Fall Fresh Start: Life Edit For The Busy ADHD Brain

We’re nearing that time of transition when we say goodbye to summer and hello to fall. And if you’re anything like me, your ADHD brain may navigate quite a bit of overwhelm at this time. 

Between heading back to school and prepping for the upcoming holidays, our to-do lists seem never-ending. We find ourselves lost in that endless list of tasks as we end up spinning in indecision, taxing our executive functions in choosing what’s next. 

But what if it didn’t have to be this way? 

What if there’s a way to intentionally decide what to focus on in advance? 

Guess what. There is. It’s called a life edit. 

And that’s exactly what we’re discussing in episode 214 of the I’m Busy Being Awesome podcast. 

Tune in now to learn how intentionally making decisions ahead of time can help us make the most of this busy awesome season ahead.

You can listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app here.   

Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for the entire podcast transcript. 

In This Episode, You Will Discover

• 4 key areas to edit
• Three simple questions to ask yourself 
• How to implement your own life edit this season  

Episode # 214: Fall Fresh Start Guide: Life Edit for the Busy ADHD Brain (Transcript)

Today we’re looking at the concept of a fall life edit, which is here to help you navigate the busy fall season with greater intentionality and ease.

You see, prioritization can be a big obstacle for those of us with ADHD. When everything seems urgent, it’s hard to identify what’s most essential and where to focus our attention. 

In the fall specifically, there’s so much going on. Back to school, holiday prep, looming deadlines…our brains can easily slip into overwhelm. 

That’s why taking time now to do a life edit is so helpful.

It allows us to choose our priorities in advance before we start spiraling out into indecision and overthinking. 

By deciding what to focus on, you take control back from the chaos and set yourself up for success in the coming season. 

Sound good? 

Awesome. But before we dive in, let’s first take a quick look at what a life edit is.

What Is a Life Edit? 

When I hear the word edit, I tend to think about making revisions, changes, and tweaks to make something better. And along those lines, the Cambridge dictionary explains that editing is: 

 “to make changes to a text or film, deciding what will be removed and what will be kept in, in order to prepare it for being printed or shown.”

I really like this definition, and though the quote discusses films and texts, I think it can apply to an overarching life edit as well.

As the editor of your life, you get to look at everything that’s happening and see what’s working and what needs tweaking. You might even decide that it’s time to cut some things completely. 

But we’ll get into that later on. 

For now, remember – we’re the ones doing this life edit. There’s no third party out there with a red pen analyzing our life and making changes. 

Instead, it’s us. 

Those decisions about what’s gotta go and what can stay – we get to make them. 

And I’ve found that knowing that – when done with a solid plan – knowing you’re in charge of all of it can be empowering, and fun. 

Our Fall Life Edit Plan

While doing a fall life edit, we’re looking at: 

• What’s working well
• What needs editing
• Where we want to focus for the coming season

As ADHD brains, a life edit can be powerful. It helps us be more intentional with our time and attention, so we don’t have to stop to think about what we will do next. 

And while you can do a life edit any time of the year, I’ve found that fall is an especially good time for one. By clarifying our priorities now, we can set ourselves up for success before the busy holiday season. 

It allows us to simplify things so that when November and December roll around, we’ll be better equipped to focus on what matters. And that can take us through the demanding season more easily. 

Side Note: If you’re listening to this episode outside of real-time, and it’s not the end of summer or early fall, that’s OK. You can do a life edit anytime to help you strengthen your focus on what matters most. So whether you’re listening in August, November, or April, do yourself a favor and keep listening. 

Potential Sticking Points

When thinking about the concept of a life edit, I found two potential sticking points we’ll need to watch for when it comes to our mindset. Because once one takes over, it’s easy to let it derail the edit. 

To help you navigate these potential pitfalls let’s talk about both.

We’ve explored them on the podcast many times before, so they won’t come as a surprise. But I think it’s important to highlight them in hits context specifically so we’re on the lookout. And these are both the perfectionist fantasy (again, a fantastic concept by the coach Kara Lowentheil) and all-or-nothing thinking. 

1. Perfectionist Fantasy

When doing a life edit, our brains might start picturing a perfect reset. 

It might dream of completely revamping life in a way that’s not realistic, and that won’t work. 

For example, your brain may dream about a slow, luxurious morning that starts with long meditations in absolute silence. And while that sounds lovely, if you have two kids under the age of four at home, it likely won’t happen in this season of life. 

So if you notice yourself pulled toward these “perfect” days that just do not match with our reality, make note.

It doesn’t mean we can’t have some version of it, but be careful of setting an expectation that completely argues with reality.

Keep real-life front and center while working through the process. 

