I’ve evolved my work to match my working style. In school, ADHD would be seen as a problem and something to treat…
Luckily, on the internet, it can be an advantage.
The ability to connect dots, following threads and curiosities, and being able to absorb a lot of information is all generally a benefit in an information-rich world. It seems the neurodivergent will inherit the earth.
Of course, we’re now in an ever-growing battle against the algorithms. If you thought that TikTok was addicting, wait until what comes next…Remember, Myspace was less addicting than mobile Facebook, which lead to Tiktok and then next with AI comes…
Working with your ADHD means figuring out how to leverage the skill without the drawbacks. Here are some things that help:
Completing something is all about momentum. If you get interrupted it won’t happen. This means when I scope work it has to be a small enough unit of work that it will get done in that working session. Leaving something as an open loop makes it likely to remain open. Kaizen, or small steps, is the best approach. Make all of our goals smaller, and ship them before their perfect.
Coffee and Caffeine of course can be used strategically. But you don’t want to burn yourself out, so make sure you take a good look at your meals and snacks around when and how you drink coffee. I used to think that fasted coffee was the best but I realized that for me I need fats/proteins/sugars alongside the coffee otherwise I feel a dip later in the day. So now I do a fatty-coffee and often have fruit or a smoothie around the caffeine.
Always keep pen and paper handy. Pen and paper slow you down when you need to be slowed down. It also allows you to jot quick “aside” notes about something unrelated somewhere else on the sheet of paper. It’s great to start with pen and paper, and I often use this for prompts.
Take as many notes as you can. Notes in any format, digital, paper, organized, or disorganized allow you to offload a thought for later. This is a “dot” your brain wants to connect or maybe already is connecting. Take notes on everything. I am currently taking notes on how I’m feeling during the day and I make about 8-10 check ins a day with a digital app called Daylio. This maybe sounds crazy to anyone who doesn’t operate like this but the pause, reflect, check-in is a way to orient yourself in the day.
Use multiple blockers/tools to limit distractions. I use Opal, Freedom, and one or two others. Again it might sound like overkill to use multiple, but to my point above, there are thousands of people who’s entire goal 60 hours a week is to get you to spend more screentime on their application. This will exponentially increase with AI personalization.
Timers, and time limits are great. Focus-to-do and pomodoro work because they give you a time-boxed action. This forces you to complete the task within that window rather than having it stretch on for too long. It also forces “selecting” what you’ll do and then checking it off. Focus-To-Do is a nice app for this.
Align your circadian rhythm to your peak energy. Do you know when you are at peak creative energy for the day? And are you aligning that with the highest priority work of that kind?
Avoid labels. Avoid labeling yourself as ADHD or overly getting into that identity. Even though I’m using this as a category right now for the purposes of organizing this post, the reality is I think every single person is different and you have to figure out what works for you. You also want to avoid holding to strongly to an identity which can limit you.
Last, a great playlist always helps.
Here’s what I’m listening to today:
