There is no guarantee of success, even when the right people are around and they have a schedule to suit them. Why? Stephen Covey is the author of the book and has identified another aspect of ADHD that can be problematic. He calls it an addiction to urgency. A Ferris wheel does not provide the same excitement as a skydive for the ADHD brain. While the majority of people will complete tasks that are important but not urgent when they arise, those with ADHD are often reluctant to do so until it is absolutely necessary. Deadlines are the catalysts for action. Baxter states, "Everyday could a cliffhanger."
It can be exasperating and dangerous for co-workers to have to deal with the stress that comes from rushing at the last moment. This also gives entrepreneurs a great deal of confidence if they can pull it off.
Suster, sitting at his desk in February, read through a pile of scrawled notes. He laughed and said, "I have 1,200 people coming to L.A. in two weeks." He was preparing to attend Upfront's summit. This is my speech, a collection of notes that still need to be transformed into slides. My colleagues have been writing theirs for the past three to four weeks. They'd be driven insane—they wouldn't sleep. " But I have to be pushed up against a brick wall in order to unleash my creative side."
Suster was diagnosed with ADHD in 2014. He has since written and spoken about his ability to combine his business abilities with his ADHD coping techniques. He said, "I do not call it a disorder." It's how our brains function.
Sister always brings a notebook to events and meetings. He starts writing down what he'll do next when he becomes bored. He leaves his phone behind to avoid distraction. Tania asked him to stop gifting him puzzles so he wouldn't be distracted by trying to solve them. He is careful about what he eats. Concentration is improved by proteins, which boost the production of brain neurotransmitters. He feels like a ping-pong ball bounces in his head when he consumes carbohydrates and sugar. He believes that if you are prepared for success, staying in the moment will be easier.
Suster also knows that he has to delegate the management of processes and tasks. "I can organize my ideas into boxes." He said. I can start initiatives and dig deeply into the topic. "But to be an entrepreneur, you have to finish and execute things. So my whole life, I have paired myself with those I call completers/finishers."
The ADHD brain is still experiencing intense time pressure. It's hard to know how much we still need to learn about divergent minds. But there's one fact: those like Suster and those close to them must learn to love, or at least accept: at its best, ADHD is high-risk/high-reward.
Suster holds up a sheaf of notes scribbled on it and declares, "I won't fail." I won't be the cause of other people's failures. "I am sure that I will succeed." I can prove it to you with 54 reasons.
I'm not able to do it now.
ADHD: A Guide for Those With ADHD
I have tried to explain it in different ways. Edward Hallowell was one of the authors behind Delivered from Distraction. He compares the ADHD brain to "a Ferrari engine...with bicycle brakes." Brett Thornhill, an ADHD coach, compares it to watching TV. Change channels without having to hold the remote. Imagine that you are a mouse searching for cheese in a maze. Most people stumble and bump their way to success. People with ADHD do not think in two dimensions and will make steady, slow progress. They may be obsessed with digging under the walls of a maze or breaking through them. The person could spend a lot of time making a pickaxe or even a helicopter. It could get so boring that they give up. It takes more than earning cheese to motivate people to complete difficult tasks.
My sister says if you're super interested in something, you could become so absorbed that you block out other thoughts. ADHD can lead to hyperfocus when you're interested in something. You will not care about eating or being on time if you're in the wind tunnel. You can easily become distracted when you're not interested in something.
