From Mission First to Joy First: Why Self Care Isn't Enough for ADHD Brains (with Julie Barker) Ep 110
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You're doing all the self care things. The massage, the vacation, the meditation. But underneath it all, you're still thinking about how this rest will help you do more for other people. That's mission first programming, and it's the reason self care isn't working.
Julie Barker, licensed clinical social worker specializing in moral injury, joins Sherry for a conversation about the profound shift from mission first to joy first living. For people in helping professions and those with ADHD, selfless service programming runs deep. You're always trying to make up for a sense of lack, always focused on obligation, always putting the mission before yourself.
Julie shares her Joy First Protocol and what changed when she realized her North Star goal needed to start with living an 80% joy driven life, not hitting massive business targets. We talk about sacred actions versus to do lists, why energy management matters more than time management for ADHD brains, and how the 12 Week Year system can be adapted to actually work with ADHD instead of against it.
This episode explores why agile matters more than flexible, how to trust yourself when your brain has spent years telling you you're not enough, and why joy and rage can coexist right now when the world feels heavy. Whether you're burning out from selfless service or stuck in the perfectionism trap, this conversation offers a different way forward.
