Fridays. I promised this post. Here it is.
Every week I protect one day with no client meetings and no calls. Other team members do the same on a different day. Friday is the day that I do the work that keeps everything running. Admin. Finance. Reporting. The things nobody sees but nothing works without.
It is also the day I think most clearly, by working in a 'Melba' way. Some of my best ideas come while I am cooking and gardening. Something about working with my hands frees up the rest of my brain. Multitasking helps me think. Technology helps me to dictate my notes while I dig. Not everyone works that way, but I do, and knowing that about myself is part of the point.
At ASM we practice what we talk about. We work with neurodivergent adults every day, helping them build working lives that fit how they actually function. It would be strange if we did not apply the same thinking to ourselves. Especially because all of us have lived experiences of neurodivergence. Whether it is us, a family member, or both.
So we block our calendars for deep focus. We have agreed windows for ad hoc questions instead of constant interruptions. When someone in the team needs something from me, we use a technique I developed that has become part of how we all work: “Do you need a decision, a review, or a sounding board?” Half the time it becomes a two-line answer. If it does not, it earns a proper timeslot.
These are small shifts. They sound simple, even though they are often make or break.
For neurodivergent adults who rely on long stretches of unbroken focus, the difference between a day that is structured around how your brain works versus a day that is not, is the difference between doing your best work and spending eight hours recovering from interruptions.
We do not just help our clients with this. We live it every week. Happy Friday :)