I had my first Google Hangout coaching session with DeShawn Wert (of Your ADD Answers) this afternoon.
We covered a lot of background turf in this first session and I shared with her my two b-i-g goals/dreams. (They aren’t ready to share, but don’t worry, you’ll be the first folks I share them with.)
We didn’t win the war, heck, we haven’t even marched into our first battle, but I do feel like we’ve started to build a strategy, a framework, for how we can organize my campaign to be more in charge of the various titles I hold dearest – wife, mom, writer, photographer, blogger.
I also shared with DeShawn that, while I awaited this first session I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I realized the wave you see up there in this blog’s header represents more than I originally intended it to.
It represents my CA roots and deep (pun intended) love of the ocean.
It represents the unpredictability of my ADD tides. (Is today going to be scattered and full of static or will it be blessed with hyper focused?)
But I’ve also come to realize it also represents how I’ve been feeling lately – not in control, always in the froth, paddling as hard as I can to get up on top of the wave, but never quite making it. Instead of rising up and riding the power of the wave, uniting with it while still able to guide my course, the waves continues to push me where they will – under the water, into the sandy bottom and occasionally up onto the beach to catch my breath in the sunshine (aka hyper focus).
The surfboard that I seek can’t be built in a single one-hour Google Hangout coaching session. This is a multi-step process that will require patience, honesty, meditation, introspection, rumination, persistence, determination and hard work, but after this first hour I can already see how DeShawn can help me build a stronger framework to build my life on, a surfboard that will finally allow me to catch the waves and make my ride what I dream they could be.
Coaching Session #1 Takeaways
- Reinstitute Morning Writing Time –
From spring 2013, when I heard Megan Jordan (of Velveteen Mind) speak about “uninterrupted thought”, until last fall, some 19 months, I was getting up at 5:15am and was seated at my desk by 5:30, ready for two solid hours of writing time. No checking email, no pulling up Facebook, no pinning – only writing. I got so used to the pre-dawn rising that I often woke before the alarm went off. But when Dad’s health started it’s decline, worry interrupted many a night’s sleep and writing time was abandoned for a few minutes more of restless sleep. But those mornings were so productive and freed up the rest of my day to address other work & personal to dos. - 30-Minute Next Day Prep Session –
Each evening, sit down in my office, set a timer for 30 minutes and get ready for tomorrow. Organize the papers on my desk, review my to dos and make a hit list for the next day – and keep the list simple, not too much, keep it achievable. And avoid potential rabbit holes – no Facebook, no Twitter, no Pinterest – they can wait till tomorrow. - Sunday Strategy Session –
30-60 minutes every Sunday to review what is or should be on the coming week’s agenda – appointments, errands and workouts, posts to write and business to take care of, chores to do and projects to work on. - Do a Time Audit –
Keep track of how I use my time each day. What did I get done? What did I waste time on? When was I most productive? When was I not so productive?
After talking with DeShawn today I feel energized and hopeful. Maybe, finally, I’ll stop swimming against the riptide and start getting up on my wave. Maybe, hopefully, I finally find a way to keep up with the everyday and make room to work on those ideas, goals and dreams that have been languishing on lists and in my head for far too long.
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