Also, it might help to remind ourselves that this crazy season is fleeting. Maybe someday, we’ll be able to start each day with silence and meditation. 

So let’s focus on 15 minutes of silence rather than 90 minutes.

2. All-or-Nothing Thinking

The second potential snag is when your brain tells you that unless you make drastic changes to every single area of your life, it doesn’t count. 

Or it might tell you that if you don’t follow the steps I share precisely in order, you’re doing it wrong. 

I encourage you not to be aware of this mental trap and walk around it. Because by giving into the all or nothing brain, you’ll likely find yourself jumping feet first into everything for a day or two but quickly find it unsustainable and call it quits. 

To avoid that, remember what we discussed in episode 212 about practicing B+ work. This is the perfect place to try that. 

Give yourself permission to choose one or two ideas from this episode, and let that be enough. Focus on those and go all-in. 

You’ll be amazed at the powerful impact of making just a few small changes over the long term. I promise you’ll be stoked by the progress you make. 

And remember, once you get one area locked in, you can always come back and pick something new to focus on. 

4 Questions to Ask During Your Life Edit

Now that you know what to watch out for, let’s dive into the actual life editing process. During our edit, we’re going to explore five different categories of life. 

For each, I encourage you to ask yourself four questions: 

1. What’s working? What do you want to keep within the category? 
2. What’s not working? What are you ready to release or cut? 
3. What have you learned from both?
4. What’s most important to focus on this season? (for each category)  

These guiding questions can help your brain stay focused so you don’t slip into overwhelm or get sidetracked quite as easily. And if you do, just come back to these four questions for each area of life.

Also, this can take some time. Remember, you don’t have to do it all at once. And/OR you don’t have to look at all five areas. Choose the areas that resonate most with you and leave the rest. Make it work for you..

Remember that we’re just talking about a season. These answers and decisions aren’t forever. You can adjust or pivot later. 

4 Main Categories of Life to Edit

As we walk through the life edit together, we will touch on five key areas of life. We’ll look at:

• Personal Wellness and Self-care
• Work and Business
• Social and Relationships
• Life Admin

We’ll chat more about what each of these categories entails As we go through the process.

So with that, let’s get this life edit started! 

1. Personal Wellness and Self-Care

Here’s the truth. If you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s hard to make progress in other areas. So let’s start with personal wellness and self-care. 

Even if you’re tempted to push this category to the back burner and move on to the next one, I encourage you not to do that. 

This often-overlooked area is essential. You are important. 

If you only have time for a life edit in a single category, pick this one. It covers: 

• Sleep
• Play
• Hobbies
• Emotional wellness
• Physical wellness
• Nutrition
• Rest
• Spirituality 

As we think about this category of wellness and self care…

What’s working and what you want to keep?

For instance, maybe you’ve recently found a great way to relax at the end of each day by reading a couple of chapters in a book or listening to your favorite music as you do some gentle stretches. 

Or perhaps you carved out enough time to pursue a fulfilling hobby and love doing macrame for the first part of your kids’ nap time each day. Or maybe you put enough supports in place so that you get enough sleep nearly every night. 

Whatever it is…

• Think about what’s working well
• Write this down

What’s Not Working?

Think through each of the areas above and take note of anything that isn’t currently working for you, even if it has worked in the past. 

For example, you may realize it’s been two years since you’ve done yoga persistently, and you know how much it helps with both your physical flexibility and calming your mind.

Or that your evenings have been so busy that you’re not packing your lunches for the next day, which leaves you relying on Uber Eats or DoorDash, and your wallet has noticed the impact.

As you pause and reflect, first and foremost, remember that this exercise is a judgment-free zone.

Instead, we are looking through the lens of curiosity with the goal of finding what feels supportive for us in the coming season.

So if you notice the judgment creep in, pause and step back. Swap out the judgment hat for the curiosity hat and see what you can learn.

Once you’ve fully dropped into that place of curiosity, remember that this can be such a great opportunity to:

• Lovingly release the things that no longer serve your long-term goals
• Make a note of the new structures or systems you may want to establish to support you in the coming season

For example, you may realize it’s been two years since you consistently worked out. Or that you haven’t been taking time to pack a nutritious lunch, so you wind up relying on the drive-through each day. 

As you pause and reflect, remember that this is your time to embrace change. It’s an opportunity to let go of anything that’s no longer serving you well. So if there’s anything that needs to be cut or tweaked, write it down. 

What Have You Learned?

Next, take time to consider what you’ve learned from both the positive and negative experiences.

• What have these instances taught you about yourself?
• How can this newfound insight help you as you move forward? 

