Do you know why phrases like “keep your options open” and “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” can steal hours from your day?

These phrases are usually said with love. 

Maybe a friend tells you to “keep your career options open before specializing".

Or a parent warns you “not to commit to one path too early".

But for dyslexic brains, this advice can backfire. 

Because too many options create overwhelm.

And when you keep multiple mental tabs open, instead of focusing on just one thing.

You’re going against your brain’s natural thinking style.

Which can make you lose time, lose focus and lose momentum.

NOS

The world runs on step by step, sequential, color by numbers systems.

Society sells you linear thinking as the sole path to success.

This one dimensional neurotypical thinking…

Is why dyslexics struggle in conventional structures.

School, work, productivity. 

They all run on NOS: Neurotypical Operating Systems.

So you learned to think their way, or at least tried to.

Which is why your world feels like a square peg in a round hole simulation.

But you've got a secret weapon.

One that’s aligned with your dyslexic thinking style.

Something so unique and powerful.

That you might not even be using.

HOW THEY MAKE THE SAUSAGE

You know who Tom Cruise is yeah?

No, this isn't turning into a dyslexic celebrity success story, 

It's about his working method and your shared thinking skill. 

Let me explain.

You’ve heard of his Mission Impossible blockbuster movies right?

Well, here’s how those movies get made.

Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie have been working together in Hollywood for almost 20 years.

For each big movie scene, they’ll sit down and ask each other:

"What do you want to do?"

Tom might say:

• "What if I climb the Burj Khalifa?"

• "What if I ride a motorcycle off a cliff?"

• "What if I hang on the wing of a bi-plane at 140 mph?"

So they’ll map out the logistics, create and shoot the stunt over weeks or months. 

Once completed, the screenwriters get handed finished stunts that they now have to build a story around.

What situations do they put Tom Cruise's character in order to justify the stunts? How do they fill in the gaps with moments that complement and enhance the plot while moving the story forward?

SECRET TIME MACHINE

As someone with dyslexia, you also have this dynamic thinking skill. The ability to create solutions or solve problems by starting at the end. This means you can see the result or a complete picture first, then work backward to figure out how to get there. 

The advantage is that when you lock in a specific outcome, you stop chasing every option under the sun and concentrate on reaching the option you've chosen.

In Tom’s Big Picture Movie Making System, stunts cost millions of dollars and months to shoot.

They can't change the stunt to fix the story. They can’t start over without wasting a huge amount of time or money.

That’s the built-in brilliance of this system. You can only move in one direction and that’s towards completion. 

To be clear, you're not saving time because you’re working faster. 

You're saving time because:

• You're not second-guessing yourself into false starts

• You get back on track faster after interruptions

• You know exactly when you're done

Here’s why this is huge for dyslexics.

As dyslexics, one of our executive function weaknesses is task switching or re-orientation.

It takes us 2.5 times longer to switch between tasks than neurotypicals and we can lose up to 40% of our productive time due to the cognitive load of constantly switching.

Every time you switch tasks, it costs you an average of 23 minutes. 

Most people think constraints are restraints. 

Here, it's the opposite, they work in your favor.

The constraint of working from a fixed point (the result) forces you to finish without FOMO or the threat of distraction.

That’s your secret time machine! 

Dyslexia and Attentional Shifting | Journal: Neuroscience Letters, 2007
Digital Multitasking and Hyperactivity:Unveiling the hidden costs to brain health | Rubinstein, Meyer, and Evans | PMC, 2024

THE GARAGE  

As powerful as this secret time machine is, a lot of dyslexics don’t tap into it and here’s why.

Picture this…

You're in a meeting talking about some project. You already see the solution - the whole thing.

You know the project should move in a specific direction.

But it's obvious the way the team is planning the project won't work.

So you speak up and let them know.

Then someone on the team asks you to:

"Walk us through your thinking."

That’s when you freeze…

You can't give a logical answer reverse-engineering steps your brain never took.

Your brain didn't solve the project’s problem sequentially. It saw the whole pattern and hasn't had the chance to map it out for others.

In that panicky moment, you have two choices:

• To stumble through an explanation that makes you look like you didn't think it through or

• To say nevermind, stay quiet and watch your peers go down a path you already know won't work.

Neither of which are great options.

Which is why your Time Machine stays parked in the garage.

Self preservation.

BIG PICTURE MOVIE MAKER  

As a dyslexic, you’re likely living a square peg life in a round hole existence.

You're constantly running into interference at work because of how you think. 

The interference is stressful; it can hurt you professionally and financially. Especially if you’re in a job or career that doesn't recognize your brand of thinking.

So if you work in a neurotypical space (step by step, sequential, color by numbers systems) and each week you’re getting reprimanded, complained about or delayed by co-workers or the work itself…

This hard-to-pinpoint disconnect might be why. 

If you work for someone else, implementing the Big Picture Movie Making System can be a long shot, but not Mission Impossible. 

So what are your realistic options?

ACCOMMODATIONS WITH A WARNING:

Before asking for accommodations, make sure you:

Research how your company actually handles them. This isn't about what's legally required - it's about what happens in practice.

Talk to people who've requested accommodations.

Did it help or hurt? Are they treated differently now? Do they get passed over for projects? Some companies do this right. Others weaponize it against you.

Laws vary wildly - state to state, country to country. The US handles it differently than the UK. And even within the US, protections differ by state. Don't assume what worked for someone in California applies to you in Texas.

The goal is to avoid making your situation worse. You don't want to formally disclose your dyslexia only to find yourself suddenly "not the right fit" for promotions or new opportunities. Do your homework first! 

AI IS YOUR FRIEND:

Use AI (free versions) to translate your thinking:

You see the whole solution. Your brain already did the work. You just can't explain it in their step-by-step language. That's where AI comes in.

Use Claude AI or ChatGPT with prompts like:

• "I know we need to restructure the project this way [describe outcome]. Help me explain the reasoning in sequential steps that show my logic."
  

• "Turn this outcome-first solution into a step-by-step plan that sounds like traditional project planning."

Create visual diagrams using Claude AI:

• "Create a flowchart showing how [your solution] works from start to finish."
  

• "Make a diagram that shows the logic behind [your approach] in a way that's easy for linear thinkers to follow."

You’re a dynamic, lateral, big picture movie-making thinker.

And your secret time machine has been parked in the garage for too long.

How about you take her out for a spin?

Know someone who’d appreciate this? Share it with them.
More Powered to the People!

Each PXD issue lives in one of 5 categories: Passion · Energy · Skills · Capabilities · Opportunity
Browse past issues by category anytime at pxd.news