I'm Busy Being Awesome - Sustainable Productivity for ADHD

👉 Download the free quarterly retreat guide here.
Do you ever feel like you've been going non-stop all day, then you get to the end of it and think, "Wait, what did all that busyness add up to?"
This episode is about the practice that changed that for me: the quarterly personal retreat.
I've been doing it for nearly a year and a half, and in Episode 360, I share my exact process, what I've learned from five retreats, and the small tweak that made the whole thing feel worth it from start to finish.
In Episode 360, You Will Discover:
How to structure a quarterly personal retreat from start to finish, including the exact reflection questions I use for relationships, work, and personal life
Why your retreat can be a morning at the library just as much as a weekend away, and how to define what "done" looks like for your version
Why ADHD brains tend to feel like they did the retreat "wrong," and the two-sentence practice that finally fixed it
What five retreats over a year and a half have taught me about big-picture planning with ADHD
Work With Me:
Learn more about private coaching here
Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)
Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains
Resources From This Episode:
Download the step-by-step quarterly retreat guide
Episode 243: The Four Quarters Method: Tailored for ADHD
More ADHD Resources:
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp
Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain
Discover my favorite ADHD resources
Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System
Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial*
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure info here.
Leave IBBA A Rating & Review!
If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people.
Go to Apple Podcasts
Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
Simply tap five stars; that's it!
Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend!
Chapter Outline
Busy But Unfulfilled: 0:00
Why Quarterly Retreats: 1:27
What A Retreat Is: 2:43
Origin Story And First Try: 4:20
Make It Work For You: 8:26
Three Part Retreat Plan: 11:37
Reflection Questions: 12:19
Pick Next Quarter Priorities: 14:20
Rest And Play Time: 16:04
Inner Critic After Retreats: 18:13
Supports That Made It Click: 21:53
Coaching Invitation: 26:22
Big Themes And Results: 27:43
Your Retreat Checklist: 34:53
Wrap Up And Next Steps: 36:29

Want to SEE what I'm talking about? Check out the YouTube version here! 
https://youtu.be/SZSXcVJcdnQ
If time ever seems to disappear for your ADHD brain, this episode might resonate. I'm sharing my honest experience using Bravestorming, a magnetic tile-based planning system that turns your schedule into something that makes time tangible, flexible, and finally... real.
In Episode 359, You Will Discover:
Why your ADHD brain benefits from seeing time as a physical object, and how tile-based planning solves time blindness in a way digital tools simply can't
Why "thinking in tiles" can help ADHD brains build a more tangible relationship with time
A walkthrough of the full Bravestorming system (Thinker Board, MoveNote, MoverBook, MoverPad, and Tri-fold) and how I use each one in my actual weekly ADHD planning routine
The one key principle that matters more than any specific tool: how to give different lengths of time a consistent, recognizable visual form so your brain starts to internalize it
Work With Me:
Learn more about private coaching here
Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)
Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains
Resources From This Episode:
Use code AWESOME20 for 20% off your entire first purchase
Bravestorming — the full product lineup
Thinker Board — easel-style board for brainstorming and mind mapping
MoveNote — A4 folio for weekly planning (no tiles included)
MoverBook — compact planning folio with tiles included
MoverPad — daily planning pad with a priority grid on the flip side, with tiles
Tri-fold — four-months-at-a-glance planning overview
Mover Tiles — additional tile set to expand your system
Try Todoist for task management here (get two months of pro plan free)
More ADHD Resources:
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp
Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain
Discover my favorite ADHD resources
Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System
Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial*
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure info here.
Leave IBBA A Rating & Review!
If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people.
Go to Apple Podcasts
Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
Simply tap five stars; that's it!
Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend!
Chapter Outline
00:00 Magnetic Tiles Breakthrough
01:27 Visual Episode Disclaimer
02:18 What Is Bravestorming
03:26 Why It Feels Different
05:14 Affiliate Note and Plan
06:35 Thinker Board Overview
07:26 Move Note and Move Book
08:57 Trifold and Custom Templates
10:13 How I Use It Weekly
14:19 Tiles Make Time Real
20:27 Flexibility and Overflow Time
23:44 Avoiding Planner Hype
26:47 Who This System Fits
32:51 Links Code and Wrap Up
34:15 Final Thanks and Next Steps

