Faster Than Normal

Rethinking ADHD: From Deficit to "Faster Than Normal" Brain

First, let's look at the core idea: reframing the narrative around ADHD.

The core message of Peter Shankman's "Faster Than Normal" revolves around fundamentally reframing the narrative surrounding ADHD. Instead of accepting the traditional view focused solely on 'deficit' and 'disorder' – highlighting challenges with focus, impulsivity, and hyperactivity – Shankman urges a shift in perspective. Drawing support from experts like Dr. Edward Hallowell, the book proposes viewing the ADHD brain not as flawed, but as differently wired, potentially representing an evolutionary advantage in certain contexts.

Shankman argues passionately that this 'faster' brain, often misunderstood, possesses unique strengths crucial for success in a dynamic world. Abilities like rapidly shifting focus, generating a constant stream of ideas, thriving under pressure, and achieving intense hyperfocus when engaged are presented not as symptoms, but as powerful assets. The book "Faster Than Normal" posits that many successful innovators, entrepreneurs, and artists likely succeeded *because* of their ADHD wiring, not in spite of it, leveraging these inherent traits.

This reframing is pivotal for self-acceptance and effective self-management. "Faster Than Normal" encourages individuals to move away from feeling 'broken' or 'less than' towards understanding and embracing their unique cognitive operating system. The goal isn't to 'fix' or 'slow down' the brain, but to learn how to *work with* its natural tendencies – channeling its inherent speed and energy productively while finding strategies to mitigate associated challenges.

Adopting this perspective shift, as advocated in "Faster Than Normal", can be incredibly empowering. It transforms the narrative from one of limitation to one of possibility. This encourages a proactive approach, motivating individuals to experiment and discover personalized strategies and tools that resonate with their specific brain wiring, rather than struggling to conform to neurotypical expectations that may never feel right.

Mastering Digital Environments: Tools for the "Faster Than Normal" Brain

So, if you have this faster-than-normal brain, how do you actually get things done... Shankman shares his personal toolkit, emphasizing the creation of a 'focus bubble.'

For individuals with what Peter Shankman terms the 'faster-than-normal' brain in his book "Faster Than Normal", maintaining focus amidst constant potential distractions requires deliberate strategies. Shankman introduces his personal solution: the creation of an intentional 'focus bubble'. This involves actively controlling one's environment, particularly the digital space, to minimize interruptions and facilitate deep work.

Shankman highlights specific technological tools as key components of his focus bubble. He champions minimalist writing applications like OmmWriter, available for Mac and PC. OmmWriter exemplifies the principle by launching into a full-screen mode, effectively hiding all desktop clutter like browser tabs and notifications. It further enhances focus by providing calming ambient music and backgrounds, creating a dedicated digital sanctuary for writing.

The effectiveness of tools like OmmWriter, as described in "Faster Than Normal", lies in their ability to actively block system alerts and eliminate visual triggers that can easily derail a distractible mind. It's akin to having a portable, private room dedicated solely to the task at hand. While Shankman mentions his preference, he encourages finding any similar application that achieves the same goal: using technology *intentionally* to carve out distraction-free zones.

Mastering these digital tools is presented not as a sign of weakness, but as smart self-management for the high-performance brain described in "Faster Than Normal". Creating a digital focus bubble allows individuals to harness their cognitive speed and capacity for hyperfocus, turning potential technological pitfalls into powerful productivity aids. It's about structuring the digital environment to support, rather than sabotage, the unique wiring of the faster-than-normal brain.

Designing Your Workspace: Physical Clarity and Quality Tools

Building on the theme of optimizing your environment, Shankman emphasizes that your physical workspace is just as important as your digital one. He states plainly: 'A Clean and Simple Environment Is Mandatory.'

Building upon the focus bubble concept, Peter Shankman, in "Faster Than Normal", stresses that optimizing the physical workspace is equally critical as managing the digital one. He bluntly states, 'A Clean and Simple Environment Is Mandatory.' He argues that a cluttered physical space bombards the easily distractible ADHD brain with countless potential 'squirrel!' moments – piles of paper, random objects, unfinished tasks – each vying for attention and increasing cognitive load.

