One of the most crucial ways for people with ADHD to create a successful life is by using their strengths. While this is true for pretty much everyone; it’s especially important to point out for people with ADHD because they have likely spent so much time being told what’s wrong with them, that they need to fix this or that and to fit into the neurotypical world. Many people with ADHD have amazing talents and abilities that can be turned into strengths that can be turned into amazingly successful endeavors, careers, businesses, accomplishments, and lives.
I truly believe that focusing on strengths and is most important thing we can do! I’m not the only one who believes this. The research continually shows us this and lots of experts and professionals as well as successful adults with ADHD emphasize this point!
We cannot be truly successful by only focusing on trying to improve our weaknesses. Remediation isn’t fun or inspiring, and it hasn’t proven to be very effective. It makes no sense to me to spend a lifetime trying to change who we are and be something/someone else. It’s pointless to keep trying to fit into a box that just doesn’t fit.
Doesn’t it make much more sense to work from strength, to use and build on our talent, to be ourselves and hone what gifts we have into the best we can be? To me, success as a person with ADHD is all about strengths – discovering, developing, honing, harnessing, and using them.
So, what are strengths? They are what we are good at, and get better and better at over time. Strengths originate with our talents, or innate abilities or aptitudes.
Strengths derive from talents combined with knowledge and practice. Talents are those things that come naturally to you, that are innate abilities. You add knowledge to those (learn more and more about topics related to them), and practice them, and you develop strengths. You continue to develop and hone your strengths over time.
It is important to focus on and build upon our strengths. Using strengths builds confidence and can helps us overcome challenges created by weaknesses. Yes, it’s still important to develop and implement strategies to overcome, improve upon, and sometimes, remediate our challenges and weaknesses. However, I don’t believe that this should be the only or primary focus. We’ve spent too many years hearing about, focusing on, and dwelling on, and trying to fix, mask, or make up for our weaknesses. It’s time we start shining the light on our strengths!
Focusing on strengths makes a person feel better about themselves. It improves self-esteem, self-concept, motivation, and performance. It sets them up for success! Strengths can also be used to accommodate or compensate for weaknesses, and can be the basis for a successful career and life.
We can discover our talents and strengths through self-discovery, self-assessment, and ongoing self-awareness. Our strengths can be used to reach our potential.
Get this workbook and guide to help you tap and discover talents, develop strengths, and use your strengths to create a successfull life:
Or, get it with a bundle of ADHD Adult Success Workbooks
See more ADHD resources here.
