Is it ADHD, or is it your entrepreneurial superpower?
Hey Rainmaker, today’s issue is going to be pretty quick, and it starts with a story…
When I was in grade school, I did pretty well with all my work.
Grade school forced focus.
We didn’t have a bunch of teachers or classes. We had one.
Our teacher would “hold our hand” as we walked through all the subjects we needed to learn.
Every day had structure, and process.
We’d work together as a class to cover the material, do homework, and succeed.
I did well in that environment.
But when I was given freedom, I started to fail.
In 7th grade, I went to middle school. Suddenly I went from all my school taking place in one classroom, under the close supervision of one teacher…
To mostly having to do things on my own.
I had a bunch of classes, and a bunch of teachers.
I was expected to be independent, and responsible.
And for the most part — in most classes — I was.
I didn’t want to bad. In fact, I wanted to do good. So I applied myself in most classes, and got pretty good grades.
Except in one class.
Which class? Well, it changed, every semester. From 7th grade through my Freshman year at the University of Nebraska.
I’d do well in nearly all my classes (an A or a B), except one.
That one class, I’d almost invariably be failing for nearly the entire semester. Until in the 11th hour, I did just what I’d need to do to catch up, and pull out a C.
Without structure, I would consistently let one class slip.
Usually, it was the one where I disliked the teacher, or was bored by the subject.
While other students seemed to be able to just buckle down, even when bored… I was only able to apply that focus in MOST classes, not all.
In other classes, I’d work hard and be at the top of my class. But in that one boring subject, I’d be at the bottom.
I got the normal criticisms.
I needed to apply myself.
I needed to get organized, and back on track.
I should be able to do it — why wasn’t I?
There’s a great book on ADHD called You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?! At times, I felt like I was all three.
But it just didn’t make sense.
In some places, I could hyper-focus.
I had things that excited me and drove me, and I was super-successful in those.
But there were other things in life that were just plain not motivating, and I consistently failed.
I definitely felt broken and insecure.
Years later, I was diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive.
This means my mind bounces off the walls, even if my body doesn’t. (ADHD Inattentive is almost always diagnosed much later in life than the visibly more obvious ADHD Hyperactive.)
This is the disorder-based diagnosis that applies to this group of symptoms.
More and more, I find I don’t associate with this as a disorder.
I actually believe ADHD is my Superpower.
Because while I do find it incredibly hard to focus on things that are uninteresting and boring…
I have an incredible dowsing-stick capability for finding out the things that excite me, bringing them to the foreground, and pushing them forward with hyper-focus and exuberant energy.
I may not be able to succeed in the “normal” world, but I can success in the world I define and create.
This was bad in school, but it’s actually an advantage for entrepreneurship.
There are things about these ADHD-associated traits that serve the entrepreneur well. Not just hyper-focus, but the ability to drive forward in the face of obstacles and failure. An unrelenting energy to create. The desire and drive to constantly be in a state of momentum, to be doing things and moving forward.
All of these have been an advantage in my entrepreneurial journey.
The interesting thing is when all these traits are taken out of the ADHD frame, and put within the Entrepreneur frame…
I’ve written before about my new friend Alex Charfen. He’s doing some pretty amazing things helping entrepreneurs understand themselves, and see the way forward.
He’s mapped out something he calls the Entrepreneurial Personality Type (EPT). Which, admittedly, is awfully close to ADHD. But it’s not a disorder, it’s a simple description.
And he’s mapped out the journey toward success and achievement for people like me, who are maybe ADHD, but definitely EPT.
The interesting thing is how much the entrepreneurial journey overlaps between business-builders the world over, based on the progression Alex outlines.
What challenges we face, what we must do to overcome them, and importantly the consistent (but not necessarily easy) road to our greatest success and contribution.
His thinking has been incredibly influential on me, on how I will be moving forward to make a huge impact in the next 10 years, by creating a business that leverages all the good that is in me as an EPT. To maximally benefit me, my family, my team, my clients and customers, and ultimately, the world.
On Thursday, Alex is doing an interactive live webinar, to help EPTs understand themselves and how to act in light of their strengths and weaknesses to achieve the greatest success.
I don’t get anything out of promoting it.
This is NOT an affiliate link.
I just believe that if the story above resonates with you, like you feel like you’ve been driven to success but have struggled to consistently succeed in the world that everybody else seems to navigate with ease…
You should really be on this webinar.
Alex is going to spend 20 minutes walking through the Entrepreneurial Personality Type concept, and our journey toward success. Laying out the path that will be the most natural for you to creating contribution and success. Then he’s going to spend about 38 minutes answering questions on how to apply this in your life and business. And finally, I believe he’s going to make an offer in the last couple minutes.
If you’re adverse to being sold something, show up for 58 minutes and have your life changed, then hang up.
Or, sit through to the end, and take Alex up on his offer for further help or not. I don’t benefit, except by knowing you have even more powerful resources to create bigger breakthroughs in your business and life.
Click here now for details and to register for Alex’s EPT webinar.
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
Editor, Breakthrough Marketing Secrets