The solution proposed in "Faster Than Normal" is rigorous organization and embracing minimalism in one's immediate work area. This involves keeping the desk surface clear, implementing efficient systems for managing papers and materials, and ensuring the direct line of sight is free from focus-stealing clutter. Shankman likens this to 'clearing the runway' before takeoff – essential preparation for enabling smooth, focused work sessions.

Beyond visual tidiness, Shankman emphasizes managing sensory input, particularly auditory distractions. He strongly advises investing in high-quality headphones, preferably noise-cancelling ones, stating emphatically, 'for Pete's sake, don't skimp on the headphones!' These are crucial for completing the 'focus bubble', effectively blocking out ambient noise whether listening to music or simply seeking silence. He mentions his own use of brands like Bose and Bowers & Wilkins as examples of effective tools.

Shankman frames these environmental controls – a clean workspace and quality headphones – not as mere preferences or luxuries, but as essential investments in productivity and well-being, particularly vital for managing the 'faster than normal' brain. As highlighted in his book "Faster Than Normal", these tools directly improve workflow and reduce frustration by helping individuals proactively manage environmental inputs to optimize their cognitive output and harness their focus.

Simplifying Digital Interactions: One-Screen Phones and Eye Comfort

This philosophy of minimizing distraction and simplifying choices extends powerfully into the digital realm, specifically how we manage our smartphones.

The philosophy of minimizing distractions and simplifying choices, central to Peter Shankman's "Faster Than Normal", extends directly to managing our smartphones. Recognizing the smartphone as a major potential derailer for the ADHD brain, Shankman advocates a specific strategy to reduce its friction: consolidating all essential, daily-use applications onto a single home screen.

He achieves this 'one-page' phone layout through the strategic use of folders. Frequently used apps remain loose for instant access, while everything else is categorized within folders, all residing on that single screen. Shankman asserts that eliminating the need to swipe through multiple pages radically changes one's interaction with the device. He identifies scrolling as a primary enemy – 'Scrolling is not our friend' – because each swipe reveals more icons, triggering potential distractions.

Beyond interface organization, "Faster Than Normal" also addresses optimizing the *experience* of screen use, particularly concerning eye comfort and sleep hygiene. Shankman recommends using software that adjusts screen color temperature throughout the day, reducing blue light exposure in the evening. He mentions tools like f.lux and built-in features like Night Shift on Apple devices.

The rationale for managing screen light is twofold: it reduces eye strain during late-night work sessions and, more importantly, supports better sleep. By minimizing stimulating blue light before bed, these tools help the brain wind down, facilitating an easier transition to sleep – crucial for anyone, but especially for those with active minds. This practice, supported by sleep science, exemplifies the holistic approach in "Faster Than Normal" to proactively manage digital, physical, and even physiological aspects of one's environment for peak performance.

Embracing Proactive Design and Personal Experimentation

What surprised me most revisiting these ideas is the consistent emphasis on *proactive design*.

A striking theme throughout Peter Shankman's "Faster Than Normal" is the emphasis on *proactive design* rather than reactive coping. The book champions the idea of intentionally building systems, routines, and environments – both physical and digital – that actively *prevent* distraction before it occurs. This shifts the focus from relying solely on willpower ('trying harder' to focus) to implementing smart, strategic setups tailored to one's needs.

Shankman underscores that discovering the optimal setup is a deeply personal journey requiring self-awareness and continuous experimentation. His own example of flying to Tokyo to write illustrates finding unique conditions for hyperfocus. While extreme, the principle is universal: identify *your* best focus conditions and find practical ways to replicate them. This involves trying out the tools and strategies discussed in "Faster Than Normal" – minimalist apps, quality headphones, screen dimmers, the one-page phone system, a clutter-free desk – and seeing what sticks.

Implementing these strategies might involve overcoming challenges or adapting to constraints, like noisy offices or jobs requiring constant connectivity. The key, according to "Faster Than Normal", lies in the mindset shift: focus on controlling your response and optimizing within your sphere of influence. Can you negotiate quiet time? Use headphones more assertively? Schedule dedicated focus blocks? Apply principles like the clean desk policy to your personal space? Adaptation and problem-solving, often strengths of the ADHD brain, are crucial.

