Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with ADHD, ADD

When you're driven, capable, and juggling a demanding career or business with Adult ADHD, it's easy to stay in constant motion, but still feel off, overwhelmed, or stuck in ADHD survival mode.

And it may just be because you're not operating with your values and vision in mind.

In this episode, Dave explores how clarifying your personal values and creating a values-driven vision of success can help you feel more fulfilled, productive, and in control, without relying on rigid systems and flirting with burnout.

This episode is especially for ADHD brains that crave meaning, flexibility, and momentum, when it may be lacking.

• Why vision and values matter more for professionals and entrepreneurs with ADHD
• How chasing urgency and external expectations leads to busyness without fulfillment
• How to clarify personal and professional values in a way that actually feels usable
• Redefining what "fulfilled," "productive," and "in control" really mean for an ADHD brain
• Why productivity isn't about doing more, but doing what matters with less friction.
• Aligning short- and long-term goals with your values instead of constant pressure
• Simple reflections to help you evaluate whether your goals support the life you want, or just keep you busy.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

In this episode, Dave sits down with Theresa Lear Levine, an EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Master Practitioner and hypnotherapist, to explore the deep connection between the nervous system and ADHD. For high-achieving entrepreneurs and professionals, ADHD is often managed through "mechanics" Which are mission critical.

However, Theresa explains why the nervous system is in a state of high-functioning anxiety or chronic stress for many busy professionals with ADHD. And how we can mitigate that stress.

Key Discussion Points:

• Reframing ADHD: Moving away from the "disorder" mindset to view ADHD as a mismatch between one's brain and their environment or expectations.
• The Power of the Nervous System: Why emotional regulation is the foundation that allows executive functioning strategies to actually work.
• Understanding EFT (Tapping): How combining ancient meridian points with modern psychology can disrupt "fight or flight" responses in the amygdala.
• The "Body Keeps the Score": Discussing how chronic stress and trauma are stored physiologically and how releasing that tension improves focus and health.
• Overcoming the Resistance to Slowing Down: Why high achievers fear "pausing" and how to reintroduce pleasure and joy to prevent burnout.
• Breaking the Procrastination Loop: Using nervous system tools to lower the perceived "threat" of a daunting task so it becomes doable.

Find her at: https://theresalearlevine.com/

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

Navigating life with Adult ADHD often feels like operating in constant "survival mode."

In this episode, Dave talks about why awareness is the non-negotiable starting point for meaningful change, acting as a powerful doorway to separating your ADHD wiring from perceived personal flaws.

Instead of focusing solely on deficits, we explore how to leverage your unique strengths—like high energy, creativity, and resilience, while creating personalized strategies to manage common challenges like time blindness and task initiation.

Most importantly, learn why self-compassion is a crucial performance enhancer and how setting realistic expectations through "micro-adjustments" is the key to rebuilding self-trust and finding lasting clarity.

• Awareness as the Doorway to Thriving: Learn why you "can't fix what you can't see" and how working with a coach, mentor, or trusted friend can help you build awareness to reduce shame and increase agency.
• Leveraging ADHD Strengths: Identify your unique assets, including high energy, creativity, and hyperfocus, and consider how to intentionally do more of what you're naturally good at.
• Pinpointing Pain Points: Strategically look for daily "friction points" where things consistently fall apart to create a roadmap for change, whether the stress comes from work, family, or unclear priorities.
• Reviewing Systems vs. Memory: Discuss the common trap of relying on memory, adrenaline, and urgency. Assess whether you have (or have abandoned) task capture systems, effective calendars, and a way to manage energy.
• The Power of Self-Compassion: Understand why harsh self-talk is a major roadblock and how introducing self-compassion can become a powerful performance enhancer, improving clarity and progress.
• Building Trust With Yourself: Learn how awareness leads to action, and action builds self-trust.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

Juggling a demanding career and the unique challenges of adult ADHD can be tough enough. But what happens when you add significant life commitments, like caregiving, into the mix?

In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave welcomes Lisa Candera, a mom, attorney, ADHD-er, and autism mom coach.

They dive deep into the real-world strategies for managing a full, complex life while respecting and even leveraging your ADHD wiring. Lisa shares her personal journey of late-in-life ADHD diagnosis and the radical compassion it unlocked.

This episode is packed with essential insights on managing burnout, mastering self-regulation, and finding grace amidst the chaos.

For Busy Professionals with ADHD:

• Customized Support is Key: For adults with demanding careers, support (from a coach or mentor) should meet you where you are! There is no one-size-fits-all "playbook" for ADHD.
• Embrace Individual Needs: Recognize and respect your unique sensory environment. Some thrive in dead silence (like David), while others need background stimulation (like Lisa, who studied for the bar in coffee shops).
• Unexpected Coping Tools: Simple items can be life-savers. Lisa's AirPods/earphones help with focus, enjoyment (listening to true crime), and self-regulating her sound sensitivity and quick startle response.
• The Adult ADHD "Click": Many adults with ADHD are diagnosed later in life, often after a child's diagnosis. What seemed like stress, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation often turns out to be a manifestation of their neurotype.
• The Caregiving Challenge: When you have caregiving or high-level family responsibilities, you often experience a next level of exhaustion. Bringing home complexities into the workplace is a reality that contributes to burnout.
• Practice Radical Compassion: Apply the same love, grace, and understanding you afford a struggling child or friend to yourself. This helps reframe struggles that you previously saw as character flaws as part of your wiring.

Find Lisa Candera on her Website: theautismmomcoach.com

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

Buy Dave a cup of coffee and support the show here! https://buymeacoffee.com/overcomingd

In high-pressure careers, stress is constant, and for adults with ADHD, that pressure can quickly turn into frustration, overwhelm, and chronic complaining.

