Research consistently points to increased enthusiasm and higher performance when people are involved in something they love doing. And so it goes with adults who have ADD. Ask them to perform a task that feels monotonous, tedious, confining or forced and they will feel their energy draining from body and soul. Now, give those same adults an opportunity to do something that appeals to their passion and stand back as the energy and enthusiasm burst forth.
Adults with ADD have varied interests as do we all, but they are less likely to sustain effort in areas that are dreary, or displeasing to them.
I frequently hear adults with ADD say “I love working with people”. For them, being immersed in a social setting is like turning on a generator that turns on all the lights and carnival rides. There is more enthusiasm and mental activity occurring when there is social integration and movement available.
If you love: working with people, variety in your activity, solving puzzles, playing music, building airplane engines, creating plays, writing mysteries, sailing across the ocean, physical activity, walking in nature, whatever it may be, do it often and with gusto.
On the flip side, if you don’t love: sitting still for hours, reading a nine hundred page book at one sitting, color coding receipts or working in jobs that require: sitting at a desk and filling out forms, working as an accountant, employed in environments that present frequent deadlines and strict structure, rote activity, working in isolation etc. you may be setting yourself up to under perform and under appreciate what life has to offer, or at the very least have a difficult time getting those carnival rides moving.
You know what they say? Whoever they, are! “Love what you do and do what you love”. Life gets a lot more inspiring when we embrace it with a big ol smile.