Ultimately, "Faster Than Normal" serves as a guide to embracing one's unique brain wiring. It reframes the need for structure, specific tools, or environmental controls not as weaknesses, but as intelligent strategies for managing a high-performance brain. By understanding your needs, experimenting with solutions, and proactively designing your environment, Shankman suggests you can harness the 'faster than normal' speed and creativity to achieve remarkable results. It's about strategic self-management to unlock potential.

• Reframes ADHD: Presents ADHD not as a deficit or disorder, but as a different brain wiring that is often faster than normal, a central theme in the book Faster Than Normal.
• Highlights Strengths: Argues the ADHD brain possesses unique advantages like creativity, the ability to hyperfocus when engaged, resilience, and excelling under pressure, which Faster Than Normal encourages harnessing.
• Focus on Channeling: Emphasizes learning to work with the brain's speed and energy, rather than fighting it, by finding strategies to channel it productively.
• Creating "Focus Bubbles": Advocates for intentionally creating environments free from distraction, both physically and digitally, a key strategy from Faster Than Normal.

  The core idea is to proactively manage inputs to control outputs effectively.

• Essential Tools: Stresses the importance of investing in high-quality tools like noise-cancelling headphones and distraction-free software (e.g., OmmWriter) as necessary aids, not luxuries.
• Environment Control (Physical): Mandates a clean, simple, and clutter-free physical workspace to minimize potential "squirrel!" moments and reduce cognitive load, vital for the brain described in Faster Than Normal.
• Environment Control (Digital): Recommends organizing smartphone apps onto a single home screen using folders to eliminate the distraction trigger of scrolling. Faster Than Normal states "Scrolling is not our friend."
• Screen Optimization: Suggests using apps (like f.lux or Night Shift) to adjust screen color temperature, reducing eye strain and improving sleep hygiene, especially for nighttime work.
• Proactive System Design: Underscores the power of intentionally designing your environment and systems to prevent distraction before it happens, a philosophy central to Faster Than Normal.
• Empowerment Through Self-Management: Encourages viewing the need for specific tools or structures not as weakness, but as strategic self-management for effectively leveraging a high-performance, faster-than-normal brain, embracing the positive message of Faster Than Normal.

• Individuals diagnosed with ADHD who want to understand their wiring better and leverage it as a strength, as detailed in Faster Than Normal.
• People who suspect they might have ADHD or simply feel their brain works "differently" or "faster", experiencing challenges with focus but also bursts of creativity or hyperfocus.
• Anyone struggling with distraction and maintaining focus in today's hyper-connected world, seeking practical strategies beyond generic advice. Faster Than Normal offers specific tools.
• Entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, and problem-solvers who resonate with the description of a fast, non-linear thinking style and want to harness it for success, a key theme in Faster Than Normal.
• Individuals looking for a positive reframing of ADHD, moving away from a purely "deficit" or "disorder" model towards recognizing potential strengths.
• People seeking concrete tools and techniques for managing their digital and physical environments to minimize distractions (e.g., specific apps, headphone recommendations, organizational methods discussed in Faster Than Normal).
• Those interested in understanding how to create optimal conditions for deep work and productivity, tailored to a brain that thrives on novelty and specific types of structure, as advocated in Faster Than Normal.
• Readers seeking empowerment and self-acceptance regarding their cognitive style, wanting to work *with* their brain rather than against it. The message of Faster Than Normal is highly relevant here.

Essentially, Faster Than Normal speaks to anyone who feels their mind races, struggles with conventional focus methods, but also suspects there's untapped potential within their unique way of thinking. It provides both a validating perspective shift and actionable strategies drawn from the author's own success living with ADHD. If you're tired of feeling "broken" and want to learn how to channel your brain's speed, Faster Than Normal offers a compelling roadmap.

