Start with your smallest tasks first

In today’s episode, I talk about why you should start your day with your smallest tasks.

Transcript

Hello, hello, hello. This is the ADHD for the Win podcast. I’m Chris Ferdinandi. Thanks so much for joining me today. I’m talking about why you shouldn’t do your biggest tasks first. Let’s dig in. So nearly every productivity system that I’ve seen recommends starting your day by working on your biggest, most important tasks first.

But if you have ADHD, getting started is often the hardest part. Once you get moving, hyperfocus can kick in, hopefully, and things really start moving. But most productivity advice is written by and for neurotypicals. That’s not you, that’s not me. If your ADHD flow state isn’t already hyper focused on the stuff you need to get done, start with the smaller tasks first.

Get your mind moving in that direction. If you have smaller tasks related to the big ones, all the better. You’re trying to overcome your mental inertia. It’s much easier to get some smaller rocks rolling than one big one. You’ll create a big rock slide either way. Sorry, that was a really contrived and forced analogy, but hopefully you get the idea that I’m going for here, right?

And conversely, if your ADHD flow state is that you’re already hyper focused on the stuff you need to get done. You’re just, your body’s going to want to go do that big thing. Anyways, nothing’s going to stop it. Um, and you don’t really need the system at that point. Uh, but yeah, if you’re, if you’re having your typical, like, uh, getting started as hard day, pick some small things, start working on them, do like the easiest thing that will get you working that you can actually start doing and you can get moving from there.

Uh, that’s it for today. If you feel like your ADHD is holding you back, or you just want to learn how to get more out of your ADHD, I write a short email each weekday on how to unlock your neurodivergent superpowers. Head over to ADHDFTW. com. That’s ADHD for the win to sign up. That’s it for today and I’ll see you next time.

Cheers.