I’ve started using a stopwatch, and my aim is not to complete the task, but just to spend time on that task and nothing else. This does 2 things: 1) just the fact I’m on the tasks moved me forward more than not being on the task. 2) as its counts up, not down, I am just interested in increasing the number, so every 30 seconds or minute or 10 extra that I do makes the number bigger and the dopamine higher.

I combine this with a habit tracker (literally called habits on android store) so I can try and beat my last high score etc.

I don’t set myself any targets etc that would cause me to feel shame (and then procrastinate due to that shame), so it lowers the barrier of startinf sufficiently low so that I can get on. And then the flow starts to kick in and we’re off…

I’d say it’s when it becomes uncomfortable to the other person. So if you’re doing something, but they can get over it, then they’re likely to chalk it up to you being you, but once it goes too far then it gets weird. But it’s not just related to neurodivergence, I’d say it happens for all things, like if someone eats a weird thing or wears too out-there clothes then it moves out of the “yeah, whatever” to “oh, that was a bit weird”.

Because of this, it also depends on what “normal” is to the other person.

I’m naturally good at making disparate connections and taking in a whole area of a business/tech etc and understanding it. But any ideas I then have are seen as too hairbrained or rediculous or out of the box or impossible and put down by others instead of being seen as clever and interesting and useful.