​

Hey Reader -

I ran into one of the busiest, most productive people I know last week. I was on my way back from a meeting, but she was taking a walk. She grinned, "I saw the sunshine during my last call and knew I had to get out for 10 minutes."

The run-in made me remember the days when bossing up meant pushing yourself to burnout. Working with intensity is inescapable, but my colleague understood an equally important principle: Sometimes even top performers need a break.

In the October series, Survive Grind Mode with People Skills, we're discussing how people skills can help you power through tough sprints. One people skill that goes to the wayside during compressed timelines is healthy self-esteem. Knowing who you are and what works for you is critical, especially for neurodiverse people. That's because neurodiversity lends itself to "covering," where people pretend a condition doesn't exist.

But here's another angle: Since everyone's brain works differently, everyone has some level of neurodiversity. You may not face conditions like ADHD, autism, or OCD; however, do roadblocks such as sensory overload, needing time to process, and harnessing your energy in constructive ways sound familiar?

Combine self-awareness with these tactics to ace grind mode:

1. Set Timers: One of my former managers always joked, “Deals take as long as you let them.” So, try switching up your day between sprints vs. extended work periods.
2. Airplane Mode: Intentionally go airplane mode by silencing notifications, even if it’s limited to your focus time block.
3. Change the Scenery: Changing rooms is an easy reset. Think less distractions and inputs, and more natural light.

The more you understand what makes you flourish or fade when the heat is on, the more you can architect for it.

Make Productivity Personal with AI

At the beginning of the series, we discussed the science of “executive function,” which is how the brain focuses, manages, and organizes information.

In short, knowledge is good, but it’s not enough. Instead, success hinges on pairing executive function with people skills. Round out What you deliver with people skill How tactics like making shrewd choices, staying flexible, and emotional intelligence.

So far, we’ve discussed practical ways to power through grind mode with ideas such as identifying quick-win microtasks, creating checklists to avoid workslop, and streamlining friction. Now, let’s make it personal with some AI prompts:

1. My neurodiversity is
2. I want to be more productive. Provide clear, actionable steps grounded in soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and emotional intelligence.
3. I have limited time. Provide a plan to manage my time and improve executive function with steps that take 10 minutes or less.

Do you want to hear a secret? No one is immune to executive function challenges, where your go-to bag of tricks no longer works. However, that doesn’t mean you need to get stuck in the grind mode grinder.

Instead of letting competing priorities and compressed deadlines be the boss of you, act like the creative, wise CEO of your life—a Soul Boss—and take charge of your day, your deliverables, and your reputation with people skills.

All the best,

Michelle Mains

​

Keep the Soul Boss inspiration going!

• Check out my latest book, Soft Skills Basics in a Flash
• Michelle Mains on Pinterest
• Michelle Mains on Instagram
• Michelle Mains on Twitter
• Facebook Soul Boss community
• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Amazon Music​
  ​
• Soul Boss inspiring books about soft skills at Amazon