Writing With ADHD - Tasks
In February of 2025 I was clinically diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive Presentation, Anxiety Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder. I write to process my feelings, struggles, and lessons. I shared more of my initial diagnosis in THIS article.
In this series, WRITING WITH ADHD, I share some of the processes and coping strategies that keep me productive and focused.Ditch the List
I talked a little about task management in THIS POST as it pertains to maintaining a content calendar. Instead of scheduling every post or piece of content, I have rhythms and systems in place. My task list works in a similar way.
Traditional task lists are overwhelming because it is difficult for me to prioritize. Seeing everything I have to do, broken down into all the individual steps, goals, and outcomes is paralyzingly overwhelming. Everything feels immediate. Every single item has the same weight, importance, and priority.
It leads to almost immediate overwhelm. Planning is my Achilles Heel. Not because I CAN’T make a plan. I am a master at spending hours making the plan, organizing the plan, and making it look visually beautiful. However, when it comes time to WORK the plan - it falls apart. The dopamine was all used up in planning the plan.
My husband is a list maker. He has scattered pieces of paper, old envelopes, and note pads covered with all the things he needs to do. It used to frustrate him when I would forget things or put things off until the last minute. Now that we both better understand how my brain is wired, we’ve been able to figure out a system that works for us.
I’ve tried dozens of systems. Franklin Covey’s number and lettering. Atomic Habits. The Full Focus Planner. Bullet Journaling. Happy Planners. DayTimer. If it is a calendar, planner, or organizing system I’ve probably tried it. Back to the hyper focus for a moment, I get an absolute dopamine hit each time I start a new program. Every time I set up a new planner my brain is convinced THIS IS THE ONE! But within weeks or months, the wonder wears off, and I’m searching for a new system. Money gets wasted and I have shelves full of half full planners, journals, and note books.
Constantly changing my task and calendar system every few months was all well and good when I was working a corporate job that dictated me where I should be, how long I would be there, what I should be doing while there, and how to do what I was supposed to be doing.
Working for myself as an independent author, artist, business woman, and columnist means I am responsible for not only doing all those things, but setting them up, prioritizing my day, and scheduling.
Controlling the Chaos
When I left my corporate job and came home full time in January of 2025, I gave myself a few months to adjust to being home. I needed some time to decompress from the stress and let go of the routine I had been in for more than 40 years. It wasn’t easy. Being home was wonderful, but after a few weeks I felt like something was missing, and I knew that if I wanted to make a career of my writing, I was going to have to get serious.
I set up my new work from home office, choose the project I was going to work on, and laid out a daily, time blocked calendar. It was color coded and scheduled to the minute. It worked for three days. Then I found myself puttering around on the internet when I was supposed to be writing, or repotting plants when I was supposed to be creating social media content. What I did create was scattered, irregular, and completely random.
I had zero direction, and that quickly led to chaos in my daily work. Some days I would write, others I would spend hours in Canva or reading Substack. I had no target and no cohesive plan for how to achieve what I really wanted to do, which was become a published author again.
I knew I needed help, so I hired a branding and identity coach. The work she and I are doing together is so much more than developing a logo and a sales strategy.
Working with her has helped me define what my targets are, how I need to get there, and what I need to let go of. I paid her a lot of money to help me, but I’ll share a few of the most helpful things I’ve learned with you. And if you want to work with her, I’ll include her information at the bottom of this post!
Defining the Target
Before I could plan what daily steps to do, I needed to know what my target was.
As a side note, I like the word target rather than goal mostly because I have such a negative association with goals. It reminds me of lists of detailed tasks that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. I get stressed just thinking about all the times I tried to put my desires and dreams into that framework. I would spend so much time creating this perfect plan then the excitement wore off, and when it came time to actually DO what I’d written, I was overwhelmed and often defeated.
Instead, I spent time figuring out my targets in very simple terms. I gave them no timelines. I simply wrote down what I wanted to achieve or do in no particular order.
Publish books
Have a newsletter
Make money
And tell people about Jesus in the process
What this revealed were my priorities. The last one being the most important. Telling people about Jesus created the filter through which all the other priorities had to pass through. That set my core values and gave me the framework for how I would achieve the others. For you, it might be making people aware an illness. It might be raising funds for a specific cause. Some people call this your why.
Knowing why you do what you do is vital. Telling people about Jesus isn’t my only why. I also want to entertain with great stories, encourage others, and teach. Knowing those whys then defines the other priorities on the list. I entertain by publishing books, I teach and encourage through my newsletter, and I make money through sales of the books and teaching.
Once I knew what and why, I could begin to lay out the how.
Trust the Process
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Without taking action on the priorities, all I’d managed this far was another list of wishes and dreams. Some of what comes next was covered in THIS POST on Hyper Focus. It’s the superpower that gets me through my days. The struggle is being intentional in what I allow myself to fixate on by knowing what my most important tasks are.
I limit myself to three. Three per month. Three per week. Three per day. That’s it.
Today, my list looks like this:
Write one article
Follow up with critique group members
Complete Editing Contract
My week:
Update P&L
Set up new computer
Outline Next Newsletter Series
My Month:
Complete Two Newsletter Series
Create Pinterest and Meta Templates (Canva)
Complete Branding Workbook #4
Under each of these tasks are many steps, but I know what it takes to complete any one of these. I don’t need to write out a detailed description for each step I need to take. I have learned to list the main task trust myself to get all the little steps done to accomplish it.
