Introduction

I have 14 books on my desk. I've started 4. Don't get me started on my e-book collection. Is it such a problem that I will never read all the books I own or borrow? It is in that it's annoying and I never seem to make headway before finding a new one.

How does my mind work? The same as yours. I make connections and solve problems. The difference is that I constantly shift from one interest to another. Oh, I often return to earlier interests. But I rarely maintain the same level of interest in any given subject for more than a few days. If I do, there is probably a deadline attached to it.

I'm not spacey. I don't lose keys or forget to zip my pants. I have done both, but it's rare. Although, I do have a problem paying attention to details and I occasionally take a wrong exit, even when going somewhere familiar. I get lost in thought.

I'm not hyper, either. I've always maintained a calm demeanor and, although I welcome adventure and love to experience new places and try new things, I am much more of a homebody than a party animal. I spend most of my free time reading, painting, watching movies, and playing games.

But, inside, I am hyper. My brain is on hyperdrive and, short of sleep or drugs (e.g., alcohol or sleeping pills), doesn't decelerate. It's not that I jump from one inventive project to the next. That takes too much effort. It's that once I figure out a problem or see the big picture, I lose interest and move on to a related interest. I do this all the time. I can't stop!

Well, okay, I could join a monastery. I do love the idea of meditation, even if I rarely ever practice it. But, no, I'm not one who preaches the need for a balance between nature and technology. Technology extends nature and we need to learn to live with it, not vacillate between avoidance and overindulgence. Besides, sleep offers plenty of respite and I get it every day.

Anyway, if I had to sum it up, my ADD-related problems are

• rapidly changing interests
• inconsistent productivity
• winding conversations
• moodiness

Hopefully, by keeping track of my day-to-day struggle with ADD and my attempts to manage it, I will become more aware of how it affects me and, in turn, better able to manage it.