Embracing Brilliance: Insights into the ADHD for Smart Ass Women Book with Tracy Otsuka

Dr. Christine Li [00:00:01]:
Welcome back to the Make Time For Success podcast. This is episode number 162. This episode is very near and dear to my heart because my good friend and colleague, Tracy Otsuka, asked me to interview her on her podcast called ADHD for Smart Ass Women to do the grand introduction to the release of Her book by the same name, ADHD for Smart Ass Women. And I was so honored that she asked me to do this fun experience with her. And we talked about the entire process of her creating this book, the Process that went into building this book and becoming the world's expert on women with ADHD over the years and consulting the world's experts on ADHD for this book and including stories of her own life and that of her family and her clients To make this such a rich resource and quick and interesting and entertaining and informative read, And we're gonna hear all of that in this episode. And I want you to know that in the 2 weeks since the book's launch, This book has really made a splash. It was the Amazon book editors, one of her select picks for the year. It was also Book Riot's selection for one of the top self help books of 2024, and it's certainly a top pick of mine.

Dr. Christine Li [00:01:36]:
It was so much fun to read. I was just so impressed with what Tracy and HarperCollins has done. So now it's your turn to explore the book. You can get the book at adhdforsmartwomen.com. And let's go listen to this episode where you'll hear what you need to know about all women with ADHD. It's amazing.

Dr. Christine Li [00:02:05]:
Hi. I'm doctor Christine Li, and I'm a psychologist and a procrastination coach. I've helped thousands of people move past procrastination and overwhelm so they could begin working to their potential. In this podcast, you're going to learn powerful strategies for getting your mind, body, and energy to work together so that you can focus on what's really important and accomplish the goals you want to achieve. When you start living within your full power. You're going to see how being productive can be easy and how you can create success on demand. Welcome to the Make Time For Success podcast.

Tracy Otsuka [00:02:47]:
Hello. Hello. Hello. I am your host, Tracy Otsuka. Thank you so much for joining me here for episode number 259 of ADHD for Smartass Women. This is going to be a very different than anything we've ever done here. Today, I have invited my good friend, doctor Christine Li, to the podcast, and She's going to interview me. I don't really know what we're gonna talk about, and so I'm really nervous.

Tracy Otsuka [00:03:15]:
I don't know what motherhood, ADHD, positive emotion. Definitely the book. But the ball is clearly in Christine's court. She's running with it. And where we end up, we end up, but we promise it'll be fun.

Dr. Christine Li [00:03:31]:
Right? Right. Hi, everyone. I'm so happy to be here.

Tracy Otsuka [00:03:35]:
So let me introduce you. I am delighted to introduce you to doctor Christine Li. You may already know her as the procrastination nation coach. Doctor Li is a seasoned psychologist who calls Westchester, New York her home, and her journey into the depths The procrastination research began as a personal mission to conquer her own procrastination habits. This quest has not only led to her to a found understanding of the topic, but also established her as a renowned expert in the field. In addition to her Academic contributions. Doctor Li is the host of the highly regarded podcast, Make Time For Success, where she shares invaluable insights and strategies to help listeners overcome procrastination and achieve their goals. Her impressive track record includes facilitating engaging workshops and training programs On procrastination, at prestigious institutions such as Columbia University, New York Presbyterian Medical School, Fordham University, Barnard College, so on and so on.

Tracy Otsuka [00:04:41]:
Doctor Li's blend of personal experience and professional expertise Makes her insights and teachings particularly impactful and relatable. Welcome, Christine. I'm kinda scared because this is the 1st time in 5 years I'm giving up all control. And you know I'm a control freak. Right? Well, Tracy, This makes

Dr. Christine Li [00:05:01]:
2 of us being terrified, and I am just gonna say thank you for trusting me with The interviewer role here because your podcast has become such a wonderful source of inspiration, information, and entertainment for so many women around men and women around the world. So I wanna congratulate you on this platform and on the work that you've done and now this beautiful book that you've created as well.

Tracy Otsuka [00:05:33]:
Thank you. You know, when I was looking for your bio, I was searching my Google Drive for your old show notes because you were on this show before. Do you know you were my 1st guest on this podcast ever?

