The ADHD Productivity Spiral

It starts with a to-do list. You write everything down: tasks, goals, errands, dreams. Maybe even color-coded. Feels good. You’ve got a plan.

Then you try to start.

But the task you pick feels too big. Or too small. Or too boring. Or too complicated. So you switch to another one. Then another. Next thing you know, you’ve reorganized your desk, replied to 3 random emails, researched the lifespan of sea otters for no reason, and still haven’t done the one thing you actually needed to do.

Welcome to the ADHD productivity spiral.

It’s this chaotic loop of:

• Getting motivated

• Getting overwhelmed

• Getting distracted

• Feeling guilty

• Recommitting harder

• Burning out

It’s not laziness. It’s executive dysfunction dressed up as “I just need to try harder.”And the worst part? Sometimes you do knock out 10 things in one hyperfocused frenzy, which makes the spiral even more confusing. You think: “Why can’t I just do that every day?”

Because ADHD doesn’t work like that.

Your brain isn’t broken. It’s just wired differently. What looks like inconsistency on the outside is often the result of battling internal noise, emotional regulation issues, and a system that wasn’t built for your kind of thinking.

So what’s the fix?

Sometimes it’s tools. Sometimes it’s meds. Sometimes it’s accepting that your productivity will always be a little weird—and building your life around that instead of trying to force a system that clearly doesn’t work for you.

You’re not lazy. You’re navigating a maze with a flashlight that flickers at the worst times. Give yourself credit for even trying.

And if today all you did was feed yourself and remember one important thing?

That’s a win.