TLDR;
This video discusses how ADHD can be both a curse and a blessing, depending on how it's managed. It outlines a three-step process to transform the challenges of ADHD into a path to success. The key is understanding dopamine regulation and using it to your advantage.
- Step 1: Start the day with activities that promote a positive dopamine cycle.
- Step 2: Focus on activities and a mission that genuinely interest you.
- Step 3: Find a mission or career that aligns with your interests and strengths, allowing you to hyperfocus and thrive.
Understanding WHY [3:22]
ADHD can feel like a curse, leading to chaotic and depressing outcomes if unmanaged, potentially resulting in addiction, unemployment, and unrealised dreams. However, mastering ADHD can lead to significant success. The extreme nature of ADHD, with its all-or-nothing tendencies in exercise, diet, focus, and mood, stems from dopamine disregulation. Without managing this dopamine regulation, individuals can fall into a negative spiral. By compounding positive days instead, people with ADHD can surpass neurotypical individuals. Choosing the path of managing ADHD can transform life, offering hope and self-trust.
Step 1 [3:23]
Many people with ADHD chase fast dopamine and feel out of control, doubting the possibility of change. This stems from the brain's difficulty in resisting instant gratification. Small morning actions significantly influence the rest of the day, leading to either a negative dopamine cycle (e.g., checking social media) or a positive feedback loop of accomplishment. Activities like social media provide short-lived, artificial pleasure, leading to a desire for more and potential addiction due to dopamine disregulation. Chasing dopamine in the morning sets a pattern for the entire day, making it harder to concentrate later. Instead, starting with small, positive actions like making the bed can create a domino effect, building momentum and charging the brain. Overcoming negative thoughts by simply showing up and focusing on the initial steps can decrease the perceived difficulty and increase dopamine levels, which is essential for ADHD brains.
Step 2 [7:27]
Even with a good start to the day, chasing the wrong activities can increase the chances of slipping into negative patterns due to impulsivity and the drive for fast rewards. People with ADHD are interest-driven and need to pursue what feels easy. Forcing oneself to do things depletes dopamine reserves, as it transforms tasks into obligations rather than desired activities. It's important to identify activities that are enjoyable and find ways to make current tasks more interesting. This applies to both daily activities and the main mission in life. Activities should charge you up rather than drain you. If you find yourself chasing fast dopamine after an activity (e.g., fast food, alcohol), it may be a sign that the activity is not truly satisfying. Instead, focus on getting dopamine from activities like exercise, connection, or work by making them enjoyable. This involves choosing activities you like, such as playing a sport instead of weightlifting, and spending time with people you genuinely care about. Creating a new normal where good dopamine is easy to chase and bad dopamine is hard to chase is essential. Listening to yourself and meeting your basic needs authentically leads to a happier, more fulfilling life.
Step 3 [12:17]
When people with ADHD take jobs or careers that promise safety but lack genuine interest, they often chase fast dopamine in their free time due to a lack of fulfilment. Instead of an occupation, people with ADHD need a mission that is bigger than themselves, making it easier to start a positive feedback loop each morning. Thriving with ADHD requires living life on your own terms, where days become effortless rather than effortful. It's important to engage in domains that come easily and erase the belief that easy is bad. Following what comes easy and having a mission can lead to hyperfocus, an advantage due to dopamine deficiency. This hyperfocus can fuel the pursuit of the mission, making all the difference. The first step is to find out your personality type to identify areas of interest and pursue them relentlessly. Crafting your "why" through a mission statement that resonates deeply can provide valuable insights and guide you towards a more purposeful life. If finding your "why" feels overwhelming, simply follow your curiosity. To integrate these lessons, consistently and intentionally work on them with focus, using curated external triggers to stay on track and avoid procrastination.
