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Have you ever looked at your to-do list and felt completely paralyzed? Everything seems urgent, important, and overwhelming all at once.
If you have ADHD like me, you know this feeling well. Your brain sees all these tasks and feels the pressure, but lacks the ability to determine what actually needs to be done first.
The Paralysis Problem
Instead of tackling the most important task, we freeze. The desire to get started is there, but the ability to execute vanishes.
Why? Because our ADHD brains struggle with prioritization.
Hidden Signs You Can’t Prioritize
Not everyone realizes they struggle with prioritization. Here’s how it shows up:
- You try doing too many things simultaneously
- You commit to too many projects
- You’re constantly double-booked
- Things fall through the cracks regularly
It’s Not You, It’s Your Executive Function
This isn’t a character flaw. ADHD is a thinking impairment that affects the prioritization process.
We know what outcome we want, but the process of determining steps and assessing our capacity happens at warp speed—or not at all.
The result? A hot mess of unfinished projects and overwhelming to-do lists.
Why Traditional Methods Fail Us
The Eisenhower Matrix (urgent vs. important quadrants) assumes we can identify what’s truly important and urgent.
But that’s exactly what our executive function struggles with!
Instead, let me share two frameworks that actually work with our ADHD brains.
Framework #1: The Binary Decision Method
When faced with a new opportunity or idea (which happens constantly), ask yourself one simple question:
“Is this a new opportunity to pursue, or a problem to be solved?”
ADHDers tend to be additive. When overwhelmed by too many tasks, our instinct is to buy a new planner or productivity system—adding more complexity rather than simplifying.
This quick mental check helps stop the cycle of adding more to our plates.
Framework #2: The MoSCoW Method
This framework works beautifully for weekly planning because it doesn’t force us to determine urgency (which everything feels like with ADHD).
Instead, sort tasks into:
Must Have
The non-negotiables that absolutely need to happen
Should Have
Important but not critical tasks
Could Have
The shiny objects and “nice to haves”
Won’t Have (Right Now)
Your “not yet” list—not saying no forever, just not now
This framework acknowledges our difficulty with prioritization while giving us clear categories that make more sense to our brains.
The People-Pleasing Trap
Take a hard look at your task list:
- How many items are you doing for someone else’s approval rather than because they’re actually important to you?
- This is especially relevant for ADHD people-pleasers who struggle with boundaries.
The Power of the Parking Lot
The “Won’t Have” category (your parking lot list) is crucial for ADHD brains.
You’re not saying no to yourself—just “not right now.”
What’s fascinating is how many parking lot ideas lose their appeal within 48 hours once they’re out of your head.
Bottom line, this helps me be ruthless about what truly “must” happen versus what “could” or “won’t” happen now.
Ready to Ditch the Prioritization Paralysis?
Understanding that our ADHD brains don’t naturally prioritize well is liberating. It’s not laziness or lack of discipline—it’s how we’re wired.
I hope these frameworks provide just enough structure to get unstuck without the rigidity that makes us rebel.
Try one today. Your overwhelmed ADHD brain will thank you.
Looking for more ADHD productivity strategies? Get on the waitlist for the ADHD Reset where I help ADHD minds create focus and follow through on what matters most.
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