREAMS), Thanatology - NEW Interview (DEATH, GRIEF & MOURNING), Neuropathology (CONCUSSIONS), Molecular Biology (PROTEINS + SCIENCE COMMUNICATION), Awesomeology (GRATITUDE FOR LITTLE THINGS), Oikology (DECLUTTERING), Philematology (KISSING), Traumatology (PTSD), Victimology (CRIME VICTIMS), Personality Psychology (PERSONALITIES), Somnology (SLEEP),  Fearology (FEAR) Pt. 1, Fearology (FEAR) Pt. 2, Sports & Performance Psychology (ANXIETY & CONFIDENCE)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris Transcripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Every single one of us has a body.People are complex and our bodies are no different.Some of us feel at home in our bodies, while others of us do not, and it's not always because of gender.Difficult emotions can play a significant role in this disconnect, as well as trauma and its impact on the body. And having a disability, disease, or other condition can further strain the connection with the body.But for many trans people, their transness is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what makes them and their bodies so different. Today we're diving into a crucial topic that affects the health and wellbeing of transgender individuals.It's no secret that members of the LGBTQ+ community face unique health challenges, though there's no definitive data or research correlating any of these issues with transness. They're simply conditions that we commonly see in the same patients.Which is why I wanted to talk to someone who has experience and expertise in treating patients with a lot of these co-occuring conditions that can make it harder for trans individuals to connect with their bodies.Today we're digging into the relationship of neurodivergence and transness and how it impacts the body and how holding a marginalized identity or identities literally shapes the body.Dr. Sam Zoranovich is a chiropractor who specializes in providing care to the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. Their own experiences with chronic pain, multiple surgeries, and feeling broken and betrayed by their body inform their practice and how they help people go from managing symptoms to thriving in their lives.Check out the full episode to hear about:How the siloing of traditional medical specialists impacts diagnosis, treatment, and healingWhy neurodivergence and how the brain processes stimulation can have such profound physical impactsThe overlap of neurodivergence, digestive issues, hypermobility disorders, skin complaints, and moreHow neurodivergence and trauma impact the body's fight or flight response and what happens when it gets stuckFind out more about Dr. Sam Zoranovich:Zoranovich ChiropracticTikTok: @doctorsamz Find out more about Mackenzie Dunham:Wildheartsociety.orgwildheartsociety.org/downloadsWild Heart Society on FacebookWild Heart Society on InstagramResources:TikTok: The overlap of queerness and neurodivergenceTikTok: Dr. Sam's Reply to MackDisjointed Navigating the Diagnosis and Management of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders30 Essential Ideas you should know about ADHD, Dr. Russell Barkley

This week's show is just me - Alexx Stuart, founder of Low Tox Life and host of the Low Tox Life podcast that you're listening to right now and I'm talking about ADHD and me - and you! I founded Low Tox Life back in 2009 because I wanted - for myself, family and friends a lifestyle where doing a little better than yesterday across food, body, home and mind - and of course care for our planet home and over the years it's meant I've produced this show, written two books, spoke at countless events, written 10 e-courses to support people in their low tox goals and over 200 gluten-free recipes and 100 blogs on reducing toxin impact in our every day. Sheesh. “How can you have ADHD having achieved all that?” is something I often get asked and today might give you a window into it. Giving someone the gift of sticking to their passions, zone of genius and strengths allows for results to happen - it doesn't happen often in the average workplace but when you work for yourself or a great boss you can! Today's show isn't all about the good bits though as there are many challenges, too. When I shared I'd had an ADHD diagnosis (combined-type) in January, naturally people in our low tox community had questions, and so in this show this week I share: Why I sought diagnosis / why I suspected itHow I felt about that and began to process itThe excellent aspects of what it revealedThe unfortunate and sad aspects of what it revealed as it played out in my life growing up and at work and in lifeHow much sweeter life is when you feel supported for who you areHow the world would benefit from recognising differences in people's brains and the ways they produce great work, contribute and express themselves. The aspects or traits that are ‘modifyable' vs fixed and how genetics plays a role as well as trauma, environmental toxins and head injury to name a few ‘cherries on top'What I'm doing to work with the challenges of ADHDThe answers to a bunch of community questions about ADHDAnd believe it or not - even more! It's 90 mins and I did. Not. stop. Talking. I bring you: ADHD. Hehe IYKYK. Here are some of the health professionals and resources I mentioned in the show: Some work and definitions that may help by various Drs who focus on the condition: Dr Russell Barkley: https://www.russellbarkley.org/factsheets/WhatCausesADHD2017.pdfDr James Greenblatt https://www.psychiatryredefined.org/finally-focused-mineral-imbalances-adhd-part-ii/Dr Daniel Amen https://www.amenclinics.com/conditions/adhd-add/The magnesium complex I take that I mentioned https://au.iherb.com/pr/dr-sinatra-magnesium-broad-spectrum-complex-120-capsules/101150And the rest is best to chat to a practitioner about therapeutic doses and what you specifically might benefit from. Difference between actions of medications https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w44BXLATt5wFollow me at @lowtoxlife on Instagram and share any more questions about the topic or an AHA. Here's to celebrating who we are, being celebrated for it, as well as supported for what we find challenging. Now wouldn't that be a lovely world indeed? Alexx x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark was excited to make editing this episode the FIFTH item checked off his list today! Why is that important?  Do your team members lack focus? Have great ideas but lack execution? In short, have you ever wondered if they have ADHD or ADD? Mike has figured out how to "externalize the motivation" and have "a physical embodiment of the completion of tasks." (News flash: We are not doctors. Consult medical professionals for actual diagnoses.)  Resources that inspired Mike:  This is how you treat ADHD based off science, Dr Russell Barkley part of 2012 Burnett Lecture Joe Rogan: Psychologist Describes the ADD Mind State Questions? Comments? Ideas for future episodes? Email Mike and Mark. 

Executive function is a hot topic around ADHD - and more specifically how we often have a deficit in it.One of the trickiest parts about executive function is that there isn't a universally accepted model of executive functions - I know that feels kind of surprising because it seems like something that is talked about as much as executive functions is that we'd have something that is generally agreed upon. So for this episode, we're going to be focusing on Russell Barkley's self-regulation model - although I'll certainly be pulling from other sources as well.I really like Dr. Barkley's model of self-regulation, because in many ways we can actually look at ADHD as a disorder of self-regulation itself. And that's exactly what Dr. Barkley proposes, that executive function and self-regulation are the same thing and that with ADHD we have a deficit in our executive functions and therefore a deficit in our self-regulation.As such, I'll be using executive function and self-regulation interchangeably throughout the episode to help emphasize that they are the same thing.In this episode, I'm going to go into exactly what executive function and self-regulation are, how we use them and how we can get back on track when we find ourselves missing some of that self-regulation.Support me on PatreonAsk me a question on my Contact PageFind the show note at HackingYourADHD.com/executivefunctionThis Episode's Top TipsWe can think of executive functions and self-regulation as the same thing.Our primary executive functions are working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control.We have a limited resource pool for our executive functions and we use some of it every time we engage in self-regulation. Fortunately, we can help restore some of these resources by doing things like taking a break, having a snack, and getting some exercise.One of the best ways to help with executive function is to modify our environment so that we're reducing the amount of self-regulation we need to do. This means doing things like putting away distractions and making time more visible.

You are smart and capable but still can't get yourself to get your house in order...what is happening? And what do we do about it? Join me as I talk about a powerful video by Dr. Russell Barkley linked below where he explains what is happening in our brains. Video LInk: https://youtu.be/_tpB-B8BXk0 Join Me in the Membership Group and Let's Take Action! https://joylovinghome.com/community

Are you parenting a child who has ADHD and you also have ADHD yourself? Maybe it's not ADHD specifically but your child is neurodivergent and you are as well? Join Ashley as she dives into the role of executive functioning in parenting and shares some of the challenges, real-life experiences, benefits and practical tips to navigate lagging executive functioning as you parent your neurodivergent child. Resources: Statistics: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html Taking Charge of ADHD by Dr. Russell Barkley: https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-ADHD-Fourth-Authoritative/dp/1462542670/ref=sr_1_1?crid=BHET6UXBP25N&keywords=taking+charge+of+adhd+by+russell+barkley&qid=1678866164&sprefix=taking+charge+of+ad%2Caps%2C406&sr=8-1 https://www.additudemag.com/mothers-with-adhd-raising-kids-with-adhd/ Video games and dopamine: https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-video-games-kids/ https://meetmonarch.com/health-resources/articles/add-adhd/parenting-a-child-with-adhd-when-you-have-adhd-yourself https://semicrunchymama.com/how-to-be-a-great-parent-with-adhd/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/enlighteningmotherhood/message

Angell is a wife, a mom of six, and is raising an ADHD warrior. She has a Bachelor's degree from BYU in Home and Family Living, is a certified Life Coach, and is a certified ADHD Parent Coach. She loves helping moms of ADHD warriors find peace in their home and connection with their kids. Whether you have a kid with ADHD or not, I think you'll find Angell's story relatable.  Here is the link to the YouTube video with Dr. Russell Barkley.

