'Stop being so lazy'

Since I was a kid, I’ve routinely been told to ‘stop being so lazy.’

By teachers; parents; business partners, etc.

Often it was true — I find the shortest route towards accomplishing the thing that needs to be done.

But I do that because when I’m not on drugs, doing things can often feel extremely overwhelming.

And when you hear that enough — ‘stop being so lazy’ — you start to believe that you are, in fact, lazy.

I internalized it. I figured that instead of dealing with something clinical like executive dysfunction because my brain operates in very creative but fucked up ways — that I was just lazy. Period.

I remember in elementary school I got pulled out of class for being “difficult,'“ often.

Mostly because I used humor to distract other kids because it was the only effective tool I learned how to get attention with.

And so, they sent me to the principal’s office a bunch, then eventually to the nurse a few times, and then to a psych evaluation, and ultimately diagnosed me with ADHD—which wasn’t nearly as common in the ’90s as it is now.

I got put on Ritalin, which helped me focus for a while.

I stayed on it through middle school, but by high school I’d stopped taking meds altogether.

I didn’t like how they made me feel.

And for the past 15 years, I’ve basically just raw-dogged it. No meds, no plan.

Just running on anxiety, fueled by panic when I realized deadlines were close.

I'd either wait until the last minute and scramble, or I’d rely on bursts of excitement to carry me through a project—then move on to the next one.

And over time, it started to mess with my relationships and my self-esteem.

My work output was always good when I had a clear structure — working in sales, I was almost always the highest output, and most effective workers.

But without a clear structure, I typically fall apart.

Recently, I was hanging with my buddy Zach, and he told me about a book called ADHD 2.0 that he mentioned changed his life.

I was skeptical.

But I read it.

And one of the recommendations I’d resisted for years—medication—started to make more sense. Alongside stuff like exercise, routine, and work environment, meds can make a massive difference in a short amount of time.

So I got a new psychiatrist. Started antidepressants because my self-esteem was so low that I often believed I was broken.

And then I eventually got a prescription for Concerta after resisting it for a while.

And honestly? It’s changed my life.

I’m more consistent. I sit down and actually do the things I say I’ll do. My confidence is up. My creative output is way up.

I feel like a real artist again—someone who actually makes stuff instead of just talking about it.

The biggest lesson from all this?

The language we hear as kids often become the stories we tell ourselves as adults.

Stories that go unquestioned for years.

But when I started asking—“Am I actually lazy? Or have I just not found the right tools yet?”—everything started to shift.

I’m not lazy.

I just didn’t have the right systems in place. And now that I do? I’m realizing I’m actually a pretty damn productive human.

So if there’s a narrative you’ve been clinging to, ask yourself:

“Is this true? Or is this just something I’ve internalized?”

And if it’s the latter—maybe it’s time to rewrite it.

ps - We made a new reel for our production company ‘Good Couch’, inspired by the movie Amelie.

_{You should check it out, here 👇 👇 👇 👇 👇}