Dr. Christine Li [00:05:46]:
I do know that, and I remember asking you to switch the time that we were recording. It's something I try not to do, and I think we were both a little bit discombobulated as a result. But I remember just being excited and being so grateful to be your friend and colleague throughout. So thank you for having me be a friend and colleague along for your ride, Because it's been amazing to see your work, your passion come to life, and to see what you've created again with this beautiful podcast.

Tracy Otsuka [00:06:23]:
Well, thank you.

Dr. Christine Li [00:06:24]:
So here we go. Let's talk about this wonderful book that you have created. And Why don't we start with the whole concept of control and what you've learned from Designing the book, coming up with the book, negotiating the book, and now coming to this point where you're actually Telling the world about this book and really celebrating the book and what it means for the community of women with ADHD. How have you had to navigate your own issues around control and wanting to have everything go a certain way in this process. Let's start there.

Tracy Otsuka [00:07:07]:
Well, it's really interesting because I am a control freak. You know, I wanna make sure that I'm managing everything so that I can perform at the optimum level, and this is the first time in literally decades where I was not in control. Now the only way I could have written this book, I knew this from the beginning, was I couldn't self publish. If I would have self published, it would have never gotten done. I needed a little bit of that, you know, the what do they call it? The

Dr. Christine Li [00:07:36]:
Whip. What whatever you

Tracy Otsuka [00:07:38]:
the whip. I needed a little bit of the whip because we will often disappoint ourselves, but if there's big enough guns, We're never going to disappoint, you know, anyone else. And so I knew I needed a publisher, you know, traditional publishing, And I knew it had to be a publisher that was pretty substantial, and I I definitely got that with my acquiring editor, Lisa Sharkey. But the flip side to that is you're doing something you've never done before, and I could feel myself really pushing back because I wasn't leading the show, and I'm used to leading the show and doing what I want to do when I want to do it. Right? That's kind of the ADHD brain. We like everything to be in this free space of when I feel like it, I'm going to do it, and I'm gonna do it my way. And here, I couldn't do that. But what I realized you know, and I pushed back, I pushed back, and then I realized that, wait a minute.

Tracy Otsuka [00:08:38]:
These people know what they're doing. Like, how many hundreds of, you know, New York Times bestsellers has, you know, Lisa Sharkey pushed into The stratosphere. I need to just back up and back off and let them lead. And, you know, even with dancing, like, I remember my husband and I, we took dance classes and I couldn't not lead. That's just who I am. Like, I'm a bulldozer. Right? And so I, I really had to learn how to not lead. And the understanding I came to with myself is that, Again, these people are doing this every day.

Tracy Otsuka [00:09:14]:
They're so much better than you at it. And but but I also had to fight for what I knew I needed. Right? Because otherwise then, it it wasn't going to work at all. But I needed them As much as they needed me. Right? So it had to be a team. And there were things that they were always going they had All this experience. So I had to sit down, shut up, and listen and do what it was that They were asking me to do. I mean, of course, it had to make sense, but it's like in the real world.

Tracy Otsuka [00:09:48]:
Right? We need both brains. Right? We need the neurotypical brains because they're going to provide the structure and keep you moving forward, like, you know, just these amazing editors that I had the privilege of working with. And the way my brain works, it's all these thoughts. And this is an ADHD thing. They're all important. You know, we struggle to to determine, okay, which are the thoughts that really should come first and which ones should I just get rid of because I'm gonna overwhelm people, but because I know that my audience you meet 1 person with ADHD, you've met 1 person with ADHD. And so I felt like, well, they all need something different, so I wanna make sure I'm throwing everything at them and the kitchen sink, but that just makes for a very confusing, Very long, very cluttered book. And so I was as much as it was really foreign to me and really difficult for me to To kinda abdicate that control, I knew that they would streamline the book and literally reduce it by half And put in what was simple and clear and needed to be there.

Tracy Otsuka [00:10:58]:
And even though they got rid of half of my stories, And sometimes I'm reading this book and I'm thinking, well, where what happened to that story? Oh, they cut that too. Right? Because I would go on and on. And they were like, no. 1 paragraph. Two paragraphs.

