Anders Hansen Quotes

studies suggest that it takes several minutes for the brain to focus 100 per cent on a task after a change of focus.

Nowadays, it’s not enough just to put my phone on silent; I have to leave it in another room to concentrate. Even so, I often find it difficult to sink into a book the way I did ten years ago. If I get to a page that requires more focus, I feel a strong urge to reach for my phone, as though I don’t have it in me to make the same effort any more.

Ihr Kriegskind ließ sie dort, als hätte sie es unterwegs verloren. So wie das andere, das kleine, das in den Windeln festgefroren war. Das sie in seinem Kinderwagen am Straßenrand gelassen hatte.

In the chapter “A More Boring World,” you learned that many people with ADHD tend to get bored easily, which is probably an important reason why they decide to start their own businesses. A number of entrepreneurs, all of whom had ADHD, were interviewed for a report with the telling title “Entrepreneurship and psychological disorders: how ADHD can be productively harnessed.” It turned out that many had gravitated toward entrepreneurship because regular jobs bored them. They chose a work situation where they could pursue their own ideas and make their own decisions.

In fact, hyperactivity is the personality trait most strongly associated with entrepreneurship.

That they easily get bored could explain why entrepreneurs perform better in “hot” scenarios, as I mentioned at the start of this chapter. In a critical situation, life becomes so intense that someone with ADHD can suddenly focus fully. That’s when they truly excel. The same goes for multitasking—that is, doing several things at once. This also makes life sufficiently interesting.

have also noticed that many people with ADHD or strong traits of it have the ability to see the “big picture” and not get bogged down in details. If something is too complicated or cumbersome, they often react immediately and don’t settle for the explanation “that’s the way we do it here”; instead, they ask how processes can be improved and simplified.

Entrepreneurs don’t make life-or-death decisions for their companies every day, of course. However, I believe that a fast-paced environment and varied tasks can fulfill a similar function as making critical decisions. The challenging pace and workload make the environment sufficiently intense and therefore interesting.

other words, there appears to be a genetic overlap between ADHD and entrepreneurship, which suggests it’s probably not a coincidence that many entrepreneurs exhibit traits reminiscent of ADHD. I have often been struck by how many of my ADHD patients are entrepreneurs. Personality traits such as impatience, risk tolerance and high energy levels seem tailor-made for successful entrepreneurs.

It quickly became apparent that there was more turbulence in the groups where one child had ADHD symptoms. Often, that child had difficulty staying on topic and made irrelevant comments. Strangely enough, however, it turned out that these groups handled the tasks better. In nine out of the ten groups that included a child with ADHD, the children managed to solve the logical tasks correctly.

Once you have selected an idea, you must work steadfastly without constantly giving in to new impulses and changing your mind every few minutes. This is where many people with ADHD struggle; their ideas remain just that—ideas. Especially if they work alone.

One of the most solid findings in creativity research is that creative work is often more about putting in the hours than it is about getting God-given insights from some innate talent.

Both the chef and the journalist can focus intensely when they are doing something that genuinely interests them. The rest of the time, focusing is a challenge. I have heard similar stories from other people with ADHD who work as programmers, car mechanics and marketing execs. They all describe facing an uphill battle in school and how, once they found their calling, they could suddenly put their hyperfocus to good use—something they had previously only experienced in front of the computer or TV. When they are truly interested, they don’t just move up one extra gear but two. Suddenly, their ability to concentrate is even better than that of a person without ADHD. The individuals I’m describing haven’t become successful in their professions despite having ADHD; they have become successful thanks to it.

It may seem paradoxical that he can be both socially uninterested and skilled at interviewing, but from an ADHD perspective it’s not really surprising. Most likely, he has an ability to hyperfocus during interviews because he finds these situations sufficiently intense.

Either something is extremely exciting or totally uninteresting; there is no middle ground. If this sounds like you, it’s important that you try to find situations where you can achieve maximum concentration—that is, hyperfocus.

The ADHD Advantage—Creativity Work with people who balance out your weaknesses. If you struggle with structure and focus, find someone who complements you in those areas. Get organized—but not too organized. If you have ADHD, this might not be your strong suit, but it’s necessary in order to channel your abilities. Practice and become good enough at organizing. Write down your ideas. If you have a rapid stream of ideas, there is a significant risk that you might forget them as quickly as they come to you. Make a habit of carrying pen and paper with you, or taking notes on your phone. Force yourself to prioritize. Write down your ideas and select one or a few that you like the best. Break down the work into several smaller tasks, where you aren’t allowed to move on to the next until you have completed the one you are currently working on. Also break down problems into smaller parts so they don’t feel insurmountable and cause you to lose interest. This has to do with your brain’s desire for quick rewards. Let there be chaos if that’s what works! My desk (to be honest, my entire apartment) looks like a bomb has struck when I’m writing a book. Articles, books, notebooks and Post-it notes are scattered everywhere. When I tidy up, I often notice that I forget what isn’t right in front of me. It’s as if I’m tidying away some of my thoughts. For instance, I can sometimes make unexpected connections when I see two books lying next to each other—“what if you could apply this way of thinking to that area?” I have realized that I’m at my most creative in a moderately chaotic environment. If you are the same, let it be (reasonably) chaotic around you—but don’t use that as an excuse not to tidy up!

It’s almost like being stuck in a trance within the game, when browsing the internet or whatever it may be.

Since video games and browsing the internet are the only things that provide enough dopamine to maintain focus, it’s not surprising that individuals with ADHD are drawn to them.