Let’s redefine ADHD! We’ve change ADHD to Turbo Thinkers and they have qualities that should be celebrated!

As we wrote last week, there are unlikely Turbo Thinkers all around us. Let us start a conversation, change the narrative, provide resources and help other Turbo Thinkers value their differences!

When one hears the name, "Leonardo da Vinci", most think artist, anatomist, scientist, engineer, inventor, musician and/or cartographer. Have you ever thought of him as a Turbo Thinker?

Many entrepreneurs are Turbo Thinkers! As innovators, they produce ingenious ideas and fearlessly run with them. They are creative risk takers that see opportunities where others can’t. However, it takes executive function skills to take The Big Idea and turn it into reality.

This article brings up a tricky, but valid point. People with ADHD and Executive Function Disorder (or Executive Dysfunction) struggle with some of the same issues. Both have trouble staying on task. Both have trouble organizing, prioritizing, planning and working memory.

My best friend recently sent this me this graphic. I laughed out loud because the bottom one is exactly what our coffee dates would look like in diagram form. We have known each other since seventh grade and every time we see each other it’s like we’re teens all over again, only this time without big perms, braces, bad skin or shoulder pads.

It’s genetic. Once you know the behavior and symptoms associated with ADHD, you will be able to identify other family members. First it was my son, then my husband, then my sister...ADHD is a relatively new diagnosis, so many adults were never identified as being Turbo Thinkers.

A line I often hear is “Well, isn’t everyone a little ADHD?” It’s usually followed by something along the lines of, “I can never remember anything anymore.” Or, “I have trouble keeping track of everyone’s schedules.” Or, “I sometimes lose stuff, too.” Yes, all of that is normal because NOBODY is perfect…

While people with ADHD/ADD struggle with executive function skills, the reverse is not always true; in other words, even if you aren't diagnosed with ADHD or ADD, you can still find yourself challenged by managing time, prioritizing, planning, or keeping track of your things.