By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – October 31, 2022
Time and again, I have written about attention, and time and again, I have tried to illustrate that whatever seems to be obvious to you is a function of what you are paying attention to. So, if you want to pay attention to the right thing, then you need to pay attention to how things work by focusing on the process, not the result. To demonstrate that I really do practice what I preach, I will share with you an experience of how I put these principles into play a few days ago in my own life. Continue reading “Puberty: My Teenager is Under the Influence!”
Since the early 19th century ushered in the Industrial Revolution, we as a society have evolved from a one-size-fits-all way of doing things to a more highly customizable system of producing consumer goods. Now, humankind itself is finally starting to develop a better understanding of, and appreciation for, the diverse makeup of its people. More and more advocates are focusing on differences in ethnicity, sexuality, and gender. When it comes to neurodiversity, however, for the most part, many are still silent.
In preparing for ADHD Awareness Month in 2014, I realized that ADHD coaching first appeared in print in the book Driven to Distraction by Dr. Ned Hallowell and Dr. John Ratey. This book has been the best-selling book on ADHD of all time. To bring awareness to the public, I reached out to Dr. Ned Hallowell. Together, we did a podcast on Attention Talk Radio, acknowledging the 20th anniversary of the birth of ADHD coaching as an intervention.
If you’ve got ADHD and truly observe your behavior, you might come to realize that thinking is effortful. It’s very challenging for people with ADHD to actually pause and engage their thinking mind to override their automatic responses. There is value in doing that if you actually make that happen. 
Organizing your miscellaneous thoughts and ideas? UGH! The topic of getting organized comes up frequently in coaching, and I can relate to that personally. For instance, there’s a miscellaneous drawer in my kitchen. It’s the depository for things that don’t have a home. The top drawer of my bedroom chest serves the same purpose. Ditto my workbench in the garage. 
What is self-awareness? Is it just being aware of your own internal emotions and feelings? Is it being able to see yourself in the third person? Or is it being able to see life and situations at a higher level, not just awareness of yourself, but awareness of others? Many people with ADHD struggle with self-awareness.
In my talks, podcasts, and videos, I relate information and helpful advice on various topics concerning ADHD and attention. From time to time, I receive comments and questions from folks disagreeing with what I say, because they “feel” what they are doing works for them. 
The common theme to all of my newsletters is how paying attention to the wrong belief leads us to the wrong solution, and how being stuck is a symptom of paying attention to an inaccurate belief. As an attention coach, I find that, for most of my clients, the hardest part is not paying attention to the right things, but rather unlearning, letting go, or not paying attention to what the Ego believes it should pay attention to. 
The band Three Dog Night sang it best in their song titled “One,” with the lyrics that go like this: