As somebody with severe ADHD, I find it difficult to focus and get deep work done. 

Throughout the day, I find myself picking up my phone, scrolling LinkedIn, or clearing my e-mail inbox instead of completing the task I originally planned. 

For many years, I took Adderall to stay focused and get through the workday. While this certainly helped me get sh&t done, I didn’t like the way it made me feel. 

In 2020, I gave up Adderall and had to learn new ways to work effectively. 

One thing I’ve learned is that it doesn’t get any easier to focus. 

Despite using effective time management systems such as the 12 Week Year, weekly scorecards, and daily calendar blocking, I still have trouble executing what I block off every day. 

In our dopamine driven world, our brains crave stimulation and immediate gratification. My mind wanders often, I need to take breaks, and I often feel restless when I’m doing deep work. I pick up my phone to check notifications, texts, or open my favorite apps. 

Sometimes it gets so bad that I need to remove my phone from the room entirely and close all browser windows just to focus on the task at hand. 

If it’s so bad, then how was I able to get to #1 at Salesforce, and how am I able to effectively run a multi-million dollar business?  

Here’s the key: 

What matters most is not HOW I work, but WHAT I’m working on. 

Am I creating or consuming? 

This is a question I ask myself throughout the day. 

When I’m doing real work, I’m CREATING something.

When I’m doing busy work, I’m consuming something (e-mails, DM’s, slack messages, etc). 

In sales, this is the question you constantly have to ask yourself to succeed: 

Am I creating or consuming?

There are three main areas of creation in sales: 

1. Creating pipeline (prospecting, getting intros to key execs, e-mail copywriting, videos, phone calls, content, etc.). 

2. Creating deal momentum (advancing pipeline). This includes executing next steps, moving deals forward, prepping with your team, proposal creation, order forms, pricing approvals, legal, etc.) 

3. Creating plans: territory planning, income planning, account planning, deal war rooms, POV creation, weekly planning, daily planning etc.). Setting a goal and creating the plan to achieve it. 

If you are CREATING during most of your working hours, you will typically succeed in sales. 

If you are CONSUMING most of your working hours, you will typically get mediocre results or fail. 

When we feel overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious, our tendency is to consume to feel better and avoid doing the hard things. 

This only delays you from feeling better, since you are procrastinating on the very thing that will remove your anxiety in the first place. 

While I may get distracted easily because of my ADHD and how quickly my brain moves, I’ve learned to reset quickly and get back on task. 

It’s never perfect, but I will choose progress over perfection any day of the week. 

And I’ve learned that if you stack enough good days on top of one another and show up consistently every day, good days turn into great years. 

In today’s video, I share how to make the shift from consuming to creating. 

Enjoy!