368: How to Finally Get Started with ADHD

Starting can take a surprising amount of energy for ADHD brains, even when we truly want to do the thing. In this episode, we make sense of why task initiation feels so demanding and explore practical supports for each stage: getting started, staying focused, handling distractions, and wrapping up in a way that makes the next start easier. In Episode 368, you will discover: Why task initiation demands so much energy and what that means for ADHD brains A five-stage flight analogy: pre-flight, takeoff, cruising, turbulence, and landing Practical strategies for clearing distractions, riding out mid-task turbulence, and building a repeatable shutdown routine How a simple "logbook" entry can make your next work session easier to start Work With Me: Learn more about private coaching here Join We're Busy Being Awesome (group coaching) Enroll in Overwhelm to Action - step by step course for ADHD Brains Resources From This Episode: Episode 363: The ADHD To-Do List Strategy You're Missing Episode 367: Overwhelming To Do List? Try This. Book a free coaching consultation Watch on YouTube: @I'm Busy Being Awesome More ADHD Resources: Discover Your ADHD Overwhelm Type - Free Quiz! Get the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain Discover my favorite ADHD resources Access the I'm Busy Being Awesome Planning System Paula's Favorite Resources Many of the items below are affiliate links with discounts and free trials available. They are all products I personally use and love. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Disclosure info here. Stay focused with brain.fm and get a 30-day free trial. Personalized music, backed by science, designed to help you get and stay in the zone. Speechify: my go-to text-to-speech app. One-month free trial plus $60 off a premium subscription if you decide to keep it. Todoist: my favorite task manager. Simple, easy to use, and incredible integration with other platforms. Get two months of premium free. No credit card required. Wispr Flow: The best tool for talk-to-text. Awesome for verbal processing and saving time. Free trial, no credit card required. Leave IBBA A Rating & Review! If you enjoy the podcast, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? Doing so helps others find the show and spreads these tools to even more people. Go to Apple Podcasts Click on the I'm Busy Being Awesome podcast Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you see the reviews. Simply tap five stars; that's it! Bonus points if you're willing to leave a few sentences sharing what you enjoy about the podcast or a key takeaway from the episode you just heard. Thanks, friend! Chapter Outline 00:00 Why Starting Is Hard 01:39 Common Initiation Blocks 03:41 Flight Plan Analogy 03:59 Preflight Setup Checklist 06:27 Deicing And Warmup 08:56 Line Up And Wait 10:13 Takeoff Sterile Focus 15:13 Cruising Flow State 17:02 Turbulence And Distractions 20:42 Coaching Invitation 21:51 Descent And Shutdown 24:44 Logbook And Key Takeaways 26:18 Final Wrap And Resources