I'm Busy Being Awesome - Sustainable Productivity for ADHD

👉 Download the free Podcast Roadmap: https://imbusybeingawesome.com/map
You've tried every planner, every productivity hack, every "just write it down" system — and none of them stuck. This is because most productivity systems weren't built for the ADHD brain.
After 350 episodes and thousands of hours coaching, this is the framework I come back to again and again: Plan, Act, Complete. It's the ADHD productivity system that's both effective and sustainable.
In this episode, you'll discover:
The 3 stages where ADHD brains get stuck — and the specific traps at each one (time blindness, task initiation, the dreaded "last 5%")
Simple supports to move through overwhelm and burnout without white-knuckling it
How to honor your energy to ensure sustainable change without ADHD burnout
Work With Me:
Learn more about private coaching here
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains
Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)
Resources From This Episode:
Episode 146: 10 Prioritization Traps That Keep The ADHD Brain Stuck
Episode 219: What Is The ADHD Burnout Cycle? 6 Different Stages
Episode 220: 7 Steps To Recover From ADHD Burnout Using 'Low Power Mode'
Episode 319: 5 Ways To Stay Motivated After The Dopamine Drop
Episode 327: ADHD Mental Fatigue or Resistance? How to Know Which One You're Experiencing
Episode 338: I Never Finish Anything! ADHD & The Last 5%
Episode 341: The Zeigarnik Effect & ADHD: How to Stop Spinning on Unfinished Tasks
Episode 344: Why "Just Start" Never Works: ADHD Task Initiation Explained
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
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 Framework Overview
05:31 Overwhelm And Burnout
09:25 Map The Stuck Point
12:17 Stage One Plan
21:44 Stage Two Act
28:18 Stage Three Complete
33:11 Coaching Invite
35:00 Energy Rhythms Recovery
40:11 Iteration Mindset
41:19 Wrap Up Next Steps

Get the Newly Updated Podcast Roadmap Here!
You know that frustrating feeling where you know exactly what to do, but your ADHD brain just won't let you start? SAME.
If you've ever had a habit you wanted to keep but somehow couldn't, or found yourself doing something on autopilot that you'd really like to stop, this episode is for you.
Today we're talking about the 20-Second Rule: a deceptively simple framework for making good habits easier to start and unwanted habits just a little bit harder to access. The secret is in the friction.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What the 20-Second Rule is and why it works so well for ADHD brains
How to identify the "friction" that's quietly derailing your best intentions
Real-life examples of removing friction (and adding it) that actually work
How to do a Friction Audit on your own habits — right now
This is one of my favorite frameworks to use with coaching clients, and I think once you see it, you'll start spotting friction everywhere.
Work With Me:
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
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:
The Happiness Advantage - Shawn Achor
Episode 192: How Tiny Habits Create Lasting Change (Big doors swing on little hinges)
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
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 Tiny Glitch Big Habit
01:29 Why Friction Matters
02:05 Starting Small Explained
04:25 The 20 Second Rule 
07:24 ADHD Friendly Reframe
10:09 Friction and Podcast Roadmap
12:03 What Friction Looks Like
14:28 Real Life Friction Fixes
19:26 Run Your Friction Audit
20:37 Key Takeaways and Next Steps
21:55 Wrap Up and Resources

