Before formal training begins, the sheer volume and complexity of the paperwork can feel like a test of endurance designed to screen out anyone who isn’t organised. While some forms are simple contact details and DBS checks, the forms for Stage Two are where the true paralysis set in for me.
In these forms, you’re asked to lay out your entire personal life and answer six or seven major questions, often requiring up to 2,500 words each. This is where my ADHD/Dyslexia combination—struggling with both density and executive function—really stalled. I couldn’t get to grips with what each question wanted, making it impossible to start.
Here are the two crucial strategies I used to break through that paralysis, turning an overwhelming dossier into a manageable process.
1. Use the Qualities Table as a Guide Rail
The biggest mental hurdle is the complexity of the questions themselves; they don’t ask for simple facts but for reflective, nuanced essays. My initial reaction was to stall out, so I started with the easy wins, like filling out basic biographical info.
When the paralysis returned, I realised I needed a key to decipher what the assessors were truly asking for.
The Problem: Googling the exact discernment questions didn’t help.
The Hack: I matched the forms and questions to the Qualities Table.
This table, which lists the qualities being looked for in ordained ministers (e.g., Spiritual Maturity, Relational Skills, Emotional Health), provided a guide rail for each topic. By matching the question to the corresponding quality, I gained clarity on what was in scope and what wasn’t, giving my brain a fixed target.
Looking for the Church of England Discernment Qualities Table? Download it here.
Key Tip: Always assume you are at the start of something, not the end. Take the time to understand what is being asked (and why) using the Qualities Table, so you can give a full, focused answer and not just a 500-word summary of your thoughts.
Write First, Edit with Technology Second
When you face a word count of 2,500 words per answer, Dyslexia and rambling (ADHD) become major obstacles. My mind moves faster than my fingers, leading to typos and rambling tangents that waste precious words and cloud the argument.
Instead of fighting for perfection in the draft, I separate the drafting process from the editing process:
Phase 1: Brain Dump & Structure: Focus solely on getting the required content and reflection down, regardless of spelling or conciseness.
Phase 2: The LLM Cleanup: I parsed my raw, chaotic answers through a Large Language Model (LLM) (such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini) —use it like a specialised grammar and clarity checker.
This is a phenomenal hack, but it requires extreme caution:
Benefit: The LLM quickly took out my typos and tidied up my initial ramblings, reducing the mental strain of self-correction and making the work manageable for a dyslexic brain.
Caveat: You must ensure the final text accurately reflects your experience and feeling. The LLM cannot invent your theology or history; it can only refine your grammar. Verify that the tool hasn’t made anything up or changed the nuanced meaning of your reflection.
By using the Qualities Table to gain clarity and the Technology to gain accuracy and efficiency, I was able to transform the overwhelming Stage 2 dossier into a set of manageable, sequential tasks.