Ditch the Script: The ADHD Brain’s Guide to Powerful, Unforgettable Presentations

You’ve got brilliant insights and a deep passion for your work. Maybe it’s a mission you’ve lived, or a message that’s been bubbling up inside you for years. But the second you hit “present” on Zoom or step into the spotlight, something shifts.

Suddenly, your brain decides it’s time to take a nap-or worse, go off on a dozen delightful (but disorienting) tangents. You either cling to your slides like a lifeline or spiral into improvisation mode and forget what you were actually trying to say.

Here’s the thing: that doesn’t mean you’re bad at presenting. It means the structure you’ve been told to use isn’t made for the way your brain works. ADHD minds crave engagement, creativity, flexibility-but traditional, linear presentation formats? They feel like a corset. Tight. Unforgiving. Impossible to breathe in.

And when you try to follow someone else’s template word-for-word, you start losing the one thing that makes your message truly magnetic: you.

The good news? You don’t need a new personality-you need a better container. A presentation structure that supports your brilliance without boxing it in. One that guides your message from “burst of ideas” to “clear, unforgettable impact,” while leaving room for spontaneity, humor, and those golden insights that only come when you’re in flow.

Let’s rebuild your presentation approach from the inside out-with clarity, creativity, and your ADHD brilliance in mind. This is how you create talks that land, stories that stick, and delivery that feels like you-on your best day.

Start with the End: Know What You Want Them to Do or Feel

Let’s get meta for a second. Every great presentation isn’t just informative-it’s transformational. Whether it’s a workshop, keynote, or pitch, the whole thing is guiding your audience from Point A to Point B.

The mistake? Most people start at A and just… hope they land somewhere meaningful.

Instead, start at Point B.

Ask yourself:
What do I want them to feel, understand, or do by the time I wrap this up?

This doesn’t just help your audience-it helps you. It’s an anchor when your brain wants to go exploring. It brings clarity to your message, and confidence to your delivery.

How to apply it:

• Write your final slide before anything else.
  
  

• Be bold and specific: “I want them to stop apologizing for their creativity and start owning it as a superpower.”
  
  

• Revisit this intention at every stage-does each section support that end goal?
  
  

💡 ADHD tip: Post that outcome on a sticky note or your desktop while you prep. It’s your creative compass when things get noisy.

Use the Rule of 3: Your Brain (and Audience) Will Thank You

Three is the magic number. Always has been. Stories, arguments, ideas-they all hit harder when they come in threes.

Why? Because three is enough to show depth, but not so much that your brain has to juggle. Especially for ADHD minds that are pattern-driven but easily overwhelmed, this little rule can feel like a life raft.

Why it works:

• The Rule of 3 creates rhythm and flow.
  
  

• It’s flexible: you can apply it to content, design, or timing.
  
  

• It trains your brain to think in sets, which reduces overwhelm.
  
  

How to apply it:

• Pick 3 key ideas, stories, or steps you want to share.
  
  

• Design one slide per point-use simple visuals, metaphors, or tips.
  
  

• Keep each point under 2 minutes if you’re speaking live-it helps you pace naturally.
  
  

Pro move: When nerves hit, your “3 points” become an internal script you can fall back on. They keep you moving without going blank or going rogue.

The Hero’s Journey (Simplified): A Natural ADHD-Friendly Framework

Storytelling isn’t fluff-it’s structure in disguise. And the Hero’s Journey? It’s basically the cheat code for emotionally resonant, ADHD-friendly presentations.

Because stories give your message a shape. They trigger memory, emotion, and empathy-all things ADHD brains love and crave.

Why it matters:

• Stories organize your ideas without needing a linear script.
  
  

• They engage both you and your audience, reducing boredom and distraction.
  
  

• They let you teach without lecturing.
  
  

How to apply it: Break your story into 3 clear beats:

1. The Problem – What’s the real, relatable challenge your audience is facing? Don’t generalize-get gritty.
   
   

2. The Shift – What moment changed everything for you (or your client)? This is your emotional heartbeat.
   
   

3. The Solution – What can your audience do now, knowing what you know?
   
   

🪄 Magic moment: Tell this story from your perspective, but make your audience the hero. They’ll see themselves in your words-and that’s what moves people to action.

Create Cue Slides, Not Scripts

If you’ve ever tried to memorize every word of your presentation and ended up sounding like a malfunctioning robot… you’re not alone. It’s exhausting, and honestly, unnecessary.

What works better? Cue slides. These are visual prompts that jog your memory and let you speak with your audience, not at them.

Why it works:

• It keeps you present and connected.
  
  

• It reduces cognitive load-you’re not splitting energy between reading and performing.
  
  

• It makes your slides more engaging (because no one wants to read a wall of text).
  
  

How to apply it:

• One core idea per slide. ONE.
  
  

• Use an image, bold phrase, or question to anchor that idea.
  
  

• Add speaker notes for backup, but practice enough that you don’t need them.
  
  

Think of each slide like a scene in a movie. It should trigger a feeling, not a full-on essay.

Soapbox Moment: You Don’t Need to Be Linear to Be Brilliant

Time for some real talk.

You’ve probably been told that your ideas are “too scattered,” your slides “too messy,” your delivery “too much.” And you’ve maybe internalized the idea that in order to be taken seriously, you have to flatten your message into straight lines and bullet points.

Nope. Not today.

Why this matters:

• Neurodivergent brilliance doesn’t show up in linear order. It shows up in connections, metaphors, detours, depth.
  
  

• You’ve been trained to shrink, not shine. That stops here.
  
  

How to reclaim your voice:

• Use visual tools like mind maps to organize your ideas in clusters, not lines.
  
  

• Build your talk like chapters in a book, not steps on a ladder.
  
  

• Let yourself go off-script-just give those tangents a home (like a bonus slide, handout, or Q&A moment).
  
  

Remember: The way your brain works isn’t broken. It’s just not boring. And that’s your superpower.

Practice in “Chapters,” Not All at Once

Let’s be honest-traditional rehearsal advice isn’t built for ADHD brains. Sitting down to “run the whole thing start to finish” feels like a chore at best, and a panic spiral at worst.

Instead, practice your presentation like you’re rehearsing a play or dance routine: in scenes.

🔧 How to apply it:

• Start with your intro - practice until it feels natural.
  
  

• Then move on to one key point, then the next.
  
  

• Use voice memos to test timing and get comfy hearing your own voice.
  
  

• Piece it together gradually until it flows as a whole.
  
  

Bonus: This builds “muscle memory” for each section. So if you freeze during the talk, you can restart from any chapter, not just the beginning.

Here’s what I hope you take away from all this: structure doesn’t stifle creativity-it supports it.

You don’t need a script. You don’t need to be perfectly polished. You definitely don’t need to contort yourself to fit someone else’s idea of “professional.”

You need a framework that’s repeatable, flexible, and fun to deliver. One that honors your message and your mind.

So let’s stop trying to fit into a structure that was never built for us-and start building frameworks that feel like home.

Want more strategies like this-designed with your brain in mind?

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