Dr. Christine Li [00:11:11]:
I wanna interject here that having just recently gone through the book and had the pleasure of reading the book. I wanna tell our listeners that the book actually is super clear. I was Struck by that immediately from the 1st time I read the book or attempted to read the whole book, it was So delightful because there's Tracy's stories and her voice is in there. So it really comes through, but it's also super clear and intelligent without being overwhelming. And I just thought this is a wonderful piece of work. So I just wanted to share that At the top of the interview because they didn't wanna leave that out because I think that would be a shame if people thought, oh, this is just Gonna be a bunch of nonfiction heavy stuff. It really isn't. It is a beautiful, smooth, Delightful read.

Dr. Christine Li [00:12:07]:
So that's that's my 2¢ there, but, really, take that as fact.

Tracy Otsuka [00:12:11]:
That's my editors. Trust me.

Dr. Christine Li [00:12:14]:
Okay. Let's go with what you needed from the book before you started. What did you know You had to put into the world to put into this book before you started writing.

Tracy Otsuka [00:12:27]:
So The reason why I wanted to write this book is obviously we wanna change more women's lives. I mean, that's always the goal. But My programs can be pricey to some. And I always felt bad. Like if you can't afford my program, where can I send you? And so the goal was to write a book that I could send them to the book, because everybody can afford, you know, a book. I'm trying to remember where I wanted to, what was your question again, Kristin?

Dr. Christine Li [00:13:02]:
What you Wanted from the Book. What you felt it was going to do for you and your mission.

Tracy Otsuka [00:13:08]:
Oh, so My other goal was some people just aren't podcast people. Right? But I know how many lives we've been able to change through this podcast. I mean, I get these messages daily, multiple times a day, and I wanted to be able to do that with the book. And that was my biggest fear. I felt like, well, you know, if my editors are taking things out, that means there's less of my voice. And Isn't that and I and I didn't even know what they were taking out at that point because there was so much to take out. Like, it was overwhelming what I gave them. And then the way my brain works is out of sight, out of mind.

Tracy Otsuka [00:13:48]:
Right? So I didn't even realize it was taken out Because I would not take the time to go through all the edits and really figure out what was taken out. I mean, sometimes I did, but generally, no. And so I just wanted to make sure that what we did with the podcast, we were actually able to do with the book. And when you are so close to something like a book that you've spent almost 2 years from the book proposal to actually, You know, delivering this book to market, when you've spent that actually it was two and a half years. When you spent that long in it, Oh my gosh. It's like here. I couldn't see the forest through the trees. And so when I was done with the book, I was just like, this sucks.

Tracy Otsuka [00:14:31]:
This is you know, because I was so close, I couldn't see had we accomplished what I really was hoping we had accomplished. And then when I gave it to people to read and they said, oh, no, no. It's great. I just thought they were lying to me because that's just how my brain works. Now, you know, you're just being nice. And then I went to go visit my I had never met my publishing team in person. And I went to New York, I was there, and I I met them for lunch. And my editor, Maddie Pilari, said to me, I am really proud of this book.

Tracy Otsuka [00:15:02]:
I'm proud to have been part of it. And I could tell That she wasn't just telling me that, that she really believed that. So that was the first thing. And I remember thinking And it was really like this whole thing was so emotional because, you know, my mom passed away Very unexpectedly, literally, I delivered the manuscript on a Tuesday. It was all done. And I had never she never read it. She hadn't been given any of it because I'm a perfectionist and I thought, well, if I could give her the book like this, you know, it's just more credible. Right? And, so I hadn't given her anything.

Tracy Otsuka [00:15:42]:
And my thought with Maddie was, If she can be proud of this book, I can be proud of this book too. And then I went home and we got the review from Publishers Weekly, and I just found that by accident. And I was just once I found it, I was like, oh my gosh. Gosh. And I it was so hard to even go in there and read it. And right after that, I also found and I always forget where what is that? I'm gonna look for it right now. It's called NetGalley. So from the Publishers Weekly Review, somehow I ended up on NetGalley and I'm like, Oh my gosh.

Tracy Otsuka [00:16:20]:
Real people have reviewed this book. And I went into the reviews, and there were people who were saying things like, I don't read nonfiction. I have no interest in nonfiction. The title of this book is what kind of hooked me in, and I am so glad that I read it because it changed my life. And so when I started reading those kinds of reviews, I realized that, oh my gosh. I think we did accomplish it. And then yesterday, I found out that Book Riot just named our book, ADHD for Smartass Women as, one of the top Self Help Books for 2024. And, of course, I didn't know who Book Riot was, and so I had to look it up.

