Navigating Career Transitions with an ADHD Mind

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Welcome to Refined Leadership ADHD Lens with Kathy Rashidian.

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Discover how to refine your leadership through the lens of ADHD.

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Whether you're advancing toward a promotion or redefining your professional

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approach, you're in the right place.

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Join our community for tailored insights that elevate your leadership. Let's dive in.

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Hello, I am your host, Kathy Rashidian, and you're listening to a special episode

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all about navigating career transitions with and ADHD brain.

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Whether you're dreaming about a career pivot or settling into a new role,

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today's discussion is packed with practical strategies that actually work for our unique minds.

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A quick heads up, our popular Quantum Thinkers group coaching is filling up fast.

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If you've been thinking about joining us, now's the time.

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Hop over to ReadySetChoose.com to secure your spot.

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Today, we will explore how career transitions interact with our ADHD brain and

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provide strategies to leverage your unique strengths in the workplace.

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Be sure to download the free resource from our show notes to help guide your

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career discovery journey.

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It's packed with frameworks and reflective questions to support you gain clarity

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and take actionable steps. All right, let's get into it.

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You know that feeling when you're both excited and terrified about a career change?

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We're wired to crave novelty, new challenges, new environments, new possibilities.

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But here's the plot twist. We also get overwhelmed by the moving pieces of a transition.

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How do you manage this balancing act, you ask?

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Here's what I want you to do right now. Yes, right now.

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Pause the dishwasher loading or stop scrolling through that job listings for a moment.

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Grab something to write with because we're going to tackle some game-changing questions.

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Here are four questions that I want you to consider and to write down your answers.

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What makes you come alive at work?

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What are those moments when time just flies by? What do you truly want in your

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next role or career move?

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And finally, what aspects of your ADHD can you leverage to make this transition smoother?

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Take a moment to reflect on these and write down your answers, please.

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Trust me on this part about writing. Our mind loves to bounce thoughts around like a pinball machine.

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For those of us with ADHD, writing things down can serve as an external memory

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aid, helping to clarify thoughts and reduce overwhelm.

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This self-awareness creates a strong foundation for managing transitions.

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Now that we've set the stage with self-awareness, let's explore what happens

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when we decide to take the leap toward finding the next job.

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It's natural to focus on what you don't want in a new role or a company.

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As much as this can be helpful to set the criteria in your search,

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we also need to pay even closer attention to what you do want in the new role or the organization.

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Instead of saying, I don't want to work in a toxic environment.

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Flip it to, I thrive in a workplace that values creativity and flexibility.

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When one of my clients was struggling with this, we transformed,

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I am sick of micromanagement into, I excel in environments that trust my creativity

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and judgment. See how different that feels?

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That shift not only creates a sense of safety for your brain,

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but also primes you to seek opportunities aligned with your goals.

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It's like when you buy a red car, suddenly you notice every other red car on

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the road. What you focus on expands, so focus on what lights you up.

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Another critical step is to declutter your career luggage.

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For example, think about a time when you felt undervalued or unsupported in a previous role.

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How did that experience shape your expectations?

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Identifying these patterns can help you avoid carrying unnecessary fears or

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biases into your next chapter.

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And approach decisions with a clear mindset.

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Take some time to process and declutter those experiences before stepping into your next role.

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This is about starting fresh and entering your next chapter with clarity and confidence.

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And remember, this step can be even more effective when a thinking partner like

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a therapist or a coach or a mentor creates that safe space for you to process

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past experiences and then you're able to plan your path forward.

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Before we move on, I want to take a moment to tell you about Quantum Thinker's coaching community.

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If you're navigating a career transition or looking for a supportive community

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of like-minded professionals, this group coaching is for you.

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I've designed it to help professionals with ADHD, especially leaders like you,

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to leverage your strengths and find clarity and take intentional steps into your career move.

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For more details, head over to show notes or to readysetchoose.com.

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Now, let's talk about strengths.

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One of the most powerful exercises I can recommend is identifying your top strengths

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and considering how they show up in your work.

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In our group coaching conversation, we often talk about strengths.

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Have you ever heard of the VIA character strengths or Clifton strengths?

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These are some tools designed to help you uncover core strengths and understand

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how they shape up your daily life and work.

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The VIA Character Strengths focuses on positive traits like creativity,

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perseverance, while Clifton Strengths helps identify talents that can be developed

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into strengths such as strategic thinking or relationship building.

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They're a light personality test, but instead of telling you what's wrong,

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they illuminate what's right.

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Tools like these can also give you invaluable insights into your core strengths

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and how you show up in work.

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For instance, maybe you excel in divergent thinking or hyperfocus.

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How can those strengths become assets in your career?

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Here's an example. If you are great at innovative thinking, frame it like this

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during an interview or a performance review.

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I excel at creating outside-the-box strategies that drive results.

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Lean into your strengths. They're your superpower.

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But remember, there is a balance. Too much of a strength can become a weakness.

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For example, hyperfocus is fantastic until it leads to burnout.

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So keep your strengths in check by setting boundaries and pacing yourself.

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This balance allows you to use your strengths and assets rather than letting

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them become overwhelming.

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Now that we've covered the importance of clarity and strengths,

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let's dive into some practical tools.

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Here are three actionable steps you can take this week if you're navigating a career transition.

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Clarify your priorities. Write down two things you absolutely want in your next role.

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Be specific and be positive.

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Evaluate your environment. Take stock of what energizes you and what drains

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you in your current or past roles.

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Use this as a guide to make informed decisions.

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Take one small action. Whether it's updating your resume,

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networking with a mentor, or exploring new opportunities, taking one tiny step

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can break the cycle of overthinking and also start building momentum.

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All right, I cannot wrap this up without giving you one key piece of this puzzle,

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advocating for yourself.

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Whether or not you disclose your ADHD, it's all about advocating for what you

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need in a way that feels empowering and practical. Here's my take.

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Disclosure is a personal choice. So instead, focus on advocating for what you

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need in ways that don't require a label.

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For instance, instead of saying I need this accommodation because I have ADHD, try this.

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I perform best when I can alternate between sitting and standing.

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Would it be possible to get a desk riser? By framing it as a productivity enhancement,

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you're advocating for your needs while keeping the conversation focused on a win-win for everybody.

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Another example is if you struggle with meeting overload, you might say,

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I find that I can contribute more effectively with shorter, more focused meetings.

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Could we explore setting tighter agenda to optimize our time?

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Tailoring your request to a specific need helps foster collaboration and understanding.

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Before we wrap up, let's recap some key takeaways from today's episode.

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Clarity is power. Define what you want in your next role, focusing on positive aspects.

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Leveraging your strengths. Identify your top strengths and use them as foundation

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to navigate transitions and advocate for yourself in the workplace.

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Take the small steps. Break down the transition journey into actionable steps

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to reduce overwhelm and build momentum. And finally, advocate strategically.

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Approach self-advocacy with confidence, focusing on solution that's a win-win

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for everybody rather than label.

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With these tools in hand, you're

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equipped to tackle your next career move with purpose and alignment.

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Remember to grab your free workbook from our show notes.

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It's like having a career coach in your pocket, helping you identify everything

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we've just covered today.

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Transitions are not about where you're going. They're about how you show up along the way.

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And hey, if you're resonating with any of this, I'd love to hear from you over on LinkedIn.

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Or better yet, come join us in Quantum Thinkers Group, where we tackle these challenges together.

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Until next time, remember, don't do ADHD alone, align to your strengths, and keep on shining.