I'm Busy Being Awesome - Sustainable Productivity for ADHD

I'm Busy Being Awesome - Sustainable Productivity for ADHD

How do I increase my productivity and decrease distractions? Is it possible to reclaim my time? How can I get more organized? And can I do it all with ADHD? Welcome to the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast, where we dive into each of these questions and so much more. Every week, life coach and ADHDer Paula Engebretson brings you her best strategies to boost your productivity, manage your time, get organized, and follow through on your goals. Whether you're a fellow ADHDer, you identify with ADHD tendencies, or you simply want to take your productivity to the next level, this podcast is for you. Are you busy being awesome?

Episodes

May 18, 2026 23 mins

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ow motivation and procrastination are some of the most common ADHD challenges, but what's actually driving (or blocking) your motivation goes much deeper than you think. In this episode, ADHD coach Paula Engebretson breaks down the real mechanics of motivation, procrastination, and ADHD, and gives you a practical tool to take back control.

Every action we take (or avoid) is driven by one of two directi...

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We find something that works for our ADHD brains, and it feels like a win. Then we forget to use it.

In episode 354 of the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast, we walk through five reasons ADHD brains lose track of strategies that genuinely help, plus one simple, low-effort system to help you build a bridge back to what works with more ease.

  • The five real reasons ADHD brains "forget to remember"
  • How to...
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Grab your free Intentional Summer Workbook + join the free workshop

Summer has a way of slipping by before we even notice, especially for ADHD brains. In this bonus episode, we slow down and design your summer around how you actually want to feel, then build four types of flexible planning anchors to help you return to that feeling all season long. Plus, there's a free workshop and workbook to take it even further. Grab them here...

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There's a sneaky version of imposter syndrome that lives specifically in the ADHD brain… and it has nothing to do with your results.

Your process works. Your output is solid. So why does part of you still brace for the moment someone finds out how you actually get things done?

In Episode 353, You Will Discover:

  • The specific flavor of ADHD imposter syndrome that drains your energy before you even start — and why it sho...
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Have you ever looked at a pattern you thought you'd "fixed" — maybe you fell back into all-or-nothing thinking, or perfectionism returned, or you found yourself avoiding the very thing you spent weeks building a habit around — and your ADHD brain quietly offers this thought:

"Here we go again. After all this. I'm right back where I started."

This episode has your name on it. Real ADHD growth rarely moves in a straight line, and und...

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Do you find yourself trying to rest, but your ADHD brain is mentally sprinting through your entire to-do list? There's a belief running quietly underneath every productivity system you've ever tried, and it's the real reason your ADHD brain can't relax. It's time to learn how to rest with ADHD.

In episode 351, you'll discover:

  • Where the "rest must be earned" belief actually comes from, and why it made complete sense at the tim...
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👉 Download the free Podcast Roadmap: https://imbusybeingawesome.com/map

You've tried every planner, every productivity hack, every "just write it down" system — and none of them stuck. This is because most productivity systems weren't built for the ADHD brain.

After 350 episodes and thousands of hours coaching, this is the framework I come back to again and again: Plan, Act, Complete. It's the ADHD productivity system that's both ...

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You know that frustrating feeling where you know exactly what to do, but your ADHD brain just won't let you start? SAME.

If you've ever had a habit you wanted to keep but somehow couldn't, or found yourself doing something on autopilot that you'd really like to stop, this episode is for you.

Today we're talking about the 20-Second Rule: a deceptively simple framework for making...

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"There's no way you have ADHD." That's what the psychiatrist said to me, right before he laughed out loud. Why? Because I had a PhD, a job as a professor, and a marriage.

In his mind, my "success" canceled out my struggle. That moment was my first lesson in self-advocacy, and it sparked a journey that changed everything.

Ten years later, I'm sharing the 10 things I wish I could go back and tell that version of myself and anyone els...

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Time management might not be the problem we need to solve right now when it comes to ADHD productivity.

If you've tried every planner, app, and calendar blocking strategy out there but still feel behind, you are not alone. For years, we've been taught that if we could just manage our time better, everything would click into place. But for adults with ADHD, the old "time equals money" equation doesn't always hold up, especially when...

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Episode 346: ADHD Burnout - When "Just Work Harder" Stops Working

Are you that high performing ADHD brain who always figures it out, regardless of how much it impacts your well being? Have you relied on this strategy for most of your life, only to suddenly realize it's not sustainable? On the outside, you look successful and put-together. But inside, you're exhausted, overwhelmed, and terrified because the strategies that ...

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Episode 345: ADHD Brain Overwhelmed By Newsletters? Try This.

I currently have over 800 unread newsletters in my inbox…and I'm pretty sure I subscribed to almost every one on purpose. 😅 If you can relate to the overwhelm of a cluttered inbox, this episode is for you.

Today I'm sharing my personal "Inbox Reset" experiment. If you're overwhelmed by email but afraid to unsubscribe because of FOMO (or because your ADHD workin...

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If your ADHD brain struggles with procrastination, or you often find yourself thinking, "Why can't I just do this thing?!" episode 344 is for you.

We often think "getting started" is one simple action. But for the ADHD brain, task initiation is actually a complex chain of 5-6 distinct steps, each of which demand our executive functions. When we collapse these steps all into one, we miss the nuance of where the breakdown happens and...

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If you are navigating a neuro-mixed relationship in your life whether you have the ADHD brain or someone you care for does you likely know some version of this cycle: a missed task leads to frustration, which leads to defensiveness or shame, which ends in a conflict where no one feels heard.

In episode 343, we are bridging the gap between the differing experiences of an ADHD brain and a Neurotypical brain. Whether they're a partner...

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Does your weekly planning routine usually fall apart by Monday afternoon? If you have a graveyard of half-filled planners and abandoned Notion dashboards, please hear me: it's not YOU. You just haven't found a system that works with your ADHD brain

If you've tried every app, color-coded calendar, and 27-step workflow out there but still feel overwhelmed, this video is for you. Today, we're exploring the Alastair Weekly Log: a ridic...

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👉 Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!

In Episode 341 You Will Discover:

  • The Science of "Sticky" Thoughts: What the Zeigarnik Effect is and why unfinished tasks take up twice as much memory space.
  • The Two Types of Loops: How to distinguish between "trivial urgency" (the loops that don't matter) vs. the actual priorities that need a decision.
  • Why We Avoid Closing Them: The link between open loops, perfection...
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In Episode 340 You Will Discover:

  • How ADHD low energy is biological, not a discipline problem
  • Ways to identify which low-energy phase you're in right now
  • Simple, compassionate tools that match your actual capacity

Work With Me:

👉 Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!

👉 Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains

👉 Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)

👉 Lear...

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In Episode 339 You Will Discover:

  • Three key reasons change is hard for ADHD brains
  • A simple, step by step approach to make lasting change
  • Actionable tips to incorporate these tools into your life today

Work With Me:

👉 Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz!

👉 Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains

👉 Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)

👉 Learn more about...

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👉 Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching)

Do you want a do-over on the New Year's energy this year? If you found that January somehow got away from you, and your intentions to map out your goals derailed... SAME. I'm right there with you.

Here is the truth: Transitions are incredibly hard for the ADHD brain. Moving from the chaos of the holidays into a high-pressure "New Year" is a massive transition that we often underesti...

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Ever find yourself 95% done with a task… and somehow still not finishing it?

In this episode, we're talking about what I call the infinite 5% — that last little stretch of a project that somehow takes forever. We'll break down why this pattern shows up (especially for ADHD brains), what's actually going on when it feels impossible to cross the finish line, and two powerful mindset shifts that can help you finally finish — or give y...

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