🍨 Eat the Ice Cream First: ADHD Tips & Strategies

ADHD Strategy

Eat the Ice Cream First

One of the most popular bits of productivity advice is to “eat the frog first” which suggests that you should tackle the hardest tasks before the easier ones.

Seems reasonable, but this advice is toxic for people with ADHD!

That difficult task is often too much to confront before building up any momentum, so we end up staring at the "frog" all day and get nothing done at all.

Instead, "eat the ice cream first" by starting with a task that excites and engages you! Build up your motivation momentum with enjoyable tasks that will help you conquer the more challenging ones later.

ADHD Strategy

Time-Based Goals vs. Outcome-Based Goals

When you have ADHD, estimating how long tasks will take can be a challenge due to your unique perception of time. This can lead to frustration and demotivation when you set outcome-based goals like:

• "I'll finish this report by the end of the day."
• "I'll clean the entire house this weekend."

Instead, try setting time-based goals:

• "I'll work on this report for one hour."
• "I'll do some house cleaning for twenty minutes."

Time-based goals help you focus on the process rather than the outcome, reducing the pressure to complete a task in an unrealistic timeframe. So, next time you're setting a goal, think in terms of time, not just outcomes.

You might be surprised by how much more progress you make!