Got ADHD?  Are you drowning in a sea of strategies?  Why is that?  In this episode of Attention Talk Radio, ADHD coach Jeff Copper (https://digcoaching.com) is joined by Dr. Matthew Zakreski (www.theneurodiversitycollective.com). Jeff shares his perspective of ADHD and how to solve problems based on Dr. Russell Barkley's Executive Function Model.  Dr. Matt talks about how he helps those with ADHD to problem-solve.  They make the connection between Jeff's perspective and why what Dr. Matt does works.  Then, they focus on the dilemma of helping those with ADHD problem-solve based on process and how it gets converted to outcome-based problem-solving.  Understanding this little insight will explain why the problem is the way it is, thus highlighting how you cannot mass-customize things that are best done one-on-one by understanding the root cause of the challenges.  If you long to understand what works and why it is so difficult to find, this is a show you won't want to miss. Attention Talk Radio is the leading site for self-help Internet radio shows focusing on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder, including managing symptoms of ADHD in adults with ADD or adults who have children with ADHD. Attention Talk Radio, hosted by Jeff Copper, attention and ADHD coach, is designed to help adults (particularly those diagnosed with or impacted by attention deficit disorder or its symptoms) in life or business who are stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated to help them get unstuck and moving forward by opening their minds to pay attention to what works. To learn more about attention and ADHD coach Jeff Copper, go to www.digcoaching.com. 

Elizabeth and I chat about kids in the transition years .  Wait, they're all transition years...but some, of course, are more dramatic than others, and emerging teens and adults leave parents treading new waters.  1:39 - Navigating bedtime as kids get older 8:20 - Including them in the decision making 14:21 - Our role as parents 20:15 -  When your child becomes an adult Dr. Russell Barkley on parenting babies, toddlers, teens and beyond#makejoynormal #homeschooling #teenagers #parenting #attachment #formationTry Riversidefm, Our recording platform.  I use it because it's easy. I use it because good tech support matters.https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=bonnieBuzzsprout makes podcasting simple.  I value support in this ministry; the folks at buzzsprout respond quickly and cheerfully.https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1000177Contact On Instagram at @make.joy.normal On Facebook at Homeschoolers: make JOY normal By email at questionsmakejoynormal@gmail.com or by voicemail Thanks for listening to Make Joy Normal Podcast!

In This Episode, You Will Discover What it means to pause. Why pausing feels especially challenging for the ADHD brain. Why we want to strengthen this skill set. The areas in our life where practicing the pause can lead to big returns. Learn more about We're Busy Being Awesome here Links From The Podcast Get the top 10 tips to work with your ADHD brain (free ebook!) Discover my favorite ADHD resources here Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System here Get the Podcast Roadmap here Episodes Mentioned In The Podcast Episode 147 Four Stages of Awareness with ADHD Episode 139 What is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, Listen to Russell Barkley's ADHD expert webinar from 2021 Leave IBBA A Rating & Review! If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people. Go to Apple Podcasts Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews. Simply tap five stars; that's it! Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend!

Welcome to Episode 102 of the Being Human Podcast: ADHD and Me, w/ Teresa Violette This week, special guest Teresa Violette joins Dr. Greg on the show to discuss her journey with ADHD and in being diagnosed as an adult. Teresa vulnerably shares how ADHD has impacted her life as well as what has helped her, while also offering encouragement for those with similar struggles.     Discussed in this episode: How symptoms of ADHD impacted Teresa's early years and impacted her understanding of her identity;  Common characteristics of ADHD and how it impacts daily functioning;  Why ADHD is an inaccurate name for the disorder; The challenges of marriage and motherhood as compounded by ADHD; How fear, anxiety, and self-reliance can prevent us from accessing help; The significance of receiving a diagnosis and Teresa's experience in discerning whether to begin medication; Hallmarks of the disorder and steps to take to be assessed for ADHD;  Challenging the false narrative that “taking medication equals weakness”;  Mindfulness as a tool that can help to slow down one's reaction to triggering experiences;   Resources mentioned or relevant: Need help? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation call with our staff to discuss your situation and how we can support you! Learn about IDDM (Mentorship) and how it can help you; Visit MyCatholicDoctor or WellCatholic to easily search for a Catholic doctor near you;  Taking Charge of Adult ADHD: Proven Strategies to Succeed at Work, at Home, and in Relationships by Dr. Russell Barkley; Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created and to connect with Teresa; Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, the Catholic Mindfulness Virtual Retreat, courses, prayer resources, and more; Sign up for Being Human, our weekly newsletter, to stay up to date on exciting developments at CatholicPsych; Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available.   Learn more about our new Certification; Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com - we would love to hear from you!   Rate, review, and subscribe Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends. Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings. For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show! If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, you might be considering your treatment options. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that for children between the ages of 4 and 6, the first line of treatment should include parent training in behavior management and behavioral classroom interventions. Medication should be used if those interventions do not result in significant improvement or if the child continues to have serious problems. For children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 18, recommended treatment is FDA approved medications along with parent training in behavior management and classroom interventions. Medication works alongside behavior management. We get questions frequently about medication and they need to be answered by a pediatric expert. That's why I have asked Dr. Syed Naqvi to join the podcast for this conversation on medication as a treatment for ADHD. In this episode, you'll learn how medication can benefit a child with ADHD, but also the steps to take before it is ever considered.     Show Notes: [2:46] - Over the years, Dr. Wilson has received numerous questions about medication. [3:33] - Medication consultations are necessary to determine if it's appropriate. [4:26] - Not every case of ADHD needs medication as treatment. [5:50] - For medication to be used, ADHD must interfere with daily life. [7:01] - Be mindful that ADHD might not be the sole factor in disruptive behavior. [8:55] - Dr. Naqvi is adamant about using standard scales. [10:10] - Sometimes, Dr. Naqvi can be doing an ADHD assessment and notice other learning disabilities. [11:33] - Interventions will vary depending on the age of the child and there are a lot of factors that impact them. [13:14] - Interventions need to be revisited every 6-12 months. [15:29] - The root cause is the most important piece to find and that's challenging in a child as they are growing and changing. [17:23] - All medications have side effects and they need to be considered. If the risks outweigh the benefits, that is not the route to take. [18:49] - The benefits of medication will be different per child. [20:50] - Setting boundaries and rules to help manage behavior is necessary in addition to medication. [23:07] - Dr. Naqvi and Dr. Wilson discuss work by Russell Barkley. [24:01] - Interventions need to take place before medication is introduced. [25:19] - Some parents are disappointed when medication isn't immediately prescribed, but Dr. Naqvi shares that it is not a magic potion. [27:05] - Dr. Naqvi shares the differences between some common medications prescribed for ADHD. [30:16] - FDA guidelines must be considered. [31:36] - Dr. Naqvi educates parents on other types of supplements that could benefit children with ADHD before resorting to medication. [33:12] - Let children have their joy but be aware of things like treats and how they impact their behavior. [35:26] - Be aware of myths that surround ADHD and ADHD medication. [36:43] - Genetics also plays a role in side effects. [37:53] - ADHD is a genetic disorder, which may impact the parent in remembering to give the child medication appropriately. [40:39] - If you have questions for Dr. Naqvi, email is the best way to reach him.   About Our Guest: Syed Naqvi MD is Board certified and recertified, in both adult and child & Adolescent psychiatry. He provides state-of-the-art psychopharmacological treatment to children with autism, intellectual disabilities with psychiatric issues, Autism Spectrum Disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Tourette's disorder. He has been the recipient of numerous awards. Dr. Naqvi is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry in UCLA. He also devotes his professional time as Director of Psychiatric services at Wayfinder family services in Los Angeles and in his private practice in Beverly Hills and Calabasas.     Connect with Dr. Naqvi: Email: naqvihealer@gmail.com   Links and Related Resources: Episode 34: Key Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD with Dr. Russell A. Barkley What Causes ADHD? The Intersection of Executive Function, ADHD, and Other Learning Differences Executive Functioning and Self Regulation in ADHD Mindfulness in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder   Join our email list so that you can receive information about upcoming webinars - ChildNEXUS.com The Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Additionally, the views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are not considered treatment and do not necessarily reflect those of ChildNEXUS, Inc or the host, Dr. Karen Wilson.

