In the ADHD world, there is a big divide between people who think ADHD is a gift and those who think it’s a complete nightmare.

Dr Hallowell, author of many highly regarded ADHD books including ‘Delivered from Distraction’ considers ADHD is a gift, as does Lara Honos- Webb author of ‘The Gift of ADHD’. As a positive person who believes there is an answer to every problem I am in the ‘gift’ camp.

Its undeniable there are annoyances with ADHD; procrastination, disorganization, losing important items, worrying, anxiety, difficulty in school, time management issues, and money management are a few examples. BUT when those
things are managed (and they absolutely can be) the ADHD gifts can shine brightly and magic happens. Some of the most brilliant people…who have changed the world (for the better)…
have ADHD.

Steve Jobs, co-founder Apple, his out of the box ADHD thinking change digital technology with a succession of innovations that included iPods and iPads.

Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA stores, which has changed how the whole world shops for
furniture.

Richard Branson, founder of all things Virgin.

David Neeleman, the billionaire CEO of JetBlue Airways, says ADHD one of his biggest assets.
He believes that his ADHD creativity was the reason he developed the E-ticketing system for
airplanes.

I understand it is hard, when you are living a frantic unmanaged ADHD life to think it’s a gift.I
am severely dyslexia which wasn’t diagnosed until I was 28. I didn’t think I had a gift. My life
was completely centered round studying, and I cried an Amazon River worth of tears for every
paper or exam. My self esteem was in my boots because of all negative ways dyslexia had on my
life. Nothing about that seemed ‘gift like’

10 years later, I have created a life I love based on my strengths and gifts and if a fairy princess offered to make my dyslexic disappear I would politely decline.

This is also true for everyone I know who is managing their ADHD too. There are always going
to be bad days, but people who don’t have ADHD have bad days too!

Where do you stand on the ADHD is a Gift debate?

If you are ready to manage your ADHD and create magic, check out my book, Untapped
Brilliance.

Checklists seem like such a basic tool that the power of them can
be underestimated. However, checklists make life easier and less
stressful, as well as make you much more effective.

It seems a whole different life now, but before I was an ADHD
coach, I was a nurse in a busy city hospital.

Before any patient is escorted from the hospital ward to the
theatre for surgery, a nurse goes down a pre-op checklist. Some
checks seem more important than others. For example, “is this the
right patient” and “are all their notes and x-rays present” seem
vital. Asking an 18-year-old if they have false teeth or a
bald-headed man if he is wearing a wig, less so. But it’s important
to ask all these questions to ensure complete safety for the
patient. And to be doubly safe, the minute the patient arrives in
the theatre, the theatre nurse runs through the very same list.

You might think that since nurses are taking patients to theatre
hundreds or thousands of times in their career, they could dismiss
the list and just remember it. However, nurses are human and
hospital life is busy with important distractions happening all the
time. Why take the chance of something vital going unnoticed? And
why waste brain power and reinvent the wheel every time?

After reading The Checklist Manifesto by AtulGawande, I realized
hospitals aren’t the only places to use checklists. Many other
professionals use them too, including pilots.

How does this relate to you as an ADHD adult ? Why not embrace
the simple checklist and witness first-hand how powerful it can be
so that, like nurses and pilots, you can also function effectively
and reduce stress over the risk of forgetting things.

Your goal for this week is to create an ADHD checklist for one area of
your life. It could be an area where you are constantly forgetting
things. For example, before leaving the house for work, you could
draw up a list of things to remember such as keys, cell phone,
lunch, agenda, etc.

Or it could be in an area where you would like to feel more
organized. Perhaps if you feel scattered at work, you could write a
checklist of your daily tasks, e.g., emails, return calls, work on
current project. Make one list and use it every day. Once you have
started to use it and realize how effective it is, I know you will
want to make and use more of them.