For example, maybe you learned that taking a few moments before bed to do a brain dump improves your sleep. Or you discover that relying on fast food took a toll on both your wallet and your health. 

Each lesson is important, and it wasn’t wasted time if you learned something from it. 

What Is the Most Important Thing I Want To Focus On?

Finally, look at the entire category of personal wellness and self-care.

With everything you’ve thought about and learned, what is the most important thing to focus on during this season? 

Perhaps you want to prioritize your nutrition, so you can move into the delicious holiday season with a plan already in place. Or maybe you realize you’ve been staying up way too late and need to make better sleep a priority.

There’s no wrong answer here, so decide what matters most to you. 

2. Work and Business

Now let’s shift our focus to another category: work and business. 

This one covers: 

• The amount of time you spend working
• The kind of work you do
• Whether or not you enjoy your job
• What parts of your job fill you up
• Current projects
• Your deadlines
• Your overall workload
• Interactions with colleagues
• Your physical and digital workspaces
• Work boundaries
• Work/life balance

Take a few minutes to reflect on each of these points. Once again, we will work through the four questions mentioned earlier. 

What’s Working?

Let’s start with what’s working.

Maybe you absolutely love your job. Or you have a great relationship with your boss. Perhaps you’ve found clients for your business who are easy to work with and pay on time. 

What’s Not Working?

Next, identify what’s not working. This could be anything from feeling overwhelmed by too much work to feeling lonely and isolated as you go through each day. 

For example, maybe you’ve missed some deadlines lately, and imposter syndrome is creeping up. Or you’re checking work emails after hours and on the weekends, and you feel like you can’t escape your job. 

Whatever it is, write down…

• What’s not working right now
• What might need to go

What Have You Learned?

Then, let’s reflect on what you’ve learned from these experiences. 

For example, you might have learned that it’s essential to take time each morning to review upcoming deadlines so they don’t sneak up on you. Or that you are more productive when you take short breaks throughout your workday. 

What Will You Focus On?

Finally, it’s time to pick the most important part of this category to work on this fall. Maybe you want to create healthier boundaries between your work and personal life so you have more breathing room going into the holiday season. 

Again, there’s no right answer here, so think about what feels most important to you. 

3. Social and Relationships 

Humans aren’t meant to do life alone.

• As you look around your life, who are some of the people you’re closest to?
• Is there anyone you want to build a closer relationship with?
• Or maybe there’s someone you need to step back from for a while? 

As you consider this area of your life, think about your: 

• Immediate family
• Other relationships
• Communication with others
• Connection and support systems
• Space for fun 
• Time spent with others 

This can be a pretty overwhelming category, so to break it down, try doing it twice – first with your immediate family and then with everyone else. 

What’s Working Well?

However you do it, let’s look at what’s working well. What do you have that you’d love more of? 

For example, maybe you’ve adjusted your schedule to make Tuesday nights a time that’s just for your family. You don’t have to go anywhere after work, and you can just focus on building some memories with the people you love most. 

Or maybe you’ve found that having weekly phone calls with a close friend is a great way to catch up and build a mutual support system. 

What’s Not Working?

Once you know what’s working, let’s talk about what’s not. What feels like it’s missing during this season of life? What do you long for? 

Perhaps certain relationships have been strained lately, and it’s time to take an honest look at healing those wounds. Or maybe you haven’t been on a date with your partner for ages, and you miss your special time of connection. 

As you’re working through the edit, ask yourself if there’s anything you need to eliminate in this area. What do you want less of? 

For example, maybe your kids are overcommitted, and it’s time to reduce the extracurriculars to one each per season. Or maybe you’re spending a lot of time in a group setting, and you’d really like to step back and focus on 1:1 relationships for a bit. 

What Have You Learned?

Reflect on this category and think about what we’ve learned.

Have you discovered that your family thrives when you eat dinner together and share your daily highs and lows?

Or that it’s time for a toxic relationship in your life to end so you have the mental energy to build more positive connections? 

Whatever the case, take some time to reflect on what you’ve learned about relationships. 

What Will You Focus On?

Finally, take a moment to decide – out of everything in this category, what is the most important this fall? 

Maybe you want to have weekly date lunches with your partner since evenings are crazy. Or you want to create a monthly family day where you all set aside the to-do list and focus on fun. 

What will help you feel more connected with others as you move into the hectic fall season? 

4. Life Admin

One final area of life remains. That’s the one I call life admin This area deals with all the parts of life that keeps things moving.

It’s the day-to-day tasks you have to take care of, such as: 

• Scheduling and attending appointments
• Paying bills and balancing the checkbook
• Dealing with investments, portfolios, and all the other finance stuff
• Cleaning and house upkeep routines
• Laundry 
• Daily check-ins with kids (to discuss homework, notes from school, and what’s coming up on their calendars)
• Grocery shopping
• Preparing meals

Once again, we’re going to ask ourselves four questions for this category.

