ADHD runs in families.  It is a genetic disorder and a family affair.  If you are an adult with ADHD, it is highly likely that another relative of yours will have ADHD.  For many adults, this other someone is a grandchild.

ADHD affects conservatively about 5-8% of the world’s population. With the world’s population being around 7 billion…that’s a lot of people struggling with inattention, impulsivity or distractibility! Since math has never been my best academic subject, comprehending such a number has always been a bit hard for me. I guess it means that if I’m sitting in a room of 30 people, at least two or three of those people have a creative, overly active, easily distractible brain just like mine. Or when my child struggles in school, I know I am not alone, because approximately 200 other students/families are struggling with the same academic, homework, discipline and family chaos that me, my child and my family are experiencing.

“Starting your own business is like riding a roller coaster. There are highs and lows and every turn you take is another twist. The lows are really low, but the highs can be really high. You have to be strong, keep your stomach tight, and ride along with the roller coaster that you started.” ~ Lindsay Manseau Did you know that adults with ADHD are 300% more likely to be entrepreneurs? With the current economy, more and more people are deciding to create their own success by venturing into entrepreneurial business.

I’m a good goal setter. I see it as a way to challenge myself and keep things interesting. A bit like playing a game and figuring out which hoops I need to jump through to get to the prize. Sometimes I stick to these new resolutions…too often I don’t. I always have the best intentions, but I confess I haven’t always gone past this initial phase into taking the steps needed for success. This year I made a promise that it would be different. This time, I’d reach the prize.

A lot of the holidays are not very ADD-friendly. It seems there are more deadlines to be met, expectations to reach, and a lot more chaos to filter out. Even still, there are many things I truly enjoy about the holidays and really fit with my spontaneous, live in the moment, out of the box thinking ADHD brain style.

If you are an adult newly diagnosed with ADHD, it’s assumed you have been struggling with some level of distractibility, impulsivity and even hyperactivity. These key ADHD symptoms are what help specify and diagnosis the disorder. Less acknowledged, discussed or even know about, are the common inner feelings of anger, grief, shame, isolation and even hope that adults with ADHD experience.

As an ADHD Life Coach, I get to meet the most amazing people.  Last week, I went to the annual CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder)  conference for ADHD in Orlando.  Just imagine 1000 plus people with ADHD together in Disneyworld!   Each with such awesome qualities as creativity, resourcefulness, charm, perseverance, intelligence, able to talk a lot, good problem solvers,

“ Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.” ~Josh Billings Sometimes I feel immense pressure to do things I don’t want to do. Other people’s priorities end up being my priorities and then I wonder why I struggle with feeling overwhelmed. For some reason, there seems to be many things I should do. Or things I should want to do. Or things other people expect me to do…in addition to what I already have to do or want to do. Whether it’s because I want to be liked, seen as competent, like to have many interesting projects going at one time, or simply because I said “no” last time, there is tremendous pressure to give into other people’s requests, and say “yes”.

This week, I want to share a poem with you that was sent to me by a client. Although she and I have been working together for only a short time, she has learned so much and is changing her life. It is truly an honor and privilege to help her finally understand her ADHD brain style, begin to feel more in control of the chaos, experience confidence and finally get things done. My client is an outstanding individual who has struggled all her life with ADHD and didn’t realize why she felt so different and out of place. She is an intelligent, creative and determined woman who would not give up trying to find the answers to her challenges and as an adult with ADHD, is just now coming out of her shell to experience her own potential, gifts and strengths.

Two significant things have happened to me in this last year. I turned 50 and I began working with my own business/life coach. Both have me thinking more about where I am in my life and my work. What I want to change…what I am satisfied with. Up until about six months ago I had been fairly content with how I was serving the ADHD community. I had been specializing in working with people with ADHD for nearly nine years, I had established a good reputation, had steady referrals and was contributing to ADHD awareness in many ways. However, I had a gnawing feeling it wasn’t enough. There was more I could do…more people who I could reach and serve. But how? About six months ago, I attended a conference where I met and committed to working with my new business coach… for an entire year! I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay for the coaching, or if I even had the time or energy needed to do so. However, I wanted to increase my ability to serve the ADHD community, and just “knew” the coaching program was the right choice to do that.