You may feel dissatisfaction or discomfort in some realm of life that you want to shift. But where to start and how to succeed? In this first episode in a series on intentional living, Dr. Regan identifies ways to plan the foundation of change so that you experience growth without becoming overwhelmed.
As referenced in the current episode:
adultandgeriatricautism.com
Autism and Regulation podcast episode #1
Dr. Regan's online presentations with Zur Institute March, 2023:
Is my Client on the Spectrum? Dispelling Myths About Autism Diagnoses
Autism Assessment: The Seven Diagnostic Criteria Brought to Life
Course for Clinicians - Interventions in Autism: Helping Clients Stay Centered, Connect with Others, and Engage in Life
Course for Clinicians: ASD Differential Diagnoses and Associated Characteristics
Book: Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed
Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors
Autism in the Adult website homepage
Website Resources for Clinicians
00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,590
Hello and welcome to the podcast,
00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:10,190
00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:11,540
00:00:11,550 --> 00:00:13,160
00:00:13,170 --> 00:00:15,630
I am a neuropsychologist,
00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:25,930
the mom of a teen on the spectrum and I'm a certified autism specialist. For more information about my offerings and background,
00:00:25,940 --> 00:00:31,020
please see my website at adultandgeriatricautism.com.
00:00:31,030 --> 00:00:32,830
You can see the link below in the show notes.
00:00:33,450 --> 00:00:33,920
00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:41,420
we are starting a new series that I am calling autism and intentional living.
00:00:41,430 --> 00:00:54,410
So living with intention rather than feeling that were just plodding along day to day or that there's a tidal wave of things happening and we are along for the ride.
00:00:55,700 --> 00:01:03,000
I think every human has seasons of life where we just try to recenter... regroup,
00:01:03,010 --> 00:01:16,430
figure out if we're really living with intention and meaning. We're going to focus on the intersection of that kind of season with autistic neurology.
00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:35,810
Today we're going to have just a foundational and introductory session on this topic and we're going to start with the question of why would someone on the spectrum really need to consider living with intention.
00:01:35,820 --> 00:01:48,350
A lot of living in this with this mindset has to do with setting goals and thinking about shifts in your life if you want to change direction,
00:01:48,350 --> 00:01:51,460
if you want to grow in any particular area.
00:01:51,470 --> 00:01:53,570
And some might feel like,
00:01:53,570 --> 00:01:54,230
00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:08,380
a really nonjudgmental approach is just to support people where they are at and I completely agree... if the person is doing well,
00:02:08,390 --> 00:02:15,000
if they're happy and healthy and they don't have goals to shift gears or adjust.
00:02:15,010 --> 00:02:16,970
00:02:17,340 --> 00:02:26,160
But many of us really do best when we have some type of momentum toward a goal,
00:02:26,170 --> 00:02:31,680
a momentum toward growing in a particular area...
00:02:31,690 --> 00:02:40,360
but sometimes it's hard to figure out ...what should these goals be and how do I make a goal that's going to stick?
00:02:40,370 --> 00:02:44,500
How do I make a goal that is challenging and I can grow,
00:02:44,500 --> 00:02:46,190
but it's not overwhelming...
00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,810
I'm not going to be in this kind of never ending,
00:02:49,820 --> 00:02:57,030
trying to crawl out of this huge weight on my shoulders that I've taken on with this goal.
00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:14,710
So this series is for people who would like to be mindful of ways in which they might like to stretch themselves or go out of their comfort zone and would like to have a topic about how to do that,
00:03:14,710 --> 00:03:16,000
00:03:16,190 --> 00:03:20,400
and some of the plans and supports that might help along the way.
00:03:21,230 --> 00:03:36,380
Let's talk about a first step to thinking with this intentionality and to be to become more aware of ways in which you might like to grow.
00:03:36,390 --> 00:03:37,400
00:03:37,410 --> 00:03:50,430
one of the best things I think about a correct diagnosis of autism is the increased self awareness that ... should come from this diagnosis.
00:03:50,430 --> 00:03:50,620
00:03:50,620 --> 00:03:53,900
if you've ever had that aha moment,
00:03:53,910 --> 00:03:55,710
that's what I'm talking about,
00:03:55,710 --> 00:04:00,460
because things fall into place and you say,
00:04:00,470 --> 00:04:02,780
00:04:02,780 --> 00:04:05,250
00:04:05,260 --> 00:04:07,350
00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:24,430
It really has made a lot of things feel unified and meaningful and like I have a way to understand and express what makes me tick. And this self awareness,
00:04:24,430 --> 00:04:43,920
this increase in self awareness, is often the first step to thinking about... in what ways do I want to just stay centered where I am and in what areas of my life might I like to shift or grow or again kind of go out of that comfort zone.
