Great post, man—I often struggle with motivation for simple (often even dumb) tasks. Something I try to remember is "Most tasks don't actually take a lot of time; it's the resistance to the tasks that takes time."
And thank you for sharing about NeuroDiversion! We're super stoked to have you with us. 🎉
People with ADHD who are masking to be not only high functioning but high performers at work are also in danger of eventually collapsing into burnout or chronic illness.
I feel like the question isn’t really how to be a high achiever with ADHD, but why are any of us trying to be that way in the first place?
Oh such a good q. I was actually musing in the broader sense - why is our society competitive and individualistic in the first place? Why do we feel a need to conform to a model that wasn’t built for *any* healthy human being, let alone someone with ADHD?
On an individual level, I’d maybe ask - where is the need to achieve coming from, and how is it showing up in our life? Are we sacrificing our connection to friends and family, to nature, to our health, in order to achieve? Then maybe it’s driven by conditioning / trauma, for example:
-Being put in the “gifted and talented” class at school which made you miss important lessons and feel othered.
-Being reprimanded for forgetting things, being disruptive, or daydreaming.
-Being praised for your potential to do/be anything, yet criticized for your shortcomings.
-Having “big emotions” nobody could hold, leading to shame and burying feelings in work. I’ve noticed that this also shows up as feeling too much for everyone yet not enough for anyone.
If our lives are balanced and fulfilling and we still have the desire to achieve in ways that are meaningful to us, maybe we’ve done the work of processing our past stuff and have found a genuine calling! I’ve noticed this arising as I heal and learn what truly matters to me.
This is just how I see it from my own personal experience, hope it helps clarify!
I like this post -- I feel like it can be easy to think you can't be a high achiever if you have ADHD because the odds are against you, but there *ARE* strategies that do move you forward as opposed to shame-based strategies
This article hit home for me! As someone with ADHD, I’ve always struggled with the idea of ‘high achievement’ because it felt like my brain was working against me. But the tips here—especially breaking tasks into smaller steps and leveraging hyperfocus—are game-changers.
I also loved the emphasis on self-compassion. It’s so easy to get caught up in what we haven’t done, but celebrating small wins is crucial.
Thanks for sharing this—it’s a great reminder that ADHD doesn’t have to hold us back. In fact, it can be our secret weapon if we learn to work with it.
@Jesse J. Anderson No disrespect intended, but why would you want to talk to me when I can’t even respond because your account is for paid subscribers only? I apologize, but I can’t respond to your question unless you want me to respond here in a separate page because your Notes are for paid subscribers only, Which I am not. Intriguing and will probably help me, but I can’t afford to subscribe to everyone, especially when I only have three subscribers.
So I would really like to know why you bothered to tag me knowing I couldn’t respond? I look forward to hearing your answer.
My apologies. My phone was hacked as well as in my computer and they’ve been screwing around with everything. I only have three subscribers myself. None paid so they obviously changed that around can’t even get into my computer. They locked me out. I apologize for the misunderstanding and the inconvenience. The only thing I can use now is notes and fuck it I give up.
Great post, man—I often struggle with motivation for simple (often even dumb) tasks. Something I try to remember is "Most tasks don't actually take a lot of time; it's the resistance to the tasks that takes time."
And thank you for sharing about NeuroDiversion! We're super stoked to have you with us. 🎉
That conference sounds great. If only 8 had 600 bucks to spare, sigh.
People with ADHD who are masking to be not only high functioning but high performers at work are also in danger of eventually collapsing into burnout or chronic illness.
I feel like the question isn’t really how to be a high achiever with ADHD, but why are any of us trying to be that way in the first place?
Oh such a good q. I was actually musing in the broader sense - why is our society competitive and individualistic in the first place? Why do we feel a need to conform to a model that wasn’t built for *any* healthy human being, let alone someone with ADHD?
On an individual level, I’d maybe ask - where is the need to achieve coming from, and how is it showing up in our life? Are we sacrificing our connection to friends and family, to nature, to our health, in order to achieve? Then maybe it’s driven by conditioning / trauma, for example:
-Being put in the “gifted and talented” class at school which made you miss important lessons and feel othered.
-Being reprimanded for forgetting things, being disruptive, or daydreaming.
-Being praised for your potential to do/be anything, yet criticized for your shortcomings.
-Having “big emotions” nobody could hold, leading to shame and burying feelings in work. I’ve noticed that this also shows up as feeling too much for everyone yet not enough for anyone.
If our lives are balanced and fulfilling and we still have the desire to achieve in ways that are meaningful to us, maybe we’ve done the work of processing our past stuff and have found a genuine calling! I’ve noticed this arising as I heal and learn what truly matters to me.
This is just how I see it from my own personal experience, hope it helps clarify!
What if that's important to you? Shouldn't people with ADHD be able to achieve the same things as everyone else? Curious to know your thoughts
Thanks for this. I was actually asking myself this very question this week.
Dude! I think I've found my people. Thank you ❤️❤️
I like this post -- I feel like it can be easy to think you can't be a high achiever if you have ADHD because the odds are against you, but there *ARE* strategies that do move you forward as opposed to shame-based strategies
This article hit home for me! As someone with ADHD, I’ve always struggled with the idea of ‘high achievement’ because it felt like my brain was working against me. But the tips here—especially breaking tasks into smaller steps and leveraging hyperfocus—are game-changers.
I also loved the emphasis on self-compassion. It’s so easy to get caught up in what we haven’t done, but celebrating small wins is crucial.
Thanks for sharing this—it’s a great reminder that ADHD doesn’t have to hold us back. In fact, it can be our secret weapon if we learn to work with it.
@Jesse J. Anderson No disrespect intended, but why would you want to talk to me when I can’t even respond because your account is for paid subscribers only? I apologize, but I can’t respond to your question unless you want me to respond here in a separate page because your Notes are for paid subscribers only, Which I am not. Intriguing and will probably help me, but I can’t afford to subscribe to everyone, especially when I only have three subscribers.
So I would really like to know why you bothered to tag me knowing I couldn’t respond? I look forward to hearing your answer.
Hey Robin - sorry, I’m really confused. Which post or whatever are you referring to where you can’t respond?
My apologies. My phone was hacked as well as in my computer and they’ve been screwing around with everything. I only have three subscribers myself. None paid so they obviously changed that around can’t even get into my computer. They locked me out. I apologize for the misunderstanding and the inconvenience. The only thing I can use now is notes and fuck it I give up.