Here are some key points from The Checklist Manifesto to help you
draw up an effective checklist:

1. Have five to nine items. (You don’t need to include things you
do automatically, just the things that get missed.)
2. Have all the items on one page.
3. Keep the list clutter-free.
4. Use upper and lower case text (it’s easier to read).
5. Choose a font that you can read easily.

Happy checking!

Checklists are just one of many strategies to help you operate
smoothly in your life. If you need help to implement these
strategies, I know the perfect person to help you! Send me an email
at Jacqueline@untappedbrilliance.com.

The general public is often surprised to learn about Adult ADHD. While most people are aware children have ADHD, they don’t realize it also affects adults. One third of children with ADD do grow out of it, while the rest of the population carry ADHD into adulthood.

Information on ADHD is growing all the time, and since little was known about it 30 years ago it is understandable why many adults didn’t realize they had it until adulthood.

A common way adults discover they have ADHD is that their school-aged child is diagnosed with ADHD. The parent then realizes that the ADHD characteristics that their child is presenting with are also characteristics that they also have . This leads them get an official diagnosis too.

Another group of adults realize that they experience challenges in life and they feel different from everyone else. After doing some research, stumbling across an article or hearing a snippet on the news about ADHD symptoms they will promptly get a diagnosis.

Reactions to discovering you have ADHD vary dramatically, but usually fall into 2 groups. Some adults feel very relieved finally they understand why they are the way they are.Others feel angry that it took them so many years of struggling with life before they realized what it was it. Usually whatever the initial reaction, everyone wants the same thing  which is to learn how they can live their best life.

Some adults have known since childhood that they have ADHD. However what they are now experience are different challenges. Learning skills on how to do well in school, are now replaced with the need to learn how to do well in a work environment, manage a household and take care of finances etc.

While there is often much negative thinking around Adult ADHD, there are also many wonderful gifts too. Once some of the negative aspects are managed ( which can do done with or without medication) then your wonderful gifts can shine through. This blog is a great place to learn about Adult ADHD as well as how to mange it and lead and full, rich and joyful life.

The official  definition of ADHD is described as a “Disruptive Behavior Disorder” where high levels of inattention, hyperactivity or a combination are constantly present in an individual.  Adult ADHD symptoms are different to that of a  child with ADHD. However please don’t be scared, the official term sounds MUCH worse than reality.

Here are 5 key ADHD symptoms that adults with ADHD experience:

1. Inability to Concentrate.

Lack of concentration has many implications. For example, losing track of conversations can mean important information is missed. Distractedness has implications at work and study. As well as missing information, you can experience resistance to things that need a deep level of concentration. This trait can cause tension in relationships as people can misinterpret it as lack of interest.

2. Lack of organization

Problems in planning tasks, personal organization and time management can result in labels being given such as “lazy” or “lacking in self-discipline” and “disorganized”. Often arriving late, hurried and ill-prepared, over committing and leaving tasks unfinished, the sufferer may feel unorganized and overwhelmed with resulting low self-esteem. ADHD adults find it hard to set up and stay with a routine.

3. Poor memory and Forgetfulness.

Memory and forgetfulness  can result in important possessions, such as passports, wallets and purses, laptops and palm pilots being lost or misplaced. Attending meetings, appointments and lectures punctually can be a real problem; sometimes they can be forgotten altogether.

4. Confusion and trouble thinking clearly

Adults with ADHD find it hard to perform up to their intellectual capability. There are difficulties with intense learning situations such as lectures and in-depth reading. There can be errors in spelling and math. Because of the tendency to become side-tracked, information can go unseen, resulting in mistakes at work. Often it can be difficult to maintain a job.

5. Depression and low self esteem.

Because the world is set up for people without ADHD, life can be challenging, and depression, anxiety and low self-esteem are often features in a person with ADHD.

As you are reading this list of ADHD symptoms please don’t feel depressed. There are many ways to manage your symptoms and lead a rich and wonderful life and this blog has lots of great ways to do this.