00:04:44,810 --> 00:04:47,920
So when you have the self awareness,
00:04:47,930 --> 00:05:01,510
that is often the first step toward making some goals and being mindful of where you're at and where you'd like to be after self awareness.
00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:08,500
One thing that can be helpful in goal setting is to think in categories of your life,
00:05:08,510 --> 00:05:13,130
you may already know what your goal is or what you'd like to shift,
00:05:13,140 --> 00:05:16,650
but there may be people who are saying,
00:05:16,660 --> 00:05:21,800
I guess I should probably have a goal to be a better person or to...
00:05:22,850 --> 00:05:23,930
00:05:23,940 --> 00:05:26,320
become better in some way,
00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:26,820
00:05:26,830 --> 00:05:30,110
I just really don't know where to start.
00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:31,620
00:05:31,620 --> 00:05:33,430
Maybe it could be nothing.
00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,040
00:05:35,050 --> 00:05:36,700
00:05:36,710 --> 00:05:39,050
We're going to think about categories.
00:05:40,790 --> 00:05:48,960
One thing that some people that I work with who are on the autism spectrum,
00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,340
one thing they think about as a category in their life,
00:05:53,350 --> 00:05:57,150
could be their special interest. Their...
00:05:57,150 --> 00:05:58,790
00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:03,400
Sometimes people will take that as a category and they will,
00:06:03,410 --> 00:06:04,720
00:06:05,890 --> 00:06:07,730
00:06:07,740 --> 00:06:11,750
what kind of place does this have in my life right now,
00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:15,730
and am I satisfied with that?
00:06:15,740 --> 00:06:21,310
Or do I have this special interest,
00:06:21,310 --> 00:06:29,320
but I'd like to grow in a way that makes it more functional or meaningful for a broader audience.
00:06:29,330 --> 00:06:30,140
00:06:30,140 --> 00:06:32,660
one way to think about it is,
00:06:32,670 --> 00:06:33,850
00:06:33,850 --> 00:06:35,880
00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:41,100
if the special interest is creative writing and I have these characters,
00:06:41,110 --> 00:06:47,030
I have these narratives and plots in my head,
00:06:47,030 --> 00:06:51,450
and I think about what this character would say to that character,
00:06:52,420 --> 00:06:55,390
00:06:55,400 --> 00:07:01,860
and I combine these characters with historical timelines or science fiction themes.
00:07:02,460 --> 00:07:02,930
00:07:02,930 --> 00:07:05,070
00:07:05,670 --> 00:07:08,200
I have loved this for a long time,
00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:19,880
and I've gotten to the point where I've developed characters and themes perhaps a way to stretch myself in this area of strength is to say,
00:07:20,420 --> 00:07:29,870
do I want to have a goal to publish something perhaps to share it with other people who might enjoy it,
00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:37,390
perhaps to make some additional income from my writing,
00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,140
perhaps to grow as a writer.
00:07:40,150 --> 00:07:40,770
00:07:40,770 --> 00:07:44,780
this person may have this love of creative writing,
00:07:44,790 --> 00:07:47,270
but they may not have a degree in writing.
00:07:47,270 --> 00:07:49,780
They may not have taken classes.
00:07:50,300 --> 00:07:51,620
00:07:51,630 --> 00:07:56,320
one category to think about is your interest.
00:07:56,330 --> 00:08:01,150
And in what ways might you want to grow in that area,
00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,140
00:08:03,150 --> 00:08:05,440
You may create a product,
00:08:05,450 --> 00:08:07,400
you may create a website.
00:08:07,410 --> 00:08:10,450
Perhaps you want to publish fan fiction,
00:08:10,450 --> 00:08:13,820
Perhaps you want to publish an e book.
00:08:13,830 --> 00:08:14,490
00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:18,140
the publishing options are really broad right now.
00:08:18,860 --> 00:08:24,250
Another individual on the spectrum may love athletic pursuits.
00:08:24,250 --> 00:08:30,140
Perhaps they run and run and they just love that movement.