Okay, so you did a bunch of learning and self-reflecting and you suspect you might have ADHD. Now what?    The process of getting an ADHD diagnosis can, ironically, be super inaccessible for the ADHD brain, so I wanted to do an episode on how to seek out a diagnosis for those of you who don't know where to start.    Whether you're afraid that you won't be believed by your provider, that you'll be accused of drug-seeking, or that you won't be able to remember anything you wanted to say in the moment, I've created a checklist of adult ADHD symptoms based on the DSM-5 and Russell Barkley's Adult Scale that will help you discuss your experiences with confidence.    I'm not a doctor, but I know how your brain works because I share it, and my aim with this episode is to give you the framework and the courage to fight for the medical support you deserve. Resources https://www.tracyotsuka.com/checklist/ https://www.tracyotsuka.com/booklist/ https://www.spyhappy.me/adhdprofslist https://add.org/professional-directory/ https://chadd.org/professional-directory/ https://directory.additudemag.com/ https://www.additudemag.com/top-adhd-clinics/ https://addca.com/adhd-coach-training/ADHD-Coaches/

Stephanie Carbonneau loves to learn and that's evident in her eclectic approach to teaching. As the school year gets started, she's been thinking about how she can rely on her strengths so she can focus on learning and growing her teaching. She states, "There is no mold for a perfect teacher. Imposter Syndrome is REAL. Teacher should do more of what they are good at and less of what they are not." So she keeps her trusty teacher tool box handy as she tries out new things and adapts them for herself and her students. Stephanie also talks about her goal for this year: taking time off of presenting in order to focus on learning. As a result, she is growing as a teacher and accepting only those activities that are authentically her. Bio: Stephanie Carbonneau, a middle school French teacher from Maine, has a Masters degree in Teaching Languages. She is known for her “Glow and Grow” approach to language learning in a mostly deskless environment that focuses on interactive communicative lessons, using authentic resources with CI strategies. Stephanie is co-creator of a Manie Musicale, now serving 3,000 schools both in the states and internationally. Visit the Language Lounge on Twitter - https://twitter.com/langloungepod Connect with Michelle - https://twitter.com/michelleolah Have a comment or question? Leave a voicemail at (207) 888-9819 or email podcast@waysidepublishing.com Produced by Wayside Publishing - https://waysidepublishing.com Watch this episode on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/wayside Show Notes Books: The Teacher's Handbook Judith Shrum and Eileen W. Glisan The Minimalist Teacher - by Tamera Musiowksy-Borneman & C.Y. Arnold Managing ADHD in School: The Best Evidence -Based Methods for Teachers by Russell Barkley, PhD Super 7 and the Sweet 16 https://comprehensibleclassroom.com/2014/05/08/super7sweet16/ Enacting the Work of Language Instruction: High Level Teaching Practices by Eileen Glisan and Richard Donato Rebecca Blouwolff - Blog post 12/29/2015 TALK Rubric https://mmeblouwolff.weebly.com/revolutionized-teaching/interpersonal-boot-camp-using-the-talk-rubric The Keys to Planning for Learning: Effective Curriculum, Unit, and Lesson Design by Donna Clementi Culturally Responsive Teaching - By Geneva Gay Upgrade Your teaching Understanding Neurodiversity by Jay McThighe and Judy Willis,M.D. Differentiation in Your Brain : Learning from Neuroscience to Teach More Effectively by Carol Ann Tomlinson & David A. Sousa Mentions: Rebecca Vallette Thomas Sauer - Tell Project Ashley Uyaguari - deskless classroom #Langbook on Twitter discussing Common Ground by Florencia Henshaw and Maris Hawkins Julie Speno (language Lounge episode 24, April 13, 2022) recommended Managing ADHD in School: The Best Evidence -Based Methods for Teachers Rebecca Blouwolff Paul Sandrock Twitter handle @mmeCarbonneau

