How to prioritise Your Most Important Task with ADHD

Sumiko Stacey
Aug 8
2 min read

(When Everything Feels Important)

by Sumiko Stacey, Integrative ADHD Coach

If you have ADHD, prioritising can feel impossible.

Your brain doesn’t naturally line things up by importance. It responds to whatever feels loudest, most urgent, or emotionally charged. When everything screams “do me now,” overwhelm takes over.

That’s because the ADHD brain runs on interest, not importance.

So how do you calm the noise and choose what to focus on right now?

Step 1: Get It Out of Your Head

Your brain is a brilliant idea generator, but it’s not designed to store or sort tasks.

Trying to prioritise in your head is like tidying a messy drawer with the lights off.

So start by externalising it. Write everything down on paper, sticky notes, a whiteboard, or an app.

Seeing your tasks gives your brain the space it needs to think clearly, get perspective, and make helpful decisions.

Step 2: Sort Using 4 Simple Filters

Once you’ve written it all out, use these four filters to help you decide what’s most helpful to do now:

✅ Time-sensitive

Is this task actually due soon? (Or is it just shouting the loudest?)

✅ Energy-sensitive

What fits your current cognitive energy level and environment? Pick something realistic, not ideal-you in a perfectly distraction-free zone.

✅ Impact-sensitive

Which task would free up the most mental space once it’s done? Sometimes, finishing one thing lifts the weight of ten.

✅ Resource-ready

Do you have everything you need to do this now - time, resources, and clarity? If not, your first step might be to gather those resources.

"You don't have to get it perfect. You just have to get it going." Marie Forleo

Step 3: Choose What’s Most Helpful Now

You don’t need to pick the perfect task.

That’s where many ADHDers get stuck in overthinking, second-guessing, and analysis paralysis.

Instead, choose the task that feels the most helpful and doable in this moment. That’s enough.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Once you’ve chosen your task:

Break it down into tiny, manageable steps so your brain can shift into action mode.
Remove ambiguity - if you’re not crystal clear on what to do and how to do it exactly, your brain will likely avoid it.