One thing I constantly think about when it comes to mastering ADHD (and ADHD overwhelm) is the problem around task prioritization. It’s an area where executive function can break down and people can struggle.
You Can’t Optimize Everything at Once
For many people with ADHD, this tradeoff feels intolerable. There’s often a desire to:
- Grow the business
- Be fully present at home
- Stay on top of admin
- Exercise consistently
- Maintain friendships
- Learn new skills
All simultaneously.
In a recent talk with someone I mentored in the past (and at this point am so proud of for their vast accomplishments) we were discussing how learning coding, machine learning, and AI systems has really transformed how they work.
Everything is an optimization problem
They said this and it really hit home as you can’t optimize everything at once and that can be something that really catches so many people with ADHD. They are focused on a bunch of things all at once and it leaves them overwhelmed, stressed, and becoming really down on themselves.
Optimize for one goal
So, what does this look like in practice? I think it can be different for different people but I think it’s working to have a better assessment of your focus – and your bandwidth.
Each week, I:
- Identify the most important outcomes.
- Choose the single highest-yield priority.
- Schedule it into my peak focus window.
Do I deviate? Yes. Flexibility matters.
Life happens but I think that’s important to have some flexibility around. For instance, someone may have a goal of a big project on a Saturday but they are exhausted from not getting enough sleep due to having a kid and it might make sense to prioritize self care that day and optimize around that.
If you are increasing the outcome of one thing, others will recede
I think this is one of the hardest things for folks with ADHD. We want it all, all at once. Task prioritization is hard and can cause a lot of damage to their self esteem. Chronic stress can have truly damaging effects on you and your health. So, be aware of that and work to simplify.
What is the one thing that will have the greatest yield or impact?
This is a question that you have to ask yourself each week and each day. You have all of these tasks and you can’t solve everything at once. Write them down and pick the one that will have the biggest impact.
External perspective can help counter ADHD-driven urgency bias.
This can also be something that you confer with a business partner, mentor, or partner in your life about.
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