Like packing, deadlines are one of those things that seem to haunt people with ADHD. One moment the deadline is in the far distance; the next and it’s right in front of you, and the shift is almost frightening. Panic hits hard, and each times the same thoughts come to mind: I wish I had given myself more time. I wish I had tried harder.
There is only really one solution to this, and that is to simply make your wish come true.
I will say, I do think deadlines are very different once you leave school, and so is the pressure type they create. For me anyway, there is less to do, but the danger of not doing my work feels more immediate.
When the deadline first appears, start working towards it. It doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to be impressive. Just do something. Build momentum, even if it’s small.
Right now, I have university assignments due over the next few months, and I’ve managed to remove that last-minute panic. Not because I’ve mastered working under pressure, but because I have realised something more important: whilst I can get things done at the last minute, I cannot always achieve the quality I want with a limited amount of time. And quality, in the end, is what actually determines the result.
