My Standard Disclaimer: In order to outsmart my own perfectionist tendencies and actually make blog entries that I don’t obsess about, I promise not to edit this post [much]. So please forgive any mistakes. It may not be done perfectly, but IT IS DONE, and I’m good with that! So, as of last week I am officially an ACC. (That is another certification. It means that I’m an Associate Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation.) Very exciting, yes. But, that isn’t why I am writing about it. I’m proud of my accomplishment, but not in the way you might think. Yes, I’ve met the minimum qualifications to be certified. But, I have confidence in my coaching ability anyway. I’m far more proud of what I think about my coaching ability. Bottom line: this certification is much more a testament to my ability to initiate, follow through, and “play the game.” In that sense it really reminds me of school. The details of the 8 month ordeal which lead to this certification (for which I had completed the requirements 8 months ago) are not so important. The important thing is that my ability to coach was far less important in this instance that was my ability to fill out forms, make phone calls, write letters/emails, put dates on my calendar to follow up, find correct documentation, follow directions, not get too angry, follow a new set of directions, fill out more forms, etc, etc, etc… The point is that this was a battle that I decided was worth fighting. The end result was a certification that is really good for me, my business, and my career. But, if I hadn’t have waded through nearly 3/4 of a year of bureaucracy would that make me less of a coach? No. It…

So, at nine o’clock tonight my Concerta is running out for the day. I’ve gotten the little man to bed. I’m tired but not quite ready for bed myself. I want to get more work done. I know that the only way I’m going to get anything done is to take a bit more Ritalin, and wait for it to kick in. This sort of planning is second nature for me. I have been taking medication to concentrate for 24 years, since I was ten. It is my life. But for some reason it struck me as odd tonight. If I look at it from an objective standpoint, it is pretty weird that I take pills to make me concentrate, that I can’t just muster another hour of getting-it-doneness by myself. I have to plan, take meds, wait, and hope I’m not too tired by then. I also have to look at concentration in 4, 6, and 10 hour blocks. Again, that is the way it has always been. It isn’t a problem. But, as I look at my life from the outside, it gives me some insight in to how a kid who is new to all of this would see it with fresh eyes. It might be scary, confusing, and seem limiting. It might seem like having to take pills makes you out of control. The irony is, that if you can just open your mind to the possibilites, it actually gives you more control. Take it when you need it. Take only as much as you need. Be a team with your doctor, family, coach and whomever else. Get the medication right and it gives you power—the power to be the you that you want to be, the best you possible. Of course you have to work…

So… I just spent 20+ minutes typing a lengthy blog entry about getting my ACC and what it taught me about perseverance and attention to detail. Then I pressed the “pop out” button on my WordPress page and the whole thing disappeared It was awesome. Now is the time for me to remind myself that “It does not serve me to be angry!” There is nothing I can do about it. So, I’m going to go work my stress out by riding the bike now. More about what I learned from getting my ACC later… I hope.

NOTE: To avoid my own perfectionist tendencies and actually write my blog I pledge to you that I will not edit this… (much.) So, please excuse me if this is not done perfectly. But, IT IS DONE! And I’m okay with that. Lest anyone think that I purport to be perfect or have everything figured out… I had a fabulous ADHD moment last week. I’ve been having a very busy few weeks, with old clients, new clients, teaching, speaking, and special events, not to mention the rest of life! Well, in the midst of this I found myself getting anxious, wound-up, and started “spinning.” The result was that I scheduled a consultation with a potential new client whom I had met at an event, without really looking closely enough at my calendar, and I double booked her. Of course we all make mistakes. So I called her right back and rescheduled for a different time that day. [Here’s where it gets good.] But, I still didn’t take a deep breath, slow down, and really look at my calendar… and I double booked her again! Of course I felt like a total idiot. Hard to portray a professional image as an ADHD coach and professional organizer when you can’t keep your schedule straight! But, this is where I had a positive reaction to my ADHD moment. I felt embarrassed and thought that it would be better to not call her back right away. Maybe if I put it off, I wouldn’t seem so incompetent Changing appointment times twice in a half hour felt mortifying. Luckily for me, this is when I finally did take a deep breath and really looked at the situation. I realized that the best answer was to own up to my mistake as soon as possible. Give…

Hi. I’m Matt. I’m the founder and owner of The In Place. I’m a certified ADHD coach and a professional organizer … among other things. The title is a “What About Bob” reference, in case you were wondering. I am starting this blog to keep “my people” up to date on what’s going with my business and what’s going on in that frightening space between my ears! Sometime I have a great insight about coaching or ADHD while with a client that I think is worth sharing with everyone. This is where I plan to do that. So, please keep checking back for what I hope are many informative, interesting, funny, genuine, timely, educational, and occasionally silly posts. Thanks!