Stuck in the Forest? 6 Game-Changing Ways ADHD Founders Can Find Passion and Direction

I remember the first time I took my family on a month long summer holiday abroad. A lovely house, a hire car that made me feel like James Bond, and trips that created lifelong memories. The best bit? I’d earned more that month while away than in the previous year stuck at my desk. That moment should have felt like the finish line, I’d “made it”. Instead, I was utterly lost.

That strange sense of emptiness after reaching a goal is something I see all the time in my coaching work with adults with ADHD. Especially men who feel they “should” be successful by now but still feel rudderless. In my case, I was aiming to get to a destination, and when I achieved it, I lost my mojo. A business is a long journey, and while the goal may be an exit in years to come, to endure and thrive on that journey you need to find a passion that will spur you on even when you are successful.

The ADHD Dilemma: Passion vs Practicality

When you’re thinking about starting a business or switching careers, it’s easy to fall into the trap of tactics over purpose. You may have many competing ideas about what career, how to find that dream job, or how to launch your business. Where do you start? But without a clear sense of direction, it’s like being lost in the woods with unbounded enthusiasm to get going. Because it seems more productive than standing still and evaluating your options. You follow a trail in one direction, , come to an obstacle, experience some doubt and change course, only to find yourself weeks later with lots of half done projects. Sound familiar?

What you really need is to climb a tree.

Climbing a tree gives you perspective. You might not see the final destination, but from height, you can spot the next clearing you need to get to, and that next step – that small but clear action is often all you need to help you make sure you are heading in the right direction and have the confidence to overcome the obstacles in your way.

Your Passion Isn’t a Lightning Bolt

There’s a myth that finding your passion feels like being hit by lightning. For most adults with ADHD, it’s more like digging up a treasure that’s been buried under years of “shoulds,” shame, and failures.

Sometimes your passion is hidden under a fear of failure, or lost in the fog of people-pleasing and masking. And even if you do have a strong passion, you might not yet know how to make it work in the real world. That’s okay. It’s an iterative process. You try something, learn, adjust. Rinse and repeat.

Practical Insights for ADHD Entrepreneurs

Here are a few things I share with my ADHD coaching clients who are starting businesses or pivoting careers:

1. Start with who you are, not what you should do. Success and money are fine, but they may not be enough to keep going once you achieve them. Ask yourself who are you when you feel most alive?
2. Identify your business mission,
   1. what problem it will solve.
   2. who for, and
   3. how it aligns with  who you are so it is sustainable for you and it won’t wear you in the way your previous career did.
3. Expect to experiment. Most ADHDers won’t thrive in “business in a box” systems designed by someone else and need to be followed to the letter. You need room to create, adapt, and discover
4. Watch out for analysis paralysis. Research is a comfy trap which can lead to procrastination. I help many clients move past perfectionism. You rarely have all the information to make a perfect decision, and some uncertainty will always be there, but action brings clarity.
5. Challenge your belief systems. Thoughts like “I’ve never been good at this,” or “I’m not cut out for business” are stories, not facts. ADHD brains often pick up limiting beliefs early in life and carry them quietly for decades. Identifying and rewriting those beliefs is key to moving forward.
6. Don’t wait for certainty. Just take the next small step toward the next clearing.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

As someone who’s been a financial planner, run businesses, and now works as an ADHD coach, I understand that mix of potential and panic feeling capable, yet somehow stuck.

You don’t need a perfect plan. You need a path that fits you. In our sessions, we’ll climb that metaphorical tree together so you can see your direction clearly, take confident steps forward, and leave old self-doubt behind.

If you’re feeling lost in the forest, maybe it’s time to climb your tree.

Let’s connect your passion with a direction you can sustain, and start moving forward with purpose.

Ready to Find Your Next Clearing?

Click here to book a discovery call with me, Michael Ross, ADHD coach (ADDCA and ICF accredited). Let’s explore where your passion meets your path.

See here for ADHD Imposter Syndrome: 7 Ways to Turn Self-Doubt into Strength.