People often think of procrastination as a time management problem, but studies show that it's actually about something much different - avoiding uncomfortable emotions. In 2013, procrastination researchers found that people procrastinate to regulate their emotions in the short term and let their “future selves” deal with the consequences, somehow believing that their future selves will be able to handle it better. Despite the fact that putting things off may protect us from discomfort temporarily, it's rarely the best idea to pass unfinished things on to the future versions of ourselves. The potential consequences are endless and it can become a habit that holds us back form reaching our potential. That's why in this week's episode, I'm going to share a few pieces of critical information about procrastination and explore some coach-approved strategies that will hopefully help you combat this common issue. Throughout the episode, I also talk to a number of people in my life about their procrastination habits to help provide first person context to our exploration. I'm sure you'll be able to relate to many of their experiences with procrastination! This is also the last episode in our first season of Focus Forward. We will return on October 5th and bring you more relevant topics, fascinating guests, and useful support for you as you work to develop your Executive Function skills. If I've learned anything over the course of the last 11 episodes of this podcast, it is to embrace my fear of failure. One of my favorite quotes ever is from psychologist Susan David. She says, “discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life”. Hopefully, you can find power in this quote to do the things you want to do - regardless of how scary it might be. Thanks for supporting the show and please feel free to email me at hchoi@beyondbooksmart.com if you have any suggestions for future episodes! Here are some relevant resources related to this episode:Why We ProcrastinateSirois, F. and Pychyl, T. (2013) Procrastination and the Priority of Short-Term Mood Regulation: Consequences for Future SelfWhy People with ADHD Procrastinate - YouTube Video with Tracey MarksInside the mind of a master procrastinator - a TED Talk with Tim UrbanThis is the real reason you procrastinate — and how to break the habit - Read about and find the link to Adam Grant's WorkLife podcast episode on procrastination.Tips and TricksPeg Dawson's Task Initiation Obstacles WorksheetsFor StudentsFor AdultsSteps, Time, Mapping (STM) Project Planning Worksheet A template to use for inspiration when creating your own STM.Do You Shine Under Pressure? How to Manufacture a Sense of Urgency Tips from ADDitude on how to create fake urgency.The Power of Imperfect Starts James Clear's article on getting started and figuring out what is necessary vs. what is optimal.BooksIt's About Time: The Six Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them by Dr. Linda SapadinAtomic Habits by James ClearEat that Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian TracyList of Books by Russell BarkleyContact us!Reach out to us at podcast@beyondbooksmart.comIG/FB/TikTok @beyondbooksmartcoachingMusic credits: Aso - Sunsetsleavv - VoyageAmbient Guitar - WestlakePurpose - Jonny EastonGateKeeper - The Piano SaysInto the Light - Chill Acoustic GuitarAcoustic Folk Instrumental - HydeTranscriptHannah Choi 00:00Do you procrastinate? Procrastination Consultant 1 00:01Sometimes. Hannah Choi 00:02Do you know why you procrastinate? Procrastination Consultant 1 00:04I think I procrastinate because I just don't want to do it. And I know it's, I think it's gonna be hard. Hannah Choi 00:09And what do you do to get yourself going? Procrastination Consultant 1 00:12I pair it with something that I like doing. Like, I don't like eating spinach. So I always eat or the rice so I can't taste it. Hannah Choi 00:22Hi everyone, and welcome to Focus Forward, an executive function Podcast where we explore the challenges and celebrate the wins you'll experience as you change your life through working on improving your executive function skills. I'm your host, Hannah Choi. And as you just heard, I am tackling the idea of procrastination in today's episode. That cutie patootie I was just talking with is my 10 year old son, and he is one of the procrastination consultants I interviewed for this episode. Throughout it, you'll hear clips of people in my life who procrastinate and if you stick around until the end, you'll hear from the one person of everyone I asked who does not procrastinate ever? I know! I was surprised to. Hannah Choi 01:06I was talking with my sister Julia about writing this episode. And we both agreed that there are definitely opportunities within an episode on procrastination. I make a lot of jokes about putting stuff off. You know, I could joke about procrastinating about writing this episode. Well, turns out it's no joke, I have actually found getting going on writing this episode harder than most anything else I've written. And when I thought about why this was because you know me, I love a little bit of reflection, I realized it's because I really, really want to get it right. And I have to admit that I'm afraid I won't. I mean, you're all gonna be listening to me chatter on about procrastination. And there are just so many aspects to it. And I definitely can't cover them all in one episode. And there are so many other amazing resources out there already created by all these amazing people. So how can I make sure that I'm creating and contributing something new? It's a lot. Oh, by the way, I've included some of these amazing resources in the show notes. So maybe you can procrastinate from doing your work by checking them out after you're done listening to me. Anyway, my point is that I continually put off working on the episode because of a fear of not getting it right, not getting it perfect. And fear doesn't feel good. So it makes sense that I would avoid a situation that might cause that right. People often think of procrastination as a time management problem. But studies show that it actually often comes down to doing what I did, avoiding uncomfortable emotions. In 2013. And academic study done by some procrastination, researchers found that people procrastinate to regulate their emotions in the short term, and then let their future selves deal with the consequences. Somehow believing that these future selves will be able to handle it better. I can for sure relate to this and definitely have said, "That's a problem for Future Hannah". While it's a funny thing to say, and humor eases the decision to procrastinate a little, it's not always the best idea to pass unfinished things on to the future versions of ourselves. And today, I'm going to share some ideas about procrastination and some strategies that you will hopefully find useful. Hannah Choi 03:28But first, let's take a quick look at the brain science behind why we avoid things. Procrastination is essentially a result of challenges with task initiation, which is the executive function skill that helps us start doing the things we need to do to get through our day. There are other EF skills that come into play here as well, such as self regulation, the ability to manage our emotions, and metacognition, which helps us understand why we do what we do or don't do in this case. As you may know, these EF skills are managed by the prefrontal cortex, which is located in the front part of our brains, tap on your forehead. It's right in there. Alright, so that's great. If we've got these prefrontal cortexes that are supposed to be helping us, why is it still so hard to get started? And this is where the helpful but sometimes ill-timed limbic system comes into the picture and starts causing havoc. One of the main things the limbic system is responsible for is helping us react quickly to situations that are dangerous or cause discomfort. And this is a good thing when you have just grabbed a hot cast iron frying pan handle. (I did this the other day!) but not so helpful when you're just trying to get your math homework started. The limbic system says, "Alert alert! Get out of here because this does not feel good". So let's check in with my procrastination consultants on this topic and see what they have to say about it.Procrastination Consultant 2 04:58Um, I procrastinate because As I mean, after I've had a long day at school, I have lots of homework and outside responsibilities from other things I'm a part of, and I just kind of want a break. And so I want to move my brain on to other things and not think about all that stuff because it makes me anxious, stressed out.Procrastination Consultant 3 05:15Often if what I need to do involves calling somebody on the telephone, or talking to somebody, I'm not always comfortable in those situations. So I'll often put off doing that.Procrastination Consultant 4 05:30I think I tend to procrastinate when I'm hungry or tired. Because when I do activities, when I'm hungry or tired, I'm often very hard on myself. So then I don't I don't enjoy the activity. Hannah Choi 05:44Okay, you can hear them say that they avoid things that cause discomfort. This is their limbic system talking. When they finally do get going. It's because their prefrontal cortex is finally stepping in and taking over the situation. The limbic system has been around since birth, and our prefrontal cortex develops last. So it kind of makes sense that our limbic systems get first dibs on our reaction to stuff we need to do. The brain chemical or neurotransmitter dopamine also plays a big part in motivation, and it can explain why we don't want to do things that are boring. It also explains why people with ADHD often have major struggles with task initiation. When we do something pleasurable, dopamine is released and makes us want to do the thing again. So if we put hard work and effort into something, and I'm not saying that this hard work and effort is always pleasurable, but what is pleasurable is that we received praise or good grades or some other reward, and then dopamine is produced. This dopamine makes us want to put the effort in again, because the reward feels good. For people with ADHD, less dopamine makes it to the regions of the brain involved with motivation, so they do not feel that motivating pleasurable feeling as much as people without ADHD. Something else interesting that I learned from reading Russell Barkley, a renowned ADHD expert, who's written a ton of books on the topic is that people with ADHD have a difficult time seeing time other than right now. So why not put off the sucky stuff and do something that gives you a nice boost of dopamine instead? If this is resonating with you, regardless of your ADHD status, you are not alone. My procrastination consultants shared that boredom was often a reason for putting off tasks. Hannah Choi 07:36Do you procrastinate?Procrastination Consultant 5 07:37100%? Absolutely. All the time!Hannah Choi 07:40Do you know why? Procrastination Consultant 5 07:43So for me, if it's not fun and creative, it's pretty much gets put on the backburner every single time. I just get bored of it. And I don't want to do it. So I won't do it.Hannah Choi 07:53Do you know why you procrastinate? Procrastination Consultant 6 07:55Because I don't want to do it because it's boring.Procrastination Consultant 7 07:59And generally speaking, the task itself is usually not anything incredibly difficult. But for whatever reason, it's perceived by myself as something that's dreaded. Either it's boring, or I'm not willing to devote the time to sit down and actually started.Procrastination Consultant 8 08:26Like, I always put bills at the top of my list. But do bills always get done. No, they never get done. Hannah Choi 08:33Why not? Procrastination Consultant 8 08:33 I because I procrastinate because I hate it.Hannah Choi 08:36Okay, thanks for sticking with a while, explored the brain a bit. So what can we do about this? How can we battle our brains? How can we overcome that boredom? These brands of ours learn these reactions over years and years from childhood really. So it makes sense that we would react the same over time and find it difficult to change? Is there any way we can ease those uncomfortable emotions and then hack these tasks, so they're not quite so awful, and stop leaving so much undone for those future versions of ourselves. Hannah Choi 09:08So the other day, I counted, and there are about 5 million approaches to help with task initiation. And while I would love to share all of those 5 million ideas with you, I wouldn't have any time left to spend watching my Korean dramas instead of doing the things on my own to do list. And it would also leave you no time to do the things that you like to do instead of what you're supposed to be doing. So I've narrowed my list down from 5 million to five. I'd love to hear from you. So if you've got a strategy or approach that works well for you that I don't mention in this episode, shoot me an email and I'll try to share them in a future episode, which I'm sure I'll procrastinate about, and you'll have to wait until 2024 to listen to it. Hannah Choi 09:52Okay. Anyway, so onto my five strategies to make task initiation a little easier and a little less painful. I'll also explain some of the EF skills that you might use for each strategy. First up, make a plan. Practicing the EF skill of planning and prioritizing is always helpful. And for some, it can really make a difference when it comes to getting started. Something we coaches hear often is that the reason our clients don't start something is because it feels so big, sometimes overwhelmingly huge, and they just don't know where to start. I bet you've probably felt that way about something before I know I should have. I really felt this writing this episode. Anyway, the simple act of breaking tasks down into steps is often the nudge that's needed just to get going. And it can also help you find a good place to start. But how do you do this in an organized and effective way. One of my favorite tools that I share with every client I've ever worked with, is called STM or steps time mapping. And I'd be willing to wager that this tool is a favorite in every EF coaches toolbox. You can find a link to a visual for this tool in the show notes. But for now, I'll just describe it to you. To create an STM you write down all the steps involved in your project. And you can get as granular as you'd like here. And then make some guesses about how much time you'll need for each. And then map it out when and maybe even where you'll do the things. Be sure to build in breaks, and maybe even some buffer time at the end, just in case something comes up and you're not able to work on the thing when you thought you'd be able to because I promise you that will happen. It can help to work backwards from the due date to figure out how much buffer time you can actually give yourself and try to be honest with yourself and realistic about how much you're likely to get done in a day. I always ask myself and my clients is this a reasonable amount of work you're asking yourself to do at this time. Hannah Choi 11:54And this idea leads right into my second tip for making it easier to get going. Using the EF skill of metacognition and checking in with yourself to either see how you're feeling