00:08:30,140 --> 00:08:31,680
00:08:31,690 --> 00:08:33,570
It's one of their special interests.
00:08:33,570 --> 00:08:37,160
They read a lot of running magazines,
00:08:37,170 --> 00:08:40,780
they read about nutrition for the runner and stretching.
00:08:41,660 --> 00:08:46,950
And this has been really a love that they've had for several years.
00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:55,720
This person may wish to think about whether they would like to broaden what they're doing with running.
00:08:55,730 --> 00:09:06,770
So their goal or their intention for growth might be that they'd like to train for a specific race or marathon.
00:09:07,540 --> 00:09:09,730
00:09:09,730 --> 00:09:10,230
00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:10,860
00:09:10,860 --> 00:09:15,070
I don't know if I want to do that or maybe I've already done it,
00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:23,930
but they may say I would like to meet some new people to connect with the community and to give back uh,
00:09:23,930 --> 00:09:25,210
00:09:25,210 --> 00:09:38,790
So I think I'm going to see if I could coach some track or cross country in the community and teach other people what I love and what I'm good at.
00:09:39,470 --> 00:09:49,610
So you can see that one category for growth and intention and momentum can be a special interest and something that you love,
00:09:49,620 --> 00:09:51,170
00:09:51,170 --> 00:10:02,450
you've done it and you'd like to expand that.
Another category I'd like you to consider is health and wellness.
00:10:03,370 --> 00:10:11,920
There are so many different areas... that this part of life can feel overwhelming. For the autistic though.
00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,300
If you want to think about health and wellness,
00:10:14,310 --> 00:10:22,690
you might think about areas that are particularly easy or particularly difficult for you.
00:10:23,590 --> 00:10:38,610
One person on the spectrum may have a love of nutrition and cooking and again that can be combined with the last category where they're gonna start to teach other people about that.
00:10:39,250 --> 00:10:39,940
00:10:39,940 --> 00:10:46,900
another person on the spectrum may really find it difficult to expand
00:10:46,910 --> 00:10:49,500
the range of what they eat.
00:10:49,510 --> 00:10:51,980
They might say to themselves.
00:10:54,130 --> 00:10:59,130
I would like to expand my palate.
00:10:59,550 --> 00:11:04,750
This is not to say that they must eat every food.
00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:05,200
00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,260
it's just saying if I go out of my comfort zone,
00:11:09,270 --> 00:11:10,590
00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,650
Or maybe the individual says,
00:11:12,650 --> 00:11:13,180
00:11:13,190 --> 00:11:21,170
I don't think I'm going to expand my palate but I do want to focus on... within the foods I can eat comfortably...
00:11:21,180 --> 00:11:25,020
How could I get better nutrition.
00:11:25,420 --> 00:11:52,120
So this person might say I'm going to try adding a protein powder to my smoothie that I have every day or I'm going to try some supplements because I really can do pretty well with swallowing pills or capsules, and I want to make sure I'm getting all the vitamins that I need... or all the minerals.
00:11:52,800 --> 00:12:03,600
Another person in the area of health and wellness may realize that they spend a lot of their time doing seated work.
00:12:03,610 --> 00:12:11,150
Maybe they love to do video games or they have a youtube channel that they keep up and they really enjoy that.
00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:18,890
Perhaps the part of health and wellness that they choose to move forward with might be movement.
00:12:18,900 --> 00:12:19,790
00:12:19,790 --> 00:12:22,700
a lot of times the nervous system,
00:12:32,250 --> 00:12:43,450
particularly for those on the spectrum might need close attention to... how much movement and pressure does their nervous system need. Pressure,
00:12:43,450 --> 00:12:46,740
meaning pressure in the muscles,
00:12:46,750 --> 00:12:50,930
like a weighted blanket OR pressure in the joints.
00:12:50,930 --> 00:12:52,530
00:12:52,540 --> 00:12:53,640
00:12:54,020 --> 00:13:02,670
A lot of times these sensory inputs are regulating and calming for well always for any human,
00:13:02,670 --> 00:13:08,380
but the person on the spectrum may really need that need that intentionality,
00:13:08,390 --> 00:13:16,090
that purposefulness where they really increase that during their daily routine.
00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:23,250
This person may start with saying I really need more movement.
00:13:23,260 --> 00:13:30,610
Therefore I'm going to walk the dog in the morning or I'm going to get a rocking chair and rock.