For instance, I know that in order to update my P&L (Profitt and Loss), I will need to pull bank statements and receipts. I’ll need to check my current account balances, verify payments, update new and cancelled subscriptions, etc. I also know that to complete the Pinterest and Meta templates, I need to pull quotes from long content, create the graphics, download, save, and label them. To follow up with my critique group, I need to check the Google Drive folders, verify who has uploaded a new file, message the group, post a link to writing advice to the feed, etc.
This again, is where the hyper focus comes in handy. When I am working on the P&L, I can pull all the information I need and input it in a few hours. I know exactly what I need each month. There is no need to spend time creating a check list unless I am regularly forgetting something.
That was the lesson I learned. A check list is a good tool if you find yourself forgetting a step, but don’t make it another task to complete. Trust yourself to know what you need to do.
At the end of the day or month, it is very likely I will accomplish MORE than three things on each of these lists. By noting only what my top three are for any given period, I avoid being overwhelmed. If you want to track what you have done, start a DONE list. As you do things throughout the day, add it to the list.
Folded Laundry
Washed the Dishes
Wrote a chapter
Returned an email
Made a payment
A DONE list helps me create momentum when I’m feeling unmotivated. I don’t use one everyday, but sometimes it provides a visual reminder that I didn’t rot the day away!
Project Tracker
A project tracker keeps me focused on the book, article series, or collaborative work I’m doing. In it, I keep track of where I am in the process, any associated deadlines, who I’m working with, and what comes next.
Like the task list, this isn’t a detailed breakdown of each thing that needs done. It is simply a visual way for me to know what kind of progress I’m making on any given project. I use Notion to organize and visually see everything I have in the pipeline, what is complete, and when something is due.
At a glance I can see where I am in the publishing process and what I need to be preparing for next. This is less a task list, and more of a true tracker. It helps keep up with deadlines, who currently has the project - editor, beta reader, formatter, etc - and who needs it next.
There are general breakdowns of steps for each project, and I can add more details if I need to, but most of the time, just seeing what the next step is keeps me moving.
What I like about using Notion is the filters. It allows me to keep this giant list of everything, but most of the time, I only see what I am ACTUALLY working on.
This eliminates distractions and overwhelm, but still keeps all my work in one tidy place.
I also have a pipeline of Content that I shared in the Hyper Focus article. I sort it the same way. When I want to see everything I can, or I can narrow it to only what I’m currently working on.
Calendars and Schedules
Lastly, I keep all my appointments, events, and meetings in an online calendar. I am 100% Apple flavored, so I use iCal but Google or Notion are good options. I like being able to access the calendar on my phone for scheduling appointments on the go and being able to quickly see what I and the rest of my family have going on.
I have set up a time blocked daily schedule, but it is mostly a suggestion. If I need to control my time on any given day, or if my attention is wandering too much, I use timers. If I know I am distracted and wandering on the internet when I should be writing, I’ll set a 20 or 30 minute timer and write for that time. Usually, once I’ve written during the timed period, I am focused enough to keep going. If not, I set it again.
The time blocking on my calendar is also a reminder of things I need to do EVERYDAY. It has become part of my routine now, so I don’t stick rigidly to the times I originally blocked off. It is a good visual to remind myself to eat or that the largest part of my day should be spent writing.
Take Aways:
If you are working for yourself, you can set your own routines. If it doesn’t look like SMART Goals, lists of numbered tasks, or pages of detailed steps don’t stress. Know what your targets are and know why they are your targets. This will help you figure out how you need to achieve them.
Once you know the what and the why, take time to figure out what routines work for you. Build systems and routines rather than tasks, then learn to trust yourself. If you find you’re forgetting something, make a short checklist. Once you find you’re not using the check list anymore, let it go. Don’t make checking all the boxes another task to compete if you don’t need it.
Limit yourself to three priorities for each day, week, and month. You’ll probably do many more than that, but limit the list to the most important three. If you want some extra motivation, add a DONE list below the top three. Jot down the things you finish as you go through your day. It can be super encouraging to see how many things you did do in a day, week, or month!
If you have multiple projects going at once, consider creating a way to keep track of where you are in the process. Not a step by step guide, but just something to visually keep you on track. You’ll know where to pick up when you get distracted, and you’ll know exactly what you need to do to finish.
Make your calendar easy to use and access. There are many online apps that make keeping track of what’s going on easy. If you find paper planners work well for you, use them but try to keep them simple. Don’t add another task to your day if you don’t need to.
Too many tasks can lead to our next topic - BURNOUT. I’ll share some of the strategies I use to keep the creativity flowing while staying focused on what matters most - writing!
And if you are a female writer, creative, or entrepreneur looking for branding, coaching, or business consulting, Shonda Ramsey will be your new go to! Check out all she has to offer on her website Shonda Ramsey.com
Things to think about:
What planning or task management systems haven’t worked for you in the past?
Why not? How can you modify or simplify them to suit your process?
If you find value in the free content I create and you want to help me create more would you buy me a coffee?
It is an easy way to make a one time donation of any amount.
Even a couple dollars goes a long way toward helping me do what I love.