or to figure out what barriers are keeping you from getting started can be really helpful. Take some time to figure out what time of day you're most likely to be successful in completing these tasks. In addition to the question about whether it's a reasonable amount of work, I also like to ask when are you most likely to be successful doing this thing. And it may be that you do your best work at unconventional hours so be open to considering working when most others aren't. You might be like my dear friend Bonnie, who finds two in the morning a prime time for getting work done. A tool that can be used to check in with ourselves before starting to work on something we don't want to work on is the halt strategy. And halt was originally developed to help addicts predict when they might relapse at beyond booksmart. We teach this tool to our clients to help them assess how they're doing before starting something. Okay, so H stands for hungry. A is for angry or anxious. L stands for lonely and T for tired. If you're feeling any of these things, taking care of them before getting started might help. And speaking of a for anxious, feeling anxious about doing nothing can really get in the way of getting started. If you're experiencing a lot of anxiety, it might be helpful to get some support from a therapist. If you're not sure where to start, reach out to your doctor and they can provide some guidance. It can also be helpful to do some reflection and ask why you're procrastinating at this particular moment. What is stopping you? Peg Dawson, the author of Smart but Scattered and a guest on a previous episode of this podcast has an excellent activity that might help you figure out why you're procrastinating and come up with a plan to get past that stuck feeling. Her tool is linked in the show notes. So please check it out. Hannah Choi 13:58Okay, so next up is to be sure to create a good environment, it's worthwhile to take some time to consider steps that you can take to set yourself up for success. The EF skills of self regulation, flexible thinking and organization come into play here. So you could pair the thing that you don't want to do with something that you do like to do. You could fold that dreaded laundry while watching a show. You might want to consider choosing a show you've seen before or when that you won't get sucked into. You could listen to music or an audio book while you mow the lawn or try out a new podcast on your morning run.Hannah Choi 14:35You can work with a buddy this strategy is called body doubling. Make sure it's someone who won't distract you from your work or give you a hard time if you're struggling to stay focused. A college client of mine has identified two friends of hers with whom she can study and they're motivated to study which helps her get into it. You can make sure you have a special snack that comforts you or one that you can just use as a reward. Maybe every time you finish A paragraph or even just a sentence on that paper you've been struggling with, you get to eat some m&ms. It can also help to take some time to set up a good workspace. Make sure you've got the supplies you need and good lighting. Wearing noise cancelling headphones can help if you're in a noisy area, or you have to share a workspace and maybe try putting up a Do Not Disturb sign. This can let others know that you're trying to get stuff done. For some people changing up your location can help. So maybe try working at the public library or at a friend's house, or even just out on your back deck. Hannah Choi 15:32Okay, next up, start small and stay small! The tool I mentioned before that STM that's a great example of starting small, the first step of using that tool is to break your big task down into small tasks. Time management, planning and prioritizing are the EF skills that come up most of this strategy. If I'm having trouble getting started on something I'm writing like this episode, for example, I always make an outline. And my outline doesn't even start off looking like an actual outline, I just do a messy brain dump. And I type some words that come to me on the page. And actually, you don't even have to type. You can use voice recognition software. If you're working in Google Docs, turn on the Google Voice type in the Tools menu. And you can just dump the contents of your brain right onto the paper without even lifting a finger. You can also use a speech to text app right on your phone. Another great strategy that many Beyond BookSmart coaches share with their clients is the beloved Five-Minute Goals. This is such a great strategy because it both gets you to do the thing, but it also gives you an out. You only have to do the thing for five minutes or even two minutes if five feels like too long. Okay, so you set a timer and do the thing when the timer goes off, I'm willing to bet you that you'll experience what my daughter shared. Procrastination Consultant 4 16:57Well, sometimes I like to say just do it for a minute, because then eventually I'll forget about it and just keep going. Hannah Choi 17:06Okay, if I'm wrong, and you can't relate to what she said, and you find yourself praising the timer gods and being glad that the five minutes is over, maybe it's not a great time for you to do the thing anyway. We know that starting small is essential and so is continuing this approach while you work. Continually breaking things down into small chunks is a great way to help yourself get through the things you don't want to do. Don't expect your effort to be effective for hours without a break. And if you discover a new task within the larger thing that you're doing, be sure to break that down toHannah Choi 17:43Okay, My fifth tip goes back to what I was talking about earlier, how I was struggling to get started on this podcast because I wasn't sure if I could do it the right way. So my advice is to try to be okay with imperfection, which to some of you is gonna sound impossible. I know. I totally get it. This is personally what often gets in the way of me getting started. self regulation and flexible thinking are two of the EF skills that can help one of my favorite books about procrastination. It's about time by Linda Sapadin. In it Dr. Sapadin writes about how perfectionist procrastinators are aiming for you guessed it perfection. And since they know that the risk of failing to reach perfection is extremely high, they may put the thing off entirely to avoid failure, or wait until last minute so they can blame what they see as an imperfect product on something else other than themselves. If this resonates with you, you might try working on striving for excellence instead of perfection. High performing successful athletes are coached for this and it works. So go for really great not perfect. Hannah Choi 18:56Dr. Sapadin suggests changing your language, instead of saying "I should do this thing". Try saying "I could do this thing". This shifts your thinking from seeing the thing that you have to do as a burden to seeing it from a viewpoint of realism and choice. I feel like you could use this change in language as an opportunity to throw in some of the other strategies here too. "I should write this episode on procrastination" becomes "I could write this episode on procrastination sitting on the back deck rewarding myself with five m&ms after I finished a sentence". Excuse me while I go raid my kids' Halloween candy. Hannah Choi 19:36I think a lot of perfectionist procrastinators would likely benefit from some reflection on their relationship with failure. Like I said in the episode on failure, when scientists do experiments to create or test something they don't look for perfection right away. If they did, nothing would ever get invented. Right? One of my favorites, James Clear who is the author of Atomic Habits wrote a great article on his blog about this idea, you can find the link to the article in the show notes. And in it, he encourages us to be honest with ourselves and figure out what is needed versus what is optimal. Yeah, of course, we'd love to be able to dive into something with everything all perfect. So we can have this perfect outcome, but it's just not realistic. And it's also not as interesting, we learn a heck of a lot more about the thing that we're tackling and about ourselves. And we actually allow ourselves to create without fear of imperfection, the results of this are actually just beautifully messy iterations of the thing we're working towards, they're stepping stones towards something we can be happy with. And creating space for these iterations can't happen if we leave things to the last minute, right. Many of my procrastination consultants said they rely on urgency. Procrastination Consultant 2 20:55Most of the time, it's deadlines. And like a sense of urgency that makes me makes me want to do it.Procrastination Consultant 5 21:02Deadlines. Usually, that's what motivates me, I just have no more time left to put it off. And then I have to do it. And I also just like to work under pressure. It just gives me that adrenaline to get it done.Procrastination Consultant 3 21:15What I do to get going, is either come up against a deadline where I have no choice, and I simply have to do it. No excuses.Procrastination Consultant 9 21:25I think it's because I'm motivated by deadlines and I only will start to start a project or something. If I'm moving close that deadline, and I get anxiety inducing effects of that. And that motivates me to then start.Procrastination Consultant 10 21:40I think deadlines approaching faster, like I will absolutely do it. When it's like okay, I can do this, and it's due in 10 minutes, or I need to do this by tomorrow, then I'll finally, that's what forces me honestly, nothing else will get me to do it. Unless the deadline is like, right there. Hannah Choi 21:58I'm guessing that many of you listening are nodding your head saying Yep, that's me. You may like working this way. And if you do, you'll hear no judgement from me. I do encourage you to keep listening though there may be a way to break free from the urgency reliance. Hannah Choi 22:13Okay, let's jump back into our brains for a sec. Remember that limbic system from the beginning of this episode? Well, the amygdala is part of the limbic system, and it's responsible for the flight or fight response you've likely heard of, and probably experienced, well, waiting till the last minute and relying on urgency to get stuff done is stressful, whether we realize it or not. And it causes our brains to be hijacked by the amygdala. And during an amygdala hijack, our bodies release stress hormones, which are not great. So out of concern for your beautiful brains and your healthy bodies, I challenge those of you who use urgency as a motivator to experiment with not relying on urgency with not waiting for that adrenaline to kick in and force you to get the work done. I totally get that this may seem utterly impossible to you. Or you might not even be interested in trying, but at least hear me out. If you feel like you must absolutely rely on urgency, you might try building in fake urgency. Of course, this requires you to basically trick yourself into thinking the thing needs to be done earlier than it truly does, which I admit sounds pretty difficult. But try just try starting something just like a tiny bit earlier than you normally would use some of the strategies I just explored, especially the ones where you work to break the large tasks down into smaller tasks. These mini deadlines can help. And this is also why building in that buffer time I mentioned earlier in the episode is so helpful. With buffer time, we can adjust how small our steps are. Some days you're going to be feeling ultra-productive and others will just be a slog. giving ourselves the space to keep things small can really help on those days. But leaving it to the last minute doesn't allow for that and then we have to push through regardless of how we feel. This strategy is what works well for me. If I leave things to the last minute my anxiety takes over and makes it so I can't even do a task at all. One of my consultants shared that she experiences this too. Procrastination Consultant 10 24:25Packing and stuff? I knew I needed to start packing I didn't procrastinate because I'm like, oh, that's gonna stress me out if I wait too late. I don't know I'd like selective procrastination. Hannah Choi 24:34If you aren't able to break free from urgency and start even just a tiny bit earlier, use your metacognition to notice how you feel and notice the quality of your work. I'm willing to wager a good amount of m&ms that you'll have a better experience feel better about your work and in turn feel better about yourself. Hannah Choi 24:57This is the last episode of our first You send a focus forward, and we will return on October 5, and will bring you more interesting topics, fascinating guests and support for you as you work to develop your executive function skills. If I have learned anything over the course of the last 11 episodes of this podcast it is to embrace my fear of failure. It has taken a lot of work and it will continue to take a lot of work. One of my favorite quotes ever is from psychologist Susan David. And Susan says "Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life". And this podcast has added more meaning to my life than I ever imagined and it was one of the hardest and most uncomfortable things I've ever done. I have to admit that this episode in particular was originally scheduled for much earlier in this podcast season. But in an ironic twist due to scheduling changes, and my own perfectionist procrastination tendencies, it ended up being the perfect topic for the last episode of the season. I know my lesson here is to not go for perfection, but sometimes you end up with it when you just try for excellence.Hannah Choi 26:13I can't even begin to thank you, our listeners enough for all the support you've given me and my podcast team over the past 11 episodes. I want to personally thank Sean Potts, Justice Abbott, Mimi Fernandez and Jackie Hebert for all of their help from the beginning. And special thanks to Annabel Furber, Barbara Garvin-Kester, Denise McMahon, John Frank and Michael Delman for their help on this episode. And a very, very special shout out for my procrastination consultants who also happen to be very special people in my life: Graham, Eliza, Bonnie, Isabelle, Nikolai, Justice, Maura, Julia, Aidan, Lynette, and William. And as always, thank you for being here and taking time out of your day to listen. If you are enjoying learning about these important topics we've covered in each episode of Focus Forward, please share it with the special people in your life. And be sure to check out the show notes for this episode. And if you haven't yet, subscribe to the podcast at beyond booksmart.com/podcast. We'll let you know when the first episode of the new season drops and we'll share topics and information related to the episode. Thanks for listening. Oh, and I didn't forget - here's Maura sharing her experience with procrastination, or should I say not procrastinating? Hannah Choi 27:34Do you procrastinate?Procrastination Consultant 11 27:35Never, never. No, no, no, I'm like the kind of person. If I have something to do, I have to do. Why, why I do tomorrow if I can do now or today?