Tracy Otsuka [00:16:59]:
And, you know, my publishers were like, this is a big deal. And I looked it up, and I'm like, okay. It is a big deal. So I'm I'm really proud of that. And so now and then, you know, I'm getting so the book isn't supposed to be available, but For some reason, Barnes and Noble has it, and I've been getting little messages from women I don't know, you know, who are like, I'm in the aisles and I'm crying. Uh-huh. You know? And I I bought this book and I you know, it's It's it's changed my life. So I know that we've been able to accomplish what we did on the podcast.

Tracy Otsuka [00:17:26]:
And the other goal was I wanted to give them something where The whole podcast, like the most important parts of the podcast, were all in 1 book. So if you're like me where I just wanna get to the bottom line, I don't wanna read or listen to 267 podcasts. You can go to this book, and it's all in one place, the most important thing. So that was really long winded, but That would be the answer to what did I wanna get out

Dr. Christine Li [00:17:50]:
of this. Sounds great. You are making me think, just in your example, of One woman with lots of different ideas, big dreams, but also some self doubt. How do you Encourage your audience to keep the bigger vision alive when there is maybe sometimes a very Strong, cord, self doubt voice inside saying, you know what? You're really lame. You know what? You failed a lot in the past. You know what? You're kind of an imposter doing this stuff that you're trying to do. What are your techniques that many of them are in the book. I know.

Dr. Christine Li [00:18:32]:
But if you could share with some of them now, some of those techniques with us now, but also just your general Ideas because you've been able to navigate that conflict. Right? The the imposter voice inside and the big Vision, big doer, big creator, part of you.

Tracy Otsuka [00:18:54]:
People assume that when you have ADHD, d. You're lazy, unmotivated, and not living to your full potential. Only one of those things is true. ADHD for Smart Ass Women, the book, helps readers understand the different strategies that our unique brains require To succeed so that we can become the best version of ourselves right now. And you know what? It's available for preorder at ADHDforsmartwomen.comforward/book. And if you preorder, You'll get a myriad of bonuses starting with my free training on what ADHD actually looks like in women. So go to ADHD for smart women.comforward/book and preorder right now Before you forget. I think that I am actually an example of just doing it and doing it messy and not apologizing.

Tracy Otsuka [00:20:02]:
And I've always had this attitude that I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but I'm just gonna do it. Like, how did I even end up in very short years, right, being this expert on ADHD? And The fact that I often feel like I'm taking on a lot of the ADHD establishment. Right? It's all about the pathology and what's wrong with us and what's broken. And the truth of the matter is there's nothing wrong with us, and 43% of us are in excellent mental health, but nobody wants to talk about that. And that's a big study out of Canada and, you know, like, I don't stop talking about that. So instead of worrying about All the stuff that we can't do, what if we focus on what we can do and what we do well, right, with Our high energy and our great creativity and our, you know, hyper focused interests, I've just never Felt the need to apologize for who I am. It's almost like, well, if you don't like me and you don't get it, screw it. Now do I sometimes have thoughts where So I have a real struggle with working memory.

Tracy Otsuka [00:21:13]:
You know that. And I really believe that what you focus on just gets bigger. Right? And so as I'm talking about my working memory, literally, I'm thinking why are you talking about this? Why are you talking about this? But it is a struggle. So I am now having to put myself out there with my weakness of a pretty bad working memory. And I've written this book, But there are times when I'll be preparing for a podcast and I'm thinking, okay, they wanna talk about attention. Okay. Attention. What? I guess that's focus.

Tracy Otsuka [00:21:43]:
Right? Like, it doesn't come natural to me. And so I will go do all the research again, And I'll have it all put together for, you know, if someone's interviewing me or, you know, I'm on a podcast and it's specific. And then I will go into this book, Like, as a closing thought. And I will go in and I'm like, wait a minute. I said it all here. And I said it so simply. And, you know, I just went on this 2 hour wild goose chase, but it was all in here. But I've forgotten That it's in here.

Tracy Otsuka [00:22:14]:
I've forgotten that I've simplified it. So I think I'm an example of, If I go on a podcast or if I'm in an interview with media and I don't remember something, I'm just very honest about okay. It's called the Whirlpool. That's what I call it. And I have on Bear app, I have a little section that is basically called do I call it wormhole or did I change the Wordhole. But I feel like it's a worm that's boring into my head, you know? And that Certain words, evolutionary. Why can't I remember the word evolutionary? There are just certain words. They don't stick in my brain.

