Infrastructure / Sustainability First
More is not better and I would not expand for the sake of it even if I had the infrastructure because sustainability and simplicity help me manage my energy which is my point of connection with Source Energy.
Alignment.
Everyone's mental bandwidth varies and it's not a lack of interest or effort, it's that for some people, what isn't heavy-lifting for others may be heavy-lifting or energy draining for them, this is where maturity / understanding differences / different energy limits comes in. 🙏
Your oxygen mask does not depend on someone else's understanding of it. 💯
To protect my ADHD crash day, I use some freezer meal prep methods, stack my errands into segments, but I ask myself the below about my life and business operations... as my medical condition is exhausting enough:
WHY am I doing it this way?
WHY is this even being done?
WHO is the right person for this task?
IF this closely resembles another task, WHY is this even occurring?
IF it is being replaced by a future process, WHY is this current one being tended to?
SIMPLIFY to AMPLIFY. 💯
I require a weekly crash day just to survive / be able to keep working in general, over-exertion, spending non-existent time or energy (form of debt) on anything that is speculative ROI like pointless expansion rather than just perfecting / excelling at current priorities: nope.
Excelling at existing priorities speeds up momentum, how is adding complexity more effective at expansion - due to the illusion of more? Shaky foundations only increase revenue temporarily. Steadfast momentum that is sustainable on fewer things has consistent revenue.
I am finally understanding that strict hours is not a lack of passion, rather, it's a commitment to mental presence when "on" and recharging our mind (the control centre) so that we last for the long run. Humans need rest like oxygen, this is nothing abnormal. I get it now. 🙏
Coding prompts in ChatGPT works better for me than recruiting at the moment because I am running multi-lanes and have a weird brain, I am not going to operate like everyone else and I have let go of the fear of being different : innovation is who I am as I have no choice.
Simplify to AMPLIFY! There is no logical reason to over-complicate any business if that speculative ROI based on "more is better" is going to destroy quality assurance for basic baseline core priorities and operations, not interested in that. Not with ADHD. Not for me.
Excellence in execution over too many moving parts and the time-sucking delusion that more revenue streams or more business streams is better overall: not if you do not have time to even build the administrative infrastructure, think every new / potential addition through very deeply first.
You cannot halt your free will or autonomy because of someone else's reaction over which you have no control, and frankly, if you're firm / kind... You've done your part, offense taken at logistical limits / alignment (the strength of your focus and vision) which are normal isn't exactly a "you" problem, it's a them problem.
Your life doesn't exist to appease, you're here to define success on your terms.
My success isn't about "levels" or moving to the next tier or climbing like that, for me, it's about excellence and momentum with my current operations and if that makes me seem less ambitious to some who do not have mental flexibility and likely no health conditions like mine (not a limitation necessarily but a very clear benchmark for balance): those aren't really people worth impressing. I am not here to sway opinions, I am here to slay my own goals for myself and inspire the right people who resonate with me organically.
How many massive unsustainable operations are breaking even revenue wise? Is the founder happy and healthy? It depends. But digital products require upfront work, then it's done: so from there, the focus is only ads / sales, nothing else, ADHD likes that model.
If I break, there is no business and my first job is my health. Period. If any part of the business is getting in the way, then it is going to be heavily questioned.
My massive hesitation to scale came from my gut and I listened, few months later without knowing the logic yet... AI / ChatGPT is alleviating a lot.
Less overhead = less mental stress.
The triggers for your medical condition / disability are not a weakness and they do not make you less capable than neurotypical people, your triggers are your rightful boundaries and the exact unique differences you should embrace. When your limits are respected, you add momentum to your strengths and that becomes massive power and velocity.
ChatGPT is taking on some operational tasks, which is a different way of freeing some head space, with that head space, I will allocate more time for living and resting, who is this?!? 👏👏👏
The creation process itself is fulfilling, the rewards are appreciated... So the means matters as much as the end which is why nothing other than my chosen vehicles interest me. I will get there as slow as I need to as long as my foundational health is in place and unshaken.
As empowering as it is, it is equally heart-wrenching to re-invent your way of living and operating accordingly to your diagnosis as the total self-acceptance around it changes a lot in your life.
There's a cap to everything - whether we have children, fur children, a health condition, general hobbies... The concept of working hours in general is something still new to me and I am loving how it is helping my health be sustained and this creates a longer-term build.
Aiming for excellence within set hours is more sustainable than chasing quantity over sustainability because there is no way to live your passion / craft / work / business without YOU. I didn't almost die but it felt like it for a while as I couldn't do anything while burnt out.
You can love your business, but realize your health is the backbone and a part of this or any job... This is what business hours and lanes are for, the more work ethic you have : the more you care about maintaining your equilibrium for its sustainable long-term existence. 💙
Wellness first merely means you're self-aware enough to take responsibility for your oxygen mask and ensure that nothing interferes or intrudes with the conditions to your mental health. This means you focus your "giving back" efforts once you're recharged.
Since nothing is owed unless you signed a contract about it, anyone who is offended by you setting a fence around your time / energy / resources to preserve your wellness isn't for you: they are mad that they could not use you / control you / over-ride your free will. Not a loss.
Anyone else's discomfort with a line you're setting isn't yours to shoulder, if you're not harming anyone, it's up to you what you accept into your life. Appeasing won't keep you safe, putting your health first will - nothing can ward off negative reactions (not your issue).
If my "control centre" is already impeded by ADHD, I have zero margins of error when it comes to nutrition, fitness, sleep, medication and my intensity in these areas is to thank for my ongoing ability to leave burnout at the door.
Know the business you're actually in and laser-beam, when we have health conditions to manage, we can't be moving in 100 directions, it's better to be discerning than distracted and leaking precious mental energy towards just anything: it's gold and should be treated as such.
Knowing what you want and being discerning and setting time limits is not arrogance as you're not comparing yourself or putting anyone down: you're literally taking responsibility for your obligations, health, and craft / business. This is to be normalized.
The more I get rid of overhead, the less patience I have for it and I'm so happy I digitized pretty much everything. This way, nothing interrupts my ADHD crash day for catching up on sleep and insomnia problems. I have less space / time to work with at the onset.
In my experience (not universally), my adrenals were depleted and I was running on cortisol which affects all areas of health ... The ADHD meds give me innate "brakes" so that I do not deplete myself and conserve energy for lower bandwidth days ahead of time, this is awesome.
Moving towards time freedom aside from the initial intensity of creating the online products themselves is the best decision I have made and affiliate marketing allows me to show up 1-to-many and see my content appreciated by people who "get" it and respect the value. 🙏
I have learned that clear limits and boundaries are only deemed to "push people away" by entitled people who are mad they could not coerce you to fit their world view... These spam filters allow in the good ones and blessings and leave out the bad. Boundaries affirm your personal dignity and autonomy, without these lines that protect your time... burnout ensues.
And yes, a disability means I have less time in general so obviously I am going to be more discerning, that’s natural.
I share my lessons to inspire others and send the message out there that we are in charge of our own lives:
You get to define success for yourself... I am not interested in meeting anyone else's expectations of growth but my own. My definition has a lot of time freedom, and very little to no overhead as my ADHD crash day enables me to function at a baseline level. I am enough for me.