It’s the 1st of November, and as I sit here reflecting on the past month, I realise just how much has happened. We’ve been through Dyslexia Awareness Month, Dyslexia Awareness Week and ADHD Awareness Month, with conversations taking place about understanding, inclusion, accessibility and the challenges neurodivergent people continue to face. But as we move into November, I find myself thinking about something much more personal. Where are we going, what have we achieved, and how do we continue moving forward when life itself can sometimes make that incredibly difficult?

I’ve spent most of my life supporting a community that needs greater understanding, better support and meaningful change. I’ve campaigned for improvements in education, the rights of children and parents, and the need for organisations and institutions to recognise that people think, learn and work differently. Today, I continue to challenge the workplace, looking at accessibility, reasonable adjustments and the rights of neurodivergent people to receive the support they need. Sometimes that means having difficult conversations with organisations, businesses and people who simply don’t understand the challenges individuals face.

Living with severe dyslexia and understanding my own neurodivergence means these conversations are not just part of my professional life. They are personal. I regularly find myself having to challenge systems, processes and expectations that have not been designed with people like me in mind. I have to explain why something needs to change, why accessibility matters and why we cannot simply expect everyone to work in exactly the same way. That can be exhausting, particularly when you spend so much of your time supporting others while also trying to navigate your own challenges.

Understanding yourself is an ongoing journey

Over the past year, the concept of moving forward has become something of a mantra for me. I believe that we need to continue learning, exploring opportunities and finding different ways of doing things. But I also recognise that moving forward isn’t always straightforward. There are days when I feel incredibly motivated and can see exactly where I want to go, and there are other days when even the simplest things can feel overwhelming.

I still fully believe that understanding your neurodiversity is one of the most important things you can do. But I also have to be honest and say that I am still understanding mine. Despite spending more than 25 years working within the dyslexia and neurodiversity community, I am still learning about myself, recognising my strengths, understanding my difficulties and exploring what works for me. Having knowledge and experience doesn’t mean that I always have the answers to my own challenges.

We also need to recognise the toll that neurodivergence can take on everyday life. We often talk about the ADHD tax, the additional time, energy and financial costs that can come from trying to manage everyday tasks. We talk about executive functioning, emotional wellbeing, confidence and the pressure we put on ourselves to achieve things. But understanding these challenges doesn’t automatically make them disappear. Sometimes we know exactly what we need to do, but finding the energy, motivation or ability to actually do it is another challenge altogether.

There are also the financial pressures of life, the responsibilities we have towards our families, the demands of running a business and the uncertainty of not always knowing what comes next. Mental health and wellbeing can become part of that journey, and sometimes we have to recognise that we cannot do everything we want to do. I think that is something we need to talk about more openly, particularly within the neurodivergent community.

November gives us another opportunity

As I look at the beginning of November, I realise that we have just 30 days before December arrives. December can be a particularly difficult month, with the expectations of Christmas, financial pressures, family commitments and the feeling that another year is coming to an end. It can become a time when we start looking at everything we haven’t achieved rather than recognising the progress we have made.

So I find myself asking a question. Can I move forward this month? Can I achieve the things I want to achieve? Can I continue developing the work I’ve started, supporting the people I want to support and building the lifestyle that I believe is possible?

The answer is that I don’t always know. I don’t know whether everything will work out, whether the plans I have will succeed or whether the challenges that come along will change the direction I need to take. But I do know that if I don’t try, I will never find out what is possible.

That doesn’t mean putting myself under unnecessary pressure. It doesn’t mean working every hour of the day or expecting myself to achieve something extraordinary every single morning. It means recognising that progress can be different for everyone, and sometimes achieving one small thing is just as important as completing something much bigger.

Technology, artificial intelligence and the people around us

One of the things that continues to excite me is the power of technology and the opportunities it creates. Artificial intelligence, assistive technology and digital tools have the potential to transform the way neurodivergent people work, learn and manage everyday life. I use these technologies regularly, and they are helping me explore different ways of organising my thoughts, developing ideas, managing projects and turning concepts into something practical.

But technology is only part of the solution. The people around us are just as important. Having people who understand, who support us, who challenge us when we need it and who recognise our strengths can make an enormous difference. I am fortunate to have some amazing people around me, and I know that their support is part of what allows me to continue moving forward.

I also recognise that building what I describe as a portfolio lifestyle is not always easy. Bringing together different projects, businesses, opportunities and areas of work takes time, energy and commitment. There are financial realities to consider, decisions to make and moments when you question whether you are heading in the right direction. But I still believe that creating a way of working and living that reflects your strengths, interests and needs is something worth pursuing.

A new challenge: sharing the journey every day

That brings me to something new that I want to start this November. I’ve decided that I am going to write a daily blog, either at the end of each day or the following morning, reflecting on what I’ve done, what I’ve achieved, what I’ve struggled with and what I’ve learned along the way.

I want this to be an honest reflection of what it is like to build a business, develop a portfolio lifestyle and navigate life as someone who is neurodivergent. I don’t want it to become another polished version of everything going perfectly, because that simply isn’t reality. There will be days when things work brilliantly, days when I struggle and days when plans change completely.

I also want to explore how artificial intelligence and assistive technology can support this process, how understanding my own neurodiversity can help me make better decisions and how I can continue developing the different areas of my work. Hopefully, sharing this journey will encourage other people to recognise that they are not alone in the challenges they face.

These reflections will be shared on my website at https://arransmith.co.uk/, and I would love you to follow along, share your thoughts and perhaps even take on your own challenge for November.

Let’s keep moving forward

As I start this month, I want to remind myself that moving forward doesn’t necessarily mean achieving everything. It means recognising where you are, understanding what you need and exploring what you can do next. Sometimes that will mean taking a big step, sometimes it will mean making a small change, and sometimes it will mean giving yourself permission to pause.

My book, Work Differently. Move Forward., explores this very concept. It is about understanding yourself, challenging what might be holding you back, exploring different possibilities and taking practical steps towards the future you want to create.

You can find out more about the book here:

If you are looking for more personalised support, I also offer coaching and discovery conversations where we can explore your neurodiversity, your strengths, your challenges and the practical ways you might be able to move forward.

You can find out more about my coaching services and book a discovery conversation here:

As for me, I’m going to take November one day at a time. I’m going to continue exploring, learning, challenging and hopefully achieving some of the things I’ve set out to do. I don’t know exactly where this journey will take me, but I know that I want to keep trying.

Let’s keep going. Let’s keep understanding ourselves. Let’s keep moving forward, one day at a time.

Arran Smith