CONTEXT

For those that don't know, Noah Lyles is the world’s fastest man following the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Did you know that he's also been diagnosed with ADHD, Dyslexia, and Depression? He's one hell of a neurodivergent!

But that didn't stop him from being an Olympian and World champion…

The internet has been dragging him up and down for not being "humble", but what if that's the attitude he needs to put on, in order to help him stay on top of his game, due to his neurodifference? I wrote a piece on this a while ago, tapping into the dark side.

In his post-race interview, he mentioned that his sports therapist told him "he's holding everything back and needs to let go" And so he did in the final and won, beating his personal best!

The therapist’s idea worked!

I think I get what his therapist was onto. Due to my neuro difference, sometimes I find that I'm in my head a lot, be it anxiety or fear of the unknown, and it can hinder performance levels.

Sometimes you just have to say f*ck it and let loose.

Each time I find myself doing that, I feel calmer, and that I've got something off my chest and ready to go to war. Which is what we need in this competitive world we live in.

To the outside world, it may seem that Noah is 'crazy', 'arrogant', 'loud', and 'not humble'. But only he knows what he's dealing with internally and may have found a coping mechanism to combat it.

DEEP DIVE

In this post, we'll do a pep talk about things we can learn from Noah Lyles which may be due to his neurodifference:

1. Self Belief

2. Trust the process and have fun

3. Embrace your identity

4. Persistence and Resilience

5. Celebrate your victories

1) Self Belief

He is not shy of confidence, he says he's gonna do something and believes he's gonna do it.

The more he accomplishes this, the more evidence he has in mind that he can attain a goal he sets for himself.

The key thing here is 'evidence' from his previous winnings, that increase the self-belief.

Each time I find myself a bit anxious about an unknown result:

i) I ask myself where is the ‘evidence’ that I should be anxious? When I can’t find it, ‘this too shall pass’ is what I say to that thought.

ii) I refer to the times in the past (my evidence record) when my back has been against the wall, and I've crushed the task or obstacle in front of me.

I must admit sometimes I can go overboard with the 'smack talk' especially when playing competitive games with friends.

I guess I'm super eager to showcase my abilities and walk around like I’ve got something to prove.

It can come across as arrogant and others may find this condescending. Which is what our friend Noah Lyles may be going through. A lot of people were happy he didn’t win his 200m final!

2) Trust the Process and have fun

This is showing up each day and being consistent, little by little. Taking each day as it comes, with one eye on the bigger picture and the end (desired) result.

It's a battle I have each day, from exercising to doing the daunting but important tasks but I have a strong WHY and purpose which keeps me going.

What keeps me posting these weekly newsletters, is I can educate, entertain, and encourage my readers on what it means to be a neurodivergent.

3) Embrace your identity

This is something I'm still working on, based on the fact that I'm remaining “low-key” about my neurodivergence.

But I'm definitely embracing my 'uniqueness' I can be the class clown at times. I guess the balance is to be yourself even if it means 'wild', or 'crazy' but within reasonable parameters.

I unfortunately can't be jumping up and down as Noah Lyles does before his races in the professional work setting

4) Persistence and Resilience

My journey wasn't as smooth as I'd liked it to be.

i) I was never the ‘A’ student in any class I was in

ii) I've failed a few of my professional Accounting exams (costing me a lot of money)

But, guess what?? I never gave up, I reviewed my losses and came back. I'm a Qualified, Chartered Accountant. You can't take that away from me!!

I’m very grateful for my losses and setbacks, they’ve been the best form of feedback for me.

5) Celebrate your Victories

This is something I haven’t been the best at. It's self-sabotaging if you overlook your victories or accomplishments.

My therapist introduced a concept called my "Achievement Album". Every win we attain adds to the 'evidence' of our capabilities discussed in point 1).

Generally speaking, we neurodivergents tend to have self-confidence challenges, and being able to celebrate our wins and reflect on them is very helpful.

A victory is subjective to each of us. For me, it can range from

i) breaking my personal best in my bike rides to

ii) helping my non-finance stakeholders understand their financials.

The above examples will boost my confidence in my physical capabilities and my ability to communicate better.

Just remember not to rest on your laurels and you can do much more!

RECAP

1. Self-confidence is vital for us neurodivergents and must be nurtured

2. Never give up! If there is no ‘evidence’ that you can’t do something, ignore the thought

3. Celebrate your wins. No win is too small to celebrate!

MEME OF THE WEEK

Finally,

Stay Different,

The ADHD Exec

Disclaimer: I am not your psychiatrist, coach, doctor. Neurodiverse Diary does not provide medical services or professional counselling and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Everything I publish represents my opinions, experience, not advice.