Adult ADHD & Information Overload: Focus!

When it comes to Adult ADHD and making choices about what to focus on, information overload can be a big problem for people with Adult ADHD--because we have a harder time tuning anything out.

Here is a question Stephanie and I get asked a lot when we're talking about Adult ADHD... this one's from "Ellie." She says,

"I normally have 5,444 things running through my head...Now, with the Internet promotions going on, with all the great deals and ideas for business and personal growth, I have 8,792 and one half things in my head, and I might have that many downloaded to my computer...

"How do I sort this stuff out? How do I start on one idea and bring it to finish? What normally happens is that I start one and then I think, ‘This other one really needs my attention,’ and jump back and forth."

Basically, the question here, and it is a very common question for people with Adult ADHD, is:
How do I start on one thing, decide on one thing, with all these great opportunities out there, and take it to finish?

First of all, it's true: we're in an information age.
There is more information available now than there’s ever been available in the world. And many of us with Adult ADHD are "info-junkies"--we love to soak up and learn new information.

There's nothing wrong with that. But there will be even more information available than that tomorrow. Unless the entire Internet crashes, information and opportunities are going to continue to grow for a good chunk of time.

So, the question for us people with Adult ADHD to ask ourselves isn't "How many opportunities are there?" or "What is the best opportunity?" because there’s no such thing.

There'll be a better opportunity tomorrow than the one you're working on today. That’s the way it is.

What you need to ask yourself, especially when Adult ADHD is thrown into the equation, is, not what’s the "best" opportunity at all. You need to ask yourself:

What do you want to be known for? When your life is over, when everything is done, do you just want to have made some money, or do you want to have made something happen?

Do you just want to be some schmuck who made some cash, or do you want to have done something of significance in the world? I'll tell you, if you're listening to what we're doing here with Adult ADHD, I certainly hope you want to do something of substance.

You can chase the buck all you want, and you'll still be miserable tomorrow and the day after. Even if you do get rich, you'll still be miserable. I hope you want to do something of substance that’s important to you...Not important to me, or Stephanie--but something that’s absolutely, undeniably, super-sonic important to you. What is it?

Maybe it’s just having a really wonderful relationship with your family. Maybe it’s being really successful so you can donate funding to support local artists. Maybe it’s finding a cure for cancer. Maybe it’s teaching everybody in the world how to take Adult ADHD and use it as a strength.

Helping people with Adult ADHD happens to be what we're passionate about, so that is what we chose to focus on, and today that is what we do,
very successfully!

I don't know what that special thing is for you, but I guarantee you that if you focus on that, you'll be successful at it one day; and if you don't, you'll always wish you had, and always feel confused about all the other "choices" out there.

You may try to tell me you don't have something like that--but I would probably say that you do, and you're probably either afraid to say what it is, or afraid to go after it full force.

So if you have Adult ADHD, take a good look at your indecision and say: "Is it really confusion about what to do that's holding me back? Or is it fear about choosing to do what I really love?"

It's as common for people with Adult ADHD to be held back from their dream by fears, as it is for those without Adult ADHD to be stopped. Dealing with Adult ADHD and fears--fear of social situations, fear of failure, fear of not being perfect--is something we help people with Adult ADHD tackle and conquer on a daily basis. If you'd like to know more about how to deal with fears and Adult ADHD, just see below!