Tracy Otsuka [00:22:59]:
Certain names like book riot. I asked my husband 20 times, what was that again? Because It doesn't make sense. How does Riot have anything to do with a site that publishes reviews, right, that reviews books? Riot? So if it doesn't make sense, you know, nervous system. Like, how is it that I can't remember the word nervous system, but I always get stuck? And so I have just learned to basically show the world where I get stuck. And I, you know, I hired a speaking coach that you referred to me. Catherine what's her last name? Beck. Beck? So I asked her to please, No. She asked me.

Tracy Otsuka [00:23:44]:
She said, okay, I want you to take a podcast episode. And I'm like, I'm gonna give you this one before it's edited, and I think I bombed it. And I gave it to her and she came back and she said, actually, when you were struggling for your words, because she believes she has ADHD too, she goes, I could relate to that so much that it made me lean in more because instead of pretending that it didn't happen, So they'd cut it out or whatever. It was really what was most engaging because I could see myself in you. And so I have learned To just do it, even though it's super scary because it's to do it and instead of thinking about myself too, thinking about That 1 woman out there whose life, that podcast, that interview, that whatever will change The book, like that 1 person who's gonna read that book, and it's going to change their life. And so I could go through all of the discomfort of being in a position where I had to follow and I couldn't lead and I had to, you know, not be the one that was bossing everybody else around. Right? Because it was for that 1 person. It wasn't about me, ultimately.

Dr. Christine Li [00:24:59]:
I love this, and I'm so glad you're speaking more and more on not Just your podcast, but on other stages as well. And I think it's great for everyone, including your own experience of your own power. I believe that for everyone who gets on a stage, really, we have to go through our greatest fears, I think, sometimes to Really fulfill our own dreams and fulfill our potential. So I'm so proud of you and so Grateful that you're having all these opportunities because of things like Book Riot. I'm sure there's a lot in store for you next year and the years following. When you spoke about feeling I forget what word you were using. Guilt, something like that. It made me think about That section in your book, which is a beautiful section about the nature of ADHD and women in particular, The fact that women need to adhere to certain gender norms and roles, that there are different pressures that women face without maybe even consciously knowing about them Because They Are Women.

Dr. Christine Li [00:26:15]:
And I would love for you to say a few words about how important these Issues are for you and why you're doing all of this work, the book and the promotion and your podcast, because I found that section to be so Important and so what all about who you are and all about what your work is, so I just definitely wanted to make sure to mention that on this episode.

Tracy Otsuka [00:26:42]:
So, you know, I'm all about the humor. I'm all about the positive emotion. I'm all about making things light. However, ADHD in women is a really serious subject, Because 24% of all women with ADHD will attempt suicide, especially the hyperactive impulsive types, which you can imagine why that would be. Right? And so I don't wanna make light of it because women struggle with, certainly, you know, suicide. I think it's 8 times the rate of men. But women in general with ADHD struggle so much more than men with ADHD. And that is because of society and all these roles and sexism and this idea that You can't just it's not enough to take care of yourself.

Tracy Otsuka [00:27:32]:
Right? You also are responsible for the kids, If there are kids, you're responsible for the household, you're responsible often for your partner's executive functions, which makes no sense. And then beyond that, If you are more hyperactive impulsive, well, society doesn't really like women like that. They don't like women that speak their mind. They don't like women that say, no. I don't wanna do it that way. They don't like women that are loud, right, and opinionated. And, you know, most of us with hyperactive impulsive type ADHD can be like that. So we're supposed to be neater.

Tracy Otsuka [00:28:05]:
You know? Our desks at school are supposed to be neater. We're supposed to have better handwriting. And all of that is just a bunch of BS, and it's all come up around, You know, the social construct of education and then just how we live our lives as far as with in partnerships, with marriage, and It's all because of that. And we have the choice to say, I'm not like that. And I don't need to be like that. What I can do we know the ADHD brain is a brain of interest. What I can do is focus on what I'm really interested in, And then I can get help with the stuff that I'm not so good at, like maybe paying bills, or maybe keeping a house clean, Or, you know, getting dinner on the table, because that's not our role just by virtue of the fact that we were born with a uterus, you know. Your partner can help you get dinner on the table, or they can, like in my household, they can get dinner on the table, and then you do the other things that you do much better.

