I'd like to introduce my friend and Sacred Space blogger, James Cleves from Brechin, Scotland. James is a virtual assistant for neurodivergent entrepreneurs. Please enjoy this short bit about his executive dysfunction journey. Next month, I'll share more about James in an in-depth YouTube interview. Enjoy...
Beeep!
The alarm clock goes off and I only just muster the energy to hit the snooze button. Beeep! Snooze button again. Beeep! Oh no, this is going to be one of Those Days.
I have work to do, important things to be getting on with, and people relying on me. But I can’t shake myself out of this funk and all I want to do is camp out in bed all day.
This used to be me. All through my teens and even into my 30s I struggled with motivation and executive function. Even the days I did get out of bed more easily I might forget to eat breakfast or put on clean socks.
I won’t lie and say everything is hunk dory 365 days of the year now. But I have a lot more of the better days now.
What changed for me was having someone to talk to. Someone who’ll listen to how I’m feeling and even help me remember to do those little everyday tasks, like brushing your teeth, or buying a card for your sister’s birthday next week.
I’ve leant heavily on willing friends to help with this in the past, but it does take its toll on them. These days I mostly lean on my partner, who will be a sympathetic ear when I need one, and who will kick me out of bed in the morning when I need a push of motivation.
Not everyone has a willing friend or loved one who can take that role though, so that’s why, when I started my VA business, I wanted to be that sympathetic shoulder/motivational buddy for my clients.
Because I specialise in working with autistic and neurodivergent people, and as I’m autistic myself, I know exactly what they’re struggling with and how to help.
So, working as a virtual assistant, I can help people with their admin, marketing or whatever it is they need an extra pair of hands for. But most importantly, I’ll be there for them as an accountability buddy. I’ll listen when they’re having a bad day, I’ll offer advice to help them get back on track for their goals, I’ll be their champion and help celebrate their wins. And on the really bad days, if they need me to play bad cop and give them a (metaphorical, of course!) sharp kick from my size 9s, I’ll be there to deliver that too.
