For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less the same.
Diagnosed at 38, which is late (but far from the latest) but increasingly common. When I was a kid in school, Ritalin was the rage. I remember my mom saying “I’ll never put that stuff in my kid” whenever it came up. Real anti-vax vibes there.
Things I embrace with guilt but apparently aren’t entirely uncommon:
- Needing to nap
- Needing time to mess around and do nothing in particular
- Loosing myself for hours in creative pursuits.
- Having outsized portions of alcohol when in mixed company or crowded situations.
- My total inability to listen to anything with lyrics when I need to focus on anything at all. Also, my preference to drive without radio or music.
- Knowing where everything is even though my space is usually a disaster.
- Feeling like an inconvenience in any situation where I’m not actively contributing the lion’s share of asset.
Discovering the “flow” of energy in my body, how to manage it, and discovering that my internal clock isn’t tuned to the typical 24-hours. Most days I can get out of bed right at 7, except for the fourth morning when it is impossible. I am also done at 10, except for every fifth night when I can stay up until dawn. Naps, weightlifting, and varieties of meditation can also shift around energy. I am most productive from 7:30 to 9:30 in the morning, useless from 2-3 in the afternoon, and catch a second wind around 5 PM.
It is impossible for me to stick to a “system” or a routine. This digital garden/ website you’re looking at is an active exercise in getting a system together for notes and things I’m pursuing.