Hey, look! A chicken! (entrepreneurial ADD)
I’m constantly in awe of business owners’ ability to generate brilliant ideas for their business on an ongoing basis.
For some people, the flip side of this creative streak is the propensity for getting distracted. Easily.
Now, I’m no clinician (and I don’t play one on television) but it’s my theory that there are a ton of entrepreneurs with out there with “attention deficit disorder” that don’t know it. Say what you will about over-diagnosis of ADD in kids, but a some Gen Xers and Boomers missed being diagnosed entirely.
I’m a perfect case. My whole life I got harangued with, “You’re so smart, why can’t you finish…(insert task)?” When I started my business, I felt paralyzed by my disorganization, poor follow through, and the nagging dread that I would forget to do something important. I proceeded fearing that someday my house of cards would fall – along with my business – because of some fatal omission. Learning I had ADD helped immensely.
You might hate being labeled, but folks with ADD are known to have above average intelligence and make rapid-fire mental connections. ADD brains are cool.
In my organizing business, I love working with entrepreneurs with ADD because the smallest tweaks to their physical environments help them capture their lighting-speed ideas – and then actually put them into action. Doing this also has a huge, positive impact on their business. They can prevent visual distractions and other annoying stimulus from derailing their creative spurts.
If you got labeled as “hyperactive” or a “space cadet” as a kid, I highly recommend the book Delivered from Distraction. It’s the tome on what’s good about ADD and how to get more from your life if you’ve got it. Ironically, both the authors have ADD.
Check out Delivered From Distraction for a ton of great ideas that apply directly to your organized biz.
Once you read it, you might not be distracted by whatever that chicken’s doing.
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9 opinions for Hey, look! A chicken! (entrepreneurial ADD)
Tim Buckley
Feb 2, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Jenn…wow, I admire both your prolific output, the totally readable style and the usefulness of your tips…did I say “both”….I guess I meant a multiplicity of admiration…I’m so excited about your business and your entrepreneurialism (that’s half way to empire status!)
Linda Resca
Feb 2, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Hi Jen ~
I have recently been surprised by a new discovery. I consider myself to be easily distracted (don’t know if I am ADD) and, I am finding that I accomplish much more while working in a cafe, then I do at home. I seem to need to stimulation I find in the cafe - to keep me awake. Much to my delight, I have no difficulty focusing there !
Jennifer
Feb 2, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Tim: Thanks for the kudos!
Linda: Great comment! Sean D’Souza at http://www.psychotactics.com that calls these “cafe days”.
Between a cafe’s stimulating environment and the java, it’s hard *not* to be productive - especially for folks that thrive on interaction.
Similarly, some people like to have music on (with words or without) while they work because it energizes their brain and helps them actually focus better.
admin
Feb 2, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Jennifer -
I was one of those folks that always had to have music or TV on while studying. I found the quiet waaay too distracting. I’m the same way now (thank god for iTunes).
Marguerite
Feb 2, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Jen-
Way to go ! great article with tons of personality and style not to mention the great Tips
Marguerite
Sandra
Feb 2, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I was not ADD as a kid, but I definitely think I have adult onset ADD. I think I got it from teaching kids. Not that it is contagious, but because I have to make many decisions in seconds.
Carol Routh
Feb 2, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Ouch! Here I sit amidst the mess that I’ve created in a mere 24 hours! I brought my computer into the dining room (from my office, which is cold in the winter), and in no time the table is looking just like my desk! I’ve spent a ton of time exploring the web, making phone calls, checking the weather (it’s snowing, but not HERE!). Doh… I think I’ll go read that book.
Thanks, Jen!
Jennifer
Feb 2, 2008 at 10:53 pm
This is great - looks like it’s a topic that hits home.
Sandra: You make a good point about “adult onset.” You might be interested in another book of Dr. Hallowell’s called “CrazyBusy.” In it, he contends that the sheer pace of life today can evoke many of the same symptoms of ADD - even if you don’t actually have it. His website also has free weekly tips on this theme. (www.crazybusylife.com/)
Carol: A bit of friendly advice? Get yourself a space heater for your office. They’re inexpensive, efficient, and you won’t have to relocate away from your estabilshed systems. THEN go read the book. ;)
Carol Routh
Feb 4, 2008 at 5:33 pm
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU, Jennifer!!! I took your advice and bought a parabolic (I think that means radiant heat) space heater for my office. I’ve been enjoying it for an hour now, and it is making ALL the difference!!! It heats ME, not the air, so it doesn’t cost all that much to run, and I get to feel toasty and comfortable. I already had one of those electric “oil radiators.” It kept my feet warm, but not the rest of me. NOW I’m in heaven! You have transformed six months of my year!
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