What is ADHD Coaching?

The Real Reason You Never ‘Get to It Later’ (ADHD Edition)

April 13, 2025

Have you ever told yourself: “I’ll get to that later…”
Only to realize later became next week, next month, or never?

If you have ADHD, you’ve likely lived this cycle more times than you can count.

I'm here to tell you - You’re not lazy and your brain isn't broken. 

You’re just stuck in a pattern built on a myth that hits especially hard for ADHD brains:

What we ADHDers tell ourselves -

• “I’ll figure out a system when things settle down.”
• “I need to wait until I have more time to focus.”
• “I work better under pressure anyway.”
• “I just need to find the right planner, tool, or routine—and then I’ll be consistent.”
• “I need to clean up everything else first.” (my personal favorite - procrasticleaning!)

What’s actually happening:

ADHD time blindness makes it nearly impossible to feel the urgency of later. Time becomes stretchy, foggy, and hard to track. 

So we push things off—not because we don’t care, but because our brains lose track of time entirely.

Tasks get buried under others. 

The “right time” never shows up. 

Then we’re in emergency mode - overwhelmed, ashamed, and eventually burned out.

ADHD and time is a whole different ball game

ADHD affects your executive function—the part of the brain responsible for planning, sequencing, and taking action. That includes:

• Time blindness: Difficulty sensing how much time has passed or how long something will take
  
  
• Working memory: Trouble holding deadlines or timelines in mind
  
  
• Task initiation issues: You know what to do… but starting feels like climbing Mount Everest
  
  
• All-or-nothing thinking: “If I can’t do it all now (and do it perfectly), I’ll just wait.”
  
  

This creates a loop of procrastination, panic, guilt, and burnout. 

The worst part? Most of us try to fix it with traditional productivity tools—rigid schedules, time-blocking apps, or to-do lists that just make us feel worse when we don’t follow them.

Anyone else have a planner graveyard on their bookshelf?

What Actually Works for ADHD Time Management

So let’s reframe the entire approach starting with one giant mindset shift (buckle up) -

ADHD time management isn’t about getting it all done.

It’s about finding the smallest next step that helps Future You—not some imagined perfect version, but the you who will be tired, distracted, or pulled in five different directions.

You don’t need a miracle morning (though it works for some people!).

You need a way to build rhythm, clarity, and momentum—even if you’re starting from stuck.

AI can help our time-muddled ADHD brains

This might surprise you, but AI can be an incredible support system for ADHD time management.

Why? Because it reduces the cognitive load of starting, planning, and remembering. 

I’m all for reducing cognitive load. 

It’s why so many successful ADHDers always eat the same thing for breakfast or dress in a sort of uniform. I happen to love a variety of clothes so I lay out my outfit the night before. That helps reduce the number of decisions I need to make before I sit at my desk. 

But I digress… that’s my ADHD brain for you!

AI takes the pressure off your brain to figure it all out alone.

Think of AI as an external thinking partner—one that doesn’t judge, doesn’t get tired, and can patiently help you organize your thoughts when your brain is bouncing in five directions.

Here are two simple ways to use it starting today (no not tomorrow!):

✅ AI Strategy #1: “Break the Cycle” Prompt

When you’ve been putting something off forever (but it’s still taking up way too much bandwidth in your mental list), try this:

Prompt:
“I’ve been procrastinating on [insert task]. I feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Can you help me break it down into small, doable steps—one I could do today, even if I’m low on energy?”

You’ll get back a simple roadmap, often with options to choose from. That gives your brain something to respond to, instead of just looping in indecision.

This helps disrupt all-or-nothing thinking and get you into motion without feeling pressured.

✅ AI Strategy #2: “Support Future Me” Prompt

This one’s for when you want to do something useful—but your brain says “not now.”

Prompt:
“I don’t have the focus or energy to complete [task] right now, but I’d like to do something that helps Future Me. What’s one 10-minute action I can take today that will make this easier when I’m ready?”

This is magic. Instead of trying to force yourself into full productivity mode, you’re offering your brain a compassionate, forward-focused mini-action.

Now you’re not stuck in the delay - denial - shame loop.

Laying out my clothes the night before is helping Future Me. See how I tied that back? You’re welcome.

Last but not least -

Even though we’re all or nothing peeps, it’s not about the big fix.

We need to make tiny shifts.

And sometimes, that starts with a 10-minute AI chat, a single sticky note, or a moment of choosing compassion over pressure.

When you live with ADHD, the challenge isn’t knowing what to do.

It’s translating intention into action in a brain that processes time differently.

So the next time you hear yourself say, “I’ll do it later,” ask instead:
“What small step can I take today to help Future Me?”

That’s not just a mindset shift.
That’s your new starting point.

You've got this!

Let me know how it goes in the comments.