How to Finish Projects You Start with ADHD
Reading time: 6 minutes
TL;DR: Most productivity systems don’t work for ADHD. Ours is different. This post walks you through a six-part system built for ADHD minds to start and finish meaningful projects. You’ll learn how to reduce overwhelm, create momentum, and follow through.
ADHD and the Productivity Problem
People with ADHD are often full of energy and ideas. The challenge isn’t a lack of ambition. It’s figuring out how to begin — and how to keep going once you do.
You might feel stuck before you start.
You might start ten things and finish none.
You might lose track of where you were in the middle of a task.
Or you might burn out halfway through something important.
This isn’t about laziness or lack of discipline. It’s about working with your brain, not against it.
The Project Completing System is designed to help you do just that. It’s a simple set of checkpoints that make progress visible, focus easier, and finishing feel possible again.
Let’s walk through it.
1. Start: Do you know where to begin?
ADHD brains love to generate ideas. But when everything feels important, it’s hard to choose. And when you can’t choose, you can’t begin.
Start here:
Pick one project. Not the perfect one. Not the final one. Just one.
Ask yourself, “What matters most to me right now?”
Momentum begins with focus.
Don’t worry about the full plan. Begin with a single step.
Still stuck? Make the task smaller.
“Build my portfolio” becomes “open a document.”
“Clean the flat” becomes “pick up one thing.”
The goal is movement. One clear direction. That’s all.
2. Plan: Do you know what comes next?
Once you’ve started, the next barrier is often not knowing the path forward.
A project that seems too big or too fuzzy can lead to paralysis.
ADHD brains need clarity to stay engaged.
Take a few minutes to map it out.
Not a detailed spreadsheet — just a short list.
- What are the key steps?
- What do I need to finish this?
- What could block me?
- What does “done” look like?
A plan gives shape to the chaos. And when your plan changes — which it might — you’ll know how to adapt without getting lost.
3. Setup: Is your environment helping you?
Sometimes the block isn’t mental. It’s physical.
A cluttered space, a noisy room, or too many browser tabs can quietly chip away at your focus.
This part of the system helps you reduce friction.
Friction = anything that slows you down or distracts your attention.
Here’s how to reset:
- Close unused tabs
- Clear your desk or workspace
- Put your phone on do-not-disturb
- Get your tools or files ready before you begin
The goal is to make it easy to keep going once you’ve started. When your environment supports your intention, everything flows more easily.
4. Flow: Can you stay in motion?
Focus is fragile with ADHD. But when the conditions are right, it clicks into place.
This is your flow state.
It feels like time speeds up. Distractions fade. Things get done.
You don’t need a huge block of time.
Even ten focused minutes can move a project forward.
- To help you drop into flow:
- Set a short timer (10, 15, or 20 minutes)
- Eliminate optional distractions
- Remind yourself why the task matters
- Start where it feels easiest
If you fall out of flow, don’t panic. Step back. Take a break. Then return to your plan or setup and try again.
Flow doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be protected.
5. Track: Can you see progress?
One of the most frustrating parts of ADHD is the feeling of working hard with nothing to show for it.
You might make progress, but if you can’t see it, your brain won’t feel rewarded — and you’ll be less likely to keep going.
That’s where tracking comes in.
This doesn’t need to be complicated. Try:
- Ticking off finished steps
- Writing down what you did at the end of each work session
- Using a visual tracker or habit chain
- Celebrating small wins out loud
Progress builds confidence. Confidence builds momentum.
Even a tiny win is a reason to keep moving forward.
6. Basics: Are you looking after your foundation?
Everything above rests on this one truth: You can’t function at your best if your basic needs aren’t being met.
When your sleep, nutrition, hydration, and movement are off, ADHD symptoms get worse.
This system ends — and begins — with the basics:
- Did you sleep enough last night?
- Have you eaten today?
- When did you last drink water?
- Have you moved your body, even a little?
You don’t have to fix everything. Just check in.
Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to pause and reset your foundation.
The System in Action
Let’s say you’re trying to start a side project — a newsletter, a website, a new habit.
Instead of jumping in and hoping for the best, you follow the flow:
- Start — You choose one project to focus on.
- Plan — You outline 3 steps to get it moving.
- Setup — You clear your desk, silence your phone, and open what you need.
- Flow — You set a 20-minute timer and begin.
- Track — You tick off your first step and note what’s next.
- Basics — You check in with your body before diving into round two.
No hacks. No overwhelm. Just clear, steady progress.
Final Word
Finishing things with ADHD isn’t about trying harder.
It’s about having a system that supports your brain, your energy, and your natural way of working.
The Project Completing System does just that.
It helps you see what’s blocking you — and gives you a path forward.
Start here. Take one step. Then take another.
You don’t have to finish fast.
You just have to keep moving.