7 Ways to Handle ADHD from Army Vet Turned Entrepreneur

Most people would say the military is not conducive to people with ADHD, and my experience in the Army was no different. 

I faced many challenges in the military due to traits associated with my attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, such as impulsivity, hyperactivity, talkativeness, and the inability to follow instructions. The list could go on. Yet my time in the military made me resilient, taught me to be a team player, and heightened my awareness of my strengths and weaknesses. 

Here are seven snippets of wisdom I’ve gleaned as a veteran turned entrepreneur with ADHD. 

Perspective matters. Is ADHD good or bad? It depends. 

It is important to remember ADHD is neither good nor bad. 

I once heard having ADHD compared to being tall. Is being tall good or bad? Well, it depends. Sitting in a tiny airplane seat makes it uncomfortable to be tall; but if you’re reaching for something high, being tall is an asset. ADHD is the same. 

Depending on your environment and the task at hand, having ADHD can be helpful or harmful. For example, people with ADHD tend to struggle in traditional school environments but thrive as entrepreneurs. This can be the case in other environments as well. When I was in the military, I struggled with dealing with authority, monotonous rituals, and long waiting periods. Yet conversely, I thrived in the more high-speed scenarios requiring quick thinking and could remain calm in the face of chaos. 

Perspective is important because it reminds us that any human attribute can be a strength used in the right context. 

Variety isn’t the spice of life; it’s the main ingredient.

Many people with ADHD get bored easily. We yearn for professional lifestyles that include variety. To avoid burnout, be sure that whatever venture you choose presents new challenges.

Outsource tasks you don’t enjoy. 

While it’s important to choose a profession compatible with your ADHD strengths, it’s also inevitable that you will have to do some things you don’t enjoy or that may be difficult for you. For example, no entrepreneur can escape taxes or accounting. Thankfully, those things can be outsourced. 

I hate organizing my computer files. Hence, I recently hired a “digital organizing” company that remotely accesses my computer once a week to clean up and organize all my files. 

These days, there is a service provider for nearly any chore you don’t want to do. Fiverr and Upwork are great places to start. I’ve also had success simply posting on social media platforms that I’m looking for someone to do a specific task. 

Lists, Lists, and More Lists

To-do lists are simple and timeless — and necessary for someone with ADHD. 

I’ve tried just about every new app, system, and technology out there for increasing productivity, but nothing has worked better than an old-fashioned to-do list, and a pen-and-paper one, no less. 

The second a task occurs to me, I write it on my to-do list and then continually refer back to it throughout the day. 

No method is 100 percent foolproof, and you need to find what works for you or you won’t do it. I’ve found keeping a daily or ongoing to-do list my most powerful productivity tool.

Ask for deadlines — even when they aren’t necessary.

Some people with ADHD are averse to or anxious about deadlines, or getting work done in a set time frame, like a test. But deadlines can be our friends. 

When a client, co-worker, or friend asks me to do something, I always ask for a deadline. 

They often respond, “Oh, whenever you get a chance.” However, I know that for my ADHD mind, that will translate to “never.” 

I insist on specific deadlines so I can prioritize and create accountability for myself with the expectation that I’ll do what I committed to within a certain timeframe. 

Accountability and prioritizing are essential for anyone who is thinking and doing 50 things simultaneously. Deadlines help provide order and structure.

Lean into the chaos.

Leaning into chaos may seem contradictory to some of my previous points, but life is full of contradictions, and we must constantly learn how to live in their tension. 

I’ve read so much literature and listened to so many podcasts on ADHD, and they often encourage people with ADHD to find ways to better manage or control their symptoms. 

But often, we need to lean into the chaos. Many with ADHD thrive in chaos, while neurotypical people often do not. In my experience, the people I know with ADHD often do their best work in chaos. 

If you spend all your time trying to resist it, you’ll become frustrated and you might suppress your inner genius.

Don’t change to fit your environment; change your environment to fit you. 

Often undue pressure is placed on people with ADHD to learn how to manage and overcome their symptoms. Though self-improvement makes sense for everyone, it’s not the same as forcing yourself into an environment that doesn’t harness your strengths. Our time could be better spent finding environments where we thrive as our neurodivergent selves instead of exhausting time and energy trying to change who we fundamentally are.