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Updated RecentlyTen Tips For Leveraging Your A D H D Entrepreneur Superpowers
Monday, July 20, 2015
Of course, success doesn't just happen for the ADHD entrepreneur. It's no accident. They have come by their achievements by strategically leveraging their traits into strengths. Instead of relying on a pill, they have figured out a multitude of ways to stay focused, meet deadlines and generate exciting new business concepts through several high and low-tech methods � something that any ADHDer can do to create greater fulfillment in their lives and careers.
It's even easier now. As I discuss in "Technology Makes ADHD Better," far from being a distraction, smart phones, tablets and social media have enhanced the working life of the ADHDer, making it easier for these business leaders to be involved in several activities at once � a multitasker's dream come true. In my latest book, The ADHD Advantage, What you thought was a diagnosis could be your greatest strength (Penguin, July 28, 2015) numerous ADHDers share some of their most effective tools, and how best to use them. Here are the top 10: 1. Use Outlook or Google Calendar to do a "brain dump" and provide your Bingo Brain with some structure. We ADHDers tend to crackle with ideas, but they often come in all at once, distracting us and drowning out the opinions of our colleagues. This free flow of ideas can lead to great things, but quickly typing them into an online filing system helps us to prioritize. Brian Scudamore, CEO and founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, notes each new idea in an e-mail message, which he sends to himself with the words "new idea" in the subject line. The message then goes straight into his ideas folder for later review, which turns out to be a great filtering system. He reads them at later time, after the initial excitement has worn off. Most of the ideas get thrown out, but some end up being real winners.
2. Set alarms on your iPhone or smartphone. ADHDers tend to veer between two extremes: hyper-focus, when they are so absorbed in a task that everything else falls by the wayside, and total distraction or boredom. Setting calendars and alarms to ping and remind you of the next priority for the day is an effective way of keeping you on track. Remember not to frontload with too many items at once. Keep your list in simple, bite-sized chunks so you don't get overwhelmed and avoid important items altogether.
3. Take the office with you on your portable Wi-Fi device. Few ADHDers I've encountered are happy sitting at a desk. Their restless natures make it necessary for them to roam, whether that's between offices, job sites, towns or countries. Some simply sit in coffee shops, bars or parks, working happily amid the general chatter and chaos. But they can still stay connected with members of the team through Skype, Google or iChat.
4. Turn the distraction of social media into a marketing strength for your business. Stephen Anfield has made a career as a social media editor and consultant, having found the perfect context for his multitasking strength through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and just about every other Internet platform that allows him to be creative in short bursts. He enjoys the variety and speed of this form of communication, which keeps him moving from one open computer window to the next. The platform, which has trained him to think and write in a more concise manner, is ideal for his fast mind and restless nature. "I love the fact that it's always changing, it's never the same," Stephen told me � hence he doesn't get bored.
5. Procrastinate. Or, even better, set a false deadline. ADHDers are natural-born risk takers who thrive on the danger of cutting it close on the completion date of a project. We spend our lives pushing up against deadlines and self-creating intense, high pressure situations because it helps us produce the dopamine levels necessary to feed the reward and concentration centers in our brains. In other words, we thrive under pressure. So when a project or report is due, manipulate the dates on your monthly planner. Don't worry. You have so many other things going on in your head that you'll likely forget and assume that is the real deadline, and you'll get your dopamine fix just the same. Small town doctor and clinic owner Mike Watson feels more focused when he is running late (this also triggers a dopamine dump). He now has his staff give him start times 5 to 20 minutes before an actual scheduled meeting or appointment.
6. Write to do lists every day. The physical act of writing things down can help to de-clutter the mind. Home decoration startup owner Anita Erickson writes her ideas down on Post It notes, scraps of paper, anywhere, and by the end of the day her house is littered with this storm of thoughts, but all of this scribbling enables her to empty out some of what's in her head so that she can focus on that day's priorities. "I make so many lists, and some of the ideas are so random that people would laugh at them," she says. Ninety-percent of what she writes down many not be important, but getting it on paper lessens the wind speed and flying objects in her mental tornado. She also uses a file folder system, keeping all of them closed except the one she is currently working on. It doesn't stay that way, but it's another one of her tricks for controlling the bingo brain, "because with too many folders open in your brain, you feel overwhelmed." 7. Move! Physical activity is one of the best ways to get back into focus. It can be anything, from running up the stairs between meetings to walking briskly around the block. Educational entrepreneur Lisa Castaneda practices what she preaches to the ADHD students she works with, shaking off her previous meeting to prepare her mind for the next with a few minutes of movement. She brings tennis shoes to the office with her for that very purpose. When she doesn't have time to take the stairs, she splashes cold water on her face � anything to create a physical divide between one activity and the next. But the most important thing is to keep the blood pumping, which is why Lisa also works at a standing desk. "A godsend for someone like me who can't sit still," she says. A recent study shows that even simple fidgeting helps ADHDers perform better on tests, and this applies to everyone � not just students.
8. Outsource important routine tasks such as book keeping, taxes, personnel and even your schedule. Whatever you find boring is best delegated to others. These jobs are necessary but, because they are dull, entrepreneurs with ADHD tend to avoid them, either procrastinating or neglecting these basic functions of running a business altogether. ADHDers tend to be big picture thinkers, so don't get bogged down with the routine stuff if you can avoid it. David Neeleman realized this early in his career and says it was critical to his success.
9. Build some structure into your working day, or week. Set aside a time and place for certain activities. ADHDers can get so caught up in a subject that they are passionate about that they forget the basic functions of eating and sleeping. This is the beauty of hyperfocus, and it's okay, but if it happens too often it can lead to burnout. Mark Neeleman, David's brother and business partner, finds his own balance by allotting two days per week for routine office tasks, taking ADHD meds for just that purpose. But then he takes a prescription "holiday," spending the rest of the week allowing his ADHD brain to roam free. Few will require a pill, but everyone needs the free time for creativity. That's how Mark's best ideas are born.
10. Listen to your body. ADHDers use up a lot of energy as they explore new ideas, multitask like crazy, and run around dealing with the high pressure and chaos of their chosen fields. It can reach the point where you are running on fumes. Kenneth "Bucky" Buckman, CEO of global tradeshow installer Tradetec Skyline, is a ball of high energy who thrives on chaos. He's so restless that one business is not enough, so he founded Rainy Investments, which buys and sells distressed residential and commercial real estate. Putting out fires is what he does best, but there comes a time when he just has to stop. Every six months or so "my body shuts down," he says. Instead of trying to power through it, Bucky takes a rest, lying in bed and watching television for the next few days. It's his way of recharging those ADHD batteries.
Of course, it's never one-size fits all. These ADHDers have tried a variety of techniques and sifted through one, or a combination of methods, adapting them to suit their individual tastes and habits. The key is persistence, until you find what works best for you. Whatever methods you choose, don't be afraid to change them up so that you don't get bored. Keep it interesting, and you'll stay on track.
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