Summer is supposed to feel lighter… but for many ADHD brains, it often brings unexpected overwhelm. If your mental tabs are overflowing and you're already spinning in indecision about plans, commitments, and scheduling, this episode is your permission slip to do summer differently.
Tune into Episode 358 and discover:
Why summer creates unexpected cognitive overload for ADHD brains
The four-container method that gets everything out of your head and into a clear, calm action plan. You can finally stop carrying it all alone.
A non-negotiable ADHD scheduling support, and exactly how to protect it on your calendar
A Decision making approach that breaks through the decision spin cycle
Real scripts for saying no so you can save your energy for your full-body-yes moments
🎧 Get the full transcript here
Work With Me:
Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)
Learn more about private coaching here
Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains
Resources From This Episode:
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
Try out Wispr Flow (affiliate link)
More ADHD Resources:
Discover my favorite ADHD resources
Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain
Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System
Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp
Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial*
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure info here.
Leave IBBA A Rating & Review!
If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people.
Go to Apple Podcasts
Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
Simply tap five stars; that's it!
Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend!
Chapter Outline
00:00 Summer Overwhelm Signs
02:43 Why Summer Hits Hard
05:23 Tip One Brain Dump
10:06 Four Containers Method
14:10 Tip Two Protect Buffers
17:07 Tip Three One Decision
22:35 Tip Four Opt Out
26:16 Recap Start Small
27:48 Wrap Up And Quiz

If your planner, routine, or fresh system starts to feel weirdly heavy the moment you sit down with it, you're not alone. So many of us with ADHD brains quietly carry a performance frame over our follow-through built on a "pass fail" mindset, where every slip up turns into evidence of failure. In this episode, we explore a simple reframe that helps make sticking with our habits and routines feel lighter, more doable, and more in line with how our brains actually work.
In Episode 357, You Will Discover:
The sneaky way the performance frame turns planning, routines, and new systems into high-stakes situations for ADHD brains
The one-word shift that helps follow-through feel lighter and builds real self-trust over time
Why a rough day becomes useful information instead of evidence that something's wrong with you
Three reflection questions to help you find the places where a practice frame might bring more freedom this week
Work With Me:
Learn more about private coaching here
Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)
Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains
More ADHD Resources:
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp
Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain
Discover my favorite ADHD resources
Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System
Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial*
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure info here.
Leave IBBA A Rating & Review!
If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people.
Go to Apple Podcasts
Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
Simply tap five stars; that's it!
Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend!
Chapter Outline
00:00 Why Planning Feels Heavy
02:41 Performing vs Practicing
05:26 All or Nothing Trap
06:59 Inside the Performance Frame
10:25 Avoidance and Perfectionism
12:02 What Practice Really Means
15:03 Reps Build Self Trust
17:48 Real Life Practice Examples
22:50 Questions to Apply This
27:06 Community and Next Steps
28:15 Wrap Up and Resources

✨ Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)
If you've ever sat down to plan your day and found your ADHD brain staring at a list where every task seems equally on fire, this episode is for you. Our brains generate urgency signals for nearly everything, and sorting genuine priorities from false ones is one of the harder things we ask our brains to do in real time.
In episode 356, we're borrowing from the surprising lens of fire lookouts to walk through four practical checkpoints for deciphering a real priority from false urgency.
In Episode 356, You Will Discover:
How fire lookouts tell real smoke from pollen plumes, and how we can apply that to ADHD prioritization
Four checkpoints for sorting genuine priorities from false urgency
What "lightning strike areas" and "high-pollen trees" can teach us about where urgency comes from
A simple challenge to help you practice what you learn this week
Work With Me:
Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)
Learn more about private coaching here
Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains
Resources From This Episode:
Episode 146: 10 Prioritization Traps That Keep The ADHD Brain Stuck
Episode 263: ADHD Prioritization Challenges + 2 Powerful Matrices To Help
More ADHD Resources:
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp
Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain
Discover my favorite ADHD resources
Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System
Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial*
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure info here.
Leave IBBA A Rating & Review!
If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people.
Go to Apple Podcasts
Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
Simply tap five stars; that's it!
Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend!
Chapter Outline
00:00 Why Everything Feels Urgent
01:31 Fire Lookout Framework
03:15 Pollen vs Smoke Story
06:03 Checkpoint 1 Source Pattern
09:56 Checkpoint 2 Density Color
12:45 Checkpoint 3 Know Sources
16:13 Checkpoint 4 Ask Another
18:40 Coaching Program Invite
20:40 Weekly Challenge Recap
22:25 Wrap Up and Resources