ten re-framing ideas to shift perspective and create...

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10 ADHD-FrienDly WAys to sHiFt PersPectiveAnD creAte cHAnge

www.embraceyourADHD.ca

Ten Re-Framing Ideas To Shift Perspective And Create Change In Your Life

Brett Thornhill ACG, ACC, n.d.Certified ADHD Coach

Specializing in ADHD And Executive Function Challenges

193 Lemarchant RoadSt. John’s, NL

A1C 2H5

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Copyright © 2015 BRETT THORNHILL

All rights reserved. No portion of this e-book may be reproduced in any way without written permission of the author. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission from the author.

Limits of Liability

The author shall not be liable for your misuse of this material. This book is strictly for informational and educational purposes.

Warning – Please Be Advised

This book is intended for education purposes only. The author is neither responsible nor liable to the reader or any other persons with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.

Brett Thornhill ACG, ACC, n.d.Certified ADHD Coach193 Lemarchant Road

St. John’s, NLA1C 2H5

Specializing in ADHDand Executive Function Challenges

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Re-Boot___________________________________________________________4

From Marketer to Coach… in One Diagnosis!_____________________________5

What This Book Is Not__________________________________________________7

Wise Words____________________________________________________________8

Learn to Embrace Your Differences______________________________________9

A “Strength-Based” Approach to Life__________________________________12

Excuse Vs. Reason____________________________________________________13

Becoming Comfortable with Discomfort_______________________________14

Intelligent Vs. Clever__________________________________________________16

Right and Wrong…A State of Mind; Not A State of Being________________17

RECEIVE and PERCEIVE; TRANSMIT and COMMIT________________________19

Pursue Excellence…Let Go of Perfection_______________________________21

Taking a Leap of Faith________________________________________________22

Never Forget The Home Team ________________________________________24

Conclusion…_________________________________________________________26

About The Author____________________________________________________27

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THE RE-BOOT

A couple of years ago, after a career spanning nearly 20 years in the field of Marketing and Communication, I made a rather significant decision to completely “Re-Boot” my life. I set out on a path that eventually led to me becoming certified as a Professional ADHD Coach, and opening a Coaching Practice in my home of St. John’s, Newfoundland, on the far east coast of Canada.

The path from career marketer and employee to ADHD Coach and entrepreneur has been, to say the least, interesting. It’s a journey that presented more than a few bumps, and unexpected, but valuable lessons along the way.

It’s some of those lessons that I have decided to share; lessons I believe can be relevant to anyone, whether impacted by ADHD or not, who desires to create change inany aspect of their life or career.

But before I take you through:

10 ADHD-Friendly Ways to Shift Perspectiveand Create Change.

I’d like to tell you just a little bit about what lead to my decision; a decision to write a new story for my life; one that today finds me more certain of who I am and what I am meant to be doing in this world than at any other point in my life.

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FROm mARkETER TO COACH… IN ONE DIAgNOSIS!

There was a time just a few short years ago, when I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever achieve any sense of real contentment in my life. Even more frustrating at the time was that on the surface, there seemed to be no logical reason to feel that way. I had actually accomplished some nice things in

my life… I wasn’tfinancially independent, but I had a secure and successful career that paid me fairly well and that I enjoyed more often than not. I had the respect of the people I worked with; a wonderful family with a beautiful wife and two great kids; and I was fortunate to have a good assortment of close friends.All in all, not a bad existence

by any reasonable standard, and certainly not a life that anyone would reasonably expect to cause discontentment. Despite those facts, much of the time I felt overwhelmed by restlessness and disappointment, and it was beginning to affect nearly every aspect of my life, both at work and at home.

Then, in 2009after being awarded a management position with more responsibility and greater compensation, both things that I was sure I was seeking, these feelings became too strong to ignore and I made the decision to seek counseling. After a few months of working on what I thought at the time was anxiety and depression, my counselor suggested that it might be worthwhile to consider being an assessed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A complete surprise to me given my knowledge of ADHD at the time, but I was desperately seeking answers, so I eagerly followed her recommendation.

A couple of months later, after several consultations with a Psychiatrist, adiagnosis of ADHD was confirmed. I’d love to tell you that everything changed at that point, but it wasn’t quite that simple. What occurred in the following weeks and months were a series of up and down emotions that ran from extreme relief immediately following the diagnosis, to episodes of denial, uncertainty, regret and, at times, even bouts of anger, depression and despair.

