A Time Management Survival Guide for ADHD Writers

Trust me, I’ve used every excuse in the book to justify why the first draft of this article looked more like a tweet than an essay. 

As you can see, I finally got it done. It wasn’t easy, but through the development of new skills, I managed to meet my timeline. Before my ADHD diagnosis, procrastination and I had just taken our relationship to the next level, and I was committing a significant amount of time every day to doing absolutely nothing.

I wasn’t too busy to work, as demonstrated by the three seasons of Schitt’s Creek that I had binged in a single week. I wasn’t cursed by the gods of writing or just plain incompetent. Instead, I was distracted spending key writing hours researching JFK’s murder and CIA conspiracies, unable to claw myself out from the internet rabbit hole.

Being diagnosed with severe ADHD as an adult came as a shock, but I’ve found ways to counter my natural inclination toward procrastination. I’m not alone in this. Many writers struggle with staying on task and completing a project, but those of us with ADHD face a particular set of challenges. 

ADHD is a disorder affecting 2.5% of adults. It comes in three types: inattentiveness, hyperactivity/impulsiveness, or both. ADHD adults can struggle with planning and making long-term commitments.

This learning disability can feel isolating, but you’re not alone, and there are ways to manage these challenges. Not everyone who struggles with procrastination has ADHD, but if you do, this survival guide will help you efficiently manage your time while writing a novel or article.

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