Tracy Otsuka [00:29:03]:
So I think part of the reason why even clinicians don't understand ADHD it's getting better. You know, ADHD with women, In women is that twice the amount of women have an attentive ADHD than men. And so that can look Less like the hyperactive impulsive types, which is, you know, the boys annoying type, and girls are like that too, but they tend to Not they they internalize their symptoms much more than boys do. And so because boys are annoying to everyone around them, they get the attention, They get the diagnosis versus girls, even when they're hyperactive impulsive, they tend to be more hyperactive impulsive around, like, their speech. Right? They talk a lot. They get, you know, I I've been on a couple podcasts where the women have said, oh, I was constantly in the hallway. They're constantly getting moved. I used to always hear that, you know, Tracy would be a much better student if she'd not disturb her neighbors.

Tracy Otsuka [00:29:59]:
You know, that's how we are. We're really, exuberant. We can be, you know, when we're hyperactive impulsive. Exuberant, we get into trouble, but it's not the same kind of trouble. It's more you know, a lot of us do well in school, and so they're not worried about us school wise. It's more just, you know, we're disruptive. The thing is though, if girls tend to internalize their symptoms more and beat themselves up about them, and boys externalize, they get into trouble, they get in fights, They're, you know, they're just problems. What happens with girls is, ultimately, they end up being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, Which may be comorbid.

Tracy Otsuka [00:30:37]:
They may have both. But often, if you treat the ADHD, the anxiety and depression goes away. So even with the good girls who are doing well in school, they're always kind of in their heads kind of struggling to keep up because, Why am I so disorganized? Why do I have to work harder than everybody? Like, I had literally sold myself a bill of goods that I was an excellent student. I was a good student, but the amount of work that I had to do compared to other people, my peers, right, other students Was insane. I mean, I remember all the work, you know, because it wasn't enough to just read it. Whatever. I'm thinking of law school. To read the case law, I had to underline it.

Tracy Otsuka [00:31:21]:
So and then I had to highlight it. I had to write notes in the margin. So I would read it, like, 3 times. Then Then I had to put it in a notebook. Then I had to tab the notebook and then do the highlight underline in the notebook. And then from the notebook, I would finish studying with that. I would go to 3 by 5 cards. And then from the 3 by 5 cards, I would go to 1 sheet of of paper.

Tracy Otsuka [00:31:40]:
So I had the most amazing notes. So everybody wanted to use my notes. They would take the notes the night before, and they would get a better grade than I did. I knew it, but, you know, working memory issues and just focus and, Yeah. Okay. So they're diagnosed with anxiety and depression and often mismedicated too. Right? And a lot of the medications for anxiety and depression can make the symptoms of ADHD worse. More unfocused, more all over the place.

Tracy Otsuka [00:32:10]:
Girls are also diagnosed later. So boys tend to be, like, you see the symptoms 7 to 9 years old. With girls, it tends to be at puberty. Why? Because estrogen modulates dopamine. And, of course, there were no studies on girls. All the studies were done on prepubescent boys. Right? So we didn't even know that hormones play a role in all of this. And, I mean, puberty, if you think about it, that's probably the hardest time in a girl's life anyway.

Tracy Otsuka [00:32:40]:
Right? And so all of a sudden, like me, I had such amazing working memory. I mean, I didn't just do the plays, you know, I wasn't just the lead in the plays in English speaking plays, but also German speaking plays. And all of a sudden when I turned 13, I couldn't even remember the chorus of a song. And so that working memory that was so brilliant before, like, it was almost photographic. It was gone, and I had to figure different ways, different systems. And then junior high school is so hard anyway, so what I relied on was my intelligence. And I was like, what happened to it? I'm a fraud. I'm fake.

Tracy Otsuka [00:33:18]:
And, you know, that went into high school and then college. And, you know, you see these things, these big things that you do so well. But in the back of your mind, it's all of the little things that aren't related to interest that I really struggled with. And so You're you're just always thinking, well, what if they find out? And, you know, you're just working and working and working so that nobody will know. And so it's, you know, it's no surprise that you end up with perfectionism and imposter complex and Always asking like, well, yeah, I'm smart. I'm successful. I've done these things, but I could do so much more.

