Systems versus Chaos, how the ADHD brain can get used to systems

You sit down at your desk or the kitchen table with the best of intentions. You’re ready to tackle the day, but your brain is bouncing between folding laundry, following up with a lead, and the 5,000 other tasks on your list. And that’s just the stuff you actually wrote down. One ADHD superpower is the ability to dream up endless creative ideas, spark excitement in a flash, and see possibilities others miss. But that same brain wiring can also make it stupidly hard to get through the day without spinning out.

Sure, you can make a to-do list, but sometimes even finding the pen feels like an Olympic event.

Whether you ask Google, read the latest research, or play with every AI tool on the market, they all agree on one truth. The only real antidote to this kind of chaos is having systems. Or, if “systems” feels too corporate, let’s call them what they really are: routines.

Now, I know half of you just rolled your eyes. Routines feel boring. Restrictive. Soul-sucking. You’ve tried them before, gotten sick of them, and abandoned them. I know because I’ve done that too. I still do that sometimes. But I’ve also learned something important: they’re not optional if I want to function at my best.

In this blog, we’re going to explore why systems aren’t the enemy of creativity. They are the safety net for your executive function. Whether your brain is ADHD, perimenopausal, overcommitted, or just plain overloaded (hi, parents), this is how you fight chaos and win.

Common ADHD Struggles in Daily Life

ADHD brains are wired for creativity, quick thinking, problem-solving, and being the calm when chaos hits. (I bet you are the one who can handle an emergency better than your neurotypical friends.)
However, everyday life can feel like climbing a mountain without the right gear. If you run your own business, you probably bounce between genius breakthroughs and complete trainwrecks.

Here are just a few struggles I see in my clients and in myself every single day:

Time Blindness

How many meetings have you been late to because you were eyes deep in writing an email or looking up dinner spots? Time blindness is real. Neuro-spicy brains have only two time zones: “now” and “later.” (Anyone else thinking about that 80’s candy that could rip out a filling… just me?)

Working Memory Frustration

This is my personal beast. You have a great idea in the shower, and as soon as you dry off, it is gone. Or a client asks you for something during a call, you forget to write it down, and two hours later you are asking, “What was it you wanted me to do?” This is the bane of my existence and why I keep a notebook with me at all times.

Task Initiation Paralysis

Sometimes just starting a task feels impossible. Even opening the software you need can feel like dragging yourself through half-dried mud. And yes, this happens even with “easy” tasks.

Shiny Object Syndrome

Hello impulsivity. I love and hate this one. It is when you go down a rabbit hole solving the mysteries of the universe when you were supposed to be sending an invoice or picking your kids up from school. For me, it is tech education, and oh my, there is a lot of it out there.

Overwhelm

Everything feels urgent and overdue. You feel like you have failed before you have even started.

Emotional Reactions

Because of our history with executive function struggles, one small mistake can trigger a spiral of shame and hyperfocus on “what went wrong.” This can be debilitating when you have things to finish but your brain will not stop replaying the moment.

If you relate to these, keep reading. The rest of this blog is written for you.

Why Systems and Habits Work for ADHD Brains

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” — James Clear

Executive function struggles can make life chaotic, as we just covered. There are a lot of ways to work with this (medication being one of them), but creating systems will actually turn that chaos into something you can manage, whether or not you are on medication.

Our brains thrive on novelty and creativity, and as we’ve discussed, that same wiring makes it easy to lose track of time, forget important steps, or bounce between ten different ideas. Systems are the external scaffolding for your brain. They create a structure so you do not have to rely on willpower or memory alone.

Here’s what is going on in our brains: ADHD brains have actual chemical differences that affect how dopamine is released and regulated. Dopamine is the chemical that makes you feel motivated and rewarded. When it is low, starting and sticking with a task can feel extremely difficult, sometimes impossible. If you have a system or repeatable habit in place, it takes less mental effort to begin. It also cuts down on decision fatigue because there are fewer choices to make and less room for overwhelm.

Think of systems as outsourcing your brain’s executive function,  like having an assistant that quietly keeps you on track. Instead of trying to remember every little step, the system remembers it for you. Your only job is to start it.

When you are an adult, a parent, or a business owner, you can’t rely on motivation alone. A habit carries you forward, even on the days when your brain feels like a murky bowl of split pea soup.

I fought systems for years because I thought they would make life boring. What I did not realize was that the right systems do the opposite. They create space for the fun, spontaneous, creative things my ADHD brain loves, without letting the rest of my life fall apart in the process.

Busting the Myths About Systems

A bit about the misnomer that systems stifle your creativity. A lot of ADHD entrepreneurs hear the word “systems” or “routines” and immediately think, boring, restrictive, soul-crushing. In actuality,  those ideas about systems are mostly myths, and believing them might be exactly what’s keeping you stuck.

Myth 1: Systems kill creativity.

The reality? Systems protect creativity. When your brain isn’t constantly spinning about what you forgot, what’s next, or where you put that file, you actually have more mental energy to dream, create, and problem-solve. Systems take care of the boring stuff so your imagination can run wild without the rest of your life falling apart.

Myth 2: Habits are about rigidity.

Habits are really about efficiency and being effective. They take repetitive tasks off your plate so you can save your brainpower for the things that matter. Think of it as your brain’s “autopilot mode” for the stuff you don’t want to think about, freeing you up for the stuff you do want to think about. Like that new hobby you just bought $500 worth of yarn for.

