Avery K. Tingle, The Gamer Author

In 1995, Group TAC released Street Fighter II V, an episodic anime loosely based on Capcom’s flagship title. The story revolved around teenaged versions of Ryu and Ken as they traveled the world enhancing their martial arts.

Upon arriving in India, Ryu first encounters ki in the form of his own rampant thoughts. They shoot in every direction as Ryu struggles to control his emotions. He realizes that when he focuses his mind to a single objective, he unleashes the Hadoken technique.

This is one of the best representations of living with ADHD I’ve ever seen. We are almost never in complete control of our emotions. Having lived with ADHD (without medication), I’ve come to realize our strengths and weaknesses. We can multitask like no one else. We can intensely focus on one singular thing. We are easily discouraged and it’s not difficult to chip away at our self-esteem.

A lot of people with ADHD go on to become huge successes, especially in the creative field. After so many years in the business, this is what I’ve learned about harnessing my ADHD to succeed.

Break Down Your Objectives Into Manageable Tasks.
Objectives can be overwhelming. Tasks are not. Get a decent task manager and create lists of accomplishable tasks as they relate to your objective. Set reminders, so your mind has prep time to know what’s coming. Write down your accomplishments, it will do wonders for your self-esteem. I use Microsoft To-Do but Todoist is a great alternative.

Make Exercise Part Of Your Day.
You don’t have to hit the gym seven days a week, but there is almost no downside to regular exercise. Science has shown that the mind is more receptive to learning immediately after an intense workout. It’s a great way to still your mind and learn to focus on one thing at a time. Plus, you look great with your shirt off.

Build Routines.
Your mind will struggle mightily with this at the beginning. The idea of making anything a habit is anathema to ADHD. Which is why it’s one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. Setting routines trains to your mind to expect what’s coming. If you know something is coming, you’ll be more prepared to handle it. I exercise every day before the night job. So my heart rate picks up on the drive, and I get excited, because I know what’s coming. Then, once I settle into the night job, I begin writing.

There are a lot more tricks to manage your ADHD while building a good life for yourself, and I’ll go over them in a future post. Thanks for reading.

Avery K. Tingle is a scifi/fantasy author currently residing in the Pacific Northwest. Owned by two cats, he is passionate about social justice, Star Wars, and mental health. Connect to his award-winning writing and social media here.