In today's episode, we are revisiting an episode about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with the incredible Dr. Russell Barkley. He has officially retired this year after a career in making significant contributions to understanding ADHD. I was honored to have him on the Diverse Thinking Different Learning Podcast last year as an internationally recognized authority in ADHD and I know that this discussion is a great resource for parents, families, educators, and clinicians working with the child with ADHD. Dr. Barkley is a clinical psychologist and a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. He is also an author of numerous books particularly on the subject of ADHD and today we discuss his most recent book The 12 Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD, which I highly recommend.  In addition to sharing his vast amount of knowledge, Dr. Barkley also shares how ADHD has affected his own family that has helped lead to his passion for understanding it and guiding others. He has been incredibly supportive of ChildNEXUS and was gracious enough to allow me to republish his ADHD fact sheets on our website. So listen on to learn the science behind ADHD and several of the key principles for raising a child with the disorder.    Show Notes: [3:16] - The fourth edition of Dr. Barkley's best selling book Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents became available in 2020. There is also a companion guide called The 12 Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD. [3:56] - Dr. Barkley explains that a superficial definition of ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disability in the emergence of two mental functions that we all possess: the capacity to pay attention and the ability to inhibit excessive action. [6:41] - When you look at ADHD beyond the superficial level, you can see how debilitating it can be. [7:22] - Dr. Barkley explains the inhibition dimension of ADHD and how it appears in children with ADHD. [9:37] - The hyperactivity we see not only affects movement, but also manifests as excessive talking and interrupting. [10:06] - Another type of impulsivity that most people don't talk about is motivational impulsivity. [11:04] - Those with ADHD don't value delayed gratification and consequences which can lead to problems with some types of intervention. [13:00] - The emotional impulsivity in ADHD is different from mood disorders because the emotions are rational, just not controlled. [14:20] - Many times, these impulsivities are missed especially when manifested in preschoolers with ADHD.  [15:19] - Dr. Barkley describes how ADHD impacts a child's executive functioning development from preschool onward.  [16:46] - Across development, ADHD is first and foremost a self-regulation problem. Relative to your age, one is not able to do what their peers can. [19:04] - What is normal age-appropriate behavior and what is cause for concern? ADHD begins where impairment begins. [20:11] - The dimensionality is something that can cause a lot of confusion and misconceptions. [22:20] - Raising a child with ADHD has been found through research to be as stressful and as challenging as raising a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. [23:32] - In the 1970s when Dr. Barkley entered the field, it was believed that ADHD came from bad parenting. [25:14] - Dr. Barkley emphasizes the importance of finding strengths and aptitudes of a child with ADHD even if they are “outside the box.” [27:12] - There are a lot of pathways to success and it's not all about making money. It is about finding something that is meaningful to you and following it. Those with ADHD can do that in spite of their difficulties. [28:45] - The next step is to find opportunities in the community that help the child with ADHD with their aptitude. Develop the non-traditional aptitude and be in their corner all the time. [30:04] - Focusing solely on excellence in school will not lead to success for children with ADHD. [31:51] - Dr. Barkley discusses the importance of true acceptance and throwing your ideas of “good parenting” out the window. [32:55] - Focusing on what is developmentally critical over the trivial can improve your relationship with your child. [35:33] - Because of a strong relationship, when consequences become inevitable, you won't be driving your child away. [37:23] - Dr. Barkley's book comes highly recommended for parents with practical strategies for raising a child with ADHD. [38:21] - Why did Dr. Barkley write The 12 Principles of Raising a Child with ADHD? [40:07] - The book is a great next step for parents after a diagnosis.  [41:09] - Dr. Barkley shares the personal impact ADHD has had on him, including the death of his twin brother. [43:07] - Time blindness is something people with ADHD really suffer with and can be very demoralizing and devastating if not understood.   About Our Guest: Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized authority on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adults who has dedicated his career to widely disseminating science-based information about ADHD.  He is currently a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Dr. Barkley has published numerous books, rating scales, and clinical manuals and more than 300 scientific articles and book chapters on ADHD and related disorders. He has presented more than 800 invited lectures in more than 30 countries, and he has appeared on nationally televised programs including 60 Minutes, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, and other programs.   More Resources from Dr. Russell Barkley: RussellBarkley.org   Links and Related Resources: What Causes ADHD? Episode 33: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 101 with Dr. Nicholas Thaler Episode 40: Lifestyle Activities That Can Improve ADHD Symptoms with Dr. Joel Nigg Episode 63: Supporting Youth with Autism and ADHD with Holly Blanc Moses The Important Role of Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation in ADHD Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete Authoritative Guide for Parents by Dr. Russell Barkley 12 Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD by Dr. Russell Barkley Executive Functions: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Evolved by Dr. Russell Barkley Join our email list so that you can receive information about upcoming webinars - ChildNEXUS.com

