Extreme ADHD Advantages – The 5 Raw, Unfiltered Benefits of ADHD

Last updated: November 27th, 2019 ~

Most people with ADHD don’t actually enjoy hearing about the advantages of having ADHD.

Believe it or not, most people with ADHD would rather focus on the downsides of the disorder. This usually happens because it’s easier to “give in” to the negative aspects of ADHD, and allow the condition to take control your life.

But, if you’re reading this website, I have to assume that you’re at least a little bit different. I have to assume that you’re open to using ADHD to your advantage. Especially if you’re the type of person who knows that ADHD is condition that forces you to navigate life differently – but not necessarily in a worse way.

Why should you be willing to settle for a lesser quality of life, just because you were born with a unique brain?

If this perspective on ADHD sounds interesting to you, then you’ll want to check out the 5 raw, unfiltered benefits of having ADHD. I know that the following ADHD advantages are true, because I use them in my own life on a daily basis. Make sure to read this article all the way through, because you’ll definitely want to see advantage #5 on this list (the very last one)…

1. Obsession

Most people with ADHD also have some OCD tendencies. Even if you don’t necessarily have obsessive-compulsive disorder – there’s a good chance that there’s something in your life that you’re either obsessed about, or care about deeply.

There’s a reason why I was admitted into a selective entrepreneurship internship program while in college. And it wasn’t because of my terrible GPA, poor work experience, or underage drinking violations that my University knew about (I was a bad boy).

I was actually obsessed with entrepreneurship at the time, and my passion shined through to my interviewer. She knew that I had a fire in my belly to work with an amazing start-up company. That was all that I cared about. So I was eventually hired for this amazing internship, alongside a visiting medical student from Harvard University, and couldn’t really believe that I’d been accepted into the program.

That was the point in my life when I realized that you have to follow your obsessions. Your grades don’t matter. Your “connections” don’t always matter. But, your strengths and obsessions do matter.

If you commit to doing something that you care deeply about, you can make amazing things happen. Even with ADHD.

2. Entrepreneurship

One of the reasons why I used to be so obsessed with entrepreneurship almost certainly had something to do with ADHD.

Entrepeneurship is one of the best career paths for people with ADHD.

People with ADHD typically have problems with following standard protocol, and want to do things their own way.

So, if you want to wake up whenever you want, take as many vacations as you like, and make a living on your own terms, then you should consider starting your own business.

Just look at all of the entrepreneurs on this list of famous celebrities with ADHD. I know you want to live like Richard Branson does…

3. Creativity

Most people underestimate the importance of creativity.

People usually assume that creativity is for starving artists, broke writers and bums.

On the flip side, some of the most successful people in the world actually value creativity more than anything else.

James Altucher, who is one of the greatest authors of our time, understands the value of creativity.

Altucher believes that ideas are the currency of the future. He believes this so much that he makes it a point to write out 10 new ideas every single day.

I tend to agree with this, because having good ideas will absolutely help you achieve your dreams.

Whether you need to brainstorm a way to get a promotion at work, move to a new city, write a book, or do anything that you want – you will probably have to think creatively to achieve what you want.

Many people with ADHD are right brain creative thinkers by nature (I am an extreme right brain thinker). You need to accept this as a gift, rather than a curse, and you will go far.

4. Hyperfocus

Professional athletes with ADHD are often exceptional at their craft partially because of hyperfocus – which is the state that you enter when you feel completely “in the zone”.

Michael Phelps and Tim Howard are two amazing professional athletes who can enter a state of hyperfocus thanks to ADHD.

If you have ADHD, there’s a good chance that you’ve experienced being in a state of hyperfocus, too.

Can you remember a time when you simply stopped thinking because you were so engulfed in whatever it was that you were doing?

Hyperfocus is also referred to as “living in the moment”, “being present”, or “living your passion”.

I know that whenever I play sports, I forget about everything else around me, because I’m so focused on scoring a goal, making a good play, or just having fun.

The point of hyperfocus is that you need to find whatever it is in life that causes you to consistently enter a state of flow. Then, you need to keep doing whatever that thing is, because it will help you earn a living (in the form of a business), become more present to the moment, or simply get more out of life.

Hyperfocus is a beautiful thing. You should aim to spend as much time as you can in this “flow state” of life (to where it feels like “time is flying by”).

5. Grit

Psychologist Angela Duckworth believes that grit is the secret to success.

I strongly agree with this outlook based on my personal research and first-hand life experiences.

In case you aren’t familiar with grit, here’s a general definition of grit according to Wikipedia:

Grit in psychology is a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual’s passion for a particular long-term goal or end state, coupled with a powerful motivation to achieve their respective objective. This perseverance of effort promotes the overcoming of obstacles or challenges that lie within a gritty individual’s path to accomplishment, and serves as a driving force in achievement realization. Commonly associated concepts within the field of psychology include “perseverance”, “hardiness”, “resilience”, “ambition”, “need for achievement” and “conscientiousness”.

Grit is essentially a form of resilience mixed with perseverance.

If you’ve grown up with ADHD, then you were most likely forced to develop grit.

This is because most people with ADHD have been forced to endure the “meat grinder” that is the American public school system (and college system).

For example…

• You’ve probably had to develop all kinds of coping mechanisms for learning school subjects that your brain isn’t really compatible with (this was math in my case)

• You might have been bullied as a child for thinking and acting differently

• You’ve probably had trouble with obeying authority, making impulsive decisions, functioning in a normal career setting, and living an ordinary lifestyle

While ADHD typically causes a lot of pain in one’s life, the good news is that pain can lead to great things. Experiencing pain and overcoming pain makes you mentally resilient and gritty. Grit is good, because it’s one of the major keys to achieving success in life. So, consider the pain that ADHD has caused you to be a blessing in disguise.

Conclusion

There’s nothing wrong with admitting that ADHD comes with some serious difficulties that can make life extremely challenging.

But on the other hand, it’s healthy to accept that the universe always finds a way to restore balance in one way or another.

This means that people with ADHD will always have the opportunity to seize advantages that the general public isn’t even aware of.

You can choose to accept this information, ignore it, or most importantly – use these 5 ADHD advantages to your own benefit starting today. Life is short, and your time is limited. So, I truly hope that you make the right decision.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it on social media. That would help me tremendously with spreading awareness about the hidden benefits of living with ADHD. Thank you.