00:13:30,620 --> 00:13:35,830
Uh it's not exercise but it gives the nervous system movement input.
00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:42,130
And that can be for some people regulating where they feel more centered if they get to rock,
00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:44,540
another person may feel like,
00:13:44,550 --> 00:13:47,440
gosh I need more pressure input.
00:13:47,450 --> 00:13:52,680
Um I'm going to get a hammock so I can lay in the hammock,
00:13:52,690 --> 00:13:54,860
I'm going to get a weighted blanket.
00:13:54,870 --> 00:14:02,510
There's lots of ways to think about health and wellness as a category.
00:14:03,260 --> 00:14:07,130
Speaking of sensory regulation techniques,
00:14:07,130 --> 00:14:10,180
let's talk about regulation as a category,
00:14:10,190 --> 00:14:17,930
you can see past series that talk through a lot of detail about regulation.
00:14:18,700 --> 00:14:24,990
Every individual on the spectrum will find some challenges in the area of regulation.
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:32,420
And here let's talk about regulation of emotions and of the internal motor,
00:14:32,420 --> 00:14:37,670
how activated someone feels or how sluggish.
00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:46,060
So for the autistic individual they may have difficulty staying centered,
00:14:46,070 --> 00:14:47,350
00:14:47,660 --> 00:14:48,960
00:14:48,970 --> 00:14:55,330
and that they find that just right spot where they don't feel anxious,
00:14:55,340 --> 00:14:56,450
00:14:56,450 --> 00:14:58,600
00:14:59,150 --> 00:15:12,650
where they're aware and they're centered. There are strategies for regulation and I will put the link to that regulation series in the show notes.
00:15:12,660 --> 00:15:17,580
Someone may think of this category of regulation and say,
00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:19,020
00:15:19,030 --> 00:15:32,710
I would like to stay more even, I would like to feel more steady in my own person ...that I can feel resilient toward the day.
00:15:32,710 --> 00:15:44,070
And so my area for growth that I choose is to live with some intention about how to regulate myself
00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,330
the best that I can across time every day.
00:15:49,250 --> 00:15:55,490
Another great area for consideration would be relationships and communication.
00:15:57,870 --> 00:16:00,880
Not everyone needs a goal in this area,
00:16:00,890 --> 00:16:07,400
but the self awareness of the categories can help us think through again with intention.
00:16:07,410 --> 00:16:13,180
Like is this the place I'd like to be in my relationships and if you're in that place,
00:16:13,190 --> 00:16:14,390
00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,610
If you would like to improve some area,
00:16:17,610 --> 00:16:23,540
you might consider whether you want to be intentional about some goals in that area.
00:16:24,620 --> 00:16:53,320
One individual may feel like they really have relationships that work well for them and they have this already established way of communicating this rhythm together and they just want to keep and maintain that -- another person may want to figure out how to get some extra social time and and kind of add to their relationships in a way that feels really satisfying to them.
00:16:53,330 --> 00:17:07,520
Like what type of person would I like to connect with and what kind of activities do I actually like to do with people... again in a way that feels really satisfying and filling to that individual.
00:17:08,030 --> 00:17:11,680
Another person may have a communication goal,
00:17:11,750 --> 00:17:13,240
00:17:13,250 --> 00:17:13,630
00:17:13,630 --> 00:17:18,650
I'm super good at presenting facts and details at work,
00:17:18,660 --> 00:17:21,090
I like going on conference calls,
00:17:21,090 --> 00:17:24,040
I know what to say when it's my turn to talk,
00:17:24,050 --> 00:17:31,610
but I really get overwhelmed with conflict and I can shut down,
00:17:31,610 --> 00:17:40,640
I can freeze and at some point I might just kind of blow up and go too far trying to get my point across,
00:17:40,650 --> 00:18:02,220
I might want there to be justice in this situation and it's really difficult for me to know how to have effective communication without shutting down or blowing up in a case where there's a lot at stake ... where there's high emotion. That might be your area of growth this season,
00:18:03,660 --> 00:18:05,490
00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:08,050
may be everyday life tasks.
00:18:08,060 --> 00:18:11,840
We all have these kind of mundane,
00:18:11,850 --> 00:18:13,770
00:18:13,780 --> 00:18:20,000
really uninspiring things that have to get done in our everyday life.
00:18:20,010 --> 00:18:25,380
We have to pay bills... we need to take the car to get an oil change.
