Dear ADHD creator: you're not lazy, you're limitless
5 steps to get you laser focused on your soul quenching work
The truth?
The truth is, I feel lost.
Stuck between trying too hard and not trying at all.
The allure of so many creative outlets combined with an abundance of opportunity is so tantalising but at the same time paralysing.
I have too much.
Too many things to create and too much time to do it in… so of course I do nothing.
Not because I am lazy, but because I am undisciplined and unfocused and way way waaaay too ADHD.
Some people do not have any urge for creativity, so I am grateful for it.
Grateful for everything, really:
Country I live in
Modern technology
Family I was born into
The friends that I share life with
Access to information and opportunities
The wealth granted to me in this abundant city
It’s a blessing and a curse.
“Is all this effort worth it?”
“Who wants to hear from me?”
“Does my voice/work even matter?”
The answer is obviously yes.
It is worth it. Someone will want to hear from me. Yes, it does matter.
But, to borrow a line from Alex’s Newsletter…
You don’t become confident by shouting affirmations in the mirror, but by having a stack of undeniable proof that you are who you say you are. Outwork your self-doubt.
So I sat at my desk, staring blankly at my screen and frantically referencing my list of things to do, before forcing myself to put fingers to keyboard.
I have to outwork this doubt—I need steps, an action plan!
This is a guide for myself, but it may act as a template for the next time you feel lost.
Step 1.
Reflection
If you’re stuck, sit in it.
If it’s mud that you’re stuck in, put it all over your body, indulge in it. If it’s simply creator’s block, then also put it all over your body, ie, feel it.
You want to let the feeling wash over you for long enough to reflect on it.
If you do that for long enough without running from it, a few important questions might get answered:
What am I feeling?
Why am I feeling this?
Can I do something about it?
Once you have come close to diagnosing what is going on, it’s time to enlist some help to sort through your thoughts.
Step 2.
Enlist your confidantes
Find some trusted advisors.
Not too many, though, you don’t want to garner insight from everyone in your life, just a trusted or select 2/3 that you know will add value.
First, I turned to a mentor, someone whom I have followed for many years—an entrepreneur/creator with a reputation for overcoming self-doubt and pushing through the mud.
I presented the problem in a long-winded way.
“Struggling etc… too much stuff etc… distracted etc…”
His response was short & sweet, and to the point.
He didn’t indulge the victim energy I was displaying; he gave me a clear and actionable answer. The one I didn’t want to hear, but needed to hear.
Then I brought all the data to my partner.
I trust how her brain works, and thought she might be able to help further provide colour on my next step.
I explained all of my thoughts and plans, listing all the caveats.
She didn’t give me anything actionable, but did do something very important… she held space.
By listening to me talk through everything, I was able to further understand what was happening in my head. The pieces were coming together as they left my mouth because the table that she had prepared for me was safe and open.
She offered to sit with me and go through all the pieces of content that were flying around in my world of creations.
But by the next morning, I had solved the problem.
Step 3.
Distil the feedback and plan your attack
Now it’s time to put the ideas down.
Take all your jumbled-up thoughts and make them tangible, aka write them down!
Once they’re written, they are a lot easier to manage and move around. Then take the written words and scaffold a plan of attack.
For me, it was straightforward.
My anxiety-inducing mid-life creative meltdown had really come from one idea that I had about some stuff I wanted to make, but overwhelmed myself because I thought, ‘surely I don’t have to start something new’.
Once I got to that realisation, my plan of attack was simple.
Get clear on what I want to be (per my mentor)
Decide on a platform to focus on
Massive action
Look, the truth is this step may not even be needed; sometimes the only thing getting in your way is you.
Sometimes all you need to do is move, act, work, and all the thoughts disappear.
For example, if you’re out of shape and in your head about being out of shape, no amount of planning is going to get you in shape.
The only plan is to act.
Get your indecisive ass to the gym and take massive action until the doubts are drowned out by the inner shouting of self-congratulations.
Which brings me to step 4…
Step 4.
Massive action
It was at this point that I did 2 things.
The first one was to start writing the newsletter you’re reading right now.
Writing always helps me work through my thoughts and give me the sense of achievement I require to feel sane.
For me, putting fingers to keyboard is as energising as a hard workout.
So I wrote this newsletter for myself, but also (maybe) for you.
Knowing it would help me sift through the thoughts swirling around in my head, give me a plan that I could act on and in the process help feed me the dopamine required to feel like I’m moving forward again.
Then I set up an Instagram page for the main idea I was craving to create.
I made a logo
A branding guide
Set up the IG with a bio
The first 3 pieces of content
And some templates for future posts
Then I hit send and shipped the work.
No more overthinking or second-guessing, just hit send and ship the work. My job is not to analyse the effectiveness of my work, but simply to create it, put it out and let the market decide how good it is.
Make so much stuff that your doubts have no place to be heard.
Stack the undeniable proof that you are who you think you are, and then do that over and over again until your ability as a creator is the new norm.
Step 5.
Maintain the momentum
Momentum is everything.
Being good enough at something for long periods of time is how you become great.
I know this. I don’t follow this, but I know this.
Admittedly, this is the part that I have not yet achieved, but I have some ideas on how I am going to keep that momentum going for as long as required to see the fruits of my labour ripen.
Keep it simple - one idea, one platform, one audience
Be workman-like - show up every day and create the thing
Systems - build an infrastructure that allows me to ship the work that is required, when it is required
Keep writing about it - writing is where I do my thinking and planning, writing is where I understand myself and how to stay on track
Iterate - within the frame you set out for the one idea, find ways to tinker with it to make it better/more efficient, but don’t overdo it because then it is not iterating, it is obliterating
Then simply do this every day for a really, really long time!
Alright, gang, that’s it from me, but just a quick recap.
Reflection
Enlist your confidantes
Distil the feedback and plan your attack
Massive action
Maintain the momentum
Thanks for tuning in. Catch ya next week for another idea.
With gratitude,
SAV
If you really want to support me, there’s 3 other ways to do that:
Purchase the Champ Camp EP: My latest EP is out now and you can purchase it here. I poured my soul into this and I look forward to everyone hearing it.
Follow me on Youtube: All my podcasts, interviews, music videos and a whole heap more, all in one place.
Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It’s efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).