It’s All About Structure
“If an ADHDer doesn't write it down, it doesn't exist.” – Coach Traci
ADHD brains lack the ability to create the structure needed to take a task from initiation to completion, so learning how to move planning to an external space—outside of your brain—and asking the right questions are important skills to learn.
It's common to hear from frustrated ADHDers who were really excited about a project but then were confused when they couldn’t quite initiate the tasks or complete the project. Often, this means the plan was too vague or they didn’t have a plan at all because they weren’t clear what “done” would or should look like. If ADHD perfectionism is part of the inertia, this concept is all the more important.
The image here is the Deception Pass Bridge in Washington State where I live. Relative to other more elaborate bridge structures you see around the world—landmarks, really—this one is fairly simple. However, it’s more than a long surface situated on two land masses over the water. You can see the support members beneath the road surface. You can also see other support members, and still more that create a solid structure that serves its purpose of conveying people and cars from one side to the other. Planning tasks and projects may not have as many pieces and parts, but it nicely represents the logic of learning how to plan. A project you have in mind may seem simple at first glance, but there are often several small steps or considerations.
Task initiation and completion is helped greatly by developing the skill of asking yourself the right set of questions to ensure you can anticipate potential roadblocks and gaps in your understanding. This is a skill that can be learned with a little practice.
The key is to move the plan from your thoughts to a place where you can write down your plans and visually track your progress. I love pen and paper for the way it helps me organize my thoughts, but there are great apps for this as well (Trello is very popular amongst ADHDers). Then ask the following questions:
Is my plan broken down into the smallest possible steps?
Do I have everything I need to complete the task?
Is the time I’ve allotted realistic? It's a good idea to add 1.5 to 3 times the amount of time you think you’ll need, because ADHDers typically struggle with “time optimism.”
What obstacles can I anticipate that might get in the way?
How will I know the task is complete? What does “done” look like?
Another tool you can use while you’re learning to do this is to run your plan by someone who’s a good planner for feedback, and to see if you’re missing anything.
Also…YouTube! I once had an ADHDer tell me they were struggling with mopping the floors because they didn’t really have any experience with it, so they looked it up on YouTube and, voila!, they learned exactly what to do and what “done” should look like, and the struggle to do the job disappeared!