Dr. Christine Li [00:33:58]:
It is interesting How we can get stuck looking at our insufficiency, our Areas where we're not so great at stuff, but that can become the entire picture. And I, like, you know, try to help people to really refocus on possibilities, on potential, on the strengths as you do. And it's Such beautiful work because it makes so much sense from the outsider perspective. But when we're the being Struggling to be our best selves, sometimes we go the wrong direction. Sometimes we think, oh, it would be better to hide out While I sort all this stuff through and try to figure out these words and how to speak in public and how to remember this complicated case law, But we're missing so many brains in our communities. We're missing so many wonderful voices. We're missing so much talent when we have a whole section of our population hiding out, fearing that they're gonna be found out, when, really, we're all brilliant minds. We are all so gifted, and we are all just ready to shine.

Dr. Christine Li [00:35:16]:
And I'm just so grateful that You have done your work. You have completed this beautiful book that really is a primer in how to make yourself shine. It's how to get those workarounds. It's how to understand what has gone on in your life symptom wise and perception wise and schooling wise and medication wise and body image wise. Everything is covered in this book. I promise you. I I was just amazed at how many different important subject areas there were covered.

Tracy Otsuka [00:35:54]:
And then it's all connected.

Dr. Christine Li [00:35:55]:
Right? Because we're all complicated and because we all are affected by body image, How people see us, our schooling, how we adjust, how our working memory is. So I think you've done just a masterful Piece of Work. And I can totally understand how this has been noted as a great self help book as well.

Tracy Otsuka [00:36:20]:
I

Dr. Christine Li [00:36:20]:
think it's gonna fill a lot of different buckets for people, if that's the right phrase, Because it is so useful, and there's so much information and stories and cases and your own stories from your own life that I can certainly relate to to in there. So I just wanted to say thank you again because This was no easy task. This was no easy two and a half years for you, and I just wanted to say thank you.

Tracy Otsuka [00:36:50]:
You're welcome. And they say that writing a book is the best self development that you can ever do. And I will say that is so true because I was uncomfortable the whole time. And I always tell people, Well, you should be uncomfortable every day because that means you're pushing yourself. And especially for us with ADHD brains, you know, we struggle because, Well, they don't know. Is it our brains don't make enough dopamine, or is it how our brains process dopamine? But it's all about dopamine. But guess what happens? When you step into the fear and you get into action, that fires your dopamine. And the more you do, and this is what most, you know, hyperactive impulsive types have figured out if you're in your area of interest and you're you're constantly, you know, pushing yourself to go a little bit further, You increase your confidence.

Tracy Otsuka [00:37:42]:
And so I think that is where the statistic comes from. A lot of entrepreneurs. Right? The 43% that are in excellent mental health. Because the more you push yourself, the more you get out of that comfort zone, 2 freaking years of being out of my comfort zone, The more you grow. Right? And then you obviously get more confident.

Dr. Christine Li [00:38:01]:
Yes. Now you're making me think about the action step piece of things. And I know that associated with your book release and book launch, you have lots of different ways for people to get into Action. And to be connected with you and to be Pieces, whatever you feel like sharing here. Because I don't want people to miss the fact that this book isn't just the hardcover and the paperback. It's really like an experience. So go ahead.

Tracy Otsuka [00:38:35]:
Yeah. And hopefully, it will start with the book. So we are big picture thinkers. Right? You can't just, This is the problem with school. You can't just tell me study this. If I don't understand, why the hell do I have to study that? If you don't sell me on that, I'm not studying it. And so what I love about this book is you get the big picture, and then once you get the big picture, then you can build all the systems. And they're in the book too, But you can build the systems into your life that work for you.

Tracy Otsuka [00:39:04]:
And that's the key. We all even if you feel like you are the biggest mess, You have systems now. You've just been told that they're not the right systems. So you think you don't have systems, But you have systems. And so it really comes back down to, you need to become more of you. You need to figure out What does ADHD mean? What does it really look like in the real world? Not what they're telling us. And then, what does it look like for your brain specifically? And then you build your systems around that because ultimately, I don't care what anybody tells you, you are the expert on you. Because you are the only one who has that rudder inside you, right, that can feel the positive emotion.