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I now understand that those responses were actually quite normal for someone receiving the ADHD diagnosis as an adult. When I think back on it now, I realize that I was actually mourning the person I thought I might have been if I had only known about my ADHD earlier.

But then I got tired… tired of the self-pity… tired of living in the past. It was time to stop looking back at what might have been and to start looking forward to what could be… And that was the turning point. I decided that instead of living in regret, it made more sense to view my ADHD as an opportunity to re-define myself; to use my newly acquired knowledge to empower rather than forbid forward movement in my life.

I had gained a lot of new insight as a result of my research into ADHD. I discovered that, while there are no doubt challenges that accompany the condition, there are also tremendous opportunities. My ADHD provided me with traits that led to strengths and abilities that I had spent a lifetime taking for granted. I decided to use this new insight as a springboard. To view

my ADHD as a difference as opposed to a disorder… and to EMBRACE that difference as a way to take on the discontentment I had felt for so long… and that’s when I decided to create…BRETT 2.0.

So that was nearly 5 years ago. The changes I’ve made in my life haven’t happened overnight… and believe me, they haven’t happened without some rough patches and plenty more bouts of uncertainty along the way, but they HAVE happened… and in fact, they’re STILL happening. And while I’m now more than ever convinced that I am and will always be, an imperfect work in progress, I’m ok with that… and I’m learning to Understand, Accept and Embrace the lessons along the way… a few of which, I’m privileged to be able to share with you here.

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WHAT THIS BOOk IS NOT

I thought I’d make it clear right out of the gate exactly what this book is not! It is not a “How-To” Guide. When it comes to the lessons that lead to change, there is no substitute for experience. We each learn them at our own pace and they resonate with each individual for different reasons. You will discover your own set of “lessons” on your path to change and decide which ones are worth hanging onto to serve you

in the future and which are merely happenings to be acknowledged, and released.

It is certainly not a recipe for success, even though you may hopefully find some valuable ingredients here. I believe a person’s idea of success to be deeply personal and the individual who actually achieves it can only define what that is. While it does not seek to advise, I guess it could be considered a series of tales based on experience that I might offer up to anyone seeking significant change in their life.

Mostly though, it is simply a set of observations… none of them absolute, and all with perfectly valid and competingperspectives… I am simply putting them forward as things to consider. They are some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned so far on my own journey to change. They have helped alter the way I see the world and also the way I consider my little place in it. It just so happens that I decided to write them down.

So with that said… let’s get started.

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WISE WORDS

“As we grow up, we tend to believe that the world is simply the way it is, and that our job is just to live our lives within that world and try not to bash into the walls too much as we do so.

But that’s a very limited view of the world, and life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact.

That everything around us that we call life, everything we see and everything we do, was created by people… people that are no smarter than us… And we can change it… we can influence it!

We can build our own things that other people can use.

The key is to shake off this erroneous notion that life is just there and we’re simply expected to LIVE IT rather than EMBRACING IT… CHANGING IT… IMPROVING IT and making our mark upon it.

And once you’ve discovered that… you’ll never be the same again!”

Wise words for sure, and I wish they were mine, but they actually came from Steve Jobs… a man who I think you’ll agree, knew a thing or two about changing the world.

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LEARN TO EmBRACE YOuR DIFFERENCES

The first thing I want to talk about is the power of embracing your differences. Let’s play a little game to demonstrate.

Imagine you’re on a game show. The host of the show has two items behind a curtain. He will describe them by telling you 8 thingsthat are the same about the two items. The prize for guessing both items correctly is $80,000! (Did I mention that this is just pretend)

The catch? You have only one guess… the prize is reduced by $10,000 with each clue and you have to be correct with your one guess or you win nothing. So, to maximize your winnings, you need to guess as soon as you’re sure. But remember, if you guess wrong, you walk away with nothing.So don’t guess until you are certain.

Ready? Let’s start!

1. Both items fit in my hand ($80,000).

2. Both items are about the size of a baseball ($70,000).

3. Both items are round ($60,000).

4. Both items have a skin ($50,000)…remember, you must be 100% certain.

5. Both items are edible ($40,000).

6. Both items can be used in cooking ($30,000).

7. Both items have juice ($20,000).

8. Both items are grown on a farm ($10,000).

You’ll get the answer in a moment, but first, we’re going to do this exercise

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again. The rules remain the same except this time; I’m going to describe the items by telling you 8 ways in which they are different. Again, to maximize your winnings, take your guess as soon as you are 100% certain.