Myth 3: You’re stuck with a system once you start it.

Nope. Systems are tools, not prisons. If a system stops serving you, you can tweak it, rebuild it, or toss it altogether. ADHD brains thrive when there’s flexibility, so give yourself permission to change things up when they aren’t working.

When you bust these myths, systems stop feeling like a cage and start feeling like a superpower.

How to Create Your Own Systems

If you are thinking “Sounds great, but how do I know what to start with?”  The key is to make it so simple that you actually want to use it. You do not need to overhaul your whole life in one weekend. You just need to start with one small win. 

Step 1: Start small

Pick one pain point that is bugging you the most. Instead of trying to organize everything, choose one micro-system you can put in place right away. Maybe it is how you track client leads, process invoices, or plan social media content. Small wins build trust in yourself and in the process.

Ideas to start with: 

Daily Priorities List

• Every morning, write down your top three tasks for the day.
• Keep it somewhere visible so you are not constantly guessing “What next?”

Email Triage Routine

• Twice a day, set a timer for 15 minutes to process emails into “Reply Today,” “File,” or “Delete.”
• Stops you from getting lost in your inbox.

“Idea Parking Lot”

• A ClickUp list, Trello board, or notebook page where all shiny-object ideas go for review later.
• Lets you capture ideas without derailing your current work.

Step 2: Build around your natural rhythms

Notice when your brain and body work best. Are you sharper in the morning? Do you hit a creative streak at night? Set up your system so it plays to your strengths and dopamine triggers. For example, if you hate starting cold, make the first step something fun or rewarding to get the momentum going.

Step 3: Brain-dump the process

Write down or voice-record every single step involved in the task, even the “obvious” ones. Getting it out of your head is the first step to creating a system that you can actually repeat.

Step 4: Use templates or repeatable workflows

Do not reinvent the wheel every time. Create a ClickUp template, an Airtable form, or even a paper checklist that you can reuse. The less you have to figure out from scratch, the easier it is to start and finish.

Step 5: Make it visible

ADHD brains need cues. Keep your system front and center. Pin it in your project management tool, print it and tape it to your wall, or set up recurring reminders. If it is out of sight, it is out of mind.

Step 6: Test and tweak

Your first system is just a draft. Notice where you skip steps or get stuck and adjust until it feels natural. The goal is not perfection. It is creating something you will actually use.

Bonus tip: Use templates and repeatable workflows

A big part of making systems stick is removing the “blank page” problem. If you find yourself doing the same task more than once, create a reusable template for it. That could be a ClickUp task template for client onboarding, a pre-written email reply for common questions, or an Airtable base for content planning. The less you have to reinvent the wheel, the faster your brain can switch into autopilot and get the job done.

Rules for Keeping Your Systems Alive

Creating a system is one thing. Actually keeping it alive long enough to make a difference? That is the real challenge. ADHD brains love starting things, but we can lose interest the minute the novelty wears off. These three rules will help you keep your systems working for you.

Rule 1. Review regularly

Add the system on a checklist and create a task to look at it every week or month. Ask yourself: Is it still helping me? Am I actually using it? What feels clunky? This small check-in keeps your systems from turning into “that thing I set up and forgot about.”

Rule 2. Do not overcomplicate it

A complicated system is a dead system. If you have to click through five tabs, open three apps, and find your special password just to get started, you will not do it. Keep your systems as simple and quick as possible so they work even on low-energy days.

Rule 3: Give yourself permission to adapt it

Your systems work for you, not the other way around. If something is no longer helping, change it. If you find a shortcut, add it. If a new tool makes it easier, try it. ADHD brains thrive with flexibility, so treat your systems as living, breathing tools that can grow and shift with you.

Cool Gadgets and Tech That Help

The right tools can make your systems easier to stick with, especially if they remove steps or remember things for you. Here are some ADHD-friendly gadgets and tech that can take your systems from “good idea” to “second nature.”

ClickUp

Perfect for creating reusable task templates, automating reminders, and keeping all your projects in one place. No more digging through random sticky notes or forgotten Google Docs.

Airtable

A flexible database tool that can become your client tracker, content calendar, or “idea parking lot.” The customizable views make it easy to see only what matters right now.

Smart Speakers or Voice Assistants

Perfect for quick capture when you cannot write something down. Just say, “Remind me at 2 PM to send the invoice,” and let the tech remember for you.

Calendar Apps with Reminders

Google Calendar, Fantastical, or Outlook can be set to send multiple notifications before an event so time blindness does not derail your day.

My Ready-Made Templates

I have ClickUp and Airtable templates designed with ADHD entrepreneurs in mind. They take the guesswork out of setting up systems so you can start using them right away instead of getting lost in the setup phase.

Your ADHD Struggles to Systems Cheat Sheet

You have read the why, you have read the how, and now it is time to make it easy for yourself to actually put this into action.

I have taken the most common ADHD struggles and mapped them to what they look like in chaos mode and the exact type of system that can help turn things around. Think of it as your quick-reference cheat sheet for getting unstuck fast.

You can download it, print it, and keep it right on your desk so that when you find yourself spiraling in time blindness, overwhelm, or shiny object syndrome, you will have a ready-made plan to pull you back on track.

Grab your free copy here and start building systems that work with your brain instead of against it. Your future self will thank you.