What Starting (But Not Finishing) Books Says About Your ADHD Brain

If you have ADHD and you’ve ever started dozens of books but rarely finished one, you are not alone. When I saw an article title in my Google News feed that read, “Psychology says if you can never finish a book but start dozens of them, your mind operates in these 8 unique ways,” I immediately thought, “Uh-oh, that’s me.”

I did not even want to read it because I was sure it would tell me how I needed to stay focused or make some other judgments about my ability to be disciplined and scholarly. Been there and heard that, so why bother? But hey, curiosity won out, and I opened it. 

Let me say, I was pleasantly surprised and agree one hundred percent with their assertions. Plus, in the spirit of full disclosure, let me tell you what I’m reading at the present moment. I have two books on willpower on my desk, both of which are one-third of the way read. I have a couple of health books on my couch, both of which I have taken tiny dips into. And on my bedroom side table is another psychology book or two, along with a Harry Potter book I will read again because two times was not enough.  

According to the article, psychology says this hopping from book to book is actually a sign that your brain is “doing something pretty interesting.” I have a pretty interesting brain, and I want to know how science views this phenomenon. Here are the reasons psychology thinks so. 

I am Hardwired for Novelty

Psychology Today defines novelty seeking as “associated with exploratory activity, a strong response to new stimulation, and a quick loss of interest when something becomes too predictable.” When the writer, Farley Ledgerwood, talked about how he would get a rush of excitement at the prospect of opening a new book, only to find the spark fading a few chapters in, I was saying, “Me too.” 

Our brains are wired to respond to new things with intensity and desire, and the neurotransmitter dopamine is the agent delivering that response. I am not flawed; I am just a particularly curious person and love learning new things. And I am a voracious reader, have a deep love for learning, but not always from the same book. Except Harry Potter, of course. 

My Thinking Runs in Divergent Patterns

When I looked up divergent thinking, the glossary defined it as “ a non-restricted, non-linear, and free-flowing chain of thoughts to let new ideas come as and when they occur.” 

Mr. Ledgerwood used a personal example to explain how divergent thinking works for him. He said, “When I took up woodworking after I retired, I noticed something similar. I’d start one project, get inspired by a technique I read about, then suddenly want to try a completely different piece. My wife thought I was scattered. But what I was really doing was letting my mind explore different creative avenues. Reading works the same way for a lot of us.”

With my wide array of reading materials, I can see how one book covered topics that sounded so interesting, so I went looking for other books that further explained something about those topics. Okay, not so for the Harry Potter book, but I needed my fantasy time away from all the science stuff. 

You Score High on Openness to Experience

The author refers to “Openness to experience is one of the Big Five personality traits that psychologists use to describe human personality. People who score high in this area tend to be imaginative, curious, and drawn to variety.”

I have never taken the Big Five personality traits test. But since I am a divergent thinker, I want to learn more about this test. But I am going to guess that I would score high. 

Mr. Ledgerwood explained, “If your bookshelf looks like a library that’s been hit by a tornado, it’s probably because your mind craves variety the way some people crave routine. Neither is better nor worse. They’re just different ways of engaging with the world.”

I think this writer has me nailed on that statement. Except that putting the books back on the shelves requires too much effort, my books are stacked on the floor. And on the couch and the end table. 

You Absorb Information in Bursts, Not Marathons

I have always called myself a sprinter, not a marathon runner. And being somewhat hyperactive in mind and body, I have to take frequent breaks. That doesn’t mean I am not still thinking about what I just absorbed; it just means I need to move a bit. Movement is a great way to generate the necessary energy needed for concentration and attention. 

For some of us, short, concentrated sessions are better for absorbing information than long, arduous sessions in which our attention starts to stray from the mission. 

You’re a Natural Connector of Ideas

The author starts this one by saying, “People who read across multiple books and topics at the same time tend to be better at making connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. It’s sometimes called cross-pollination, and it’s one of the hallmarks of innovative thinking.”

You Prioritize Breadth of Knowledge

Farley discusses a concept in learning theory: being a “Specialist” versus a “Generalist.” The Specialists go deep while the Generalists go wide.”

He also draws on research from George Mason University that suggests that people with broad curiosity tend to be more socially engaged, more open to different perspectives, and better equipped to navigate unfamiliar situations. They have a wider mental toolkit to draw from.

This research reminded me of the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none,” which has been used to denote a lack of focus. But the full phrase was actually: “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” That phrase actually highlights the value of adaptability over specialization. In today’s work environment, being a generalist (a “Jack”) is often seen as a valuable, innovative, and flexible asset, rather than a disadvantage. 

You Have Strong Cognitive Flexibility

PubMed defines cognitive flexibility as “the mental ability to quickly switch between thinking about different concepts, adapt to new, unexpected, or changing situations, and shift perspectives. It enables individuals to abandon old strategies for new ones, handle complex, ambiguous, or shifting demands, and foster creativity and emotional resilience, and is a core executive function.”

The author recognizes how those who are bouncing between books would be training this skill of cognitive flexibility, since you are asking your brain to switch gears repeatedly, and that’s a workout. 

What I am really doing is giving my brain a good workout at a lower cost than my gym membership. How can anyone argue with the value of that?

You Are Driven by Genuine Curiosity, not Obligation

As the author points out, this is not happening because you should do something or because someone made you do this. You are genuinely interested in it because something sparked your curiosity in reading this material. “That’s intrinsic motivation at its finest. And psychologically speaking, intrinsic motivation is far more powerful and sustainable than extrinsic motivation. When you read because you’re curious rather than because you feel obligated, you actually retain more of what you read and enjoy the process more, even if you don’t make it to the final page.”

You are reading because you want to. Mr. Ledgerwood, the author, volunteers teaching adults reading literacy, and said he tells his students, “Reading should never feel like punishment. If a book isn’t doing it for you, put it down. Pick up another one. The goal isn’t to finish books. The goal is to keep the spark alive.”  

The moral of the story is not to beat yourself up over all of those half-read books; there is nothing broken with you or me. The real question is: did you get what you came for? Did you satisfy that desire for exploration? Did you enjoy that rush of excitement when you got to crack open a new book? Did you explore new territories and get inspired? If you did, you got what you came for. 

If you’ve spent years judging yourself for how your ADHD brain works—especially around reading, focus, or follow-through—it may be time to look at it differently. Coaching can help you understand your unique wiring and learn how to work with your brain instead of against it. 

Schedule a complimentary Get Acquainted session with any of our coaches at The Center for Living Well with ADHD.