Tracy Otsuka [00:39:51]:
When you feel the positive emotion, you know you're moving in the right direction. Your doctors, your teachers, your parents, your partner, they don't have that rudder. Only you have it. So Okay. You can go to I know it's such a brilliant segue, Christine. What I love about you is I will drone on forever versus Christine is so measured, which is why I thought she'd be so perfect for this. So you can go to order the book atadhdforsmartwomen.comforward/book. And if you go there, you are going to get bonuses.

Tracy Otsuka [00:40:27]:
So if and they're free, obviously. So if you're thinking, well, this sounds like me, find out. I have a bonus training in there that I lead called, what does ADHD look like in women? I have another training. So we are With our interest driven brains, we are mission driven people. We have to do work that is important to us. And my premise is, if you are doing work that, you know, just this menial kind of you're always gonna be terrible at that. You know? There is no intention behind it. There is no interest.

Tracy Otsuka [00:41:02]:
The problem is and you think, oh, I can't even do the I can't even be a barista at Starbucks. I can't possibly be a surgeon. I'm like, BS. You are meant to be the surgeon, not the barista, and that is why you're struggling so badly. Right? So I have a training in there called, What Do I Do With My Life? That really connects you to your values and your purpose and who you are. There's another training in there on sleep because sleep and exercise and daylight. You know this because we did that attitude webinar together. That All is connected, and it's related to your circadian rhythm.

Tracy Otsuka [00:41:39]:
And so if you feel like I can't get into bed at night, like I'm staying up way, way too late, Well, start with exercising first thing in the morning, and exercise does not have to be this big scary thing. It is literally just moving your body, and Exercise is as effective as a course of Ritalin and Prozac, probably Zoloft too. It's as effective, you know, in terms of spiking those neurotransmitters that make you feel good. So you can go to adhdforsmartwomen.comforward/ You can also follow my podcast. I've had women tell me that they started listening to my podcast, and A few months later, they were like, I was a totally different person. It's like free therapy. And you can find that, of course, on all the podcast platforms, And it is also called ADHD for Smart Ass Women. On Instagram, I'm at tracyoutsuka.

Dr. Christine Li [00:42:34]:
Well, thank you, Tracy, again, for really digging deep into your own strengths and really going where your positive emotion took you, first for your family, and then for yourself, and then for building your business and your mission, and now you're reaching all the women who are wondering for themselves, where can they go next? And it all started with you. So thank you for birthing this book, For going through the very hard years, I can attest that, Tracy, it was not a cakewalk for Tracy, that she really No. Had to do the deep work and had to do the reflection and had to do the writing hours and the proofing hours and the audio booking hours for us all. So I wanted to say congratulations and thank you, and I'm so happy for you, and I'm so excited to see what this creates for you and your community next.

Tracy Otsuka [00:43:41]:
Well, thank you, Christine. You are You are one of my favorites, and so I want you to tell people if they wanna know more about you and what you do, Where can they find you?

Dr. Christine Li [00:43:53]:
Oh, thank you very much. I'm doctor Christine Lee. I am based in New York, like Tracy said, and I am all over the Internet as is Tracy. I tend to go by procrastination coach There, I do have a podcast myself. It's called Make Time For Success. It's a love of mine, just like Tracy's podcast is a big love of hers. And I interview guests who have gone through a struggle and have come through on the other end. And I just really Adore each and every one of my guests, each and every one of these stories.

Dr. Christine Li [00:44:31]:
And sprinkled in between these interview episodes, I also Provide a few insights that I've come up with myself from just a history of being a psychologist, a history of being a procrastination sufferer and survivor. And I just wanted to make this body of work for you guys as well, just to really help you get out of your own way a little bit. If I can do that, my mission is satisfied. Awesome. So thank you, Tracy, for having me be on this show and for having me along for this beautiful ride of yours.

Tracy Otsuka [00:45:06]:
Oh, Okay. That's gonna all be in the show notes. Christine, thank you so much.

Dr. Christine Li [00:45:11]:
Thank you, The Make Time For Success podcast. If you enjoyed what you heard, you can subscribe to make sure you get notified of upcoming episodes. You can Also visit our website, make time for success podcast.com, for past episodes, show notes, and all the resources we mentioned on the show. Feel free to connect with me over on Instagram too. You can find me there under the name procrastination coach. Send me a DM and let me know what your thoughts are about the episodes you've been listening to, and let me know any topics that you might like me to talk about on the show. I'd love to hear all about how you're making time for success.