Late-Diagnosed Autism + ADHD: Sridhar on Focused Curiosity, Calm & Growth – Ep 128

Time isn’t your greatest resource. Focused curiosity is.

In this episode, Sridhar Dhanapalan shares how being late-diagnosed with autism and ADHD reshaped his approach to focus, motivation, emotional regulation, and productivity at work. We talk about “focused curiosity” as a core resource, hyperfocus as both a gift and risk, the role of purpose-driven alignment, and practical strategies like focus modes, yoga rituals, and Gmail Priority Inbox to reduce overwhelm and protect deep work.

Sridhar Dhanapalan is an Enterprise Agile Coach at IBM Consulting and a mindset coach who helps teams and individuals align purpose, values, and execution. He brings a “thinking-first” approach to productivity and leadership, with lived experience as a neurodivergent parent and late-diagnosed autistic + ADHD adult.

Episode Highlights:

00:01:00 — Late diagnosis as an opportunity for growth
Sridhar shares that he was diagnosed with autism under 12 months ago, and ADHD about 10 months ago. Instead of treating it as a setback, he frames it as a curiosity-driven opportunity to grow and better support his neurodivergent children. 

00:04:00 — Screeners missed ADHD… but the full assessment didn’t
He explains how ADHD screeners showed “nothing,” even though something clearly felt missing. He took a chance on a full ADHD assessment anyway, and it revealed ADHD, which clarified patterns he’d struggled to explain for years. 

00:06:00 — “Time isn’t our greatest resource. Focused curiosity is.”
Sridhar challenges the common idea that time is the most valuable resource. For him, the key is turning curiosity into a laser: compartmentalizing attention and focusing curiosity is what unlocked sustained growth and confidence. 

00:09:00 — Hyperfocus: superpower AND kryptonite
He describes hyperfocus as incredibly productive, but dangerous without strict boundaries. When he doesn’t put time limits around it, he burns out, stays up too late, crashes, and loses momentum the next day. 

00:11:00 — Emotional regulation is the foundation for clear thinking
Sridhar explains why calming the nervous system matters: emotions fire first, and critical thinking only works well once the mind is regulated. Yoga, breathing, and mindfulness become practical tools for keeping the “fast brain” from hijacking decision-making. 

00:18:00 — Productivity begins with “thinking first” and purpose
He argues most productivity advice focuses too much on implementation (“do, do, do”). His approach starts with purpose and alignment first, so decisions become simpler and focus becomes easier to protect. 

00:24:00 — Automating focus: do-not-disturb + yoga rituals
Sridhar shares how he uses focus mode and automation to reduce friction. For example, his phone automatically switches to do-not-disturb during yoga so he can create space mentally without distractions.

00:26:00 — Email overwhelm solution: Gmail Priority Inbox
He recommends Priority Inbox as a surprisingly powerful tool that most people ignore. Training the inbox helps him focus on what matters and mentally categorize everything else as “other,” reducing overload.

00:29:00 — Motivation hack: use “towards” AND “away from”
Sridhar explains motivation as both purpose-driven movement toward a goal and awareness of the pain of staying stuck. The key is defining the “towards” first so “away from” doesn’t turn into anxious chaos and avoidance.

00:41:00 — Final message: create space + be kind to yourself
He closes with a grounded summary: build space in your mind, focus your curiosity (especially inward), practice self-compassion, and remember everyone experiences the world through different internal “maps.”

Connect with Sridhar:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sridhard/

Connect with Jeremy:
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy
Email: jeremy@focusbear.io

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