1. One item goes great with a steak and one goes great with French toast ($80,000).

2. One item has layers, while the other has pulp ($70,000).

3. One item is a vegetable, the other a fruit ($60,000).

4. One item has seeds; the other does not ($50,000)… 100% sure yet?

5. One item grows on a tree, the other in the ground ($40,000).

6. One item has juice that is very tasty… the other… not so much($30,000).

7. One item is great on a burger; the other is great in a glass ($20,000).

8. One item is more suited for breakfast, the other for dinner ($10,000).

Ok… the answer is on the next page.

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So, how did you do in each game? At what point were you ABSOLUTELY certain about what the items were? How much did you ‘win’ in each game?

If you followed the rules and waited until you were 100% surebefore making your guess, then it’s almost certain that you pocketed a bigger prize in the second game.

The fact is that you may have gotten through all 8 clues in the first game and never really been absolutely certain what the items were. I would expect that very few people would make it pastthe first two or three clues in the second game before theyfelt confident enough to take their one guess. That’s the power of differentiation.

It’s ourdifferences that make us who we are. That determine how we define ourselves.It begs the question… why do so many of us fight or try to hide our differences,the very differences that make us unique, as opposed to embracing them?

Why is it that people often spend huge sums of energy trying to be like everyone else. To prove that they are just as good orjust as capable instead of finding ways to capitalize on the unique characteristics that make them who they are.

In nearly 20 years of work in marketing and advertising I learned one cardinal rule…there is no way to define the brand of a person, place or item by focusing on how they are the same.It is absolutely essential to tell the story of how they are different.So, own your uniqueness, and dare to define yourself by what makes you different, not what makes you the same.

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A “STRENgTH-BASED” APPROACH TO LIFE

I know, it sounds logical… but it can often feel very counter-intuitive.

Convention seems to teach that the most effective way to improve ourselves is to focus our energy on getting better at the things that we don’t do well. That approach may appear to work for some, but it seems to me that such strategy often leads to people clamoring for some“middle ground” where theymay become pretty good at a lot of things, but rarely find a way to become truly exceptional in any specific area despite all of their efforts.

I think that everyone will agree that it’s virtually impossible to be amazing at everything… its common sense.It seems to me that the people who truly excel in their chosen field… those who are lucky enough to love what they do and learn to do it exceptionally well… are the people who realize the futility of trying to be all things to all people.They recognize what they’re good at… their natural strengths… and they learn to focus the bulk of their energyon those areas of their life while determining ways to support the areas in which they struggle.

Consider spending time and energy focusing on how to become amazing at the things you do well… not mediocre at the things you don’t. Identify, recognize and nurture your naturally occurring talents; apply the appropriate practice, energy and education too them… and use your STRENGTHS as the foundation for improvement! The result

will be feelings of capability, confidence, contentment and ultimately… success.

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ExCuSE VS. REASON

Obstacles get in the way of us moving forward every day. They can prevent us from reaching our goals, or they can be the very things that helpus realize how badly we want something.

Take stock and think about how you typically respond to obstacles.Do they become EXCUSES that stop you in your tracks? Or do you see them simply as REASONS to consider another option?

Consider the language often associated with an EXCUSE.When making an excuse, people tend to use language that is final, halting, arresting all forward momentum. “I can’t do that!”… “That won’t work”… or “That’s impossible”. These phrases contain words that are definite… they are

defeatist… words like can’t and won’t…they inspire no flexibility; no effort to overcome obstacles or take action… they STOP you in your tracks.

A person referring to a REASON on the other hand tends to use language that creates only a temporary pause. “I haven’t learned how to do that yet” or “I have to find another way to make that happen.” Theses phrases open up possibilities for new thinking… they lay down a challenge… inspire action… and require you to approach the situation withan approach that’s new and different.

By opening ourselves up to new ways of doing things inevery situation we encounter, we create endless possibilities for learning. So when faced with a difficult task, or barrier to a desired outcome, viewing it as a reason to pause and re-think as opposed to an excuse to stop can help inspire a change in approach, rather than placing a roadblock in front of your goals and ambitions.

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BECOmINg COmFORTABLE WITH DISCOmFORT

It’s easy to become comfortable. I know because I spent more than 12 years in a job that had virtually no growth opportunities mainly because it was… comfortable.

