The Doors sang about transformations and breakthroughs in their 1967 single, Break On Through (To The Other Side). The song starts with this verse: “You know the day destroys the night; Night divides the day; Tried to run, tried to hide; Break on through to the other side”. Day, night, run, hide — yep, there’s a challenge in this.
mindset
Chill
When a friend asked me what my “lessons” were from walking the Camino de Santiago, an 800 km (500 mile) walk from the French Pyrenees across northern Spain to the city of Santiago, Spain, I had an answer ready: it is something I thought about along the way, and in the months following. After sharing with him the three biggest lessons I gained, one “big” lesson really came to mind.
Take Pride In Your Differences
There seems to be a wide array of different abilities that are seen as disabilities by able-bodied — or “normal” people — like being 
blind, deaf,wheelchair bound, missing a limb or part of a limb, and a wide spectrum of mental “conditions” like bipolar, schizophrenia, autism, Aspergers, depression, dyslexia — and ADD. A “disorder” (the last D in ADD or ADHD) is seen as something that is broken in someone, rather than it being seen as an indication of different, sometimes even superior, abilities.
Go Cold Turkey
You have habits that serve you well and helped you create the amazing life you have. Undoubtedly, you have habits that don’t serve you and hold you back from having more of an amazing life than you do. Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have habits that held you back? I think so, too. The solution? Stop them. Quit. You have habits that serve you well and helped you create the amazing life you have. Undoubtedly, you have habits that don’t serve you and hold you back from having more of an amazing life than you do. Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have habits that held you back? I think so, too. The solution? Stop them. Quit.
The Shame Of It All
Discovering my ADD was liberating for me! Once I had a name for the monster that had been wreaking havoc in my life I realized I could tackle it, tame it, train it, and in general, fix it. ADD explained why with even all the high performance tools I have, I struggled with staying focused, balanced, and on track with my goals. That’s when it occurred to me that if I struggle with it, other ADDers would too. So, after 29 years of consulting and coaching with business owners, I had a new focus: helping other entrepreneurs with ADD.
Structure’s Challenge
It seems to me that all the time management courses and conversations promote scheduling and blocking your time. I think it’s especially valuable that ADDers use schedules because it helps keep them on track and being productive. In general, it’s a great idea for anyone wanting to be productive.
Structure’s Value
The value of structure is something I now understand from both sides of the discussion. I didn’t understand what it did for me until I’d removed it from, or at least greatly reduced its importance in, my life. Structure supported my success as an entrepreneur and it gave me the backbone I needed to manage my life. The lack of structure allowed me to drop my guard, effectively killing my first business, and to be less powerful in managing my life.
E²
E². “E squared” or Eating and Exercise. That’s the secret formula to high performance. That’s the secret formula for the foundation of transformation. That’s the secret to better ADD/ADHD management, too. I’ve said it before and will continue to say it: healthy eating and frequent exercise are good for everyone. It takes a healthy body to be a high performer.
Driver Or Passenger?
When I worked for corporations I recognized there were workers and leaders. Both are needed to keep the cogs turning in a business. Everyone needs to work and pull their weight, only some are in the trenches all the time doing that, while others are in the trenches occasionally and out of the trenches other times so they can keep a broader perspective, and make decisions for the business.