In this short episode, Dave digs into one of the most important personal upgrades you can make: shifting from reacting to your problems to actively solving them.

This isn't about ignoring stress or pretending things are easy…It's about learning how to reclaim control, build momentum, and become someone who figures things out instead of staying stuck in the same mental loop.

Remember, those of us with Adult ADHD are great problem solvers!

Key Discussion Points:

• Why the "complaint loop" feels productive, but quietly drains your energy and power
• The critical difference between venting for relief and problem-solving for change
• How ADHD magnifies overwhelm, and why shrinking problems restores momentum
• The one question that instantly shifts you from reaction mode into solution mode
• How language shapes your outcomes: replacing emotional drama with usable data
• Why problem solvers don't wait for perfect clarity, they take imperfect action fast
• The identity shift that changes everything: becoming "the person who figures it out"

If you feel stuck in the same frustrations at work or at home, this episode will give you a practical, actionable roadmap to move forward, one small decision at a time.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

Buy Dave a cup of coffee and support the show here! https://buymeacoffee.com/overcomingd

What if productivity wasn't just about doing more, but about intentionally doing less of the wrong things?

In this short episode, Dave breaks down one of the most overlooked tools for high-performing professionals with ADHD: the Not-To-Do List. If your days feel packed, your energy feels scattered, and your focus feels constantly under attack, this episode will help you reclaim control by eliminating what no longer serves you.

You'll learn how subtracting the right things can create more clarity, momentum, and ease, without adding more pressure to your already full plate.

In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, you'll learn:

• How to identify your biggest energy drainers and distractions
• The five core categories of a powerful Not-To-Do List
• What tasks you should stop doing, automate, or delegate immediately
• How poor boundaries quietly sabotage focus and performance
• A simple weekly review practice to refine your list
• How pairing a Not-To-Do List with your To-Do List creates real momentum

This episode is a must-listen if you're tired of feeling busy but not always productive, and you're ready to protect your time, energy, and attention with intention.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

Did you know your ADHD brain has its own rhythm? The key isn't to fight it, but to work with it. In this episode, Dave dives into one of the most overlooked parts of productivity: your energy rhythms. Because, you can't manage your time if you don't have the energy to show up for it.

Just because something lands on your to-do list doesn't mean it's going to get done. That's not laziness. It's your brain chemistry at work. Dave talks about how to identify your natural "focus zones" and how to protect them fiercely.

You'll learn why the myth of "9 to 5" productivity doesn't apply to ADHD brains, how energy and focus aren't always the same thing, and why understanding both can help you choose the right type of work for any moment.

Most importantly, he reminds us that focus will fluctuate, and that's okay. True consistency doesn't come from doing things perfectly every day. It comes from respecting how your unique brain actually operates.

Tune in to learn how to match your energy, your focus, and your systems, and finally work with your ADHD brain, not against it.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

Dave welcomes Dr. Jennifer Dall, a grief-informed neurodivergence specialist and founder of ADHD Holistically, to discuss the increasingly common experience of being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, often in your 30s, 40s, or 50s.

Many adults, particularly those who were successful in their early careers or excelled in structured environments like school, find themselves suddenly struggling when life's demands and structures change.

Dr. Dall shares her own candid journey of a later-in-life diagnosis, from initial misdiagnosis to the ultimate "Aha!" moment, and provides actionable insights on how to navigate the complex emotional and practical aspects of this discovery.

This conversation is an essential listen whether you're newly diagnosed, suspect you have ADHD, or simply want a deeper understanding of the adult ADHD experience.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

Burnout when you have adult ADHD is complex. It's not as simple as social media makes it look. Sure, sometimes people walk away from a stressful job or career. But let's be honest….that's not always possible.

You've probably heard the phrase, "People don't leave jobs, they leave people." Well, that's not always true. People do leave jobs.

But what happens when you can't leave? What if you're running a business you own? Or working a job you depend on financially? Or caring for a loved one, a responsibility that's not optional or short-term?

These are situations you can't just walk away from. You have to find a way to make it work.

One of the biggest drivers of burnout is the feeling that your situation isn't going to change anytime soon.

So in today's episode, we're talking about realistic, practical strategies for navigating burnout when you're stuck in a situation that's not easily changed.

If you take away just one thing from today's episode, let it be this:

You have to become a problem solver. Because when your circumstances can't change, your approach has to.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

This week, Dave welcomes back his good friend Jeff Copper of DIG Coaching for a vital discussion tailored for the busy professional navigating life with ADHD.

Many with ADHD excel at problem-solving for others, but often struggle to implement those same solutions for themselves. This episode dives into the concept of executive function impairment and introduces a new approach.

Jeff shares how this model provides a simple, actionable, and universal accommodation to help mitigate the challenges of ADHD and burnout. Tune in to understand why direct communication is the most basic, yet often overlooked, tool for achieving clarity with Adult ADHD.

Key Discussion Points

• ADHD and Problem Solving: Individuals with ADHD are often excellent problem solvers and "connect the dots" better than others, but struggle to apply these skills to their own lives.
• The Role of Executive Functions: ADHD is defined as an executive function impairment, meaning the "mind tools" used for problem-solving (planning, organizing, decision-making) are less efficient, requiring much greater effort in some cases.
• Strategies vs. Execution: Having a plan or strategy isn't enough; the difficulty lies in the execution which requires intensive use of executive functions.
• Cognitive Ergonomics from the Inside Out: Jeff Copper's model posits that direct communication (talking things through in real-time) is a universal accommodation for ADHD.
• Communication as an Accommodation: Language evolved to solve shared problems, making direct, collaborative conversation the most fundamental form of problem-solving. People with ADHD simply need this accommodation more.
• The Power of Clarity: The majority of procrastination is rooted in ambiguity, which direct communication is designed to resolve.

**Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min