Many ADHD adults have tried different approaches to fit in. You’ve tried to be more “linear,” more “logical.” You’ve enrolled in Franklyn-Covey or Day Timer time management programs. They didn’t work. You’ve tried to emulate family members and friends, hoping, at least, to “look normal.” You’ve spent great amounts of time cleaning your office / desk / home, trying to achieve perfection.
“Help, I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Be Normal!”
But nothing was ever good enough. The saddest part is that many of ADHD adults eventually give up on themselves, thinking “I’m ADHD, I can’t get my s&#!t together, so how can I ever succeed?”
Of course, if you think you’re beaten, you are! If you think of yourself as defective, incapable, a victim of your ADHD, you can’t reach your full potential.
Become a Creative Genius Instead
I’ll explain. Recently I participated in a program because I wanted to bring my business to “the next level.” My business, like many others, has been affected by the economic crisis.
I couldn’t understand why I still had to struggle to make ends meet. After all, I had been working hard and investing a lot on myself and in my business. Then it dawned on me. The person I was then was not who I needed to be to take my business to the “next level.”
I’ll be honest; I had been working hard behind my computer screen. However, to grow my business I have to talk to people who intimidate me a little… okay, a lot. The current “me,” when faced with contacting these “scary” intimidating people, gave into the fear and cleaned my desk. This fearful desk-cleaning nut was not the person who was going to go far in business.
To become a successful businessperson, I had to reinvent myself as a successful businessperson and do what a successful businessperson would do. I had to be bold, to get out there and talk to people, and not just any people, but the very people who intimidate me. Oddly enough, once I figured this out, my fear was no longer in the way; I no longer let the fear stop me. No, the fear doesn’t go away, but I am not a successful businessperson who is able to feel the fear without letting it stop me from doing the things I need to do. Now I take action, making me the successful businessperson I longed to be.
Reinventing Yourself Can Be as Simple as Changing Your Point of View
When you reinvent yourself, you choose to be the person you need to be to achieve what you want, and then you take the actions that being this person allows you to take. Reinventing yourself as a creative genius allows you redefine yourself, which leads you to think and act with a very different perspective. As a capable creative genius, you no longer live within the limits your ADHD (and you) imposed on yourself.
When my husband tried to lose weight, nothing worked until he decided to reinvent himself. He reinvented himself as a healthy person and began to make the choices a healthy person would make. This allowed him to shed 120 lbs! Einstein chose to master his creative genius, not by trying to be “normal,” but by working on mathematical formulas instead of trying to improve his writing skills (he was dyslexic) or keeping his home spic ‘n span, (he delegated that to his poor wife). Judging from photos, he probably didn’t spend a lot of time on personal grooming either. To us it seems only natural.
If right now you see yourself as an ADHDer, consider perceiving yourself instead as a creative genius, who will have a huge impact on your world. This will help you think as a creative genius and choose activities that allow you to take advantage of your untapped potential instead of watching another TV show (that you really don’t like anyway!)
Seeing yourself as a Creative Genius gives you freedom and reduces the resistance you feel. You allow yourself to be Unstoppable!
How Can You Use This Tip Today?
First, visualize your life as a creative genius. See yourself working with your strengths, imagine feeling competent, and smile to yourself as you visualize enjoying the fruits of your labor. Get out a piece of paper and describe what being a creative genius allows you to do that you can’t do right now.
Now, given the potential reward, don’t you think it’s time to unleash your creative genius? What action would you take if you were a creative genius? Well, you ARE a creative genius if you say so, so take that first step. Be bold and don’t allow your old self to stop you.
Related posts:
Obstacles to Unleashing Your Creative Genius
Being ADHD vs. Having ADHD
What on Earth is a Creative Genius Coach