The book Faster Than Normal emphasizes practical application, making it suitable for those ready to experiment with tools and environmental changes to boost focus and productivity, regardless of a formal diagnosis. It champions the idea that understanding and managing your specific brain wiring, as explored in Faster Than Normal, is key to unlocking success.

How does 'ADHD as a Superpower' function within the framework of Peter Shankman's 'Faster Than Normal'?

• Neurodiversity Advantage: Shankman reframes ADHD not as a deficit, but as a potential advantage, characterized by high energy, creativity, and the ability to hyperfocus.
• Trait Utilization: Individuals can leverage traits like rapid idea generation and multitasking ability in fast-paced environments or creative fields.
• Mindset Shift: Understanding ADHD as a different operating system rather than a disorder can boost self-esteem and reduce stigma.

What practical applications of 'Harnessing Hyperfocus' are suggested in 'Faster Than Normal' by Peter Shankman?

• Intense Concentration: Hyperfocus is an intense state of concentration common in ADHD, allowing for deep immersion in tasks of interest.
• Strategic Implementation: Schedule demanding tasks during peak focus times and minimize potential interruptions to capitalize on this state for maximum productivity.
• Productivity Boost: Successfully channeling hyperfocus leads to significant accomplishment and a powerful sense of satisfaction and competence.

How does Peter Shankman's 'Faster Than Normal' define the 'Gift of Urgency'?

• Deadline Driven Performance: This refers to the tendency for individuals with ADHD to perform exceptionally well under pressure or with imminent deadlines.
• Urgency Creation: Create artificial deadlines or break large projects into smaller, urgent tasks to activate this high-performance state.
• Motivation Catalyst: The adrenaline associated with urgency can enhance focus and motivation, turning potential procrastination into productive sprints.

What is the importance of 'Building Routines' according to Peter Shankman in 'Faster Than Normal'?

• Structured Consistency: Establishing consistent daily routines helps manage the inherent variability and distractibility associated with ADHD.
• Practical Framework: Implementing fixed times for waking, working, exercising, and sleeping provides an external structure that aids focus and reduces decision fatigue.
• Cognitive Scaffolding: Routines reduce cognitive load and anxiety by making transitions predictable, freeing up mental energy for more complex tasks.

How does 'The Importance of Exercise' feature in managing ADHD in 'Faster Than Normal' by Peter Shankman?

• Symptom Management: Regular physical activity is crucial for managing ADHD symptoms by improving focus, reducing restlessness, and regulating mood.
• Daily Integration: Incorporate activities like running, swimming, or team sports into the daily routine, often best done in the morning, to set a positive tone for the day.
• Neurochemical Balance: Exercise releases endorphins and neurotransmitters like dopamine, which are often lower in individuals with ADHD, thereby enhancing executive functions.

According to 'Faster Than Normal', how can one 'Leverage Creativity' associated with ADHD?

• Idea Generation: ADHD is often linked with divergent thinking and the ability to generate numerous unique ideas quickly.
• Creative Capture: Use brainstorming sessions, mind mapping, or free-form writing to capture the rapid flow of ideas associated with the ADHD brain.
• Innovative Thinking: Embracing this non-linear thinking style can lead to innovative solutions and a unique perspective in problem-solving.

What strategies for 'Managing Distractions' does Peter Shankman offer in 'Faster Than Normal'?

• Trigger Identification: Recognizing and minimizing environmental or internal triggers that derail focus is key for productivity.
• Mitigation Strategies: Employ tools like noise-canceling headphones, website blockers, or dedicated workspaces, and practice mindfulness to manage internal thought processes.
• Focus Preservation: Proactively managing distractions reduces frustration and allows for more consistent engagement in tasks, improving overall effectiveness.

How does 'Faster Than Normal' by Peter Shankman encourage 'Embracing Neurodiversity'?

• Acceptance Framework: Viewing ADHD through the lens of neurodiversity promotes acceptance and understanding of different brain wiring.
• Advocacy and Accommodation: Educate others and advocate for accommodations in workplaces and schools that allow neurodivergent individuals to thrive.
• Inclusive Mindset: Shifting perspective from pathology to diversity fosters inclusivity and allows society to benefit from the unique strengths of all individuals.