• I left an unfulfilling, soul-sucking position.  
• I've created a thriving career that motivates me.  
• I enjoy a life that is now defined by my wishes, rather than others' expectations of me. (BTW--It feels great once you get past the fear.)  
• I've lost friends by becoming my own advocate and believing in myself.  
• I've found some new tribe members based on a shared passion, not just geography.  
• I have delved into deepening my understanding of the brain I was born with.  

It is this last bullet that has led me to define myself by becoming, as Joseph Campbell says, "the privilege... to be who you are." The good news? I'm getting it. I'm figuring how this brain-wiring thingy works for me. I'm seeing a process... that is followed by customization. A "tweaking," if you will, that is needed for each person's individual brain.  

Executive Functions...We All Have Them  

The word that bests describes this overall process is "externalize." To be successful with ADHD, you are going to have to externalize your memory and build motivation into your lifestyle! To do that, you must understand your brain and how it works for you, how the prefrontal cortex works to provide you with the decision-making, planning, and follow-through processes.  

Let me shed some light on what has been determined so far. Dr. Russell Barkley (and associates), Dr. Thomas Brown (and associates), and many other researchers in many fields who study the brain are making some incredible discoveries. One part of those discoveries, I call the "meat and potatoes" of ADHD is the Executive Function (EF).  

Every single person born has an executive function. It is part of the prefrontal cortex and starts developing through play and pretending when we are very little. As we grow, our executive functioning grows, too. We have developmental milestones that have a distinct order in development. But somewhere along the line, ADHD people's development starts to become delayed and they are no longer keeping up.  

Measurable differences in the development of ADHD people differ from their peers. Research has shown that genetics, genetic predisposition combined with environmental toxins, and brain trauma are the three main causes of ADHD. So you can forget bad parenting, too much watching TV, and over-playing video games are THE cause of ADHD, as popular media likes to persist in sharing.  

Many of the current EF debates are centering on the orchestration of EF (Is it the conductor?) or the individual function's ability to work those (broken) instruments?. The consensus on an exact definition of EF is still being developed, as we speak, by the professionals, but what I've been able to determine from my reading is that EF has to do with your mind's ability to regulate all the abilities used for decision-making. Function abilities like... organizing materials, sequencing tasks, prioritizing what's important, regulating self-talk and actions, starting tasks, keeping track of time, finishing tasks, and remembering to do the task...EF is the part of the process that manages your abilities so you are able to PRODUCE and be PRODUCTIVE.  

All researchers seem to agree it is a problem with working memory (short term) and emotional self-regulation. So, what I culling from research is this...  

• IF our INTERNAL brains are wired differently and we have issues with TIME and SELF-REGULATION  
• THEN we need to develop EXTERNAL ways to systematize our time blindness to the future and create motivation to start, maintain, and complete projects, especially those projects that seem uninteresting.  

Customizing Your Brain Function  

Here is where the customization comes in! You need to find strategies to keep your short-term memory functioning for you through the use of external memory systems. These systems can include paper, pencil, logs and planners, schedulers, task management software, audio recording apps, alarms set with labels...anything that works for your particular EF strengths and downplays those parts of EF that don't work so hot for you. You will have to experiment, read, and become aware of what works for you. This is where ADHD coaches and other support groups can help you learn about EF and can help you to determine strategies that are customized for your brain.  

Set up a motivational system that works for you and your personality quirks. When you work out, do you need to be with others or by yourself? Pay attention to what works for you and use them to your advantage. Create some rules that work for your lifestyle. Here is a great example, I have a coaching friend who won't get on her computer until she has had breakfast, brushed her teeth, taken her shower, and dressed for the day because, if she doesn't, she will still be in her jammies by lunch! Knowing herself and creating a set of rules help her, allow her to regulate her habits to be more productive. 

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Copyright DeShawn Wert, B.S., M.Ed., ADD Coach