About ME

Hi, I’m James Dougherty, but you can call me Jimmy D.After spending over 40 years undiagnosed with ADHD, I’ve come to realize just how much it’s shaped my life and career. I’ve faced the challenges of focus, productivity, and mental exhaustion—always feeling like I was juggling a million things at once. But once I was finally diagnosed, everything clicked. I realized that the struggles I’d experienced weren’t just quirky traits or character flaws—they were the result of High Functioning ADHD. (Okay, well maybe a few of them were character flaws, but mostly ADHD.)I consider myself part of the “High Functioning” crew, where on the outside, I might seem like I’ve got it all together—productive, organized, and capable of keeping up with the demands of life. But inside, my brain is constantly buzzing, bouncing from idea to idea, and sometimes it feels like I’m juggling flaming swords while trying to stay balanced. Now, I’m on a mission—not just to manage it better, but to share what I’ve learned with others—especially young professionals and those just starting their careers.I’m a certified life coach and a certified ADHD life coach, and my goal is to help others by sharing my experience, insights, and lessons learned along the way. Every day, I dive deeper into ways we can flip the script on ADHD—understanding that each of us has our own rhythm and set of rules. It’s all about working with your brain, not against it—and that’s a message I think is worth sharing.What’s High Functioning ADHD?
Over the years, I’ve come across two types of ADHD folks. The two camps I see most often are:The “This Is Really Hard” Crew
These are the warriors. ADHD hits hard—every task feels like a mountain. Getting out of bed, showing up on time, remembering to eat? It’s survival mode. I respect the hell out of that. I want them to have all the tools, support, meds, and love they need.The “If I Could Just XYZ…” Crew
These are the ones who feel like they’re this close. They’ve got energy, drive, and a brain full of ideas—but they keep tripping on invisible wires. “If I could just stay consistent… if I could just finish what I start…” I call them the High Functioning Noodlers.I’m in the second camp. But for decades, I didn’t know that was ADHD.
I just thought I was too much, not enough, or both at the same time. I spent 40 years masking—hyper-productive in public, chaotic in private. Once, I spent an entire weekend building a system to plan my week… and then never used it. At the time, I thought I was just “being dramatic.” Now I know it was my brain trying to help itself the only way it knew how.For me, and many others, High Functioning ADHD is like juggling flaming swords while giving a presentation—on a tightrope. On the outside, I might seem hyper-productive, organized, and able to keep up with life’s demands, but internally, it’s a whirlwind of distractions, self-doubt, and that constant feeling of being on the edge of overwhelm. It’s the classic ADHD cocktail: creativity, energy, and a racing mind—combined with the challenge of managing all that energy in ways that actually get things done.Research shows that people with ADHD experience differences in brain structure, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for executive functions like attention, organization, and impulse control (Valera et al., 2007). This helps explain why we might look fine on the outside—organized and productive—but internally struggle to focus or follow through. High Functioning ADHD is about managing that chaos while presenting an image of normalcy—often masking the struggles beneath. I’m here to help you recognize that it’s okay to show up as your authentic self, imperfections and all, and make that work to your advantage.Are You One of Us?
If you’ve ever said, “I know I could rock this—if I could just figure out how to start… or finish… or focus…”
Welcome. You’re my people.