ADHD (3): 5 Tactics to Reduce ADHD Effects

Let’s start with energy.

It’s no good trying to force yourself to do things you normally wouldn’t do, because your brain will kick back and you’ll crash nose-first into the ocean.

1. Manage Your Energy

First of all, it takes energy. Lots of energy.

You’re going to have to deal with awkward customers (my favourite), unreliable suppliers, late payers, your own energy levels, and a thousand other things I could mention — along with a few I can’t.

It is far from easy. For most of us, it can be hard to shut down or even find the energy to go on. But it is very rewarding to see that after years of being told you’re a wrong ’un, you actually aren’t — and can do far more than a neurotypical person.

It is VERY rewarding, especially when you achieve goals you never thought you would.

Six months ago, I set a goal to reduce costs so I could get a £500-a-month pay rise — and I achieved it. That’s one of the biggest benefits of running your own business.

2. Build Simple Systems

ADHD without structure is chaos.

I rely about 90% on Google Calendar for a few reasons:

It’s always there
It can shout at me
It’s always there (yeah, I know)

My business follows a standard “tradesman model”:

Take calls, emails, and messages
Visit to quote
Do the job later if successful

The day-to-day work — buying materials and doing installations — is relatively simple. You drive, you buy, you install, you clean, and you drive some more.

Measuring, marking out, and cutting timber is relaxing. It’s the stuff in between that’s hard.

3. Prevent Overwhelm

Overwhelm and overload are easy to slip into. You have to learn to recognise them early.

This is critical: if you set too many tasks at once, you won’t do any of them — and you’ll end up playing Elden Ring instead.

This mostly applies to admin: checking numbers, paying suppliers, creating invoices, and similar tasks.

4. Use Weekly Time Blocks

I use three main weekly slots:

Sunday: Admin
Monday: Work on the business
Friday: Work on the business

Sunday: Admin

Sunday admin includes:

Finances and cashflow
Profit First allocations
Bookkeeping and invoicing
Paying suppliers
Planning photos and videos for social media
Posting: Website → Facebook → Instagram → Google Business

Monday and Friday: Work on the Business

These days are for:

Writing content
Creating lead magnets
Double-checking numbers
Researching grants or schemes
Creative and planning work

Friday is also my Friday. I follow my instincts and energy that day. My weekends are usually busy, so this gives me space to just exist.

5. Review Monthly and Quarterly

Beyond weekly planning, I use end-of-month slots for:

Monthly profit and loss
Quote-to-job KPIs
Actual profit calculations
Updating stats
Cashflow forecasting

Quarterly reviews are the same process, just over three months.

One Final Reminder

If overwhelm hits you, sitting in a parked car deciding where to go gets you nowhere. Just drive, and you’ll start moving.

When you have a list of a thousand things to do, pick one and do it.

Remember: you’re not broken. Your brain just runs hot. Learn to steer it, and you’ll fly faster than anyone else.

I’ll see you next week for more ADHD tactics to help you do exactly that.