Executive function is a hot topic around ADHD - and more specifically how we often have a deficit in it.One of the trickiest parts about executive function is that there isn't a universally accepted model of executive functions - I know that feels kind of surprising because it seems like something that is talked about as much as executive functions is that we'd have something that is generally agreed upon. So for this episode, we're going to be focusing on Russell Barkley's self-regulation model - although I'll certainly be pulling from other sources as well.I really like Dr. Barkley's model of self-regulation, because in many ways we can actually look at ADHD as a disorder of self-regulation itself. And that's exactly what Dr. Barkley proposes, that executive function and self-regulation are the same thing and that with ADHD we have a deficit in our executive functions and therefore a deficit in our self-regulation.As such, I'll be using executive function and self-regulation interchangeably throughout the episode to help emphasize that they are the same thing.In this episode, I'm going to go into exactly what executive function and self-regulation are, how we use them and how we can get back on track when we find ourselves missing some of that self-regulation.Support me on PatreonConnect with me on:FacebookTwitterInstagramor ask me a question on my Contact PageFind the show note at HackingYourADHD.com/executivefunctionThis Episode's Top TipsWe can think of executive functions and self-regulation as the same thing.Our primary executive functions are working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control.We have a limited resource pool for our executive functions and we use some of it every time we engage in self-regulation. Fortunately, we can help restore some of these resources by doing things like taking a break, having a snack, and getting some exercise.One of the best ways to help with executive function is to modify our environment so that we're reducing the amount of self-regulation we need to do. This means doing things like putting away distractions and making time more visible.

