Thank goodness for self-improvement or we would all just be stuck in old ways of thinking, old ways of being, and living out other people’s goals for us. UGG. More than for the average person, self-improvement and self-exploration are critical to the adult who is neurodivergent and I am going to map out why.
What is considered self-improvement, you ask? Good question and it should be clarified right at the start.
Oxford Dictionary: The improvement of one’s knowledge, status, or character by one’s own efforts.
Definition from AI: Self-improvement is the process of making oneself better in some way. This can involve developing new skills, improving existing skills, or changing one’s habits and behaviors. Self-improvement can be motivated by a desire to be more successful, to live a more fulfilling life, or to simply become a better person.
There are many different ways to approach self-improvement. Some people may focus on improving their physical health, while others may focus on improving their mental or emotional health. Still, others may focus on improving their relationships or their careers.
When I talk about self-improvement in reference to being a dyslexic or ADHD thinker it has two important elements.
- Knowing and understanding your own neurology.
- What type or types of dyslexia or ADHD do I have?
- What is my best processing?
- How do I learn best?
- How do different foods affect my neurology?
- How this plays out at your job, in your relationship, with friends, and with family
- Knowing the ways that you want to grow as a person.
I know this matters because self-improvement is about self-empowerment. Having the knowledge and skills to know your options in a situation and then being able to make choices. Heck, for a lot of my clients, it is just realizing that they actually have choices and options in most situations. When we can’t see the choices and options often, we feel frustrated, angry, defeated, depressed, and anxious. Most of the time, unless our life is in jeopardy, those feelings are just wasting time and energy and preventing us from having the amazing life we are supposed to be living.
Working with a coach is high on the list of self-improvement things you can do. I hired my first coach when I was in my twenties, and I have had a variety of them over the years. I also have been involved in support groups and mastermind groups that focus on specific areas I needed to grow in. Not everyone understands or participates in self-improvement, so don’t be surprised if your friends or family ask you why you are doing some of the things you do. Don’t take it personally, just smile and say because I like having more choices in my life, it’s education. I have been lucky because I come from a family with lots of artists, they are always self-improving and growing, so it looks really normal to me. I get that for a lot of my clients, this might be the first self-improvement thing they have ever done for themselves. One client even told me how guilty they felt about taking this time and investing the money into working with me. It only took a couple of weeks for them to be grateful that they started exploring their neurology and thinking processes.
Self-confidence is priceless and an investment worth making.
I always ask this question of new prospective clients. How many self-improvement and organizing books have you read over the years? The numbers are typically over thirty. How much of what you read applied to you and were you able to apply to your life?
That’s the thing about being neurodiverse. We can read and understand the value of something, but being able to implement it into life, is a whole other thing that non-dyslexic or non-ADHD thinkers don’t have as much of a problem with. It’s part of our different neurology.
We need to implement things in a much different way to have success. Just to make it a little more interesting, each person typically has their own style that works best for implementation success. It is one of the funniest parts of my job, getting to help people explore and find their way of retaining and learning things.
If you are a different thinker, I encourage you to explore self-improvement. If you are not currently doing anything to grow yourself and you are feeling a little stuck or stagnant, here is your hint, it’s time to go exploring again and grow in a new direction.
I am going to let you in on one big secret from successful ADHD or Dyslexic thinkers
BONUS SECRET
Highly successful different thinkers work with a team or partners in most areas of their lives. They are most successful when working in tandem with others.
What self-improvement are you going to work on next?
Keep following along with this series as I talk more about the ways we can become more AWARE of dyslexia and ADHD in ourselves or in others.
What You Need to Know About Being Dyslexic As An Adult – The Simple Version
Part 1 Adult Dyslexia & ADHD: How do you become Self-Aware?
Part 2 What Does Self-Care Look Like for Dyslexics and ADHD
Part 4 Championing for Different Thinkers