Disorganized Mind

by Nancy A. Ratey

Overview

For the millions of adults diagnosed with ADHD The Disorganized Mind will provide expert guidance on what they can do to make the most of their lives. The inattention, time-mismanagement, procrastination, impulsivity, distractibility, and difficulty with transitions that often go hand-in-hand with ADHD can be overcome with the unique approach that Nancy Ratey brings to turning these behaviors around.

The Disorganized Mind addresses the common issues confronted by the ADHD adult:

"Where did the time go?"

"I'll do it later, I always work better under pressure anyway."

"I'll just check my e-mail one more time before the meeting…"

"I'll pay the bills tomorrow – that will give me time to find them."

Professional ADHD coach and expert Nancy Ratey helps readers better understand why their ADHD is getting in their way and what they can do about it. Nancy Ratey understands the challenges faced by adults with ADHD from both a personal and professional perspective and is able to help anyone move forward to achieve greater success. Many individuals with ADHD live in turmoil. It doesn't have to be that way. You can make choices and imagine how things can change – this book will teach you how. By using ADHD strategies that have worked for others and will work for you, as well as learning how to organize, plan, and prioritize, you'll clear the hurdles of daily living with a confidence and success you may never before have dreamed possible.

Nancy Ratey has the proven strategies that will help anyone with ADHD get focused, stay on track, and get things done - and finally get what they want from their work and their life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312355340
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Publication date:	12/23/2008
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	133,542
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Nancy A. Ratey, Ed.M., MCC, SCAC, is a Strategic Life Coach who specializes in coaching professionals with ADHD. She earned her Masters Degree in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and is certified as a Master Certified Coach by the International Coach Federation and a Senior Certified Coach by The Institute for the Advancement of ADHD Coaching. In addition to her private coaching practice, she lectures at conferences and symposiums worldwide, and writes on the subject of ADHD. As one of the founders of the ADHD Coaching field, Nancy is internationally recognized as one of the foremost authorities on the topic. Her work has been featured in The NY Times, News Day, Wired, Vogue; on ABC, CBS and NPR.

Nancy currently practices in Wellesley, MA, where she resides with her husband, Dr. John Ratey.

Read an Excerpt

Part 1

“Who are you, and what do you love?” a close friend once asked me. I’m outgoing and talkative by nature, and I’m rarely at a loss for words, but I was stunned into silence by my friend’s question. I had no idea how to respond.

“Don’t worry,” she said, sensing my discomfort. “I didn’t expect you to answer. I only wanted you to imagine the possibilities of who you might be.”

It’s hard to know what different roads any of us might have traveled had we early on imagined our lives shaped by our loves, by our bone-deep passions and beliefs. But I don’t think that when we begin to imagine is what matters. What matters is that it happens finally, that we come to believe such a life is possible, and that we determine, at last, to live it.

It has been awhile since my friend posed her question, and I’ve thought about her words a lot. Today I can answer confidently, “I’m Nancy Ratey, and I love the same things that most of us love: family, friends, some modicum of personal success.”

But I can also answer another way: “I’m Nancy Ratey, life coach, and I love that the ADHD that once might have devastated me has translated into my life’s passion and work: helping others with ADHD cope.”

This is a book about possibility for those struggling with the symptoms of ADHD. It’s about the possibility of taking control, of maintaining control, of loving the way that you live. It’s about how I did it, and it’s about my belief that you can do it, too.

Copyright © 2008 by Nancy A. Ratey. All rights reserved.

Editorial Reviews

Nancy Ratey, the queen-maven of coaching, has written a masterful and practical guide to the world of promoting peak performance and peace of mind through the power of coaching. The Disorganized Mind will make all who read it more successful, less stressed, and happier in their pursuit of their goals. This book is a total winner!” —Edward Hallowell, M.D., co-author of Driven to Distraction and author of CrazyBusy

“In a very warm and personal style, Nancy Ratey, a true pioneer in the field, demonstrates the depth of her expertise and empathy for adults with ADHD. In her book, The Disorganized Mind, Ratey skillfully guides the reader through a potentially life changing process!” —Sari Solden, MS, author of Women with ADD and Journeys through ADDulthood

“Well done! This book will really help ADDers understand what coaching is and how they can self-coach. It's a compassionate book clearly based on years of successful coaching experience. I'll recommend it to my clients.” —Judith Kolberg, Award-winning professional organizer. Co-author, ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life

“Speaking as a mother of a child with LD and ADHD, I knew little about coaching prior to reading Nancy Ratey's extremely insightful book. I particularly liked the chapter on Time Mismanagement as I have seen first hand how challenging this can be. Nancy's book will inspire, and serve as an invaluable life guide for those who lead scattered, disorganized lives.” —Anne Ford, Chairman Emeritus, National Center for Learning Disabilities and author of Laughing Allegra and On Their Own

“Through her years of experience coaching others with the disorder, Nancy Ratey has seen firsthand that people can change their lives. The book demonstrates the power of coaching and/or self-coaching and the difference it can make for those with ADHD.” —From the Foreword by John J. Ratey, M.D., co-author of Driven to Distraction

From the Publisher