Read more on jimlivingstone.com.au  

Believe in Yourself AND Get Sh*t Done

Here's the truth about personal growth:

You need Personal Development AND Personal Management.

You can't evolve by doing just one. Think of it like driving at night. That's like driving in the dark without headlights. Sure, you might get somewhere. More likely, you'll drive in circles or run off the road.

And driving with headlights but no idea where you're going? That's personal management without personal development. You'll efficiently arrive at all the wrong destinations.

You need both. Not one or the other. Both.

The Ancient Secret (That We Keep Forgetting)

The Stoics figured this out 2,000 years ago. They didn't just philosophise about virtue - wisdom, courage, justice, temperance. They practised it daily. As Seneca put it: "Works not words."

You could sit around all day contemplating your excellence. But without action, without systems, without doing the work? You're just well-read and stuck.

Personal Growth + Personal Management = Self Mastery.

Here's What It Really Looks Like

Development plants the seeds. Management cultivates the harvest.

Development is the inner work. It's discovering that your ADHD brain isn't broken - it's wired differently, with real advantages. It's building the belief that you're capable, that your hyperfocus is a superpower, that your ability to see connections others miss is valuable. It's shifting your identity from "I'm a mess" to "I'm learning to work with my wiring."

Management is the outer work. It's the systems, the structures, the daily routines that leverage your wiring. It's the calendar that works for YOUR brain. It's the environment you've designed to capture your interest. It's the tools that turn your creative chaos into productive output.

You need both.

Because here's what happens when you only do one:

Development without management = enlightened chaos. You've read all the books. You understand yourself deeply. You know you're capable of amazing things. And yet... nothing changes. You're endlessly preparing to begin.

Management without development = efficiently organised self-sabotage. You've got the perfect planner, the color-coded system, the productivity apps. But deep down, you still believe you're fundamentally flawed. So you use all those beautiful systems to efficiently prove yourself right about being broken.

Neither works. You need both to achieve enlightened execution - knowing you're capable AND having the systems to deliver it.

Why This Matters Especially for ADHD Adults

If you were diagnosed late - especially as a woman in your 30s, 40s, or 50s - you've spent decades being told something's wrong with you. You've internalised the message that you're lazy, scattered, and underperforming. That you just need to "try harder" or "get it together."

So when you finally get diagnosed, you might swing to one extreme or the other.

Some people dive into self-acceptance and understanding. They learn everything about ADHD, join communities, and embrace their neurodivergence. Beautiful. Essential. But if it stops there, nothing changes in their daily reality.

Others immediately hunt for the perfect system. They want the app, the planner, the routine that will "fix" everything. They're still trying to manage themselves into being acceptable. But without shifting the underlying belief that they're broken, every system eventually fails - and confirms what they feared all along.

You need both.

You need to plant the seeds of a new identity - one where ADHD is a feature, not a bug. Where your brain's wiring gives you creative advantages. Where you refuse to apologise for being different.

And you need to cultivate that new identity with systems that work for YOU. Not the neurotypical systems you've been forcing yourself into. Systems designed to suit your brain.

The Path Forward

Start with one seed and one system this week.

Plant one seed: Choose one belief from my ADHD Optimist Mindset that resonates. Maybe it's "I see my ADHD challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow." Or "I cultivate a mindset that adapts and excels in uncertainty." Sit with it. Let it take root.

Cultivate one system: Pick one small structure that works WITH your ADHD. Maybe it's a specific time to check email, rather than constantly reacting. Or a way to capture ideas when your brain fires off in twelve directions. Or an environment tweak that helps you hyperfocus.

Don't try to transform everything at once. Just plant. Then cultivate. Then watch what grows.

Because when you combine belief with action, identity with systems, and development with management? That's when the real harvest begins.

That's when you don't just understand you're capable. You prove it. Daily.

Because you don't need to choose between believing in yourself OR getting sh*t done.

You need both. You deserve both. And you're absolutely capable of both.

Focus on what matters

Jim

[Download Your Optimist Mindset]

Download your complimentary PDF of the first two chapters.

Readers Review

“I also love this brilliant approach to self-help. It is so much less abrasive and aggressive and allows for some serious growth and change to happen. Setting the key points and call to action and change against the backdrop of real life and the story of his late diagnosis and how he evolved from there was beautiful and extremely effective”. - Anthony Avina

Download your complimentary PDF of the first couple of chapters.

Or, if you want to buy a copy. 

Want to share this newsletter issue via text, social media, or email? Just copy and paste this link: https://jims-newsletter-51b782.beehiiv.com/p/88510921-5e17-41ac-aabe-fbeec9dae202?draft=true

Expect the Best,

If you’ve got a second, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments. [email protected]  I reply to every email.

This site is not intended to provide and does not constitute medical, legal, or other professional advice. The content in this newsletter is designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment. Please seek professional help if you believe you may have Mental Health Issues.

1