I am sure everyone knows the feeling of seeing something life-changing on the horizon. This includes having children, graduating from school, ending a job, etc. It is like the tidal wave is coming at you slowly and gaining momentum by the moment. So what is one supposed to do? Why is it important for someone with ADD, ADHD or Executive Functioning concerns to prepare ahead of time?
Being prepared for these types of events will make a difference. In my personal and professional experiences, it is extremely important to have a plan in place. Let me give you a personal example…in May of 2010, we had our second child. She is a beautiful girl (not that I’m biased or anything but see for yourself). There are many considerations that my wife and I needed to address. This included setting up her room, getting her health insurance, finding a nanny or an au pair, we just need to figure out the au pair cost and make it work for our new routine, and buying clothes (we had a son as our first child, so the clothes thing may not always work for both children) just to name a few. While our daughter was a scheduled delivery, there always is a chance we’ll go to the hospital early so having a bag packed and ready to go along with someone to watch our son on speed dial is also necessary.
I left many details out about having a baby, but I just wanted a small taste for those of you that haven’t had children quite yet. It is never as easy as it seems on TV or in the movies, but it can be made easier by planning ahead. Let’s take a situation slightly different than the birth of a child…losing a job. You’ve been working for a company for many years. In your last envelope, you get two-weeks notice. While it could be for a variety of reasons, no one ever wants to lose his or her job. It is a very painful feeling. So how do you handle this?
I always advise clients to take the high road. While it feels good to create a scene and demand answers, it just doesn’t fix the problem. In fact, I had one client that after receiving two-weeks notice received a call from that employer asking her to come back after a month. It was because she treated the situation appropriately (and was told by her superiors as much). A pound of flesh is not worth anything at the end of the day.
Sometimes we do not have this luxury of being able to anticipate something. That is for another day.
For more information on my ADD, ADHD and Executive Functioning coaching, please visit www.adhdefcoach.com. In addition to working with clients in-person, I also work with clients all over the United States and World online, please visit www.onlineadhdcoach.com for more information. To learn more about my other services, please visit www.carrolleducationalgroup.com & www.iepexperts.com. I can be found on Twitter at ADHDGuru. You can also find me on Facebook, Google Plus and Tumblr. Feel free to email me at [email protected] or call 877.398.ADHD (2343) with any additional questions.