What’s Working?

So what’s happening in the life admin area that feels good? What’s working well right now? 

Maybe you decided to try a monthly rotating meal plan, and it’s helping make meal prep and shopping easier. Or you’ve been having your kids help clean the kitchen after dinner, and they’re used to this routine now.

Or maybe you started using a different budgeting program and have balanced your checkbook every Friday for the past six weeks. 

No matter what’s been going well, write it down and celebrate your wins.

What’s Not Working?

Because now, we’re going to move on to question two. What isn’t going so well right now? Does anything need to go?

Maybe you were late on a bill last month and had to pay a late fee. Or you often forget about the laundry and have to rewash loads that got stinky while they waited to be moved to the dryer. 

Acknowledging what isn’t working is part of the process. Don’t feel guilty about admitting that some areas of life aren’t going well. We’re all in the same boat! 

What Have You Learned?

It’s time to think about what we learned from the good and the bad. For example, maybe you realized that setting a reminder on your phone can help you get out the door on time for appointments. Or, you realized that your kids are great helpers – when they’re given age-appropriate duties. 

Write down any observations or insights from this reflection. 

What Will You Focus On In This Upcoming Season?

What is the biggest priority in this area for the upcoming season? 

Perhaps it’s scheduling reminders for when you need to pay each bill so you can pay them on time. Not having to shell out money in late fees can make a difference this time of year, with the holiday gift-giving season approaching. 

Or maybe since it’s been summer, you got out of the habit of daily check-ins with your kids, and it’s time to reestablish that practice now that school’s back in session. 

Whatever the changes, don’t forget, these are your changes. That means you get to pick!

The Life Edit Process: Review

Now that we’ve walked through a sample life edit together, I want to spend a moment reviewing the process. 

We start with one category of life. I recommend beginning with personal wellness and self-care. 

Then, ask four questions about that category: 

• What’s working well in this area? What do you want to keep? 
• What’s not working? Is there anything you need to cut or release? 
• What have you learned from both? 
• Of all the things in this category, what’s most important this season? 

As you go through each one, write down your answers. Then, take some time to review. 

What stands out the most in this category?

• Is there anything that could make a big difference in how you feel about this part of life? 
• Is there something you could realistically explore during the next few months? 

The word realistic is important. Remember, it’s easy to start thinking in perfectionist fantasies. 

But a life edit isn’t a complete overhaul of everything. Instead, it’s time to pick a few areas to focus on. 

Once you identify an area of potential focus, you may need to break it down into smaller pieces. 

For example, if you feel like your home is uncomfortable, redecorating every room isn’t realistic. It’s too big of a goal. But you might be able to commit to making your living room cozier. 

The goal is to keep things simple and realistic. 

That’s why I recommend either picking one small thing in each category or only picking one category for this season. Then once you get in the groove with the changes, you can pick something else to try. 

But DO NOT try to make all the changes all at once. It’s too much for any human, it’ll lead to overwhelm. 

Fall Fresh Start For ADHD Adults: Final Thoughts

Doing a life edit takes time. But it’s worth it. It’s setting us up for a successful fall, where we can look back and be amazed at what we’ve accomplished. 

 It also offers a powerful reminder that we have the power to create the life we want. We are our own editors. Not anyone else. 

We don’t have to settle for how things are now, we can actively pursue new goals and dreams. 

Final tips to keep in mind: 

• Start with one category at a time and take a break between them if necessary
• Pick one thing to do and go all in. Let that be enough. 
• If you fall into perfectionist mode or all-or-nothing thinking, take a step back and remember it’s OK to go slowly. 
• Remind yourself that sticking with one thing persistently is more effective than doing everything for a couple of days. 
• Remember why you want to do this. Remind your brain that an edit can support you as you clarify your priorities. 
• Recognize the freeing power of making decisions ahead of time. It truly helps! 

Alright, my friends, that’s going to do it for us this week.

If you’re ready to take these concepts deeper and apply them to your life. If you’re ready to learn how to support your ADHD in a way that works for YOU, then I invite you to check out my small group coaching program, We’re Busy Being Awesome. And if it sounds like a great fit for you, you can add your name to the waitlist so you’re the first to know when the next cohort begins. 

Also, have you grabbed the podcast roadmap yet? It has the most popular episodes all detailed for you so you can get yourself up to speed and ready to work with your ADHD brain, you can grab it HERE!

Until next time, keep being awesome. I’ll talk with you soon.

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