Let’s Start With Some Pre-Skills When So Much Needs Your Attention - 039

09/04/17 • 28 min

Welcome to the thirty-ninth episode of Harness Your ADHD Power.

I’m so glad you could join me today. One of the episodes you all are listening to the most is 027, figuring out where to start when so much needs your attention now. That said, I decided that it’s important for you to understand what some of the steps are you need to be taking in order to be successful in getting a handle on all the moving parts of your life that need your attention now.

I talk a lot about pre-skills. What do I mean by this term? Pre-skills are whatever skills you need to learn or master in order to do what you want or need to do and you won’t be able to do so without the pre-skills.

I posed a question years ago. It was, if you were able to focus on what you need to focus on, when you need to focus on it, and how you need to focus on it and complete your tasks, AND, if you were able to regulate your moods or emotions when you needed to, and how you needed to so you didn’t become overwhelmed or derailed by your emotional life, would those two solutions address the majority of the challenges you experience from your ADHD? The answer I got years ago was a definite YES. What about your answer? A definite YES?

Imagine being able to master these two areas of your life. This is truly what I mean by pre-skills. They are the pre-requisites to your success in so many areas of your life. I can teach you strategies for following through or prioritizing or organizing or better communication with loved ones, however, if you can’t regulate your focus and emotional state, you’re going to have difficulty mastering the strategies and tools.

Something else I’ve noticed is a lack of a sense of urgency in those with ADHD until the urgency comes crashing in on you from the outside; but no sense of urgency to get into action and follow through from within yourself, in most cases.

And what about your “criteria” for the decision you need to make? Do you have any? Or rather, do you have the type of “criteria” that will empower you to make good decisions and know why you’ve made them? Without that, how can you possibly learn from your mistakes or outcomes?

In this episode, I’m going explore the many pre-skills that are essential to you designing, cultivating and mastering a happier and more productive life across all areas of your life.

Developing your Executive Function Skills and shifting your limiting beliefs is the fastest and most effective way to overcome ADHD limitations, find focus, gain confidence, and newfound freedom in your life!

My mission is to put an end to the worldwide needless suffering of adults with ADHD and those with under-developed Executive Function Skills - whether from ADHD, chronic depression or anxiety, trauma, addictions, or chronic illnesses. And, you don't need a formal diagnosis to know you need help developing these executive function skills in order to greatly reduce your suffering.

Episode Resources:

Put yourself on the informational Waitlist for the ADDventures In Achievement Foundational Skills Program, so that you receive all the amazing emails we’ve written to both educate you about Executive Function skills as well as the details of the program; there is absolutely no obligation by being on the Waitlist. You’ll thank yourself for getting informed.
Learn more about our newest program, Living Beyond ADHD 2.0 Training and Coaching Mini-Series.
Free Video and e-Book - Many Mental Health Providers & ADHD
13 EF Skills
Join the amazing Living Beyond ADHD Facebook Group & hang out with your peeps
Follow me on Dr B Facebook Page and enjoy live videos and more
Follow me on Instagram and enjoy relevant resources
Download the transcript for this episode.

To Help The Show:

Subscribe at your favorite listening spot and my podcast player has social media links (icons) in the episode player so you can share episodes you love with others!

Please rate the show and leave a thoughtful review on iTunes so I know you're benefiting from t...

Welcome to the thirty-ninth episode of Harness Your ADHD Power.

In this episode, I’m going explore the many pre-skills that are essential to you designing, cultivating and mastering a happier and more productive life across all areas of your life.

Episode Resources:

Put yourself on the informational Waitlist for the ADDventures In Achievement Foundational Skills Program, so that you receive all the amazing emails we’ve written to both educate you about Executive Function skills as well as the details of the program; there is absolutely no obligation by being on the Waitlist. You’ll thank yourself for getting informed.
Learn more about our newest program, Living Beyond ADHD 2.0 Training and Coaching Mini-Series.
Free Video and e-Book - Many Mental Health Providers & ADHD
13 EF Skills
Join the amazing Living Beyond ADHD Facebook Group & hang out with your peeps
Follow me on Dr B Facebook Page and enjoy live videos and more
Follow me on Instagram and enjoy relevant resources
Download the transcript for this episode.

To Help The Show:

Subscribe at your favorite listening spot and my podcast player has social media links (icons) in the episode player so you can share episodes you love with others!

Please rate the show and leave a thoughtful review on iTunes so I know you're benefiting from t...

Previous Episode

Ask Dr B – about Relationship Development, Self-Acceptance, Over-Committing & Parenting An ADHD Child - 038

Welcome to the thirty-eighth episode of Harness Your ADHD Power, and the seventeenth "Ask Dr B" Show.

I’m so glad you could join me today. We’ve got four great topics so let’s get to it!