What simple tool do both business coach and ADHD coach recommend to get projects completed?

In a recent conversation with my good friend and expert business coach Marcia Hoeck, we realized that we both use the same tool to help our clients to take action and complete projects. Can you guess what that is? Write lists! In the 21st century it’s hard to believe that something so simple can really be that effective, but it is.

Adults with ADHD find starting and carrying out projects from start to finish challenging. Often, the very thought of starting on a big project is very daunting and anxiety provoking, so it never gets started. A simple way to stop the procrastination and overwhelm is to write a list of all the steps.  Take a simple piece of paper and pen and write down all the steps that you can think of.

For example if you wanted to write a book, your list might look something like this:
1)      decide on a topic for the book.
2)      brain storm content ideas
3)      organize information into chapters
etc…

You might not know all of the steps at the start of the project, but once you start working on the tasks new information appears and the additional steps become more clear. If one of the steps on your list still feels daunting, then that is a sign that the step can be broken down further still.

When you have your list, you can type it up on your computer, stick it on the wall, or another safe place where you won’t lose it and then start on the first step. Once you have completed the first step you will feel so good and that ‘feel good factor’ will propel you forward to take action on the next step.

Because so many people with ADHD are entrepreneurs, Marica Hoeck and I have a website dedicated to this topic. Check it out at http://www.workingwithadhd.com/

Adults with ADHD really struggle to create a beautiful living environment for themselves. Your physical environment is a reflection of your self-esteem and like other aspects of self-esteem; it’s a ‘chicken and egg’ situation. Your self-esteem is low so you feel you don’t deserve a beautiful living environment. However when you are living in a cluttered, dirty and possibly smelly environment it reinforces your low self-esteem.  While this is an area that is particularly hard when you have ADHD, it is still possible to keep things clean and ordered. Plus it’s a vital element to your well being

Keep your home clean and tidy as if guests were coming. Because you deserve to be in a nurturing environment just as much (more in my opinion) as any guests that visit. The English Designer William Morris said “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. Let this be your motto as you begin to create a beautiful physical environment for yourself

I live in Montreal, Canada which is a bi-lingual city of French and English.  When I first moved here from England I really battled to learn French. I had many intense French classes, did hours of French homework which caused me lots of mental anguish.  However the other evening I have a lovely surprise. I had rented the Movie ‘Coco before Channel’ a film set in France. I sat down, started to watch it and then 30 minutes into the film I realized that I had been watching the movie in French and not my usual movie watching language English.  I was stunned and delighted. My French listening skills had improved enough for me to effortlessly watch a movie without even being aware of the language it was in. This was aided I am sure by the fact that the movie is set in France rather than the US or England

Me learning French, is a little like when you start to put into place new habits recommended in ‘Untapped Brilliance’ to help minimize your negative aspects of ADHD. At first it seems like a lot of effort to implement new habits into your life. Then, all of a sudden you realize you are doing it effortlessly and without being conscious of doing them! Ahh… what an amazing feeling.

A common sentence I hear as an ADHD coach is “I think I have ADHD, but I don’t want to get a ADHD diagnosis because I am scared I will use it as an excuse not to try and succeed in life anymore.”

Getting an official ADHD diagnosis doesn’t mean that a switch is flipped and you become such a different person that you don’t recognize yourself any more. You will still be you. Except now, you know why you are the way you are.

In my late twenties, I was officially diagnosed with severe dyslexia. The diagnosis was a huge relief to me as it explained why I found some things exceptionally hard and yet to others they seemed effortless. From studying or filling out forms, to giving the waitress my order. After being diagnosed, I continue to do those things and I still experience anxiety, discomfort and mental fatigue etc. However, I know rather than being ‘stupid’ it’s because I am dyslexic.