00:18:26,060 --> 00:18:31,060
We're really due to go to the dentist,
00:18:31,060 --> 00:18:31,480
00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:35,970
appointments and tasks and chores... these kinds of things.
00:18:35,980 --> 00:18:46,780
This may be an area where someone wants to push themselves this season and kind of get in a better rhythm. For one person.
00:18:46,780 --> 00:18:51,200
It may be tackling how to really clean their environment.
00:18:51,210 --> 00:18:55,160
... more frequently or ...or less frequently.
00:18:55,170 --> 00:19:05,870
How to declutter. For people on the spectrum who have great collections and love different objects perhaps related to their interest,
00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:18,070
they may feel they've gotten to the point where there's just not enough space... or they've spent too much money and they want to figure out how to balance out how many collections they have.
00:19:19,110 --> 00:19:24,660
Another person may feel like they want to figure out a better rhythm for budgeting.
00:19:25,340 --> 00:19:29,730
It's really tough to balance.
00:19:29,740 --> 00:19:31,420
00:19:31,420 --> 00:19:33,400
I've got to pay these bills first.
00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:46,240
But then this unexpected bill came and also I have these things related to my interests that I would really really love to invest my money in as well.
00:19:46,250 --> 00:19:51,140
There's also this executive function piece to money management of,
00:19:51,390 --> 00:19:54,710
have I set up all these automatic accounts?
00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,130
Have I forgotten to pay something.
00:19:57,130 --> 00:20:03,980
Have I not realized that my check didn't land in my account properly.
00:20:03,990 --> 00:20:14,150
So organization, planning, details and being able to wait to perhaps get something that you really love.
00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:22,650
Those things might be this category for you of tackling daily tasks a little differently.
00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:29,060
And someone else may want to work on how to get out there in the community,
00:20:29,070 --> 00:20:30,830
navigate their community,
00:20:30,830 --> 00:20:33,890
Perhaps they have a license to drive,
00:20:33,890 --> 00:20:34,630
00:20:34,630 --> 00:20:37,310
but it is not their favorite thing to do.
00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:41,710
Perhaps strategies related to...
00:20:43,310 --> 00:20:52,340
how do I maintain getting out of the house and connecting with people when driving is really kind of draining for me.
00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:58,370
A final category you might want to think about is the family culture.
00:20:58,370 --> 00:21:01,980
So if you live in a household with other people,
00:21:01,990 --> 00:21:06,990
you might want to think about how the culture works.
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,180
This is part of self awareness and intentionality.
00:21:10,180 --> 00:21:20,430
Because what happens in any household is that we get into this just rhythm of what needs to be done.
00:21:20,430 --> 00:21:21,010
00:21:21,010 --> 00:21:21,430
00:21:21,430 --> 00:21:21,840
00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:22,360
00:21:22,630 --> 00:21:25,990
Who's irritating which person?
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,720
Um and the culture can very easily drift into,
00:21:30,730 --> 00:21:34,550
hey don't do that or why didn't you do this?
00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:44,960
A lot of telling people how they're falling short ...having them know what our expectation is that they behave differently,
00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:51,760
that they do different tasks... and that can be a very draining kind of culture when we drift into that.
00:21:52,000 --> 00:22:00,140
So a different culture might be again focusing on this intentionality and awareness...
00:22:00,150 --> 00:22:08,350
To introduce the culture where our thought process is "this is what I need today."
00:22:09,380 --> 00:22:17,450
Maybe you're working on regulation and you need to take certain things into account to get better centered or more centered,
00:22:17,460 --> 00:22:26,340
but you have this culture emerging at home where you realize that other people may have a different need.
00:22:26,340 --> 00:22:29,960
So we say "this is what I need today,
00:22:29,970 --> 00:22:31,850
what is it that you need?"
00:22:33,090 --> 00:22:34,600
00:22:34,610 --> 00:22:37,110
how can we both get our needs met?
00:22:37,780 --> 00:22:41,530
And there are times when yeah,
00:22:41,540 --> 00:22:43,910
everybody can't get all their needs met.
00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:57,240
But this culture of trying to protect other people's needs and bring them out into the open and negotiate about those is really nice,
00:22:57,250 --> 00:22:58,360
00:22:58,380 --> 00:22:59,270
00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:03,580
It changes us from adversaries to partners.
00:23:03,590 --> 00:23:28,360
So if a dad is super sound sensitive and just had a rough day on a zoom call with his boss and he comes in and his five year old daughter is in her ballerina costume and she's singing and twirling and jumping and she jumps into his arms.