Adam Coutts has been teaching meditation and mindfulness for twenty years, mostly through weekly sitting groups, eight-week classes, corporate webinars, phone trainings, and one-on-one coaching.  For the past couple years, he has been leading a "Mindfulness Meditation for ADHD/ADD" course in corporate settings and in phone trainings.  He has sat meditation daily for thirty years and lived in monasteries in America and Asia for four years, meditating up to ten hours a day.  He has also been on a journey of discovery about his own ADHD for about a decade now.  Adam considers it an honor and a pleasure to relate to people through meditation teaching. Today we dip our toes into some well-honed methods and about how meditation works with the ADHD mind- enjoy! In this episode Peter and Adam discuss:   1:25 - Intro and welcome Adam Coutts! 2:03 - How in the heck does someone meditation 10 hours a day?! 3:38 - An hour in a float tank.. 4:15 - What are the tricks? Do you let go and get in the zone? What are the basics? 6:20 - On paying attention to your body ref: Somatic self soothing  8:33 - Stop telling me to “Relax!!”  9:38 - Two main wings to meditation.. 10:00 - A few other types of meditation to help with agitation(s) 11:53 - We don't necessarily need to empty our thoughts! 13:03 - “Motivational Deficit Disorder” -Russel Barkley  13:26 - On building concentration techniques, distraction, focus and thought and benefits 15:05 - On Walking meditation, other ‘easier' techniques and ADHD/ADD 17:07 - How to know when what's best for you 18:14 - How can people find more about you and what you're doing? www.IntroMeditation.com 18:49 - Thank you Adam! Guys, as always, we are here for you and we love the responses and the notes that we get from you; so please continue to do that! Tell us who you want to hear on the podcast, anything at all; we'd love to know.  Leave us a review on any of the places you get your podcasts, and if you ever need our help I'm www.petershankman.com and you can reach out anytime via peter@shankman.com or @petershankman on all of the socials. You can also find us at @FasterNormal on all of the socials. It really helps when you drop us a review on iTunes and of course, subscribe to the podcast if you haven't already! As you know, the more reviews we get, the more people we can reach. Help us to show the world that ADHD is a gift, not a curse!  19:20 - Faster Than Normal Podcast info & credits — TRANSCRIPT:  —  Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Faster Than Normal! My name is Peter Shankman. I am glad that you're joining us today. Interesting morning. Interesting. Day-to-day it is, uh, here in New York. This is what's called a third winter. So you have first winter, which lasts a few months, then you have a feaux spring. Then you have second winter, which lasts a couple of weeks. Then you have a fake spring and or full spring. And then you have a third winter, which is what we're in right now, uh, where it's about 22 degrees out where yesterday it was like in the 60's. So it is very annoying and we're hoping to get into actual spring, which comes next week, that lasts for about two days. And then we're into 90 degrees and humidity Summer, which lasts until September.  That being said, welcome to another episode. Glad to have you. We are talking to Adam Coutts today. Adam has been teaching meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. It's something that I need desperately, mostly through weaknesses in groups, eight week classes, corporate webinars, phone trainings, things like that, one-on-one coaching. But for the past couple of years, he's been leading a mindfulness meditation for ADHD, ADD course in corporate settings. And in boundaries, he is  daily for 30 years and lived in monasteries in America and Asia. I want that. Meditating up to 10 hours a day, even a journey of discovery about your own ADHD for a decade now. Okay. How the heck does one? I can't meditate. If I set my apple watch to meditate for five minutes after three and a half weeks. I am hyper aware. There's only been three and a half minutes. How in God's name do you do 10 hours a day. And welcome.  Thank you. I appreciate it. But you were saying earlier, remind me. I live in the San Francisco bay area and our seasons are not the normal north American seasons at all. The hottest part of the year is late, uh, late September. How does one meditate? Um, I think start small. You know, that's the classic advice that, that you hear from ADHD and meditation coaches? I think when I started meditating, I think I started with two minutes a day. The first time I ever meditated was in a Tai Chi class when I was 19. So that's 33 years ago and I felt like I was going to explode. I was just overwhelmed with emotions and memories and swirling visual images and a lot of energy in my body. So when I started my daily practice, I started with about two minutes and then, um, you know, just like weightlifting, you know, you start with with just a little bit beyond your edge and then when you're ready, you, you up it as, as your strength builds. So I also think that feeling of I'm going to explode that comes for a lot of ADHD people. It's actually a good thing. It's actually, um, not something to be avoided. It's actually a big part of the benefit of meditation. I would say one of my teachers used to say, as meditators, we are trying to tolerate the intolerability of being human. I think that's a challenge for everyone, but especially for ADHD people, we're, uh, we're special winners. We get to run up against that one really quickly and really with a lot of strengths usually. Well, I mean, it's interesting because I mean, I remember my assistant, Meagan got me a, um, uh, for my birthday one year, she got me an hour in a float tank. Okay. It was brutal. I mean, it was, it was brutal. I, I became hyper aware of everything, which is good. I believe everything, you know, I, it was, it was, but it was so I get why people like it, but it was so difficult for me to shut down. It was just so hard, so hard to, to let go. And I think that, that, yeah, when you already HD it's, it's, it's even harder. Right? So, so what do you do? How, what are the tricks of, of letting go of it? Because I know meditation is beneficial. I know I tend to get, I think the closest I get to meditating is on a long bike ride, doing 60 or 70 miles and you just get into his own where you're just, you're just passing the time. But in terms of like sitting at a table, sitting on my bed or sitting like I'm sitting on the floor and trying to do that. It is, it is almost impossible for me, what I'm sure a lot of other people, what do you tell people? Um, you know, again, like you mentioned starting, you know, like lifting weights or whatever, but even just getting into the basics(?) Yeah. Um, well, I want to, you know, my main teacher who, uh, when he was a child, he ells stories. He had really raging ADHD and, uh, you know, he failed all sorts of classes. And then he eventually became a professor of Physics and sort of a world renowned, uh, meditation teacher. He tells a story of, um, if you had a chunk of metal, and this metal was gold, but you knew it had some impurities in it. Nickel, cadmium, et cetera. And you wanted it to be pure gold. How would you purify it? Could you stare at it and be like, get out nickel and cadmium? It wouldn't work. Well, what you have to do is heat that chunk up till it melts. And then the other impure metals, either float to the top of the bottom. I'm a, not a metallurgist. I don't know. But it's that heating up that allows you to purify it because it brings the impurities right to the, to the top or to, you know, to where you can see them. And he said, meditation is the same thing with our inner agitation. When we slow down, we heat up things can get very kind of like, I feel like there's bugs crawling through my skin. I can't sit here for another moment and that's actually pretty valuable. You heated up the chunk of gold and you can, you can see the impurities right there to scrape them off. I think that, you know, the way meditation helps is you just tolerate it. You're just open to it. You know, there's tons of techniques that I teach. There's tons of techniques out there. You know, if your listeners go, go online or go to some of the phone apps or buy a book, there's tons of a techniques, my favorite technique for 30 years now. And the one that I do pretty much every day is just to feel the body. I do a technique where I notice where my attention is drawn in the body could be a pleasant sensation, could be unpleasant. It could be strong, could be subtle. Just I let my attention float in the body, wherever it wants to go. I hold my attention there for a couple seconds deeply and fully feel that, I say it's like attention flowing into the body sensation like water into a sponge. I say the name inside my head of the part of the body. And then after a couple of seconds, I release and see if it wants to stay in the same spot somewhere else. If I notice that I'm thinking you know, which is almost all the time. I try notice the impact that the thoughts have on my body, or if there's a body sensation, creating the thoughts. A lot of times some way that we feel like uncomfortable or really comfortable creates thoughts. If I feel an emotion, I try and notice where in the body that's happening. If a sound impacts me, I try and feel where in the body that impacted. I often meditate with my eyes open. I recommend for beginners, especially ADHD, beginner's eyes closed, but you know, if I see something that impacts me, I feel that.. my body for me, meditation is often it kind of shouldn't be since there's so many techniques out there. Sort of the meaning it has, for me, it's often just somatic self self-soothing and somatic self soothing for an ADHD people, person is so crucial in so many contexts, like the social anxiety that comes up. Like I didn't get all my to-do list stuff done. I, in fact, I screwed around all yesterday afternoon. I'm a big failure. And now I have to social areas around people and I feel like a fraud. And I feel like I got to go home and get stuff done. I don't know. That's been a big part of my ADHD. And just as I drive to the meeting with people just feeling where the tension is, my body and giving it space, um, you know, being friendly with it, loving it, just seeing it, just witnessing it, letting it dance it's dance, and then it releases itself. And again, somatic self soothing when really emotional, when really wound up for any reason, somatic self soothing. To me, that's the number one benefit of meditation as an ADHD person. And then there's tons of other techniques that have their value as well.  It's interesting. Everyone tells. The ADHD person to relax, to calm down. Yeah. I think that, that, that, you know, ‘sit down and quit disrupting the class' was our, it was our mantra in school. And I guess when you hear that all the time, it's usually said to you in a negative. Yeah. So, so as such, you probably do. I know, I think about it. When you think of meditation, when you, it, it translates in the ADHD brain into forced relaxation, gunpoint, relaxation. And if someone is holding a gun at you and telling you to relax, it's probably the last thing you want to do. Right. And, but that's how we grew up. That's what we dealt with in school, with our parents, with every, Dude, relax, calm down. There's that joke that, you know, telling women to calm down has it never has the effect of getting anyone to calm down. But at the same thing when you're telling me to relax. It's just going to make me hyper focus with the fact that I'm not. Yeah.  Yeah. Well, you know, the way I was trained to kind of traditional mindfulness meditation, there's two main wings to meditation. There's focusing your mind and kind of like empty, you know, the traditional emptying your thoughts and, you know, getting into a state of Zen where you're really, someone could walk into the room and you wouldn't even notice cause your attention so focused on the grass or something like that. That's one part of meditation. The other is be one with everything. Life just is, as it is. And you just open to it and fully experienced life. However, it is now the way I was trained, as it goes sequentially, you learn how to concentrate them. And then you use that concentrated mind to experience things just the way they are. So, uh, I do think it's valuable to try to chill out the mind on the breath- is sort of the classic technique- the way I was trained, at least, or walking back and forth with, um, really deeply feeling the souls of your feet. That's another thing to concentrate on, you know, I've, I've heard some people on, on, uh, mindfulness teachers on ADHD podcast recommend walking meditation for ADHD people. Cause it's less going at hard right angles that against digitation like sitting still is it's more, um, you know, working with the agitation by walking. So learning how to focus the mind. I think there's a value there. And I think if a person really does that for long enough, the body calms down the mind calms down. But I, I think, um, I think it's important to have patience with that process. It can take years. I mean, I've meditated what, over 10,000 hours of my life. And still sometimes it's just really hard for me to concentrate. My mind, I had when living in monastery has gotten to a point of just really crystalline and clarity where my mind is very tranquil, but that doesn't last forever. Right? It's like being an athlete, you work out a whole lot. You get in shape. And then you don't work out as much, you know, you're not in as great shape. So that focus hasn't lasted my whole life, but I've developed that tool. And then I've used that tool to just let my body, my mind, all of who I am, just be the way it is and experience it. So that's a really different kind of meditation and the way I was trained, that's seen as the highest form of meditation. So if you have an agitated, mine, just have an agitated mind. Just notice it the way it is. It's perfect. It's just something to be aware of. If your body is about to explode, you know, and you're trying to formally meditate as long as you can keep the tush to the cush and like, just let the body feel how it feels. It doesn't have to feel any different. So, um, you know, I think thinking that we have to calm down and empty our thoughts and all of that, it's like, that's one goal in meditation. There's certain techniques that aim for that. And I think it's a useful thing to work towards without ever expecting we'll get there, you know, perfectly. But I also think there's a lot of kinds of meditation that just let all the craziness just be the craziness and just enjoy the circus. And, um, yeah. So I think really interesting.  That's a really interesting way to think about it is the premise that you're going to be. You know, you're going to have your moment. You're going to have your issues. Just go with them. Yeah. As opposed to, um, I guess as opposed to the uselessness of say fighting the ocean. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, I appreciate your, uh, your, you know, It's one of those things like, wow, okay.. this is more than just an interview that actually makes a lot of sense, but again, you don't, we're not trained to think that way growing up with ADHD. Right. We're trained to think that if we can't relax that we've failed.  Yeah, well, you know, like, uh, like, uh, Russell Barkley says ADHD is, is an awful name for it. You know, the better name is motivational deficit disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity are the things that bug adults about ADHD kids. They're not the main experience of being an ADHD person, um, that ADHD adult are experienced from the inside. So yeah, hyperactivity is what pucks, uh, you know, teachers and parents about, uh, about. Definitely. You know, getting back to what I was saying. I think even that first kind of meditation concentrating the mind, um, you know, I lead that technique. I lead meditation on the breath or other, uh, concentration techniques regularly. And what I tell people is if you did this 10 hours a day in a monastery, you know, which is something a person builds up to like being an Olympic athlete, but if you did, you might get your mind really calm, but you as a corporate employee or just someone, you know, off the streets coming to my sitting group or whatever, you will have a ton of thoughts. You will have a ton of distractions. You will not have continuity of awareness of the breath. Probably unless you catch a good wave today or, you know, you're just in a good mood, right. And noticing the mind going off to obsessive thinking or a strong emotion or an itch in the body, or, you know, the conversation happening outside the door. It's not an error. It's part of the value of the meditation. You learn a lot about. You know, how fast is my mind today? What actually is happening in my emotions, you know? And, and that bringing the mind back to the breath, bringing the mind back again and again, and you know, it can be frustrating. It can be like lifting weights or playing piano, scales, simple, repetitive work, but it's building a strength. It's building that strength of concentration that, you know, builds over time. So I think there's a, that experience of like, um, yeah, my mind isn't calm, but I'm trying to focus it. You know, even in that first kind of meditation where the goal is calm there so much value in the non-com there's so much learning. There's so much to work with. There's so much. Uh, goodness. Um, and I think it's very important to, uh, emphasize that to people that are beginning meditation. I also, if I may, I want to say something about the walking meditation. You know, I've listened to some other teachers on various ADHD podcasts and they often recommend what I would say is making the meditation easier for ADHD people. And I think that's great. I think, you know, anything that gets you to start the practice I'm in favor of- being a big meditation proponent. But I also think for, you know, some people even say an ADHD person should never meditate. It's just going to have them feel like they're going to explode. So don't even do it. Um, which obviously as a meditation teacher and, uh, and uh, someone that's made meditation a huge part of my life. I'm not in favor of that, that recommendation. I think meditation is great. To me, telling an ADHD person not to meditate is like telling a sickly person, well, working out will be hard for you so don't do that. A sickly person is going to get all the more value from physical vitality than, you know, a normally healthy person, it's all the more important for them to do it, even if it's harder. So there are ways to make meditation easier and there's ways to make it harder. Easier:  Sit for shorter periods. Harder: sit for longer periods until you feel like you're going to explode. Easier: uh, do walking meditation, most techniques you can do seated upright, you can do walking. Harder: Um, sit still, um, Easier: do a technique where you just opened the however you are busy mind. Great. Just notice the busy mind. Harder: do more of a concentration technique where, what you're really trying to do is, um, focus the mind set on the breath. Now, I think there's a great value in going on to, you know, uh,.. Harder: sit by yourself where it's just your own willpower. Harder: I mean, Easier: sit with a group where the groups sort of vibe supports you. Harder: Sit by yourself and silence and guide yourself. Easier: Get a phone app, you know, with that voice pops into your ear every 90 seconds, come back to the breath, be aware of your thoughts, just let things be, um, you know, be friendly with whatever you're aware of, notice the details of what you're aware of and really experience the richness. So I think there's value for ADHD people to know when to go on the easier side of that spectrum, back off, sit for shorter walk, do phone app, and when to really challenge yourself and say, this is going to be hard, but I'm going to heat up the chunk of metal to strip the impurities off and sit for longer. Sit in silence, sit still rather than walking, you know, sit by yourself. Um, I don't think we should always avoid going through the harder side of that. I think though it's helpful to know when we're ready for it and when we want a challenge and when we want a good workout and you know, what's just beyond our comfort level, not way beyond our comfort level, you know, a beginner weightlifters should not try and bench press 500 pounds, you'll just rip your muscles or trust your sternum or something just three or four pounds beyond what you're comfortable with. That's your growth edge. And so I think knowing when to ramp. Speed up, you know, uh, turn up the heat, um, and make a little bit more progress. That's that's the wisdom of learning how to meditate and have a person's own meditation practice.  Awesome. I love it. This has been a phenomenal interview. Thank you so much Adam!  My pleasure. I appreciate you having me on!  How can people find you if they want to learn more? My website is www.IntroMeditation.com There's a pop-up that invites you to sign up for my email list, where I announce courses and classes and groups. Uh, I hope it's okay for me to say I have a regular, um, group Tuesday night, 7:00 PM, California time. I also in 5 months probably am going to have in August of 2022, going to have a weekend ADHD for an meditation course.  Thank you so much and I may take a look at that. Thank you, Adam! Guys, you're listening to Faster Than Normal. We had Adam Coutts today talking about meditation for the ADHD mind, which I found really, really far more fascinating than I thought I'd actually find it. That was pretty cool. Um, as always, we love to hear from you. If you want to leave us a review, you can do that at any of the sites like iTunes or Google play or Stitcher or wherever. Uh, I think even Alexa, you can do it on there. Cancel. Got it. Thank you so much for listening. We'll be back with another episode next week and. Have a good one. And remember, ADHD is a gift, not a curse. — Credits: You've been listening to the Faster Than Normal podcast. We're available on iTunes, Stitcher and Google play and of course at www.FasterThanNormal.com I'm your host, Peter Shankman and you can find me at petershankman.com and @petershankman on all of the socials. If you like what you've heard, why not head over to your favorite podcast platform of choice and leave us a review, come more people who leave positive reviews, the more the podcast has shown, and the more people we can help understand that ADHD is a gift, not a curse. Opening and closing themes were composed and produced by Steven Byrom who also produces this podcast, and the opening introduction was recorded by Bernie Wagenblast. Thank you so much for listening. We'll see you next week!