Planning and Prioritisation: Navigating the ADHD Brain’s Unique Compass
Imagine standing in a bustling train station, surrounded by departure boards flashing endless destinations. You know you need to catch a specific train, but every platform seems equally urgent, and the timetables blur into chaos. For many with ADHD, planning and prioritisation feel exactly like this overwhelming, disorienting, and fraught with missed connections. Yet, with the right tools and self-understanding, that station can become a place of purposeful movement, not paralysis.
What Are Planning and Prioritisation?
Planning and prioritisation are executive functions that act as your brain’s project managers. They help you break down goals into steps, decide what matters most, and allocate time and energy effectively. Think of them as the architects of your daily life: without them, even simple tasks can feel like building a house without blueprints.
For neurotypical brains, these processes often run smoothly in the background. For ADHD brains, they’re more like a finicky GPS sometimes accurate, often glitchy, and prone to sudden reroutes.
Why Is This So Challenging with ADHD?
Neuroscience Behind the Struggle
ADHD is rooted in differences in the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s “control centre” for executive functions. Dopamine, the neurotransmitter that fuels motivation and focus, is in shorter supply here. This means:
Time Blindness: The ability to gauge how long tasks take or how much time has passed is often impaired. A 10-minute email can morph into an hour-long rabbit hole.
Working Memory Gaps: Holding multiple tasks in mind while deciding what to tackle first? Like juggling water.
Interest-Based Nervous System: Tasks that aren’t immediately engaging or urgent often get sidelined, no matter their importance.
Emotional and Practical Barriers
Overwhelm: Big projects trigger a “freeze” response. Where to start? How to finish?
Perfectionism: The pressure to do everything “right” can paralyse progress.
Task Ambiguity: Vague goals (“clean the house”) lack the clarity needed to act.
Overcommitment: Saying “yes” too often leads to a backlog of competing priorities.
What Does This Look Like in Real Life?
The Endless To-Do List: You write down “plan birthday party,” but instead of breaking it into steps, you fixate on finding the perfect playlist—three hours later, you’ve added 20 songs but haven’t ordered the cake.
The Forgotten Deadline: You knew the report was due Friday, but Thursday night still feels “early” until panic sets in at 11:59 PM.
The Cluttered Workspace: Your desk is a museum of half-started projects—craft supplies, unpaid bills, a half-read book—each a monument to scattered focus.
Strategies That Actually Help
1. Break Tasks into Micro-Steps
“Plan birthday party” becomes:
Choose a date.
Text three venue options.
Order cake flavour samples.
Each micro-step is a win, creating momentum.
2. Use Visual Tools
Mind Maps: Dump all ideas onto paper to see connections.
Colour-Coded Calendars: Assign colours for work, personal, and self-care.
Apps like Trello or Notion: Digital boards let you drag tasks from “To-Do” to “Done” and allow you to see one task at a time, break it down and tick off the step work. This can help minimise distraction and improve productivity and flow.
3. Prioritise with the “Eisenhower Matrix”
Categorise tasks into:
Urgent/Important (Do now).
Important/Not Urgent (Schedule).
Urgent/Not Important (Delegate).
Neither (Delete).
5. Body Doubling
Work alongside a friend (in person or virtually). Their presence can anchor your focus.
6. “Good Enough” Mentality
Aim for progress, not perfection. A messy draft is better than no draft.
Done and not perfect is better than perfect and not done
The Role of Self-Compassion
Planning struggles are not moral failures. They’re neurobiological realities. Notice self-critical thoughts (“Why can’t I just…?”) and reframe them:
“This is hard because my brain works differently—and that’s okay.”
“I’m learning to work with my brain, not against it.”
Celebrate small victories. Finished one micro-step? That’s a win. Resisted the urge to overcommit? Another win.
When to Seek Support
If planning challenges are impacting work, relationships, or self-esteem: consider accountability sessions such as focusmate (but there are plenty of others) or ADHD coaching to deep dive your personal challenges and support you in developing the strategies you need.
Motivation, Meaning, and Values
Tasks tied to personal values (“I’m organising my space to reduce stress”) feel more meaningful. For uninspiring tasks, find a “why”:
“I’ll pay bills tonight so I can relax guilt-free this weekend.”
Gamify it: Race a timer to file paperwork, then reward yourself with a favourite snack.
A Hopeful Conclusion
Planning and prioritisation with ADHD is not about fixing yourself—it’s about discovering what works for you. Some days, your system will hum; others, it’ll sputter. Both are part of the journey.
Think of it as tending a garden. You don’t berate the soil for being clay instead of loam—you learn which plants thrive there. With patience, curiosity, and the right tools, you’ll grow a life that’s uniquely yours: vibrant, imperfect, and always evolving.
So next time the train station feels chaotic, pause. Take one step toward the platform that matters most. Then another. You’ve got this.
Summary of Planning and Prioritisation
What Are Planning and Prioritisation?
Planning and prioritisation are the mental tools that help you set goals, break them into steps, and decide what needs your attention first. When these executive functions are working well, day-to-day life feels more manageable and less chaotic.
Why Are These Skills So Challenging with ADHD?
For people with ADHD, planning and prioritising can feel like trying to read a map with the landmarks constantly shifting. Differences in brain chemistry mean time can feel slippery, and tasks may all seem equally urgent or equally impossible to start. This is not a failing—just a reflection of how your brain is wired.
What Do Difficulties Look Like?
You might find yourself with a long to-do list and no clear starting point, or notice that you jump between tasks without finishing any. It is easy to spend hours on less important jobs simply because they are more interesting or less overwhelming, while the priorities keep getting pushed aside.
Emotional and Practical Barriers
Feelings of overwhelm, perfectionism, and fear of making the wrong choice can make planning and prioritising even harder. Vague or poorly defined tasks add to the confusion, and emotional decision-making can take over, making it tough to stick to what matters most.
Practical Strategies That Help
Breaking tasks into smaller, clearer steps, using visual tools like calendars or task boards, and experimenting with systems such as the Eisenhower Matrix can help you find clarity. Brain dumps, time-blocking, and routines can also reduce overwhelm and make your priorities more visible. Try different approaches and notice what works best for you.
The Importance of Self-Compassion
Struggling with planning and prioritisation is not a reflection of your worth. Kindness towards yourself, celebrating small wins, and understanding your own patterns can help you build confidence and resilience.
When to Seek Support
If these challenges are getting in the way of your wellbeing or relationships, support from a coach, or accountability partner can be invaluable. Sometimes an outside perspective or a bit of encouragement can help you find your footing.
Motivation, Meaning, and Values
Tasks become easier to plan and prioritise when they are connected to your values or have personal meaning. Even the mundane can feel more manageable when you link it to something that matters to you.
Moving Forward
Planning and prioritisation are skills you can nurture over time. Every small step towards clarity and order is progress, and the process of experimenting and learning what works for you is just as important as the outcome.