00:23:28,860 --> 00:23:29,890
00:23:29,900 --> 00:23:33,030
he may have this strong reaction like,
00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,990
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:36,370
00:23:36,370 --> 00:23:41,430
this child is spinning all around and it's so loud,
00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:42,590
00:23:42,590 --> 00:23:44,210
00:23:44,220 --> 00:23:46,080
00:23:46,090 --> 00:23:48,260
00:23:48,270 --> 00:23:57,350
Um and he could very easily react to this and say stop,
00:23:57,360 --> 00:23:58,770
00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:05,740
Um but a shift in culture may look like look at you,
00:24:05,750 --> 00:24:07,450
00:24:07,460 --> 00:24:08,950
00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:13,920
It looks like you'd really love to spin and sing today.
00:24:13,930 --> 00:24:16,390
00:24:16,390 --> 00:24:17,680
00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:19,940
They're kind of sensitive today.
00:24:20,980 --> 00:24:27,320
If you're wanting to sing and dance and I need quiet and rest,
00:24:27,330 --> 00:24:29,740
how could we both get our needs met?
00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:33,140
00:24:33,150 --> 00:24:33,660
00:24:33,660 --> 00:24:53,030
I wonder if you could sing and dance in the basement, and I could have some rest and quiet time in the backyard ...and then we could meet back here and you can tell me more about your dancing that would represent a shift in culture.
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:59,780
How does this household handle the needs of others when they conflict?
00:24:59,790 --> 00:25:00,990
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:08,800
so that maybe this area of growth that you might want to focus on for a season today,
00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:20,090
we've talked about the way that an autism diagnosis creates some freedom and openness by increasing self awareness.
00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:21,710
00:25:21,710 --> 00:25:23,500
This is what makes me tick.
00:25:23,510 --> 00:25:36,090
This is what I need and that in itself is an expanding out of the smaller place that you might have felt you existed in before.
00:25:36,100 --> 00:25:39,060
So with this expansion of self awareness,
00:25:39,070 --> 00:26:06,450
we can either kind of go back to life as usual or we can ride the tidal wave of all our daily activities and things that we're used to doing or we can pause and kind of restock and think about if I want to live intentionally and perhaps I want to grow,
00:26:06,460 --> 00:26:08,880
I want to go out of my comfort zone,
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:13,570
I want to have goals and momentum toward those goals,
00:26:13,570 --> 00:26:15,780
but I don't want to be overwhelmed.
00:26:16,870 --> 00:26:17,320
00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:20,230
this is a way to approach that.
00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:25,220
If you would like to take some journey with me during the series,
00:26:25,230 --> 00:26:42,050
take some time this month to say which of these categories might fit where I'm at and where I'd like to have some growth now I do not want you to make goals in every category.
00:26:42,060 --> 00:26:42,890
00:26:42,900 --> 00:26:51,220
this is about being intentional without um kind of running ourselves into the ground.
00:26:51,230 --> 00:27:02,010
We don't want to make so many goals that we just um can't keep up the momentum because we're weighted down.
00:27:02,020 --> 00:27:07,860
So just pick a category and pick one little goal,
00:27:07,870 --> 00:27:46,540
one area of growth within that category to start and then in the future you can redo other categories but be mindful think about intention and what you would like to think through as an area of growth and then join me back next time because what we're going to talk about in the second session of the series is how to take an area within a category and think about it in more specific ways in order to make a goal.
00:27:46,550 --> 00:27:52,190
Many clients that I have come in and say I'd like to grow in this area,
00:27:52,190 --> 00:28:04,490
but I have no idea how what kind of goal I can have success with or what kind of goal is reasonable for me at this time of my life,
00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:07,310
I feel lost about how to make a goal,
00:28:07,310 --> 00:28:08,490
00:28:08,500 --> 00:28:10,120
how to choose an area of....
00:28:10,490 --> 00:28:31,410
So next episode will be about that topic and then in the future will have additional episodes of this series that takes some of these categories and break them down even more with some strategies that might help you create more growth and wellness in any of these categories of life.
00:28:32,270 --> 00:28:32,860
00:28:32,860 --> 00:28:34,590
food for thought for this month,
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:44,950
I'm so glad you joined me and I hope that you come back again with some thoughts about where you would like to have more intention in your living.