Perfectionism, Imposter Syndrome, Decisions, & ADHD Acceptance

Does your ADHD brain ever struggle with perfectionism?

Has imposter syndrome ever held you back from taking the next step forward on a project?

Have you ever felt stuck, unable to decide, or worried about making the wrong choice?

If you nodded to any (or all) of the above, you’re definitely not alone.

In fact, episode 239 of the podcast features a live coaching call with awesome ADHD brains tackling those very topics.

If you’re a regular I’m Busy Being Awesome listener, you know I focus on providing practical strategies to work with your ADHD.

You may also know that one of my favorite mantras is: “The learning is in the doing.”

Here’s what I’ve found throughout my years of coaching:

>>>The magic happens by putting learning and doing together.

We make our biggest shifts by practicing what we’ve learned.

And that’s exactly what we do in my small group coaching program, We’re Busy Being Awesome.

In episode 239, you get a sneak peek behind the scenes to see this happen in real-time.

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

In This Episode, You Will Discover

• Stop jumping from task to task and stay focused on the project that matters most to you.
• Identify the sneaky ways perfectionism keeps you stuck and start taking action anyway.
• Make confident decisions, even with lots of moving pieces.
• Support yourself through the process of accepting your ADHD.

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Episode #239: Perfectionism, Imposter Syndrome, Decisions, & ADHD Acceptance (Show Notes)

Today you are in for a treat! I’m bringing to you sections of a live coaching call I did with my current cohort of We’re Busy Being Awesome clients.

The past two weeks have been a deep dive into the topics of perfectionism and imposter syndrome, which are two ares so many of us ADHD brains know all too well. The coaching topics my clients brought to the call last week seemed so relatable and relevant to our busy-awesome community that I wanted to share this call with you today.

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you know that I am always here to share the latest ideas, strategies, and methods to working with the ADHD brain in an effective, compassionate, and sustainable way.

I always ask myself: “How can I help my listeners this week to get things done – in a way that works for their brain – without burning out?”

At the same time, I’ve also found that the learning is in the doing.

In other words, we can spend all day long learning new approaches and tips and tricks.

If we don’t make time to try them in real life, we won’t make the changes we actually want to see. Instead, it’s like we sit on the sidelines. We sit thinking about the strategies and thinking about the approaches, when we really need to get in the game, try them out, and see which plays work best for you.

And that’s what we do in coaching. That’s what we do in We’re Busy Being Awesome. We take my Plan – Act – Complete framework – all of the tools and concepts designed specifically to get things done with an ADHD brain – and we actually apply them in our real lives throughout the week.

We take action.

Then we meet on the call, and we work through the obstacles that come up so we can smooth out the friction, work through the mindset blocks, allow the big emotions, and make any adjustments so we can take the next step forward.

Throughout the call you’re about to hear, we work through four separate topics, all of which, I have a sneaking suspicion you’ll relate to in one way or another.

Self Sabotage & Imposter Syndrome

In the first coaching conversation, we explored what my client calls “self-sabotaging behavior” in her business. She starts gaining momentum – specifically in creating her podcast – but then veers off to new ideas or different priorities because of obstacles like perfectionism and imposter syndrome that hold her back. We also explore how we can allow for that uncomfortable part of the growth journey that I often talk about as the messy middle.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or not, this first conversation sheds light on why we might be bouncing from one idea to the next, how to sport those moments of perfectionism and imposter syndrome, and how we can move forward even when we’re feeling stuck.

Sneaky Perfectionism

The second conversation is a beautiful look at how sneaky perfectionism can be. My client shared – after watching the sections on perfectionism that we explored for the group – how much more perfectionism shows up than she realized. She finds that it’s blocking her from making decisions and moving forward because the brain is always looking for the “right” decision or the “perfect” approach and doesn’t allow for this process of iteration – of trial and error – so we can learn what works and what doesn’t. And we explore how she might approach this new awareness in a gentle and supportive way in order to challenge those perfectionist thoughts a bit more, get out of ADHD paralysis, and start taking action.

So if you’re a person who struggles with perfectionism and black and white thinking. If you’re often worried about making the “wrong” choice or your brain doesn’t allow for the process of iteration, instead expecting you to get it perfect the first time, then I hope this second conversation will offer some insight into how you can navigate and challenge perfectionist tendencies in a supportive way.

Making Confident Decisions

From there, we dive into the oh-so-relatable state of overwhelm and indecision when it comes to travel and purchasing plane tickets, as well as the frustration and what we often talk about as the “ADHD tax” that accompanies these indecisive states in so many areas of our life.

If you’re someone who often struggles with decision-making or feels super overwhelmed, or if you’ve had to miss out on opportunities because the tickets sold out or you had to pay more because you waited too long to make a decision, you’ll love this section.

ADHD Acceptance

And finally, we get to a very real and honest and incredibly relatable conversation around acceptance of your ADHD brain. We talk about the resistance many of us experience thinking we should be different, we should just be able to “fix the problem parts of our brain,” the big emotions that accompany the ADHD journey, and how we can support ourselves with love and compassion through all of it.

For everyone listening to this podcast, this last section has some gems in it for you.

A big thank you to my incredible clients for showing up and sharing; I have a feeling that all of you listening will glean so much from these conversations.

And if you want more conversations like this, the next cohort of We’re Busy Being Awesome begins soon. If you’re ready for a supportive, engaging, encouraging space to begin taking action on proven supports designed for an ADHD brain to get the important things done so you have time to enjoy your life, learn more, and sign up here. Spots are limited to 15 people, and I can’t wait to see you there!

So with that, let’s dive in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGYMZDeHN8I

• 02:58 Coaching Session Overview 1: Overcoming Self-Sabotaging Behavior
• 04:09 Coaching Session Overview 2: Dealing with Perfectionism
• 05:55 Coaching Session Overview 3: Overcoming Overwhelm and Indecision
• 06:50 Coaching Session Overview 4: Acceptance of Your ADHD Brain
• 08:15 Overcoming Self-Sabotaging Behavior
• 26:12 Understanding Perfectionism and Its Impact
• 26:37 Building Awareness and Overcoming Fear
• 27:24 Dealing with Criticism and Self-Doubt
• 29:36 The Struggle with Procrastination
• 31:05 Overcoming Decision Paralysis
• 38:30 The Importance of Self-Trust and Showing Up for Yourself
• 48:46 Embracing the Challenges of ADHD
• 51:59 Closing Thoughts and Next Steps

Links From The Podcast

• Learn more about We’re Busy Being Awesome here
• Learn about 1:1 coaching here
• Get the top 10 tips to work with your ADHD brain (free ebook!)
• Discover my favorite ADHD resources here
• Get the I’m Busy Being Awesome Planning System here
• Get the Podcast Roadmap here
• Get the ADHD Routine Revamp here