Challenging ourselves often requires a level of discomfort, at least for a while. It never feels good to go through the 4 levels of competence that usually accompanies new demands. What are the Four Levels of Competence? I’m glad you asked.

UnconscioUs incompetence: You lack the knowledge & experience to be aware of the things you don’t do well, or…“You don’t even know what you don’t know.”

conscioUs incompetence: You have enough knowledge & experience to be aware of the things you don’t do well, or…“You know all too well, what you don’t know”

CONSCIOuS COmPETENCE: You have a fair bit of knowledge & experience, and you carry out your work pretty well, but you have to consciously think about it most of the time,or…“You know what you know, but only when you think about what you know”

And finally…

unconscious Competence: (This is really nice, but its also where it’s pretty easy to get comfortable) You’ve gained a vast amount of knowledge & experience in your field and you are able to carry out your work very well as second nature, most of the time without even thinking about it, or…“not only do you know what you know, but you even know that you know what you may have forgotten you knew.”

So clearly, once we get to that place, it’s easy to just sit back and relax… to enjoy the reduced stress. I’m not saying that with judgment, because

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if you’re fortunate enough to be one of those people who has managed to align your purpose and values, then not only do you likely enjoy and are very capable at what you do, but you are probably very satisfied and content in most other aspects of your life as well.Congratulations,there’s nothing wrong with that!

But if you have reached that fourth level, but still haven’t found a way to align your values with your purpose in life, then it’s likely that you are already experiencing discomfort on some level.So why not channel that discomfort and use it as a catalyst to break out of your supposed “comfort zone.” Because as far as I’ve been able to tell… that’s where the magic happens!

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INTELLIgENT VS. CLEVER

It’s become apparent to me that there is a distinction to be made between being intelligent,and being clever. And while I am by no means an authority on this subject, my own experience has shown me that there are advantages to recognizing these differences in both yourself and others.

Intelligence is usually a function of Intuition, Enlightenment, Original Thinking & Imagination.

Cleverness, on the other hand, is more often a function of Experience, Instinct, Confidence&Skillful Articulation.

Intelligent individuals, can often accomplish half as much with twice the knowledge…whereas clever individuals sometimes seem to accomplish twice as much with half the knowledge.

Clever people are usually the ones you want on your side when seeking answers… while intelligent people are those who most often challenge convention and come up with new questions.

It seems that they rarely exist in isolation and quite often, the most accomplished individuals seem to be blessed with a decent mixture of both.

Both can be prized resources in the right situation. Learning to understand and recognize the value of each will serve you wellwhen making your own decisions, and also when deciding who can provide the most effective counsel when required.

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RIgHT AND WRONg…A STATE OF mIND;NOT A STATE OF BEINg

As I suspect is true of most journeys of self-discovery, there came a point in my own experience where I decided it best to release the notion that there is a

“right way” and a “wrong way” to do something. Most often such a viewonly served to punish those offering up alternate perspectives and stifle creativity.I realized that I had becomeentrenched in the idea that wasonly two viable approaches to any given situation… right… and wrong.

Instead, allowing myself to embracenew ideas, new ways of thinking and innovative strategiesprovided opportunities that would have become lost without ever being considered in my previous black and white view of the world.

Polarized thinking gets in the way of experiencing new things, and doesn’t encourage “out of the box” solutions.On the other hand, remaining flexible in your response to whatever life throws at you may lead toamazing places you never even dreamed possible.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that planning is a bad thing, but even the best laid plans don’t always go as expected. Instead of getting annoyed by deviations from a pre-conceived path, what might happen when we learn torespond with curiosity and explore those unexpected detours? Sometimes they may lead to amazing outcomes youcould never have considered from where your journey began. In fact, sometimes the more fiercely we tie an anticipated outcome to a pre-conceived methodology, the more we risk jeopardizing that very outcome.

Bruce Lee is considered one of the all-time masters of self-defense,but during his life he often found himself in fierce battles with the martial arts establishment.Throughout history, most fighting disciplines have been based on learning a series of rehearsed movements and pre-conceived anticipation of the opponent’s actions.Lee’s philosophy differed considerably from such thinking.He believed that the idea of planning a fight was senseless. It would be impossible to anticipate every conceivable

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action of an opponent. Instead, he argued that one must remain flexible in approach and learn to adapt and respond to whatever circumstances were presented in the moment.

