Performance is visible. Effort often isn't.

This week I’ve been reflecting on something we don’t talk about enough in professional or educational spaces.

The unseen effort it takes for some people to have the capacity to navigate life’s demands.

For me, living with ADHD, mental health challenges, and fluctuating cognitive capacity means that getting somewhere, delivering work, or managing the day is rarely straightforward from the inside, even if it appears that way from the outside.

It often involves layers of preparation most people never notice.

Preparing clothes the night before to reduce decision fatigue.

Planning food so energy does not drop at the wrong moment.

Setting alarms throughout the morning because my sense of time can slip.

Checking routes, schedules, and logistics repeatedly to prevent overwhelm.

Breaking tasks down into the smallest possible steps so they remain manageable rather than paralysing.

This is not unusual.

Many people live this way.

What we do not acknowledge enough is this reality in workplaces, education, and leadership conversations. Professionalism is still too often judged by how effortless something looks, rather than by what it takes to make it happen.

My work is rooted in lived experience, so I believe it matters to say this out loud. Not for sympathy, but for understanding.

Because when we recognise that people may be carrying significant unseen cognitive load, it changes how we lead, how we teach, and how we respond when things do not go to plan.

People will make mistakes. Plans will shift. Pressure will affect performance.

That is human.

The environments where people recover fastest, learn most, and contribute sustainably are the ones where reflection is encouraged and compassion is present. Not as softness, but as effective leadership.

If we want resilient teams, inclusive learning environments, and healthier workplaces, we need spaces where people can acknowledge challenges, adapt, and move forward without shame.

That is where real progress happens.

 

Reflective Q for today: What unseen effort might someone around you be investing just to have the capacity to meet the demands placed on them?

If this resonates with your organisation, university, or leadership team, I speak and deliver training on bringing lived experience into practice in ways that improve understanding, performance, and wellbeing.

Let’s start a conversation that matters.

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