ADHD Prioritization | How To Know What to Do First
I recently polled my community about where they struggled most when it comes to productivity and to-do lists as moms and entrepreneurs with ADHD.
And 85% of those that responded said “Deciding what to work on first”.
And I totally get it.
For one, us ADHDers are motivated by tasks or projects that peak our interest.
Tasks we find exciting or that we actually WANT to work on.
And let’s face it, many of those tasks and projects on our to-do list may not necessarily fall into the category of interesting or exciting.
Then there is the fact that the very act of deciding what to work on is an executive function itself.
So if your dopamine and frontal lobe aren’t warmed up and firing on all cylinders, it stands to reason that making a decision about what to do can feel like an exhaustive chore.
That’s why on I am going to share my TRIM method to help you prioritize your to-do list and know what you need to work on first.
Why ADHD Prioritization is a Struggle
Deciding what to work on first is also known as “prioritization”.
And prioritization is an executive function…which means it makes total sense why those of us with ADHD would struggle with it.
But why specifically is it that we struggle to prioritize what’s on our to-do list?
It could be related to the decision making process as we discussed previously.
If your brain is tired or not quite up to speed yet, making a decision about what is more important between 2 tasks is going to be more difficult.
It could be that we haven’t established a clear “why” for the task or project, meaning there’s not a strong emotional pull for us to want to or need to complete this task or project.
Or it could be that so much of the productivity, prioritization advice that’s out there doesn’t give us ADHDers enough information so we can decide if something is urgent, important, not urgent, or not important.
Pros & Cons of the Eisenhower Matrix for Time Management
If you’re familiar with this terminology, you may have run across what is known as the Eisenhower time matrix, which is a method determining your priorities.
You assign your task or project a slot in a grid by determining if a task or project is Urgent and Important, Not Urgent and Important, Urgent but Not Important, and Not Urgent and Not Important.
And I have no problem with the time matrix in and of itself. I actually think it can be a very helpful tool IF you have the capability to scale importance or determine urgency.
Unfortunately, many of us with ADHD struggle with importance because of our need to feel inspired or emotionally motivated with what we’re working on or we struggle with urgency because of our issues with time blindness.
And then typically wait around until all tasks and projects become urgent. (YIKES 😬)
That is why I created a different method for my clients to help determine where they need to focus their energy first and what can wait.
I wanted a different approach because, as with many strategies designed by and for neurotypicals, prioritizing methods like the Eisenhower Time Matrix don't account for the fact that us ADHDers struggle with decision making or time blindness or inspiration.
So I tweaked this traditional prioritizing practice to with questions to help you narrow down and easily decide what must be done and what can wait.
I call it my TRIM Your To-Do List method.
My Favorite Tool for ADHD Task Prioritization
TRIM is an acronym for Time Sensitive, Required, Impactful, and Money Related. I’ll dive into specifics of what each category means below but first I want to let you know I created a printable TRIM Your To-Do List flowchart which you can grab for FREE by visiting bit.ly/TRIMyourtodos.
And with that…let's dive into how to TRIM Your To-Do list to know what to do first…
“T” is for Time Sensitive
Ask yourself…
Does the task have a deadline or due date?
Is that deadline or due date approaching or has it passed?
Are there sub-tasks that are time sensitive that you need to do in order to complete the project or tasks on time?
For example, let’s say you’re doing a podcast interview next week and the host would like you to send a headshot and bio a week before the interview. Because there is a due date for submitting your headshot and bio, that task would be considered “Time Sensitive” and therefore a priority.
“R” is for Required
Ask yourself…
Is it something you must do or there may be a consequence
I’ll often refer to this as “being the roadblock"…either for yourself or someone who's waiting for you to complete this task or project in order to move forward with the next step.
Examples of required tasks may be:
Logging into a website and watching a video before your take a test.
Signing a paper for your kid's upcoming field trip or they may not be able to go.
Submitting a list of content ideas to your social media guru so they can plan your next quarter of posts.
Think “what will happen if I don’t do this task.” If it makes you a roadblock or inaction may have negative results for your business, your home, or your family, then it is a required task that is a priority.
“I” is for Impactful
Ask yourself…
Will completion of this task or project impact your business or home life positively?
Will not completing this task or project impact your business or home life negatively?
From a business standpoint, this is where being clear on which marketing avenues actually help you grow your business and get new clients, and which do not. If a huge part of your clientele comes from social media, tasks related to social media would be considered “impactful”.
On the flip side, if you don’t see a good ROI on a particular platform or you find more success with networking or email marketing, prioritizing social media may negatively impact your business.
In your home & personal life, Impactful tasks might include making doctor’s appointments, doing the dishes, or exercising.
If completing a task impacts your life positively or not completing a task impacts your life negatively, that task is a priority.
“M” is for Money-Related
Ask yourself…
Will doing this task help you make money?
Think returning an email or phone call to a potential client. Or finishing an online product. Or uploading items to sell in your online store.
Will not doing this task cost you money?
Think paying your bills late or not paying your bills at all. Putting off invoicing your clients. Forgetting to drop off your Amazon return until after the return by date.
How will completing or not completing this task can positively or negatively impact the bottom line for your business or your family.
Today’s action step to help TRIM your to-do’s is to evaluate your to-do list and determine what needs to be done first and what could be delayed or dropped.
If a task is Time Sensitive, Required, Impactful, or is Money-Related, do those tasks first!
Anything else you can throw in during your day will be a bonus.
Doing a regular review to TRIM your to-do’s will help you stay on track of the most urgent and important tasks for your home and business and help you feel like you get more done.
And don’t forget to pick up your free downloadable TRIM Your To-Do List Flowchart by visiting bit.ly/TRIMyourtodos
If you need help taking action and following through with the tasks on your to-do list, I’d like to help! One of the ways I support my client’s is through weekly calls where we prioritize their to-do’s for the week. The I follow up to see how their progress is going. To see how my ADHD coaching programs may be able to help you follow through to see the the success you know is possible, click below to sign up for a free, no-obligation clarity call with me.