That belief is what led to one of his most famous quotes…

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RECEIVE AND PERCEIVE; TRANSmIT AND COmmIT

The essence of this idea is that we have the ability to make choices in our lives much more than we often think.

Every day we encounteran incredible variety, and quantity, of information.That is taken in (or RECEIVED)in countless different ways… conversations, non-verbal cues, instructions, the things we observe, etc. Every single piece of information we take in is then processed through our own unique set of values, experiences, knowledge and beliefs.That process theninfluences how we interpret (or PERCEIVE)the world around us.

In turn, those unique perceptions determinethe way in which we present ourselves(or TRANSMIT) back to the world.They also dictate the decisions we make(or things to which we COMMIT) in order tocarry out our lives.

I once watched a commencement address delivered by actor Jim Careyin which he stated:

Whatever we encounter in life is interpreted & filtered through our own set of unique (and often biased) beliefs and assumptions. It’s those same beliefs and assumptions that are then use to create the story of our lives. But the thing that I’ve found helpful to remember is that many of those stories… in fact usually the vast majority… are fairly arbitrary… and, when

“Our eyes are not just viewers… they are also

projectors that are running a 2nd story over the

images we see in front of us every day.”

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carefullyevaluated, may even come down toa matter of choice. There are those who might argue that we don’t get to choose our perspective, that it’s dictated by our circumstances, but surely we can agree that most of us are able to take action that can change our circumstances. When we change our circumstances and thereby our perspective, we attain the ability to change our stories.And if our stories form the basis for how we live our lives… then what’s stopping us from choosing to make our story an awesome one?

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PuRSuE ExCELLENCE…LET gO OF PERFECTION

It may be tempting to misinterpret the above statement as setting your sights on mediocrity (But remember… not everything is Black & White).

That’s why it is so important to understand the difference between:

Perfection (an objective and unattainable goal of which you have virtually no control), andExcellence (a subjective and attainable goal of which you have complete control)

Largely, the choice to “let go” of perfection as an impossibly high standard comes down to the conscious decision to “play a winnable game”. If we allow ourselves to be enslaved by the pursuit of perfection, we not only prevent ourselves from playing a “winnable” game, but we often prevent ourselves from getting in the game at all.With perfection as our guiding principle, even when we are forced to release our efforts to the world, we do so with a nagging sense of dissatisfaction that can slowly eat away at our energy, spirit and passion for what we do.

What might happen if we were to recognize the merit of striving for excellence as opposed to striving for perfection…if we let go of the notion that to do so reveals some type of inherent character flaw? We might end up actually doing something in the pursuit of excellence, rather than do nothing in the pursuit of perfection.

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TAkINg A LEAP OF FAITH

Have you ever read an inspirational story or book by someone who made a significanttransformation in their life… perhaps they took a brand new direction in order to pursue a life-long passion ora dream? There’s something I’ve noticed about those stories; something that they all seem to have in common.

Whatever the reason or the circumstances that preceded their decision to finally take action,their story nearly always includes a chapter or a powerful anecdote about a time when they were faced with a pivotal decision; a moment where the only way for them to move forward was to take action based on pure gut and instinct rather than careful calculation. In other words… a “Leap of Faith”.

Sometimes these decisions are made even against the advice of the so called “experts” in our life. Sometimes there is something inside the person that just tells them that this is the right thing to do and if they stop to over-analyze it, they may never again have the courage required.

I’m not suggesting that this is a means by which to make every important decision in your life. Anticipating and calculating future consequences

is a valuable part of any great success story… and I would never advise anyone against the wisdom of a well thought out plan. But it seems to me that equally important within a well thought out plan is that one moment where, sometimes, even despite logic, there is something inside you thatcompels you to, “just do it!” What I’m suggesting here is that you learn to embrace that impulse, at least once, rather than ignore it.

I remember the conversation I had with my wife when I decided to leave a successful, 20-year career in marketing to become a Coach. I said, “Honey,

I’m about to jump off a cliff, and I’m really not sure where the bottom is… or even if there is one… will you hold my hand and jump with me?” Bless her

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heart; she said yes. And while there are times when it feels like we still have a ways to go before we hit solid ground, I can safely say that we’ve gotten to the point where we’re no longer falling blind. And the trip has definitely been worth the leap.So make a promise to yourself that at least one time in your life, you’ll commit to close your eyes… trust your instincts… and LEAP!

