How to Finish What You Start: An ADHD-Friendly Guide

The number of abandoned tasks that tally up can be a sore subject when you have ADHD, many feel that it defines their character not being able to finish what they start but the truth is that for the ADHD brain, there are so many different hurdles that need to be jumped over at each stage.

For the neurotypical person, starting and finishing a task, depending on what the task is, may throw up some challenges such as feeling tired or bored by the task that needs to be completed, or there is something more interesting for them to be doing. For the ADHD individual, there are countless more challenges to navigate on their way to finishing a task.

Let’s take a look at what those challenges are and take a deep dive into how we think you can go about not only starting and finishing the task at hand but staying punctual and enjoying it too.

Why is it so Difficult to Stay on Task with ADHD?

The ADHD brain seeks dopamine, therefore if the task you have to complete doesn’t provide sufficient dopamine to keep you interested then it will try to seek it elsewhere. The ADHD brain's tendency toward impulsivity also takes up a lot of brain power and many find it difficult to stay on task when there are so many other distractions to jump to.

Many neurotypical people will be able to rely on mental to-do lists but for those with ADHD, these take up too much brain power, and the difficulties with working memory mean that things are easily forgotten, then usually remembered when halfway through another task, meaning you switch to the thing you forgot and forget to finish the thing you were doing.

Pressure can also make it difficult for individuals with ADHD. Feeling out of control can make them want to try new organisation methods but doing this under pressure is not advised. 

Beyond: A Private ADHD Clinic’s Guide to Starting and Finishing Your Tasks

Very often, simply making a start is the hardest part of completing a task. Below is an 8-step guide to help you start, stay on track, and finish tasks with ease.

1.        Find an Entry Point.

Possibly the most important stage as this is the springboard to which you create momentum to get you through your task. It’s first important to define your task and break it down. Then focus on the very first point to get the task started, which could simply be “gather materials” or “open up document”. Starting the task is often the hardest part for those with ADHD so it helps to make your entry point extremely simple, as this will give you momentum for the rest of the task.

2.        Eliminate Potential Distractions.

Eliminate any possibility of distractions and potential procrastination which feed into the already overwhelming feeling the ADHD brain has of disorganisation and disinterest. Firstly, start by removing things that do interest you such as your phone, your book, or a snack, and then break your tasks down to make them more manageable. You can try reminding yourself why the task is important with small breaks by using the Pomodoro Method and incorporating rewards.

3.        Create and Maintain a Master List.

Create a master list of all the to-do’s that keep circling your mind, this will help to clear up much-needed brain space. It’s even helpful to have a master home and master work list. Having an ongoing master list of all the things you would like to get through can help you plan how much time you need, and which tasks can be completed on which days, and from here, you can break it down and create your daily to-do lists.

4.        Create Daily To-Do Lists.

Creating daily to-do lists from your master lists allows you to be intentional about how you spend your time, allowing you to tick off tasks as they get done, and feeding your brain that all-important dopamine. Without creating your master list first, your daily to-do lists don’t work toward your overall goal. One of your tasks from your master list could be to declutter your loft, from this, you can break down this task into which specific tasks you will do on which days, such as “Monday - sort through boxes”, “Tuesday – empty alcoves” which helps to keep overwhelm to a minimum.

5.        Get Really Good at Prioritising.

Learning the difference between urgent and important is difficult for the ADHD brain, so when it comes to creating daily to-do lists, it can be difficult to keep them on track toward your overall goal. The important tasks carry you closer to your long-term goal and urgent tasks are time-sensitive. Choose the most urgent and important tasks first, after this you can work on the less important and smaller tasks.

6.        Understand Your Limitations.

When you’re in the zone, or “hyper-focusing” it can feel like you can go on forever but it’s really important to know your limitations, you can’t do it all in one day and if you do try to conquer it all, you will quickly burnout and your progress will come to a standstill. Making peace with the fact some things won’t get finished, as well as learning to say no and delegating where possible are techniques that can help you complete your goal.

7.        Practice Your Prep Work.

Working on your organisation and planning ahead where possible can really help you get through a task. Prepping your tools, information, and knowledge ahead of time can give you a boost of momentum to get started and help you keep going when you want to slow down. If you need to clean your bathroom, gather all the cleaning supplies you need and clear the bathroom of obstacles beforehand, then set a time to do it and remove any distractions.

8.        Change up Your Scheduling.

A great way to help with your time management is to start scheduling backward. Very often we plan our tasks to be done for the time or day they are needed, but what can help is to plan for the time you need to finish to enable you to send off, clean up, or arrive at your destination. For example, if you need to complete a work assignment for Tuesday at 10 am, don’t plan to finish your assignment at 10 am on Tuesday, plan to finish it at 3 pm the day before, allowing you time to check for mistakes and get it ready to send. Then you have time the next morning to write your email and send it. It also helps to give yourself some buffer time to accommodate any unforeseen circumstances.

Other Tips to Help Your Brain Focus

There are also small things you can do for your well-being that can help you start and finish those important tasks. Firstly, ensure that you are taking care of your brain. It’s really difficult to focus and get things done if you’re tired, hungry, or feeling lethargic. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating nourishing foods regularly, and making sure you move your body by getting outside for regular walks.

Practicing mindfulness can really help with decreasing your procrastination. Often, we don’t realise just how much time we spend on social media, or how easily we get distracted by that email that pings through, practicing mindfulness can raise your awareness of these things and keep you in the moment. Again, using the Pomodoro method can help here as well as writing down how long you think a task will take, and if something is taking too long then you can look into why that is.

If you are a serial task abandoner, then accept this and work toward helping yourself stop. You can create a Google calendar that you can move unfinished tasks into but set a limit to how many you can have at the end of the week. If there are more than you allow yourself, you can pick the quickest or easiest task to quickly finish to ensure you don’t exceed your number.

How a Private ADHD Clinic in Manchester Can Help You

At Beyond Clinics, we offer comprehensive ADHD assessments for adults, children, and families alongside extensive experience and expertise in assessing and diagnosing within 4 weeks or at a pace that suits you.

Our simple step-by-step process employs the 3 fundamentals of testing tools required to give the most accurate diagnosis, where the results of each work together to form a clear picture of each case. Our highly robust ADHD assessments provide a full suite of information for the transfer of care too.

We are a private ADHD clinic in Manchester, run by a team of professionals who walk the ADHD path, so we understand just how difficult small and insignificant tasks can be compared to neurotypical individuals.

Contact us today, to see how we can help you live your life to its full potential.