First, since you’re on this journey with me, I want to applaud your courage straight away. Truly! It not only takes courage, but determination and commitment to yourself to get the training you need to rise up and become the person you were intended to become. And it’s worth every bit of the time, effort and energy it takes! I want you to have the life you want for yourself as much as any other person can want something for another. I feel it’s your birthright to have a happy and productive life, and just because you haven’t had it up to now doesn’t mean you don’t get to have it moving forward.

Today’s episode is all about answering the questions you have about issues or challenges you experience as an adult living with ADHD, and offering you hope. How much time do we have? Not much. So let’s get to it.

Episode Resources:

Put yourself on the informational Waitlist for the ADDventures In Achievement Foundational Skills Program, so that you receive all the amazing emails we’ve written to both educate you about Executive Function skills as well as the details of the program; there is absolutely no obligation by being on the Waitlist. You’ll thank yourself for getting informed.
Learn more about our newest program, Living Beyond ADHD 2.0 Training and Coaching Mini-Series.
Free Video and e-Book - Many Mental Health Providers & ADHD
13 EF Skills
Join the amazing Living Beyond ADHD Facebook Group & hang out with your peeps
Follow me on Dr B Facebook Page and enjoy live videos and more
Follow me on Instagram and enjoy relevant resources
Download the transcript for this episode.

To Help The Show:

Subscribe at your favorite listening spot and my podcast player has social media links (icons) in the episode player so you can share episodes you love with others!

Please rate the show and leave a thoughtful review on iTunes so I know you're benefiting from the episodes. The greater the number of reviews, the higher the ranking, and the easier it will be for others to find the show; people who also need this information.

Let's put an end to the worldwide needless suffering together! We can do this!

Next Episode

Ask Dr B about Prioritizing, Managing You Within Time & Productivity - 040

Welcome to the fortieth episode of Harness Your ADHD Power, and the eighteenth "Ask Dr B" Show.

I’m so glad you could join me today!

So, are any of today’s topics a challenge for you? If you’re like most of the adults I know and love, then I already know that the answer is yes. And I’m curious, if you’ve ever wondered “why” these are so challenging for you? I used to wonder and don’t anymore, so let me share a bit about what I’ve figured out about “why” they can be so challenging

First a key piece about neuroplasticity; the brain that continually changes itself. Your brain rapidly prunes disused circuits and strengthens most-used circuits, which means that what you don’t use you do lose to a greater or lesser degree. This is important to keep in mind.

Next, I want to speak to your self-esteem for a moment. YOU are not a failure! Rather, the systems have failed you. The systems have failed to teach you everything you needed to know (meaning skills), in the ways you needed to learn, so that you could have a happy, productive and successful adult life. AND...it’s never too late to learn the skills that will make that possible for you NOW...no matter what your age is! I really need you to pause for a moment and take this in. YOU are not a failure. Rather, the systems have failed you. AND, it is your responsibility to learn the skills, mostly executive function skills you are missing, if you want to have a happier, more productive and successful adult life.

After so many conversations with adults like you, I know that you want to be on time, and I know that you haven’t been able to be on time for a variety of reasons; and none of them are because you lack the desire to be on time. I know that you want to be able to see which tasks need to be done first, second and so, and then be able to start them when they need to be started and finish them, yet you haven’t been able to do that either. And again, it’s not for lack of desire on your part. I know that when you think about the day ahead, you want to be productive and feel proud at the end of the day for all you have accomplished. Instead, you look at how you spent your time and see that much of it was “busy work” and not productive work on the essential things that you really wanted to be working on. I’ve seen the beat-down look on so many of your faces when you share these “failures” with me and it breaks my heart, because I know these failed attempts only add to the negative feelings you already have about yourself; feelings that may have been growing for years now.

And remember to pay attention to your WINS!! Please don't short-change yourself by thinking that it’s pointless or stupid to reward yourself for things you’re “supposed to do.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. And if you feel that these are the “thankless little tasks of life,” they probably feel that way because that’s how you think of them and have given them that “less than” meaning. Please don’t. These are the very things that deserve to be celebrated so they become easier to do consistently, and you find them more enjoyable each and every time.

If this all seems overwhelming and you feel you’re going to need some help developing these skills, to give you that happier and more productive life, I suggest you put your name on the Waitlist for my online program, ADDventures in Achievement. Enrollment just closed the end of August and I’m not planning on opening up again until later this year, however that could change. So, be sure to get on the Waitlist now if you’d like to learn more about this program. I plan on recording some informative videos for those of you on the Waitlist so you can benefit while you’re waiting for enrollment to open up again. I’m adding some exciting new content to the current program that is well worth the wait! ADDventures in Achievement is definitely the place to be if you want help understanding what’s been holding you back and want to learn the skills to break free of your stuckness.

Episode Resources: