In May, I took up a challenge to write and publish thirty 250-word essays.
Saturday, I published #1, missed the kickoff call, then read the instructions.
ADHD.
Why I did this – Reason 1
I signed up for this when I read Dickie Bush point out that writing a blog weekly is the worst possible way to build an audience online.
Reason 2
In retrospect, taking on this challenge did much more than cause me to finish a section of my book 30 times in a row. It put me in a different state of mind.
From now on, I’m going to be looking for challenges like this, that combine making a commitment, a managably sized one, enlisting a community, and providing a well-curated set of templates and training to remove the cognitive load that takes up so much energy when you begin working on a new skill
My Background
After decades in technical writing and online learning, my untreated ADHD symptoms had bitten my ass hard: Epic burnout, confidence lost, along with some big opportunities. I got diagnosed, began treatment, and immediately started building a customized recovery program.
This included daily personal writing, which turned to a blog, adhdwhatnext.com, and now Bull in a Candy Store, a book about how to recover from ADHD. Written for those officially diagnosed, it applies more broadly to anyone contending with modern life.
After all, the Internet practically injects ADHD symptoms into even the neuro-normal, so mental hygiene is not just for us outliers anymore.
But the benefits of my recovery work have begun to compete furiously with the book project.
It got me off the sidelines and life got richer, busier. I push out maybe a blog entry every 2 months. And still no practical experience connecting with interested readers.
#ship30for30, with its challenge of publishing small essays every day, is going to help me finish my book and find my audience. But I’ve already gained way more than that. Next: What I learned on Day 1.
adhdwhatnext.wordpress.com 