When your schedule flips on you by 10 am, most traditional planning advice leaves you stranded. This episode walks you through three flexible planning strategies designed specifically for ADHD brains navigating irregular schedules and unpredictable days. Whether you're juggling client calls, shifting deadlines, or the beautiful chaos of caregiving, these methods adapt with you.

Tune into Episode 361 and discover:

• How to anchor your day to one priority so decision fatigue doesn't derail you when time opens up unexpectedly
• The difference between clock time and event time — and why leaning into event time can be a more sustainable structure for unpredictable schedules
• Why intentionally building in overflow time is one of the most supportive things we can do for our ADHD brains (and how to do it without guilt)

• 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

• Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
• Episode 357: A Better Way to Build Habits & Follow Through For Your ADHD Brain
• Episode 359: Time Blocking for ADHD: Why Magnetic Tiles Actually Work
• Laura Vanderkam

• Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
• 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
• Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp
• Support your brain with Wispr Flow.* Speech-to-text on your phone or computer.
• 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*.*

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.

1. Go to Apple Podcasts
2. Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
4. Simply tap five stars; that's it!
5. 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!

00:00 When Plans Fall Apart

01:37 Why Rigid Schedules Fail

04:14 Strategy One Anchor Task

07:33 IT Example In Action

09:38 Strategy Two Event Time

12:09 Real Estate Scheduling Flex

14:12 Strategy Three Overflow Time

17:16 Project Manager Buffer Wins

21:33 Pick Your Best Strategy

24:22 Layer Them And Practice

25:46 Wrap Up And Next Steps

👉 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.

• 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

• 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

• Download the step-by-step quarterly retreat guide
• Episode 243: The Four Quarters Method: Tailored for ADHD

• 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.

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.

1. Go to Apple Podcasts
2. Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
4. Simply tap five stars; that's it!
5. 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!

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

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

• 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

• Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!
• Try out Wispr Flow (affiliate link)

• 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.

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.

1. Go to Apple Podcasts
2. Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
4. Simply tap five stars; that's it!
5. 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!

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.

• 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

• 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

• 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.

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.

1. Go to Apple Podcasts
2. Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
4. Simply tap five stars; that's it!
5. 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!

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.

• 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

• 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

• Episode 146: 10 Prioritization Traps That Keep The ADHD Brain Stuck
• Episode 263: ADHD Prioritization Challenges + 2 Powerful Matrices To Help

• 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.

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.

1. Go to Apple Podcasts
2. Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
4. Simply tap five stars; that's it!
5. 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!

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

• 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

• 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.

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.

1. Go to Apple Podcasts
2. Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
4. Simply tap five stars; that's it!
5. 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!

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

• 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

• 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.

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.

1. Go to Apple Podcasts
2. Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews.
4. Simply tap five stars; that's it!
5. 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!

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