In my first session with new clients, we cover what to expect going forward. The biggest point I like to make is that of noticing how they are feeling at any given time durng the process of “peeling the onion” and discovering an authentic career/livelihood direction.
As ADDers, we may not be used to noticing our feelings before we react or jump into an activity out of impatience or to simply procrastinate and avoid taking the next step.
Even now as I write this post, I am feeling a mix of anxiety and a few emotions I haven’t identified which tells me that the truth is just under the surface. I might need to take a break and check email or get up and make tea before I sit down to tackle the rest of this post.
So what does this have to do with creating an abundant livelihood?
Everything! Before when I would experience the feelings that would kick my ADD brain into overdrive, I would neglect doing something that would take my business further and allow me to reach more people. I still do sometimes – remember I’m just like you. I am learning to manage these impulses v. fixing them as if they are all completely fixable without management.
Feelings about the truth for us when it comes to the work we do is an essential ingredient to creating a shift to finding, accepting and taking action on a new or repurposed direction in one’s career and life.
Take the people we want to serve and/or work with. If we are honest with ourselves, we are likely working with people that drive us crazy at times. Even those who might make us want to give up, scream, curse or run,
Perhaps if we all have an office (that’s another story altogether), we would shut the door and put a keep out sign naming specific characteristics we want to avoid, like gossipers, micro-managers, backstabbers, motor mouths (ahem), to name a few.
What feelings do you experience and where in your body do you experience them when you are dealing with the characteristics in people you work with or that make you a bit nuts? Now is the chance to write it out and name it. Kick it in the butt by owning that you do your best work when you are dealing with people who ….. (take five minutes and write something down).
I’ll give you an example and then end this post and ask for comments:
I, as well as many of us, work from home. Therefore, aside from the clients I have in my local area, I generally work by phone. I look and listen for how my energy is with potential clients and were in my body my feelings reside. Do I feel excited or exhausted (head and throat).
Do I feel anxious (generally in gut), confused, blank (I’ve checked out and start multi-tasking). I recognize that I love working with most of the folks in my tribe of ADD/ADHDers or those who may have a few of the characteristics but not necessarily diagnosed.
Why? Because when we are on we are on – it’s fun and we connect. There is a certain knowing that takes place and an ease of conversation. I therefore, like people I can connect with where the conversation flows v. forced, and where I know with relative certainty I can make a difference. I now use this information to attract the clients I want to work with the most.
How can you use this type of information in a larger workplace? More later on that one!.