I'm Busy Being Awesome - Sustainable Productivity for ADHD

✨ 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

✨ Join the free training here
ow motivation and procrastination are some of the most common ADHD challenges, but what's actually driving (or blocking) your motivation goes much deeper than you think. In this episode, ADHD coach Paula Engebretson breaks down the real mechanics of motivation, procrastination, and ADHD, and gives you a practical tool to take back control.
Every action we take (or avoid) is driven by one of two directions: moving toward a feeling we want, or moving away from a feeling we don't want. For ADHD brains, the "away from" direction runs the show more often than we realize, and once you can see it, everything starts to shift.
In this episode, you'll discover:
The two directions of motivation we all navigate, and which one is most likely running your behavior right now
How to identify the specific emotion underneath your motivation so you can stop spinning and start moving forward with intention
A 4-step check-in tool to shift your thinking, generate the feeling you actually want, and take one small step forward, even on your hardest days
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
More ADHD Resources:
Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
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
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 Relief And Motivation
01:54 Toward Vs Away Drives
03:14 Same Action Different Fuel
05:50 ADHD And Urgency
08:03 Name The Emotion
08:44 Overwhelm Example
09:57 Thoughts Create Feelings
11:59 Shift Thoughts Gently
14:39 Chasing Relief Trap
18:04 Four Step Check In
20:09 Try It This Week
21:03 Free Training
22:04 Wrap Up And Resources

✨ Join the free training here
We find something that works for our ADHD brains, and it feels like a win. Then we forget to use it.
In episode 354 of the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast, we walk through five reasons ADHD brains lose track of strategies that genuinely help, plus one simple, low-effort system to help you build a bridge back to what works with more ease.
The five real reasons ADHD brains "forget to remember"
How to create a personalized Tool Card
What "drift signals" are and how to use them to re-engage with what works
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
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 Forgetting to Remember
02:09 Welcome and Goal
02:45 The ADHD Strategy Cycle
05:14 Five Reasons We Forget
10:16 Stop the Shame Story
11:00 Build Your Tool Card
12:01 Choose One Focus
15:01 Give It a Reliable Home
16:07 Find Your Drift Signals
21:27 Try It This Week
22:41 Free Training
24:02 Wrap Up and Resources

✨ Grab your free Intentional Summer Workbook + join the free workshop
Summer has a way of slipping by before we even notice, especially for ADHD brains. In this bonus episode, we slow down and design your summer around how you actually want to feel, then build four types of flexible planning anchors to help you return to that feeling all season long. Plus, there's a free workshop and workbook to take it even further. Grab them here!
In the Bonus Summer Episode, You Will Discover:
How to identify two or three feeling words that will anchor your whole summer
A step-by-step guide to get clear on what a truly good summer looks and feels like for you
Four types of anchors to return to your ideal summer experience, no matter what your energy or schedule looks like
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:
Free Intentional Summer Workbook + Workshop (May 21st)
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 Summer Feels Hard
00:20 The Plan 
01:41 When Summer Slips Away
02:59 Sisters Summer Inspiration
04:50 Choose Your Summer Feelings
06:20 Free Workshop Invite
07:32 Spot Your Default Patterns 1
0:42 Visualization For Clarity
13:05 Pick Your Emotion Words
14:38 Build Flexible Anchors
15:58 Four Anchor Types
19:42 Anchor Example Connected
20:47 Your Next Steps
22:06 Wrap Up And Share

There's a sneaky version of imposter syndrome that lives specifically in the ADHD brain… and it has nothing to do with your results.
Your process works. Your output is solid. So why does part of you still brace for the moment someone finds out how you actually get things done?
In Episode 353, You Will Discover:
The specific flavor of ADHD imposter syndrome that drains your energy before you even start — and why it shows up even when your results are strong
The difference between workhorse and thoroughbred energy patterns, and how understanding your natural rhythm changes everything about how you work
Four reflection questions to identify what you're hiding, what it's costing you, and how to build genuine permission to work your way — without apology
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:
Ep. 140: ADHD Imposter Syndrome – The 5 Competence Types & How to Challenge Them
Ep. 287: ADHD Energy Levels – Workhorse vs. Thoroughbred
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 Fear Your Process
02:05 Coaching Call Theme
03:54 Workhorse vs Thoroughbred
07:15 Unconventional Wins
08:34 Process Imposter Syndrome
10:57 Workhorse World Conditioning
11:41 Sprints and Recovery
14:52 Part Time Worry
17:42 When Process Needs Help
18:23 Webinar Block Example
18:46 Verbal Processing Breakthrough
19:50 Voice Actor Deadline Stress
21:20 Target Dates Not Deadlines
22:25 Stop Performing Productivity
23:07 Belief Mindset Emotional Trio
24:27 Spotting Imposter Thoughts
25:52 Owning Your Night Owl Flow
29:49 Why Belief Work Needs Support
31:05 Group Coaching Invitation
32:12 Questions To Claim Your Process
34:16 Wrap Up Quiz And Subscribe