It’s the same when you have an ADHD diagnosis.  There is a huge feeling of relief that you aren’t “lazy” or “lacking in self-discipline” and “disorganized” or any of the other negative labels you have been giving yourself. You might have a disorganized living environment, but that is not because you are lazy, it’s because you have ADHD and being organized is a challenge.

If you are the type of person who asks the question “Will getting diagnosed result in me no longer trying in life?”, it means that you are a highly motivated and conciseness person who wants to be the best they can be. Rather than sabotage your efforts to succeed, a diagnosis actually allows you to be more successful as you know the reason behind certain behaviors and can learn techniques to manage those behaviors. In the long run you will see great results for the same amount effort AND feel a level of comfort and ease within yourself that you never had before.

When I am introduced to a new person and I say I am an ADHD coach the standard response is ‘oh I have ADD’ and then they smile. Now, it’s highly unlikely that everyone I meet actually has ADHD. What is more likely is that at times they experience some of the characteristics of ADHD.

When a professional is diagnosing ADD they test to find out if the person has a certain cluster of characters or traits.

Those traits are traits that anyone can experience periodically, particularly when they are stressed or feeling overwhelmed. Examples of these traits are, inability to concentrate, trouble thinking clearly, lack of organizing in the physical environment, poor managing time, procrastination, feeling overwhelmed and constantly behind, poor memory and forgetfulness, problems with relationships and a general feeling that they aren’t living up to their potential.

But for a person with ADHD, it’s the amount of these traits that are present and the extent that they experience them. These traits are present to such an extent that they negatively affect their life.

Before officially diagnosing ADD , the specialist carrying out your evaluation will want to find out the following

That the ADHD characteristics have been present for 6 months or more.

The symptoms were present before you were 7 years old

The traits effect your life in 2 or more settings

and finally the symptoms aren’ t due to another condition,  such as bipolar disorder, sleep disorder or anxiety etc

Bottom line: Not everyone has ADHD, but lots of people, at times may experience some of things that people with ADHD do and if this is you, you will still benefit from all the tips and ideas here on this blog.

PS. ADD and ADHD are often used interchangeably. If you would like to learn more about why this is go to ADD/ADHD

Want to listen to this article?  Click here.

For someone with ADHD memory can be a big issue. It can result in important possessions, such as passports, wallets and purses, laptops and keys being lost or misplaced. In his book ‘Scattered Minds’ Dr. G. Mate tells an amusing true story but one that encapsulated what it is like living with ADHD memory issues. A gentleman with ADHD has a dog and together they go for daily walks. As the owner puts his coat, shoes, hat, etc. on in preparation for the walk, the dog stays peacefully under the kitchen table. The owner leaves the house and the dog waits under the table. The owner comes back several times for forgotten items, such as keys, wallet etc. then on the third time the dog gets up and joins his owner for the walk. This wise dog had gotten the hang of living with an  Adult ADHD!

This story always makes me smiles. A great solution for helping your memory is creating new small habits. For example, if you are someone who is always leaving bags, umbrellas etc. on public transport, one of your new habits would be to briefly cast your eyes around where you were sitting to make sure you have everything before you leave. It only takes a few seconds, but you will be amazed how quickly it becomes second nature and how much time you save when you don’t have to phone bus companies or taxi firms to see if they have found your missing items.

Another example of a new habit would be to create a check list of everything you need before leaving the house and stick it to your front door. The list will probably include, wallet, cellphone, keys, bag. However you will personalize it suit your lifestyle. Then, get into the habit of checking this list and the items that you have on you before walking through the door. Very soon, you will notice that you are automatically checking to be sure you have everything without even looking at the list.

Have a special place to keep important items, such a passports. When you come home from your travels, pop it in that special place. Perhaps a top drawer, a pretty tin, whatever it is make it your top priority to return it as soon as you return from your trip. This removes an enormous amount of stress from your life as you always know where your important items are at all times.

Your homework this week is to think of 5 areas of your life where you are forgetful and then create small habits around those areas to help you both remember the items AND save time and reduce your stress.