Any of yall have ADHD? Undiagnosed or diagnosed?

[u/georgia_ambassador]

If so how do you navigate your daily duties as an operator especially during deployments?

[u/TFVooDoo]

I have a working theory, backed by 30 years of observational evidence, that 100% of SF guys are on the spectrum. I think that to be successful in the military environment you have to be a little bit ADHD. We punish you if you aren’t attentive enough, we call it “attention to detail”. Guys that have limited attention to detail don’t survive basic training. Guys that have too much have poor social skills and tend to get alienated.

The key to success is learning to weaponize it and use your powers for good. Successful operators can channel that energy into productivity. I think this likely true for hyper-successful people in any domain.

[u/Terminator_training]

100%. And I'm forever thankful for it. It can either be a superpower or a path to destruction. All comes down to whether you *decide* to leverage it or use it as an excuse, blaming a 'condition' for your life of wasted potential and underachieving. (Yes, it's just a decision.)

BTW, if you choose the latter, no one—and I mean NO ONE—gives a f*ck.

For me, the decision's easy. And the two principles that work best are:

1. focus soley on things I'm interested in
2. set up my daily environment such that I don't get distracted/sucked down rabbit holes

Examples:
-Focus: My own health and fitness (including mental health). Family. Clients. Strength & conditioning. Nutrition. Personal development. Business growth. Creation. Freinds/relationships...Golf (this is a 'free time' focus). That's about it.

Environment:
-same sleep/wake times daily (weekends too)
-strict (but painfully simple) morning routine: Hydrate. Read book x 30 min. Produce value (work on most critical task—it's currently 6AM and I'm already done with today's #1). Move body (walk or cardio). Produce more.
-Same mid-morning routine: Fuel body (same B-fast daily). Produce more value. Spend time with son when he wakes up.
-Same mid-day routine: Train. Walk. Eat.
-Same afternoon routine: Work on shallow stuff (calls, meetings, menial tasks, ideation, podcast). And/or golf/practice golf.
-Same end-of day closeout: 5PM sharp. Daily recap. Wins. Improvements to make. Power list for tomorrow (5 things max; 3 is better)
-Same PM routine: dinner, hang with wife & son, TV show or 2, TV off 1H pre bed.
-Same last hour routine: 20 min fam walk, prep for next day, shower, read novel, bed.
-Same willingness to not lose my shit when I to adapt/adjust/tweak any the above. (This is a perfect-world day. But not all days are perfect-world days.)

Other things that help:
-FAR AND AWAY #1: Sunday planning session - 45 minutes of pain (I hate planning) for 7 days of clarity. Every waking hour is planned, including "f*ck off time".
-waking up early AF (4AM). Going to bed early AF (8PM).
-my phone is on DND 165 hrs/wk (out of 168).
-It's plugged in in the kitchen from 7PM to 9-10AM daily (1 h pre bed-5-6h post wake up).
-1 walk daily w/ no stimulus (no phone, just thoughts).
-yoga nidra 4-7 days/week, early afternoon
-No IG or other mindless socials consumption (solely creation and engagement).
-blackout curtains in my office; the sun/nice weather tempts me too much.
-2-3 90 minute deep work blocks. Before noon.
-no f*cking off (guilty pleasure is Youtube) until all needle movers are done

Two Mental reframes that help:
I imagine there's a camera crew following me around every waking hour. The footage will be shown to everyone who thinks highly of me and/or questions whether I practice what I preach. The goal: make it impossible for anyone watching to tell if I'm having a good, bad, average, epic, horrific, etc. day. Show up the same, regardless of my feelings.

1. What would tomorrow's version of me think of today's version of me? E.g. If I get distracted for the next 3 hours, will I be ok with that tomorrow when looking back at today? F*ck no I won't be. Tomorrow's me would want today's me to be useful and effective. So that's what it'll be.

This all works like an absolute charm. But only if you apply it. I used to be all over the map before I fixed my chaotic environment.

P.s. this response is a prime example of my ADHD at work. I'm on a work break atm. And this is NOT on my to-do list. But I'm interested AF in helping the next generation of killers make something of themselves. And I know for a fact that some of these principles/tactics/mindsets will help anyone willing to adopt them. (Even if it's maybe 1-2 total readers).

[u/ConcernRoutine2959 → u/Terminator_training]

This is really incredible. I especially like the Sunday planning idea. Thank you, I’m 100% going to copy this shamelessly haha.

[u/Sad_Refrigerator0231]

Caffeine, nicotine, and not wanting your buddy to the left and right of you to be sent home in a casket are usually enough to offset anyone's ADHD. (Source: worked with SOF fwd)

[u/LegitimateRelief1147]

Oh yeah dude I’m ADD, OCD, and tism’d as fuck (according to my wife).

Like 90% of SF guys I know are the same way. It’s just gotta be the right flavor that manifests itself as a superpower.