I love jigsaw puzzles. The 1,000 piece or more kind. The harder the puzzle, the better. Right now, I am working on a puzzle where the mountains and the sky are only slightly different in color. All the pieces look the same. There are no distinguishing colors or pictures that would allow me to look at a piece and say, “it fits there”. Instead, I have to resort to looking at each shape, and trying to find another piece that will interlock with it. This puzzle is so frustrating. I have many times said, “I give up”. Yet I go back again and again to try to complete this puzzle.
As I participate in this none-too-relaxing hobby, I cannot help but think about the analogies between this puzzle experience and my clients who have ADHD. Like the pieces in the puzzle, every person with ADHD is different from one another. Like the puzzle, there are no physical features that tell me a person has ADHD. And, like the puzzle, it is not always easy to find the right fit.
For those with ADHD, their life is like a challenging puzzle. They know that they are capable of fitting all the pieces of their life together, but yet they just can’t seem to figure out how. I think about how frustrated I get when I sit for an hour and I have not found one piece that fits into the puzzle. How much frustration do my clients feel when they can’t solve their own life’s puzzle?
I once looked up why people like to do jigsaw puzzles. This anonymous quote gives an apt description:
Humans have an innate quality for pattern-finding, for trying to find meaning in things, for problem solving and trying to find innovative solutions, to make our lives better… These qualities are inside everyone, they just come out in different ways, due to the way the person’s personality and how they interact with the world.
Isn’t the same true for those with ADHD? They have innate qualities that include creativity, intelligence, and resilience. They are tenacious and curious. But, because individuals with ADHD often have problems with focus, organization and hyperactivity, they can’t always show off these qualities. As coaches, teachers, therapists and parents, it is our job to help them realize their potential. With commitment and encouragement, we can help them to find the pieces that fit into their own life’s puzzle.
Meet Coach Diane
I have been an ADHD and executive function coach since 2009. In addition to having my PhD in Human Services: Child Development and Family Studies, I hold a Professional Coach Certification (PCC) with the International Coach Federation. I have been a certified teacher for CHADD’s (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) Parent to Parent program, Impact ADHD’s Sanity School for Parents, and The Nurtured Heart Approach.
