In the summer of 1982, I found myself in a Jacuzzi at a swimming pool in Mission Viejo, California, at World Game Trials. I’ll never forget a comment I heard from Steve Lundquist, who was ranked number one in the world in the 100-meter breaststroke competition. He said, “First is first and second is last.” At that time, I latched onto that mindset because I wanted to be a great swimmer and believed that’s what would get me there. As time went on and my record improved, I began to find myself more frustrated about my performance. I was improving but was never first. At the end of my swim career, I was upset and depressed about never being first. Continue reading “ADHD Holidays: Expectations vs. Joy” →

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – December 17, 2018

Do you need visual reminders to remember to complete a task or attend an event? Could your “reminders” be clutter to your mate/roommate? One of my recent clients was very visual. If something was out of sight, it was out of mind, so he left items out to serve as visual reminders.

Dr. Russell Barkley, one of the world’s leading experts on ADHD, tells us that those with ADHD need to focus on the point of performance. Thus, leaving a screwdriver on the kitchen counter is a good structure, as it will remind him that he needs to tighten a few screws on the front porch. Simple enough, right? Continue reading “Are Your Reminders Annoying?” →

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – December 10, 2018

As a seasoned coach, I’ve learned to see past clients’ “stories” and to use observation skills to discover “basic truths.”

Motivation “basic truth” examples:

• You would be dead if you weren’t motivated.
• Everything you ever did was because you were motivated to do it.
• Everything you have not done was because you were not motivated to do it at the time you thought you should do it. Continue reading “The Stories We Tell Ourselves Control Our Attention” →

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 27, 2018

One important fact I’ve learned over the years from coaching folks with ADHD is this:  ADHD is a self-regulation issue with a working memory challenge.  Now, let’s look more closely at the word “memory.”

Many folks with ADHD find clutter distracting. They prefer clean and tidy work spaces to help them think. Interestingly, these same folks wrestle with memory challenges and tend to hold onto things because of the memories they represent; thus creating clutter.
Continue reading “Why Decluttering Systems Don’t Always Work” →

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 20, 2018

One of my clients, a mental health professional, wanted coaching on time management, specifically on how to stop being late. Using the inquisitive coaching process, I began to ask questions, and as things unfolded, it was clear this person was about 10 minutes late 95% of the time.

Given her ADHD, time management challenges are almost always assured. She wanted a “plug-and-play” strategy, because she assumed that there was a structure already out there that I could impart to her for quick results. Continue reading “Eureka! A Time Management Strategy” →

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 6, 2018

Those close to attention deficit disorder (ADD)—psychologists, psychiatrists, neurolo­gists, therap­ists, counselors, etc.—frequently reference four distinguishing characteristics or traits that are used to differentiate between those who have ADD and those who do not. The four traits are “distractible” “impulsive,” “hyper­active,” and “lazy.”

Continue reading “Distractible vs. Curious” →

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – October 30, 2018

Did you know that 50 percent of all doctors graduated in the bottom of their class? Early in my sales career, I loved sharing this very interesting fact; it proved especially useful when I was selling against HMOs in the days when indemnity plans meant you could choose any provider. That’s when I realized most anything that can be measured by definition is at or below average. This simple concept has fascinated me for years. Continue reading “Focusing on Strengths above the 50% Rule” →

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – October 15, 2018

We can get caught up in paying attention to how we want things to be and lose sight of how things actually are. So let’s look at organizing in a new way!

I’ve coached many teens and college students around organization, and, I, too, thought they were very disorganized. But when I opened my mind, it all changed.

From my MBA and process class, I learned that one starts by mapping out the current system before making adjustments. The exercise can be very insightful and applies both to late teens and young adults. Let me illustrate.

Continue reading “Organizing… A New Way” →

October is ADHD Awareness Month! You’ll see a ton of information about ADHD everywhere. But who knows what’s accurate and what’s not? ADDA knows! That’s why ADDA created the TADD Talk program.

If you have ADHD, you need reliable, science-based information. That’s why, along with 30 other experts, I have teamed up with the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) to bring you proven programming, and I’m thrilled to give one of their now-famous TADD Talks this October! Catch my TADD Talk on Sunday, October 7, on “My Experience Coaching Those with ADHD around Sleep Issues.”

Don’t worry; these TADD talks are brief but each one touches on a different topic, and a new nugget of valuable information will be delivered right to your inbox every day all month long! 

Sign up right now to receive your daily dose of TADD Talk goodness. Or you can listen just to me! Click here to check out the schedule.