Learning to Direct My Life: How ADHD Coaching Helped Me Regain Creative Control
For years, Daniel was the kind of creative force others admired. A charismatic, fast-talking theatre and dance director, he led productions across London, the UK, and most recently in Paris. He was known for his energy, passion, and big-picture thinking – a natural leader who thrived in rehearsals and lit up a room. What no one saw, and what he kept hidden for years, was how much of that success came at a personal cost.
Behind the achievements and charm was a constant internal struggle. Missed emails, forgotten appointments, chronic disorganisation, and a brain that never seemed to slow down. At work, he pushed through with adrenaline. At home, the chaos caught up with him. He blamed himself – until he finally received a diagnosis of high-functioning ADHD.
How High Achievement Can Hide Real Struggles
“I thought ADHD meant bouncing off the walls and being disruptive at school,” Daniel says. “I wasn’t like that. I got good grades. I was performing in plays and leading student productions. People thought I had it all together – but I was always late, always overwhelmed, always just about keeping things from falling apart.”
For much of his life, Daniel didn’t question why things felt harder for him. He assumed everyone else was just more disciplined, more organised, more “adult.” It wasn’t until a close friend shared their own ADHD diagnosis that he began to recognise his own patterns in a new light.
After an assessment, the diagnosis of high-functioning ADHD came as both a shock and a relief. “Suddenly, everything made sense – the procrastination, the anxiety, the exhaustion after performing. But it also raised new questions. What do I do with this? How do I actually change anything?”
Medication helped bring some clarity, but Daniel quickly realised it wasn’t a complete solution. He needed guidance to rebuild the way he worked, thought, and planned – and that’s where ADHD coaching came in.
ADHD Coaching Brought Structure Without Sacrificing Creativity
“I assumed coaching would be someone telling me how to use a spreadsheet or get a diary,” Daniel jokes. “But what I got was someone who actually understood how my brain works and helped me make peace with it.”
In his sessions, Daniel began to explore how ADHD had shaped his behaviours. The tendency to say yes to everything. The energy crashes after opening nights. The missed deadlines that made him feel like a fraud, even when the project was a success. Coaching gave him tools – but it also gave him language.
Instead of fighting to “be more normal,” Daniel started building systems that worked for him. He learned how to break big creative ideas into manageable steps. He built routines that didn’t stifle his spontaneity but gave him anchors throughout the week. Most importantly, he stopped equating his struggles with failure.
“Before, I thought being exhausted or disorganised meant I wasn’t trying hard enough. Coaching showed me it just meant I didn’t have the right strategies.”
It’s Not About Fixing ADHD – It’s About Working With It
Daniel is clear that coaching didn’t erase his ADHD, nor did it aim to. What it gave him was a framework – a way to build his life and work around how his mind naturally functions, rather than constantly pushing against it.
“I’m still me. I still get excited by too many ideas at once. I still leave mugs in strange places. But I’m not constantly overwhelmed anymore. I recover quicker. I know what to do when I get off track.”
Coaching helped him show up better not just in his career, but in his personal life. He was no longer living in reactive mode. Instead, he was building awareness, resilience, and control – things he’d been told he lacked, but in truth, just needed help developing.
What Daniel wishes more people knew is that ADHD doesn’t always look like dysfunction. “You can be successful, busy, charismatic – and still be struggling. I was functioning, but I wasn’t thriving. Coaching helped change that.”
Learn more about how ADHD coaching transforms professional and personal lives.
Read more about the signs and symptoms of ADHD in adults.
