Livingston Services

Making decisions about how to use our limited time and energy often means choosing among those projects that feel most urgent, finishing long-postponed tasks or planning for future success; planning almost always gets put aside.

Everyone is challenged by the number of distractions that fill our worlds all day long. These challenges to our concentration and focus are particularly demanding for those with ADHD, but they are present and difficult for everyone.

We are creatures of habit. Establishing patterned ways of doing things allows us to free up our attention for more important or interesting things. This works great when you are tying your shoes. But relying on a patterned reaction can create a problem when you are faced with stressful situations or interactions that feel threatening. The patterns that we usually follow in these situations are the patterns that we learned as children.

“It’s easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar.”

How did you read that title? You have frustrating co-workers, or that you frustrate your co-workers?

Change happens gradually. So, if you’re feeling like it’s time to change, celebrate the beginning of a process.

Creating change in yourself is a campaign that starts with recognizing a pull within yourself toward something new or away from something familiar. What hook will get you thinking about change? Your too-tight pants might bring the idea to your attention. Puffing your way up a flight of stairs is hard to completely ignore. Losing a large client interrupts the bliss. Feeling burned out suggests something is off. Having your spouse discouraged with you is a strong clue.

People struggle with managing tasks. This is one of the more common reasons for clients to engage in coaching.

An internist was referred to me the other day because he wasn’t able to keep his records up to date on a timely fashion and it was beginning to overwhelm him and worry his hospital administrator. He literally felt like he was drowning, and wondered what was wrong with him.

I worried about writing his story in a blog because I knew that three other physician clients I’ve been seeing would assume that I’m writing about them, and maybe my dentist clients would assume I had changed the facts a bit to hide their identity. All assume that they are unusual and carry a poor self-image.

None of my neighbors are likely to answer a personal question like, "What is the status of your executive functioning?" But they leave clues all over their property when we get as much snow as we've gotten this winter.

The major ice storm that hit New England last week brought a large oak-tree limb down on our roof. We were lucky that the heavy butt end trailed as it fell over 20 feet, but the dozens of smaller branches, which led the way down and cushioned the blow to the roof over our bedroom, punctured the rubber membrane in over 35 places; rain poured in and we scrambled to get buckets into the attic to stem the flow and minimize the damage.