Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Coaching is an action-based process intended to help you make changes in your life. It’s designed to increase your awareness of who you are now, and what is possible for “future you.” By engaging with your goals and actions between sessions, you’ll move towards that “future you” quicker and more effectively.

At each coaching session, your coach will ask: what do you want to focus on today? what sort of outcome do you want to reach? By the end of the session, you’ll identify an outcome-related action (or actions) that you’ll try out, and when that will happen. The actions you choose to engage in will help you achieve more self-awareness and move you closer toward your change-related goals.

Ready, Set … Action?

For many neurotypical (NT) clients, following through on these action-oriented commitments may seem relatively “easy.” The NT brain has consistent access to the prefrontal cortex, dopamine and other neurotransmitters, which are all necessary for planning, determining priorities, making decisions, and focusing on a wanted outcome.

But if you have ADHD, staying engaged with goals and actions may seem elusive because your brain has inconsistent access to the neurological wiring necessary for planning, determining priorities, making decisions and focusing on a wanted outcome.

How can you stay engaged with coaching between sessions? 

How can you follow through on your chosen actions? 

How can you make the changes in your life that you want?

ADHD-Friendly Process for Planning

One way is to ask your coach to help you create a plan for staying engaged.

Ask your coach to help you identify roadblocks you’ve encountered before.  Has there been a time when you figured out a work-around? What’s similar? What’s different? What might work for you “next time?”

Anticipate how you’ll remind yourself to try out your chosen actions. What resources do you have that might help? Resources could include people, visual or aural prompts, or digital tools. 

Track your awareness of what works and what doesn’t.  This doesn’t mean you write in a notebook or journal. Maybe your awareness is captured in a song, a photo or a painting. Maybe it’s a dance! Or it’s a text to your coach. Whatever is “easy” will be the best method for you.

If at First You Don’t Succeed …

Although this process may not magically do the trick the first time you try it, it will improve your coaching experience, if you’re patient. As you learn more about what works for you, you’ll engage more with your coaching. Moving into action may never feel “easy,” but it will become easier!