I’m writing this from Lake Arrowhead, one of the most peaceful places I know.

And yet… my brain is still moving a mile a minute.

You’d think being somewhere this peaceful would automatically create calm. But if you have ADHD, you know that’s NOT how it works. Even in a beautiful place, my mind is constantly racing about what needs to get done or what I should be doing. Chilling and relaxing does not come naturally to me, and I feel a constant need to keep moving. 

For a long time, that made me think something was wrong with me. 

Why can’t I just be present and feel gratitude for the moment I’m in right now? 

Why do I always feel like I need to be doing something? 

So I made a video this week to share something I wish I understood years ago. 

If you have ADHD and you struggle with distraction, restlessness, or the feeling that you can’t just “be still,” this isn’t a character flaw. It’s brain wiring. And when you understand what’s actually happening in your brain, it opens the door to a lot more self-grace.

First, ADHD isn’t just about attention. It’s about how dopamine functions in the brain.

Research shows that many people with ADHD can have differences in dopamine activity. 

That can show up in a few ways:

1. Lower baseline dopamine activity. When the brain is at rest, the “reward” system isn’t as activated, which can feel like boredom or restlessness.

2. Fewer or less responsive dopamine receptors. This means the brain may not register rewards as strongly, so it naturally seeks more stimulation.

3. Faster dopamine reuptake. The good feelings from a task don’t last as long, so the brain looks for the next source of stimulation sooner.

People with ADHD often feel a stronger pull toward immediate gratification. Urgency, novelty, and pressure can activate focus far more effectively than discipline to complete low-interest tasks. That’s why in college I often pulled all-nighters to study for a test after procrastinating the entire semester. I did the same thing when getting ready for a QBR, or creating powerpoint decks for customer readouts.  I simply couldn’t bring myself to focus on low interest tasks. 

When you understand this, a lot of ADHD behaviors start to make sense. Procrastination until there’s pressure. Difficulty with low-interest work. Craving stimulation and novelty. And at the same time, the ability to hyperfocus for hours when you are working under a deadline. 

It’s not an inability to focus. It’s an interest-based nervous system.

Second, the shame many of us carry around isn’t necessary.

For years, I told myself I needed to be productive to feel worthy. If I wasn’t doing, achieving, or productive, I felt like I was failing. But I’ve been working to rewire that belief and remember that my worth isn’t earned through my output. And completing low interest tasks is much harder for me than many people because of how my brain is wired. 

That mindset shift alone has created so much relief.

There’s nothing “wrong” with me. It’s just how I’m wired! 

Third, ADHD can be a superpower when you learn how to channel it in the right places.

When I’m locked in on something meaningful, I can get more done in a short burst than most people can in a day. The same brain that struggles with stillness can generate incredible energy, creativity, and momentum. The key is directing that energy toward things that matter to me, instead of fighting it or shaming it.

For many years I depended on Adderall as a crutch to get through the workday and complete low interest tasks. But when I got sober 6 years ago, I realized that I didn’t like how Aderrall made me feel and I quit.

Since that time, I’ve dedicated years of my life learning how to be productive without medication. 

Here are four simple practices that help me thrive with ADHD: 

1. Self-acceptance. Stop telling yourself something is wrong with you. Accepting how you’re wired is the foundation for everything else.

2. Service. The more I focus on helping other people, the less trapped I feel in my own head. ADHD energy becomes powerful when it’s directed outward in the service of others. 

3. Structure: Daily goals, written lists, and always having something to work toward keep my brain engaged in a healthy ways and releases the daily dopamine that I crave. Using a weekly scorecard (taken from the 12 Week Year Book) has been amazing in this regard. 

4 Growth: Progress towards personal and professional goals brings immediate gratification that used to come from unhealthy habits and addictive behaviors. When I get too comfortable, I get complacent and feel restless. But I’m working on new, exciting pursuits, I feel stimulated and can focus for hours on end. 

When I step back, I’ve found that true fulfillment comes down to three things: growth, service, and connection. When those are present in my life,  the noise in my head gets quieter because my energy has somewhere meaningful to go.

If you take one thing away from this newsletter, let it be this.

Nothing is wrong with you.

If you have ADHD, you’re not broken. You’re wired differently. And when you understand your brain instead of fighting it, you can turn what once felt like a struggle into a source of strength.

I go deeper into all of this in today’s training video, including the science, the personal lessons, and the strategies that have helped me the most.

👉 Watch the full video here and let me know what resonates with you: https://youtu.be/ab0Mpw0Bbts

PS:  I’m not a doctor and not recommending that you quit your ADHD medication; I’m simply sharing my own experience and what I’ve done to function without meds. I hope this helps you on your own journey to find what works best for you.