May 25
Join Tracy in episode 108 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women where she introduces you to Judith Houlding. Judith has been a professional organizer for 11 years. She is also an ADHD coach who has trained in “brain-based differences” and has received certification from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, Coach Approach for Organizers, and the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. Judith is the mother of three adult children, two of which were diagnosed as having ADHD. She describes herself as being on the ADHD spectrum … but not quite at the tipping point. Judith understands the frustrations and struggles that the ADHD brain deals with when it comes to organization. She believes that perfection is an illusion that no organizer will ever promise you. Judith believes that, good enough is truly Good Enough!
Judith shares Her own personal story with ADHD. Why she decided to become a professional organizer What the Institute for Challenging Disorganization does Concepts that she uses with ADHD clients to help them with organization The questions to ask when you’re trying to decide what to keep and what to get rid of Organization tips and workarounds for the ADHD brain What to start with when everything is a mess Tips on school organization.
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"I like to say I'm like the water torture, where I just drip drip drip on your head and finally say okay, I'll let go over that thing."
- Judith Houlding
"For me, if you know, my podcast editor, he'll send me a message and say, Do you want this to be explicit? Because you swore and I'm like, yeah, just go for it."
- Judith Houlding
"I work with a young man who is in a Ph.D. program. And he said to me, one of the problems is I always know I can push things out that none of the deadlines are hard and fast. That's terrible for someone with ADHD horrible, because you never can really depend on it being meaningful."
- Judith Houlding
- Judith shares her personal story of being on the autism spectrum and how she noticed similarities between her own struggles and those of her children.
- Judith shares her personal experience with ADHD and how she organizes her workspace, including labeling file drawers and keeping only essential items on her desk.
- Judith emphasizes client-driven approach at ICD, prioritizing client's perspective and emotional needs.
[20:56 - 35:09] Decluttering with Mindfulness
- Judith shares her enthusiasm for home organization, revealing her own OCD tendencies and the various factors that influence the time it takes to complete a project.
- Judith encourages decluttering kitchen by sorting items into categories and reassessing needs.
- Judith emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation for ADHD individuals, using the example of reading a book without feeling guilty or pressured.
[35:09 - 50:26] Parenting and Productivity Tips
- Judith shares her approach to tackling tasks she's not interested in or doesn't want to do, such as organizing her cans or QuickBooks, by breaking them down into smaller timeframes and relying on her working memory.
- Judith shares her experience as a parent of two children with different learning styles and how she adapted her approach to support their individual needs.
- Judith emphasizes the value of grounding techniques, such as shaking or wiggling one's body, to help clients access their emotions and improve their mental state before tackling tasks.
