This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
An ADHD diagnosis helps frazzled consultant, helps a frazzled consultant, a consultant who was frazzled, an educational consultant specifically who struggles with focus led to a period of burnout prior to her diagnosis, making some adjustments. That's what we're going to hear about today. Welcome to Side Hustle School. Welcome to Failure Friday. This is our weekly segment where we look at stories of things that don't go so well, things that go wrong, mistakes, missteps, disasters, and of course failure, all those things that kind of happen on the path to success.
That's ultimately what we're about. Ultimately we are about helping you find success in the form of a side hustle and income generating project, perhaps an all new way of life in many cases. Lots of our listeners have gone on to transition from a day job to a full-time business or at least create an income that can replicate a full-time job, which is great. But how does that happen? How do you get an idea?
How do you pursue an idea? What are the action steps? How do you deal with things that come up along the way? These stories have a lot of variants, but they often begin with this idea, the path, and then what happens on the path. Today's short story features Linda from Lincoln, Nebraska.
She's that educational consultant. As you might guess, she had a couple of challenges. Let's hear the story from her. I don't like to pre-empt the stories too much. Let's just pass the mic to Linda.
I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. I remember the first year of my venture into educational consulting as a rollercoaster of highs and lows. As an enthusiastic educator, I was thrilled at the prospect of helping schools and teachers improve their systems and practices. However, my struggle with focused attention, particularly due to my undiagnosed ADHD, became the biggest obstacle in my way. When a new project came to me, the excitement would fuel me to work tirelessly until late at night.
I would immerse myself in research, brainstorm innovative strategies, and draft comprehensive plans for my clients. Those initial sessions would be filled with promise and potential. Yet as the novelty wore off and the projects moved into the more routine phases, my motivation would plummet. Tasks that required sustained attention became nearly insurmountable. I found myself procrastinating, unable to maintain the same level of enthusiasm and dedication.
In the remote work environment, with its inherent lack of direct accountability, my clients began to express concerns. Deadline slipped, communication faltered, and the quality of my work fluctuated. So despite my passion and expertise, I was unable to deliver consistent results. The situation was clear; while my ideas were excellent, my follow-through was unreliable. It's classic ADHD; I just didn't understand it at the time.
My breaking point came when a major project I was leading fell apart. I had been contracted to redesign the curriculum for a prestigious school. The initial proposal phase went exceptionally well, and the school administration was excited about the new direction. However, as weeks passed, my inability to maintain focus and drive led to delays and half-finished work. I felt embarrassed and knew something had to change.
Realizing that my struggles went beyond mere laziness or lack of discipline, I sought professional help. I was diagnosed with ADHD, and this revelation was a turning point. With the guidance of a specialist, I began treatment, which included medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. These interventions helped manage my symptoms and provided me with tools to cope with my attention difficulties. In addition to the meds and therapy, I had to overhaul my work patterns.
I adopted several strategies to create a more structured and accountable workflow. I started breaking down projects into smaller, manageable tasks with clear deadlines. This helped prevent the overwhelming feeling that often led to procrastination. I also implemented regular check-ins with clients, to keep them updated and to hold myself accountable. By setting specific goals for each day and using tools like timers and productivity apps, I was able to maintain focus for longer periods.
Another significant change was setting boundaries for my work hours. Instead of working erratically based on bursts of energy, I established a consistent schedule that allowed for breaks and downtime. Reflecting on my journey, the first year was undeniably challenging. However, recognizing my ADHD and actively working to manage it transformed my approach to work. By creating a structured environment and leveraging tools and strategies to maintain focus, I was able to rebuild my reputation and deliver consistent, high-quality results for my clients.
I have more to learn, but overall, things are much better now. Big thanks to Linda. Thank you for sharing the story. I love hearing stories about ADHD. Longtime listeners and followers know that I also have ADHD.
I've been writing about it a lot this year on a newsletter called A Year of Mental Health. It's something that has affected my life in both positive and negative ways, and just learning more about it has made all the difference. So, Linda, thank you. Again, listeners, thank you. Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.
That's what I encourage folks on Failure Friday, and if you have a question or an update about Your Hustle, www.sidehustleschool.com. This has been episode 2,750. Much more is coming up. New episode every day, always free. My name is Chris Guillebeau.
You're listening to Side Hustle School. from the Onward Project.
