Is ADHD the New Black - By Jay Chapman

As I write this article, I’m 38 years old, and I’ve only been officially diagnosed with ADHD for six months. Although, like many of us, I’d selfdiagnosed long before that. When your symptoms are off the charts, it’s pretty bloody obvious.

One thing my psychiatrist told me is that there will come a time when people with neurodiversity’s won’t necessarily need to be labelled as “different.” It’ll be more about identifying where on the spectrum you land because there are pros and cons no matter where that is.

For me, I always knew I was different. I think differently, I’m incredibly creative, I’m brilliant in a crisis, and I have outside the box thinking when it comes to problem solving. My brain is a superpower when it comes to the entrepreneurial side of business.

Staying focused, keeping on task, managing details, following through, and getting bored easily are my main challenges. Very typical! But I’m fortunate to have one trait that helps me power through: if I want something badly enough, I’ll find a way that works for me to achieve it. I’ve been blessed with a good mix!

In both my salon and coaching businesses, I’ve always built a team around me, so I don’t have to do the things I find challenging or simply don’t enjoy. But even that can paint you into a corner. I can do detail-oriented tasks I just need a solid structure to keep referring back to. I work best in short, sharp sprints, and my environment is absolutely vital.

I’ve spent most of my self-employed life trying to create structure in the way I work. I’ve tried it all. Time blocking, default diaries, the Pomodoro technique, and I can’t even tell you how much I’ve spent on planners and diaries I thought were going to change my world!

About three years ago, I decided to create my own range of diaries and planners. All the ones I’d tried had great elements, but none had all the parts I needed and loved in one place.

I also knew that if I created something that worked for me, there would be a gap in the market for other business owners who think and work like I do. My entrepreneurial juices got flowing!

When it comes to managing your time, whether you identify as a creative, a big picture thinker, ADHD, or just someone who struggles to stay on task, you tend to just go go go.

The strategies that have been absolute game changers for me (and are now built into our planner resources) are prepping your week with really clear intention, and reflecting on your week to ensure you achieved what you needed and wanted to.

This stops the drifting cycle. It helps you show up with more intention and reduces self-doubt or loathing because you’re reflecting positively on what you’ve achieved.

Breaking things down into detail is incredibly helpful, especially if, like me, you’ve got shiny object syndrome. It’s easy to stray off task and chase the next dopamine hit. But if your days, weeks, and months are clearly planned before you start, it’s easy to pick back up when you inevitably veer off course.

Planners and organisers can help you become more efficient, but what’s the point of being efficient if you’re working on the wrong things? Before you structure your time, you need to make decisions about what you’ll be working on. Creating effective, repeatable patterns is great, but you need to define your goals first so that your time is spent on tasks that actually move the needle.

You have to make a decision. A decision that regardless of how your brain works, your mental health status, how busy your home life is, or how many kids you’re juggling, you’re going to use this as the reason why you’ll be successful, not the reason why you can’t be.

Cliché, but if I can do it, so can you. A neurodiverse brain is a superpower, and for many people, it’s untapped. Mainstream strategies might not work for you, and that’s OK. It doesn’t mean nothing will work, it just means you haven’t found the right mix yet.

Visit www.yourgrowthcoaches.com.au and look for the “InFlow365” tab to read all about our range of planners.