Podcast Summary: Overcoming Distractions – Thriving with ADHD, ADD

Episode: Building Awareness & Clarity as a Busy Adult with ADHD
Host: David A Greenwood
Date: December 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging solo episode, David A Greenwood explores the foundational importance of awareness and clarity for adults with ADHD—especially for busy professionals, entrepreneurs, and high achievers. Drawing from his lived experience as both a longtime entrepreneur and executive with ADHD, Dave walks listeners through practical steps for understanding their strengths and challenges, adjusting their strategies, and building self-compassion and trust.

The empowering tone, down-to-earth advice, and candid anecdotes make this episode both motivating and deeply relatable for anyone navigating the complexities of adult ADHD in demanding work and home environments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Critical Role of Awareness

• You Can’t Change What You Can’t See
  Dave positions awareness as "the starting point" to any meaningful personal or professional change for those with ADHD.

  • Quote: “You really can’t fix what you can’t see, right? Awareness becomes that little bit of a glimpse or doorway to all that meaningful change that you desire.” (07:11)

• Separating ADHD Wiring from Personal Flaws
  Developing awareness helps reduce shame and increases agency over one’s life.

  • Quote: “Awareness also helps you separate the wiring of our ADHD brain from what you think are, like, personal flaws.” (08:30)

• Practical Tool: Sitting in a Quiet Room
  Dave recommends reflecting in quiet spaces to observe one’s behavior patterns, triggers, and recurring challenges.

2. Knowing Your Strengths & Challenges

• Recognizing Strengths
  Identifying and leveraging ADHD-related strengths (like creativity, resilience, “hyperfocus,” and high energy) can provide a foundation for thriving.

  • Quote: “ADHD isn’t just deficits, as the name would indicate... We do have strengths—high energy, we’re creative, we’re resilient, we see things other people don’t…” (09:40)

• Understanding Challenge Patterns
  Reflecting on difficulties such as time blindness, task initiation, and emotional regulation helps target effective strategies.

  • Key questions to ask:
    • "Which strengths have helped you succeed despite ADHD?"
    • "What challenges drain you daily?" (11:10)

3. Pinpoint Life & Work Pain Points

• Identifying Friction Points
  Dave encourages listeners to notice which parts of their week consistently “fall apart” or cause stress, using these insights as a roadmap for change.
  • Example: “Is there a day during the week where your energy just falls off the cliff?” (12:45)
  • Quote: “Identifying these pain points I think gives you a little bit of a roadmap to explore some change, rather than just dwelling on a list of failures.” (13:20)

4. Systems (or the Lack Thereof)

• Assess Your Tools and Habits
  Many adults with ADHD rely on memory, adrenaline, or urgency rather than sustainable systems. Dave stresses the need to continually assess and adapt one’s systems for capturing tasks, organizing, and managing energy.

  • Quote: “Many adults like us with ADHD, we rely on some type of memory, adrenaline, coffee, urgency, and not systems.” (15:00)

• No 'Set It and Forget It' Solutions
  What worked last year may not work now—it’s necessary to build systems that suit current realities.

  • Quote: “We can’t set it and forget it. It doesn’t work that way.” (16:54)

5. Self-Compassion & Realistic Expectations

• Rewriting the Script on Self-Criticism
  Dave notes the internalized criticism many adults with ADHD carry from years of “bad report cards” or outside judgment, and underscores that harsh self-talk is more harmful than the symptoms themselves.

  • Quote: “Talking shit about ourselves just drains us… introducing some self-compassion, give yourself some grace, cut yourself some slack.” (17:40)

• Focus on Micro-Changes
  Instead of chasing massive action or dramatic changes, make small tweaks for incremental improvement.

  • Quote: “Focus on those little kind of micro changes or micro adjustments. Those 1-2% improvements, moving the needle just a little bit in your favor, I think, works over time.” (19:15)

6. Rebuilding Trust in Yourself

• Small Commitments Foster Confidence
  Start with achievable promises to yourself instead of “ambitious promises” or “New Year” style overhauls.

  • Quote: “The action builds trust. That trust builds a little confidence in us, and that’s going to come from that awareness…” (20:00)

• Ongoing Reflection and Course Correction
  Life and business are in flux; consistently revisiting and adjusting strategies is essential for sustainable progress.

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• “You need to own your ADHD. Whether you like that or not. I don’t care if you’re a college kid or the CEO or the business owner… you need to own it.” (04:45)

• “If it’s not on the calendar, I’m not showing up. If it’s not on the shopping list, I ain’t buying it.” (05:00)

• “We need to constantly be taking some inventory of ourselves—and it’s how we grow, it’s how we thrive.” (05:25)

• “Clarity improves when you kind of stop beating yourself up and start to observe yourself, and not really being a judge.” (18:50)

• “Forget the New Year shit. That doesn’t work. Just forget it. My New Year used to be April when we went on vacation.” (20:25)

Key Timestamps

• 01:02 – Introduction and episode purpose
• 04:45 – The importance of “owning” your ADHD
• 07:11 – Why awareness is the starting point for change
• 09:40 – Recognizing the strengths of ADHD
• 11:10 – Questions to understand your strengths and challenges
• 12:45 – Identifying life and work pain points
• 15:00 – The pitfalls of relying on memory/adrenaline versus systems
• 16:54 – Dangers of the “set it and forget it” mentality
• 17:40 – The impact of self-compassion versus self-criticism
• 19:15 – The value of micro-changes over massive action
• 20:00 – Rebuilding self-trust and confidence
• 20:32 – Episode wrap-up and final thoughts

Takeaways

• Awareness and clarity are continual practices, not one-time achievements.
• Build on your strengths, candidly address your challenges, and don’t be afraid to seek help or talk things out.
• Systems are personal and must adapt as your life and environment change.
• Self-compassion is critical—replace internal criticism with curiosity and understanding.
• Focus on small, sustainable improvements to rebuild trust in yourself and create lasting progress with ADHD.

For more practical strategies and a supportive ADHD community, visit overcomingdistractions.com or book a call with Dave for personalized support.