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NEVER FORgET THE HOmE TEAm

Previously, Imentioned a conversation I had with my wifeat a time when I was considering one of the most significant changes in my life. And that brings us to number 10 on my list of re-framing ideas discovered on my re-invention adventure. As you might expect, it’s the one I believe to be the most valuable. It is not a secret business strategy, or a silver bullet answer to seeing the world from a new perspective. In fact it is much more fundamental.

There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, that is more important when you arrive at a crossroads in your life than… The Home Team!

The Home Team can mean different things to different people but, in my world, it includes:• My family• My Friends• And my internal sense of “Balance”

Of course given this definition, focusing on the home team should be considered vital for any of us at any time of our lives, whether we are undergoing significant change in our lives or not. But believe me, when you make a decision to re-evaluate everything that’s provided security for your family and turn it upside-down to pursue a passion, having a “Home-Team” environment that provides Support, Safety, Solitude and Sanity will take on a whole new meaning.

A great many of the things we do in our lives are motivated and re-enforced by external forces. We get paid for our work; we receive acknowledgement from our peers;we get promoted because we’ve impressed our boss; or we achieve success in business because of how much our customers value our product or service.

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There’s nothing wrong with that. These accomplishments are the “Bricks” with which we build a significant portion of our lives and achieve many of our goals. And make no mistake; we can build seemingly amazing and vast lives simply by stacking these bricks one upon the other. But no matter how impressive our brick upon brick lives

become, without mortar to bind them together, they are extremely fragile. In fact, one could say that, just as with any brick structure without the mortar, the more vast and impressive it becomes, the easier it is to topple.

Our family, our relationships, our internal sense of balance… those elements that make up the “essence” of who we are as individuals… that’s the mortar that holds the bricks of our lives together. And the more vast and successful we seek to build our lives, the more mortar we require to bind it together and keep it strong.The most effective way to ensure that your life remains stable and can withstand the inevitable hits it will take is to start with a solid foundation. The best way to accomplish that is by focusing on the mortar from the very beginning and making sure you don’t lose sight of it throughout.

Because whatever path we choose, and whatever choices we make in our attempts to build a complete and fulfilled life, I’ve learned that the more we focus exclusively onmerely piling the bricks higher and higher, the mortar becomesrelegated to nothing more than a way to “fill in the cracks” and to carry out the occasional repair when things become unstable.

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CONCLuSION…

So, these are some of the ideas that have arisen for me since I began my journey to change. There have beenothers, and there will no doubt be more to come. But these are the ten that stand out. If they resonate with you, that’s great… if they cause you to ponder somepossible lessons from your own journey, even better! Curiosity is the one element that drives us beyond where we are to where we can go. A willingness to explore is a willingness to consider change, and a willingness to consider change can be the catalyst for remarkable, self-defined success. The journey is littered with new ideas that are there for the taking, and as long as you are willing to see those ideas as part of, instead of a pre-requisite for that journey, then the gift of life-long learning will be your ultimate reward.

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ABOuT THE AuTHOR

Brett Thornhill is a long-suffering Toronto Maple Leaf fan, a dabbling musician, hobby-photographer, and amateur cartoonist (strictly for his kids) who seeks creative outlet in every aspect of his life. Born and raised in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, his home for the past 30 years has been St. John’s, the capital city of the province. He and his wife, Roxanne, still

manage to maintain a “one-on-one” defensive strategy over their two children Ally, 16 and Lucas, 12.

In 2009, feeling quite restless, he decided to leave his job in tourism marketing after 12 years, to accept a position as a Marketing Manager. That, as it would turn out, was the first step to creating of what he has since come to call “Brett 2.0″.

Even after achieving his goal of leading a marketing team, he still felt discontent, which led him to seek assistance from a counsellor. Thus began a process of self-exploration that helped him pinpoint where some of the real challenges lay in his life. After several months of counselling, and an eventual referral to a psychiatric specialist, Brett was diagnosed in 2010, at age 43, with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Now, after a 6-year journey of self-discovery and following a marketing career that spanned nearly 20 years, he has connected the purpose, passion and possibilities of his life to become an ICF Certified Professional Coach who specializes in assisting his clients with the impacts and challenges of ADHD and Executive Function difficulties.

Brett has learned quite a bit about his life in the past few years, and continues to explore new possibilities every day. But there’s one thing of which he has become certain... if you are confident in the knowledge that you are faced in the right direction, having found a way to align your strengths, passions and values... all you really need do to achieve your goals, is just keep walking.

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