My old to-do lists looked gorgeous: color-coded, time-blocked… and completely useless by noon.
Like many ADHD brains, I’d plan inside a fantasy version of my day where I was alert, calm, and uninterrupted. Then reality arrived: low sleep, loud house, a surprise appointment, and a brain that refused to do the thing I scheduled for 9:00 a.m. The result? Shame spiral, task avoidance, and a fresh promise to “be more disciplined tomorrow.”
Here’s what finally worked: I stopped planning by time and started planning by energy.
But Del, what’s the difference?
Time is objective; energy isn’t.
Executive function swings with sleep, hormones, sensory load, meds, emotions, and how many decisions you’ve already made. Sometimes I fear it’s completely controlled by smoke signals from pigeons.
Thus, when a plan demands “deep focus at 9:00am,” but your brain is in “static noise at 9:00am,” you’re set up to fail, even if you have the time.
But Del, what are we supposed to do then?!
I’ll share the quick version first and then break it down.
But first, an important note: Everyone is different, especially those of us with the neurospicy brains. This may still not be something that works for you. I believe I needed the energy based planning because my ADHD is mixed so deeply with my depression, so when I lose energy, it’s more than just tiredness. If this doesn’t work for you, COMMENT and let me track down some other ideas for you!
Okay, step 1: Label your tasks by energy, not priority. (Obviously)
- Lots of energy: writing, complex emails, budgeting, and lesson planning.
- Medium energy: edits, replies, errands, basic admin.
- Low energy: dishes, sorting files, reformatting, simple returns.
Next: Tag for extra constraints.
- Time Needed: 5, 15, 30, 60 minutes.
- Social Load: solo / collaborative / phone.
- Emotional Weight: neutral / avoidance-magnet.
And finally: Match the task to the brain you have right now.
Now let’s check in: “What’s my current energy like?” If you’re foggy, pull a low energy, 5–15-minute task to get momentum. If you feel clear, grab high energy to capitalize on it and set a container (that’s next).
But Del, what do you mean by ‘container’?
I mean: I’ve set containment rules to help me do my tasks so I can keep moving when I don’t want to, OR, can gently rev me up into the big work.
The 10/20/40 Rule: When I feel scattered, I pick 10 minutes of movement (dishes, quick tidy), 20 minutes of admin (inbox, forms), then 40 minutes on one important task. That 70-minute arc builds enough traction to continue — or to stop without guilt, which is highly important.
Sometimes we have to admit we can’t do all the things when we want to. If we try to push ourselves past what our body and mind tell us, we’ll crash.
Two-Minute Momentum: Start with a tiny “ignition step” (open doc, title the page, paste outline). If resistance remains after two minutes, switch categories without judgment. Seriously, even if you have a deadline on that manuscript, if you can’t get your mind on board with it right now, it’s okay. Try again after you do something adjacent or entirely different for a bit.
The “Soft Start” playlist: One song = set up; two songs = warm-up task; three songs = real work. No timers to set; music does the time-keeping, and you likely to know a couple songs that get you pumped, and that’s the entire point of containers: to move and then keep moving.
A real example (from last Tuesday)
I had “write 1,000 words by 9:30am.” on my list. For one: I should have known better already because I have never been able to meet a word count goal. My brain is highly averse to that. For another thing, I’m in a bad time of the year. There’s a lot of old traumas that happened around here, so keeping myself positive is a full time job in and of itself right now.
So, suffice to say, at 9:30am, I had the executive function of a potato.
Instead of forcing it, or sitting there hating myself for potato mode, I ran through my system.
Energy check: brain foggy, restless.
Okay, take a breath. Let it out. Now look at my tasks and choose something with less energy. I went with my 10-15 minute zone: renamed files, cleared three emails, loaded the laundry.
Result: small dopamine hits, nervous system downshifted from overdrive and run from a bear mode.
Good Del. Now, build up.
Move to medium energy: 20 minutes revising yesterday’s paragraph. May not have been writing yet, but I was in the manuscript now. I highly believe in doing “thing-adjacent” when times like these hit.
Result: Feeling a lot more like I can handle the original task. No more Potato Del.
Alright, let’s do this: 45 minutes of clean writing. (Notice this time, I remembered to avoid the word count goal? Work with your chaos, not against it.)
I didn’t hit 1,000 words by 9:30, but I produced 900 by 11:00 with zero shame spiral.
That is a win.
But Del, what if the day explodes?
Don’t you worry, mine does that more than anyone else it seems.
Use micro-batches: three 10-minute blocks sprinkled between interruptions. Example:
1. Declutter your desktop (digital or physical).
2. Draft three bullet points for tomorrow’s big task.
3. Send one uncomfortable email using a template.
Tiny doesn’t mean trivial. Three micro-batches often equal one focused block — and they survive chaotic days. There’s always something that can still be mirco-accomplished in between the rest of the rubble. You just have to be willing to look at your items and see what that tiny step could be.
Tools that help (low effort, low friction)
Three-Column Pad: High / Medium / Low energy columns + a small “avoidance-magnet” box for one hard thing.
Sticky Note Filters: Put H / M / L on separate notes; tuck them at the edge of your monitor.
Body Check Cue: A phone wallpaper or desk card that simply asks, “What energy do I have right now?”
Gentle troubleshooting
“I always choose Low-Focus.” Then cap it: two low-focus tasks unlock one medium or high.
“Everything FEELS high-focus.” If it’s emotionally heavy, return to my “thing-adjacent” tactic. (collect examples, outline headings, paste quotes) and label that Medium. (And if you want me to talk solely on the adjacent tactic next, please let me know! I’d be happy to!)
“I forget to check energy.” Pair the check-in with a habit you already do: first sip of coffee, opening your laptop, or after every bathroom break.
The mindset shift that mattered
Energy-first planning isn’t about lowering the bar. It’s about matching the task to the brain you actually have, so you can finish more with less friction — and end your day proud instead of defeated. When I plan this way, I don’t need a perfect morning. I just need the next right task for the fuel in the tank. This is what I teach all my clients when I coach them: we work with our chaos here, not against it. Don’t try to force your chaos into order, it only gets worse. Instead, give it space to tell you what works, and then work with it. Things become a hell of a lot easier after that.
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