Planning and Prioritization with ADHD: Why It's So Hard—and What Can Help

For many adults with ADHD, the biggest obstacle isn’t a lack of motivation or intelligence—it's the invisible challenge of executive function. One key area that often trips people up is planning and prioritization. When your brain struggles to sort through tasks, decide what matters most, and figure out the steps to get there, even simple to-dos can feel like insurmountable mountains.

Let’s dive deep into why planning and prioritizing is so difficult for adults with ADHD—and, more importantly, what strategies can make a real difference.

What Is Planning and Prioritization?

Planning involves setting goals and figuring out the steps needed to reach them. Prioritization is deciding which tasks are most important and should be tackled first. These skills help us use our time and energy wisely, make good decisions, and avoid overwhelm.

In adults with ADHD, the neural networks that support these skills (especially in the prefrontal cortex) can function less efficiently. This leads to:

• Difficulty breaking tasks down

• Trouble deciding what to do first

• Overestimating or underestimating how long things will take

• Feeling paralyzed by choices

Let’s say you’re a freelance graphic designer with ADHD. Your to-do list might include:

• Finish a client’s logo

• Buy groceries

• Respond to urgent emails

• Call your dentist

• Submit a proposal

• Do laundry

You know they all need to happen… but your brain struggles to sequence them. Everything feels equally urgent or, oddly, equally impossible. So you end up doing none—or just laundry, because it feels “doable.”

Or consider a parent with ADHD trying to get kids ready for school. They need to make breakfast, pack lunches, find shoes, and sign a permission slip—but they forget to prioritize signing the slip until it’s too late.

This isn’t laziness. It’s a breakdown in the mental process of what comes first and how to get there.

Techniques That Can Help

The good news? Planning and prioritization are skills—and skills can be improved. Here are some tools and techniques commonly used in therapy and coaching:

1. Externalize the Plan

Why it works: People with ADHD often struggle to plan in their head. Making things visible helps reduce cognitive load.

How to do it:

• Use daily planners, whiteboards, or apps like Todoist, Trello, or Notion.

• Break tasks into smaller chunks (e.g., “write proposal” becomes “open doc,” “write intro,” “add bullet points”).

• Create visual timelines for big projects.

2. Use Prioritization Frameworks

Why it works: ADHD brains tend to see all tasks as equally important—or equally overwhelming. Frameworks create structure.

Try this:

• Eisenhower Matrix: Divide tasks into 4 categories: urgent/important, not urgent/important, urgent/not important, and not urgent/not important.

• ABCDE Method: Label tasks A (must do) to E (eliminate) to rank priority.

• MITs (Most Important Tasks): Choose 1–3 key tasks to focus on each day.

3. Time Blocking and Anchoring

Why it works: Helps combat “time blindness” and increases structure.

How to do it:

• Schedule specific tasks into calendar blocks (e.g., 10:00–10:30am: respond to emails).

• Anchor tasks to daily routines (e.g., “After coffee, I review today’s top 3 tasks”).

• Use alarms or visual timers like Time Timer to stay on track.

4. Start with the Easy Wins—or the Hard Ones

Why it works: Sometimes momentum is key. Other times, getting the hardest thing out of the way first removes dread.

Try experimenting with:

• The 2-minute rule (if a task takes <2 minutes, do it now)

• “Eat the frog” (start with your most difficult task first)

• Task bundling: Group similar tasks to do together (e.g., phone calls or errands)

5. Use Accountability and Support

Why it works: ADHD brains often benefit from external structure.

Ideas:

• Work with an ADHD coach or therapist.

• Try body doubling (working alongside someone else, in person or virtually).

• Share goals with a friend or use accountability apps like Focusmate.

Final Thoughts

Planning and prioritization may never feel effortless—but with the right strategies, they can become much more manageable. At our clinic, we work with clients to build these skills in a personalized, compassionate way. Whether it's using visual tools, breaking down goals, or creating routines that actually stick, there's always a path forward.

If you find yourself constantly overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

🧠 Interested in improving your executive functioning skills?We specialize in adult ADHD and offer evidence-based tools to help you thrive. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.