Let me show you what that looks like in practice.
The first step is to make tasks smaller, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to remove unnecessary steps. In the morning, my medication is already out and ready to take. In the bathroom, my creatine sits next to my toothbrush, and my towel is already hanging where I need it. On days when I am feeling particularly organised, I will even lay out my clothes the night before.
None of these things is difficult on its own, but together they reduce friction. Instead of facing ten separate tasks, I face three or four. That small reduction can make the difference between feeling paralysed and simply getting on with the day.
I noticed the same thing when I was preparing for an athletic event. The idea of cooking chicken every evening felt exhausting before I had even started. So I changed the system. I seasoned three or four days’ worth of chicken in one large container at the start of the week. Then, when dinner time arrived, all I had to do was put it in a pan.
Rather than spending thirty minutes cooking every night, I spent thirty minutes once and about ten minutes each evening afterwards. The total amount of work was similar, but the daily mental cost was dramatically lower.
That is the part people often miss. ADHD is not simply a lack of motivation; it is frequently a problem of activation and mental load. When a task feels too large, too complicated, or too repetitive, the brain resists starting it.
So whenever I can, I ask myself four questions:
• How can I make this smaller?
• How can I make this easier?
• Is it doable right now?
• What would “done” look like?
Then I repeat the process tomorrow.
You do not need a perfect routine. You do not need extraordinary discipline. Sometimes the most effective ADHD strategy is simply creating an environment where the next action is obvious and effortless.
Small. Easy. Doable. Done. Repeat.
That is not just a productivity tip. For many people with ADHD, it is a way of making everyday life feel possible again.
