Peter Clarke ADHD Matters

07/06/2026

ADHD is a funny thing.
It makes my life harder and I often find my self-perception is a long way from the way others see me.
I get bored quickly. I rarely finish artistic creative projects, but always finish academic ones, or ones attached to remuneration.
It’s a matter of priorities I guess.
Amazing how self disciplined one can be when money is involved.
I genuinely think the rigid discipline of the Army served me well.
Why?
Because if I had to do something there were consequences if I didn’t.
I could get charged and put in Military Jail with no pay.
Like passing promotion exams, there’s incentive.
I guess what I am trying to say is that many ADHDers tell themselves their ADHD is a disability they can blame for a lack of success.
What I am saying is that it’s not the ADHD that’s stopping them, it’s a lack of an effective strategy

07/06/2026

Feeling different is definitely something ADHDers feel intensely

The parts of ourselves we try hardest to hide often become the source of our greatest gifts.

Stephen Fry’s reflection is a reminder that insecurity, shame, loneliness, and feeling different can shape us in ways we only understand later. What once felt like a burden can become the path to creativity, wisdom, empathy, and purpose.

Not every struggle deserves gratitude. But sometimes the things that nearly break us also help make us.

27/05/2026

What is sad is that with all we know today about the need for appropriate support, schools are still stuck in old ways and don't properly understand how to motivate neuro-diverse pupils. Kids are still being excluded and let down by the systems

27/05/2026

I love Arnie

27/05/2026

27/05/2026

09/05/2026

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03/05/2026

If I have no specific goals during the day, then I find myself doing nothing but doom scrolling and watching TV. There's a physical need sometimes to do this as my body, my aging body, recovers from the physically demanding job I do during the week.

Many ADHDers talk about procrastination and saying they cannot achieve tasks, but it's simply not true.
Yes I often start projects that seem a good idea because they are creative, but they aren't important.
Projects like renovating my bathroom get done because they need to be done. Even with that though, I broke it down into bite sized chunks and one day a week over three months or so. That was completely removing everything, preparing the walls, tiling, redoing the ceiling, buying the stuff I needed, concreting a hole in the floor.....it took a while but the end result was something I often just take the time to look at and think I did this.

I learned long ago that simply taking on a big job by itself is completely overwhelming, but in easily managed, short term bursts it's manageable. It's a strategy.

Having ADHD is no excuse for inaction. It's simply a matter of priority, strategy and short bursts so we don't get bored.

And if it's REALLY important, then hyperfocus kicks in