By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – March 11, 2024
Frustrated by your weaknesses? Why not look at the opposite end of the spectrum?
I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam.
I am Popeye, the Sailor Man.
—Popeye, the Sailor Man
Although this quote may seem a bit simplistic, I think it illustrates how free you may feel when you pay attention to who you are, and Popeye did just that. We all have the option to choose what we pay attention to. Consider this: Would this be Popeye’s quote if he paid attention to what he could NOT do? Or does he feel great about himself because he is paying attention to what he CAN do? Continue reading “The Opposite End of the Spectrum”
I’m a fan of what I call insightful thinking, and I’m sharing a simple example that I think beautifully illustrates the difference between insightful thinking and methodical thinking as a way to help delineate the different types of problem-solving strategies. Let’s begin by defining a few terms so we are paying attention to the same thing.
The placebo effect has been documented to positively impact physical and mental health. How can this be? After all, a placebo is benign. It’s a sham or simulated intervention designed to produce a perceived or actual improvement. Many times, a placebo is used to reinforce a person’s expectation of getting well or moving forward. Studies show this phenomenon is pervasive. But, if a placebo is benign, how can it have positive effects? I’m calling this to your attention as evidence of the power of what you pay attention to. 
I’d like to share an old parable used by Mark Twain that I feel illustrates the dangers of searching for, or succumbing to, the control of others regarding what you should do in life.
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Isn’t that what they say? But trying harder is impossible if you are already trying as hard as you can and getting no results. So, what can you do?
Jane, a woman with attention deficit disorder (ADD), came to coaching, wanting help with organization, specifically, getting things done. So, we focused our work on paying attention to what she pays attention to. Now, understand that this means we focused on her natural tendencies and habits, not necessarily on what she was consciously thinking of.
The first written record of the concept of ADHD coaching was in the book, Driven to Distraction, by Dr. Ned Hallowell and Dr. John Ratey in 1994. Little did they know at that time, the entire coaching industry would grow into a new ADHD intervention. In the late 1990s, a handful of individuals became life coaches that had ADHD and began touting the concept. In 2004, we saw the official formation of the ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) as a means for coaches to come together and share best practices and competencies. 
What is insightful thinking, and why should it be understood as an alternative to methodical thinking or other problem-resolution strategies? Insight, or insightful thinking, is the sudden and immediate comprehension or understanding that takes place without overt trial-and-error testing. 
Self-awareness is an executive function, and success in life is highly correlated with self- awareness. Executive functioning (EF) is a set of mental faculties that enable us to identify, organize, and sequence relevant information over time towards a goal. In short, executive functioning is what we use to engineer a plan to achieve a goal.