"There's no way you have ADHD." That's what the psychiatrist said to me, right before he laughed out loud. Why? Because I had a PhD, a job as a professor, and a marriage.
In his mind, my "success" canceled out my struggle. That moment was my first lesson in self-advocacy, and it sparked a journey that changed everything.
Ten years later, I'm sharing the 10 things I wish I could go back and tell that version of myself and anyone else navigating a late ADHD diagnosis. Today in episode 348, we're covering:
Why understanding your brain's need for stimulation, cognitive flexibility, and working memory can transform how you approach daily life with ADHD
How masking and rejection sensitivity quietly drain your energy and keep you stuck — and what to do about it
The counterintuitive truth about self-acceptance and why it's the foundation for lasting change
Work With Me:
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
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:
Learn about Rejection Sensitivity Here
Learn about ADHD Masking Here
Learn about Working Memory Here
Learn How to Deal with ADHD Boredom and Understimulation
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
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
0:00 Dismissed on the Phone: The Laugh That Started It All
1:54 10 Years Later: Birthday Reflection & Why This Episode Matters
6:13 Today's Format: A Letter to My Newly Diagnosed Self (10 Things)
7:57 Falling Asleep & Understimulation
10:52 Meds Help, But Pills Don't Teach Skills
14:04 Cognitive Flexibility: Why Transitions and Plan Changes Hurt
16:47 Notes Aren't 'Cheating': Working Memory, Lectures & the Teleprompter
20:55 The Exhaustion of Masking (and How It Gets Better)
23:19 When People Doubt Your Diagnosis: Trust Your Experience
25:25 Rejection Sensitivity: The Shame Spiral Behind Avoidance
28:07 Knowing Better ≠ Doing Instantly: Give Yourself Time to Change
30:10 Self-Acceptance Is the Real Catalyst for Growth
31:53 Your Emotions Are Not Too Much
33:22 Recap of the 10 Lessons
34:17 Closing: Reflect, Share, and Next Steps

Time management might not be the problem we need to solve right now when it comes to ADHD productivity.
If you've tried every planner, app, and calendar blocking strategy out there but still feel behind, you are not alone. For years, we've been taught that if we could just manage our time better, everything would click into place. But for adults with ADHD, the old "time equals money" equation doesn't always hold up, especially when we're doing complex knowledge work.
In episode 347 of the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast, we're challenging core productivity beliefs and exploring an approach that serves our brains better. We're shifting the focus from the clock ticking on the wall to the internal resources we actually have agency over.
In this episode, you will discover:
Why traditional time management advice often fails neurodivergent brains.
A compassionate, ADHD-friendly definition of a "productive day."
The three core elements that impact your output more than time.
Practical ways to work with your natural peaks and troughs rather than fighting them.
It's time to stop trying to manage the unmanageable and start honoring how your brain actually works.
Work With Me:
Learn more about private coaching here
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)
Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains
Resources From This Episode:
Episode 172: ADHD, Procrastination, and Wanting to Do The Thing
Episode 192: How Tiny Habits Create Lasting Change for ADHD (small hinges swing big doors)
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink
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
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 Introduction: Rethinking Time Management
02:01 The Historical Context of Time Management
03:16 Redefining Productivity: Energy, Attention, and Emotions
05:20 Managing Your Energy
06:54 Focusing Your Attention
10:42 Understanding 7 Allowing Your Emotions
14:57 Practical Steps to Boost Productivity
16:34 Next Steps

Episode 346: ADHD Burnout - When "Just Work Harder" Stops Working
Are you that high performing ADHD brain who always figures it out, regardless of how much it impacts your well being? Have you relied on this strategy for most of your life, only to suddenly realize it's not sustainable? On the outside, you look successful and put-together. But inside, you're exhausted, overwhelmed, and terrified because the strategies that got you here won't get you there.
In episode 346 of I'm Busy Being Awesome, we explore a challenge many mid-career adults with ADHD face: the moment your "sand foundation" of grit, hustle, and anxiety-fueled deadlines finally gives way. If you feel like you're drowning despite working harder than ever, episode 346 of the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast is for you.
In episode 346, you will discover:
Why high-achievers with ADHD often unknowingly build success on a "sand foundation."
How to process the fear of realizing what once worked isn't working
What it means to pour a reliable "concrete foundation" designed for your unique brain.
Three simple experiments to start rebuilding sustainable support without burnout.
Work With Me:
Learn more about 1:1 coaching with Paula here
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)
Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains
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
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 Introduction: When ADHD Strategies Stop Working
01:44 Welcome
02:13 Understanding the Friction Point
03:08 Building on a Sand Foundation
08:57 The Emotional Work Required
14:40 Getting Curious and Trying New Strategies
21:29 Concrete Experiments to Try
26:07 Final Thoughts
30:24 Recap