Learn to accept and work with your ADHD

Whatever you resist, persists.
– Carl Jung

Have you ever had a great, productive day and promptly decided that your ADHD must be all in your head, if you can do x, y and z consistently you’ll have no problem keeping up with “normal” business owners? No doubt, the next day you planned to wake up and carry on with your new habits and new-found neurotypical-ness and conquer the world. And, maybe you did for a few days or weeks, but inevitably at some point the wheels fell off and you were left back at square one wondering how on earth you could ever make this business caper work..?

That was, until the next productive spell came and the cycle repeated.. only this time you were left feeling a little bit more incapable and dejected than before.

I’ve noticed this is not an uncommon pattern amongst my clients with ADHD and underneath it lies a desire to be able to use the “proven”, conventional strategies that they see others succeeding with, to fast-track success in their own businesses.

At the core they’re denying their ADHD in the hope that it will stop being a barrier for them if they just try a little harder to do things that other seem to do so easily.

Not only does this this approach not work, it is also completely demoralising and can be so damaging that eventually people conclude that they don’t have what it takes to run a business and they quit entirely.

The problem is that if you try to pretend you have a neurotypical brain when you don’t, you’ll only exacerbate the impact of ADHD. This is because, as Carl Jung used to say, “whatever you resist, persists”. In a nutshell, this means that the more you try to avoid or deny something, the more it will show up in your life. When you resist something, you are giving it your attention and energy whether you realised it or not. And whatever you give your attention and energy to, you are essentially creating more of.

The more you take advice intended for neurotypical folks while ignoring your unique natural wiring, the more your ADHD symptoms will stand out and create challenges for you.

The good news is that the opposite is also true. If you accept something, even if it is something that you don’t like, you will eventually be able to let it go and work with it. Learning to accept your brain as it is, rather than fighting against it, is crucial for several reasons:

🩷 Reducing Self-Blame and Guilt

You’re likely pretty familiar with the guilt and shame that accompanies our struggles with focus, organisation, and time management. Accepting ADHD helps shift the focus from personal shortcomings to understanding that ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how the brain functions. When you accept it, you recognise that it’s not your fault, that it’s just how your brain works, and you can give yourself a little grace.

🧡 Optimising Energy & Focus

Fighting against anything can be draining and counterproductive, but especially when your opponent is your own brain. Accepting what is allows you to direct your energy towards understanding how ADHD impacts you and finding strategies that work best for your specific needs. When you stop wasting precious energy trying to fit a square peg in a round hole you can focus on more important things, increasing both your productivity and sense of satisfaction.

💚 Embracing Creativity and Innovation

If you’re like many of my entrepreneur clients with ADHD you probably possess high levels of creativity and an innate ability to think outside-the-box. Accepting your ADHD brain can help you capitalise on and leverage these strengths, encouraging you to embrace your innovative ideas and turn them into unique business opportunities.

💙 Seeking Appropriate Support

Acceptance can encourage you to seek out support and professional guidance tailored to ADHD-related challenges. Whether that’s through coaching, therapy, or group programs like Execute, having people who understand ADHD around you can really help accelerate your progress. There’s a plethora of advice out there, mostly aimed at the mainstream (read neurotypical!) business owner and not always useful to the neurodivergent brain. The right support can bring valuable insights and helpful tools to help you excel in running your business, and you’re far more likely to access them when you understand and accept your unique wiring.

💛 Personal Growth and Development

We’re all well served when we grow our self-awareness and better understand our own behaviour and motivations. Embracing ADHD as a part of who you are opens doors to further personal growth and development. By understanding how ADHD influences behaviour and impacts on day-to-day experience, a savvy business owner can implement strategies for self-improvement and achieve their goals more effectively.

Likewise, when you acknowledge and address the challenges that come with ADHD alongside the strengths it offers, you develop your resilience and are more able to handle setbacks and obstacles. You learn to become super adaptable and navigate through anything that comes your way.

TRY IT OUT:

The next time you find yourself trying to fight your ADHD brain, ask yourself:

Why am I resisting this?
What am I afraid of?
What am I trying to protect myself from?
What are the core strengths I can focus and capitalise on instead?

Accepting your ADHD can empowering and liberating, not to mention the energy-savings! As a business owner it allows you to approach challenges with a positive mindset, leverage your unique strengths, and seek out the most suitable strategies and support. Embracing ADHD can set the stage for an incredible entrepreneurial journey and overall wellbeing, and if you need help to do it, you know where to find me.

I’ll see you back here next week,