How I Got My ADHD Brain to Prep for Coach Training (and Actually Like It)
Recently, I read an article called “How to Do Things When Your ADHD Hates Doing Things” by Kelly from The Dopamine Dispatch and it couldn’t have landed at a more perfect time. The piece is all about the invisible barrier that many of us with ADHD face: the frustrating gap between wanting to do something and actually doing it. The author makes it clear that this isn’t about laziness or lack of motivation. Rather, it’s executive dysfunction at work, and no amount of self-shaming is going to magically make that go away.
What stood out to me most was how practical and compassionate the suggestions were. Instead of pushing through with force (which usually backfires), the article lays out gentle, realistic ways to reduce the emotional weight of tasks, smooth out friction points, and get things moving through small, achievable actions.
And as it turns out, I accidentally applied every one of these strategies in prepping for something big I’m doing: starting the first in a series of eight-week coach training courses through the Coach Approach Training Institute.
It’s the first structured class I’ve taken in decades; I've done several self-paced programs in recent years, but this is different. During orientation, the trainers emphasized that this class would take up to 10 hours a week with reading, assignments, group work, and practice coaching. And they made it very clear: if we want to succeed, we must put in significant time and effort on pre-class assignments.
Cue the instant rebellion from my ADHD brain.
the adhd spiral began
The moment someone tells me I have to do something, every fiber of my being wants to do the opposite (even if it’s something I wanted to do!)
Here are some of the thoughts that actually ran through my mind during the orientation…
“I have a master’s degree. I think I can handle preparing for a coaching class. This is so insulting.”
“I have been successfully doing everything at the last minute literally my entire life, I bet I can get away with 1 or 2 hours of prep. Ten hours a week is ridiculous.”
“But, they specifically and repeatedly told us that we are not special and cannot do it in less time. What if they know something I don’t? This feels scary. I should drop out.” (Yes, I actually considered quitting before I started.)
That felt vulnerable to share, but I think it’s important for you to know that home organizers aren’t magical unicorns. Many of us struggle with task initiation just like you.
Add my executive dysfunction around time blindness, and this was becoming the perfect storm. I was absolutely convinced that it would take an entire weekend to properly prepare for my first class, and I resented this as someone with a full-time job and kids.
But I really wanted to succeed in this course. I enrolled because I care deeply about serving my ADHD Chicago home organizing clients better, and this training is a crucial first step in doing that well.
Unfortunately, my own desire to succeed was not enough to get me to dive into the pre-class assignments. As days passed and I did nothing, I began to mentally and emotionally spin out on the supposed “enormity” of the task. And with each passing day, the shame around my inability to start was growing.
If you are more neurotypical, you may find this situation somewhat baffling. But, as Kelly relates in her Dopamine Dispatch article, ADHD brains are highly sensitive to criticism. We even perceive self-judgment as a threat rather than a motivator, which can trigger a complete shutdown. We go into “freeze” mode like a deer faced with a predator and cannot move. Furthermore, ADHDers are famously bad with the concept of time. Hearing words like “10 hours or more per week” can translate in our brains to “you are going to have to chain yourself to a chair for 10 straight hours.” It can be very confusing and upsetting.
Kelly explains that overcoming avoidance isn’t about pushing harder, it’s about creating emotional safety, so the task no longer feels like a danger to our self-worth.
How I hacked my ADHD
What finally got me to start the pre-class assignments were precisely the ADHD-friendly strategies Kelly suggests people use to make tasks less threatening, though I didn’t realize it at the time. Looking back, I can see how it all fit together. Her strategies are listed below with a description of how they worked in my case.
1. Reduce the “charge” around the task
Instead of telling myself I had to sit down and do all the pre-class work in one go, I started very small. I simply printed the course materials (one big PDF document). That’s it. Then I thought, “Well, I could hole punch these and stick them in a binder.” That felt doable. I even made a custom cover and spine insert (because I like my materials to be attractive and organized). These low-pressure steps made the class feel a little less intimidating.
2. Create “on-ramps” for the task / 3. Make the task "closer”
These two strategies are about reducing friction (ADHDers are sensitive to even the smallest of obstacles), and making the task obvious and more “in your face” so we don’t fall victim to “out of sight, out of mind” (another famous ADHD pitfall).
My binder was now sitting on my desk: visible, ready, inviting. No digging through downloads or logging into platforms. It was easy to open, flip through, and just look at. That small action removed some of the resistance I usually feel when starting something new.
4. Start with movement, not motivation
Late one Sunday night, I told myself I could just read one section. No pressure. And as I read, something interesting happened—I actually wanted to keep going. One of the assignments involved creating a profile in my cohort’s online platform. It was quick and kind of fun. I started feeling a sense of progress, which fueled my curiosity.
5. Anchor the task to what you were already doing
Come Monday morning, the binder was at my desk along with work I was going to do that morning anyway. I thought, “Okay, it’s right here. Let me just read another page.” This turned into reading several pages. Tiny pivots from what I was already doing helped me stay connected without needing a massive gear shift.
6. Create an “ugly” draft
Instead of thinking I had to be perfectly prepared for the first class, I just let myself scribble notes, underline passages, and work through the pre-work messily. I read several parts out of order because they caught my interest. That let me start, and starting helped me realize… this isn’t so bad. The pre-class assignment didn’t require an entire weekend like I’d initially feared. In fact, I was beginning to enjoy it and really look forward to the class!
Effective supports for ADHD
So why did this work?
It’s because I didn’t wait until I felt “ready” (a feeling that almost never comes). I just nudged myself into motion; reading a bit here, clicking a few buttons there, jotting notes in the margins. And sure enough, momentum followed. I found myself returning to the material again and again throughout the week because I wanted to.
I’m in a totally different headspace now. I’m not in avoidance or dread. On the contrary, I’m excited to get started!
For me, success is all about hacking my ADHD with workarounds like these.
If you’re an ADHDer and find yourself stuck between intention and action, know this: you’re not broken, lazy, or unmotivated. Your brain just needs a different kind of support. Kelly’s article gave me the language and the framework to understand what I was already doing instinctively, and now I can lean into those strategies on purpose.
How this Relates to Home Organizing
You might be wondering, "But, Amy, what does all this have to do with home organizing???"
Well, a lot.
I work with clients who often reach out for help only after they’ve tried (and failed) to declutter and organize their homes on their own. Their homes feel overwhelming, and the idea of starting or finishing their project feels impossible. Usually, their negative feelings about the situation have been plaguing them for months if not years. Sound familiar?
The good and the bad news is that the first step is always the hardest—just like my resistance to preparing for this course. A big part of what I help people do is just get started and realize that they can achieve their goals by taking small, manageable steps. I keep them company and make it fun. As they gain momentum, the emotional weight begins to lift, and the fear and dread they once felt become a distant memory. So, yes, the strategies in Kelly’s article can absolutely help you if you have been avoiding getting started on a downsizing and organizing project!
If you’re interested in more helpful ADHD hacks, consider subscribing to Kelly’s Dopamine Dispatch Substack. Or, if you’re trying to get unstuck on a decluttering and home organizing project, consider partnering with a home organizer. Both of us will provide realistic, kind support for reframing your thinking and addressing things in a way that feels more comfortable and doable. You may even decide it’s fun!