Overwhelmed? This ADHD Filter Changes Everything
They realize their ADHD is what’s keeping them locked in overwhelm, unable to organize the mess in their head.
Have you ever felt like your brain is so full of ideas and tasks that it’s impossible to find what you need?
Kinda like a room piled high with unmarked boxes and random trinkets.
You don’t even wanna go in there!
Mental clutter can be paralyzing, and it’s one of the biggest reasons executives and entrepreneurs reach out to me. They realise their ADHD is what’s keeping them locked in overwhelm, unable to organize the mess in their head.
But I believe everyone deserves to feel clear and focused. So I’m on a mission to give away the system that I, and hundreds of others with ADHD, are using to beat overwhelm and get things done every day.
When I first developed the ADHD Focus Filter™, I was testing it with a small group of clients. One of them, Simon Mundie, was starting a new business venture while maintaining significant professional commitments for the BBC. After we went through this process together, he immediately experienced that sense of relief that comes when you finally have clarity, and he still uses the process today.
The beauty of this system is its deceptive simplicity. Here's how it works:
Brain Dump: Start by unpacking all those mental boxes. Don't look at your emails or task lists yet - just write down everything that's taking up space in your mind.
Discard: Is there anything you could simply eliminate? Perhaps an event was canceled, or a project is no longer relevant. Give yourself permission to let these go.
Delegate: Remember, the best person to do a task is not always you. And delegation doesn't always mean assigning it to a new person - sometimes it's about what I call "catch and release." Maybe you enthusiastically caught a project, but in the light of day, it's not the right fit, and you need to give it back to its owner.
Urgent: For what remains, mark anything that has a Significant External Negative Consequence (SENC) if not done within 24 hours or 7 days. Be honest here - "I'll feel bad" is not a significant external consequence.
Important: From your non-urgent list, select 1-3 tasks that truly move the needle in your business or life. These are the 20% that create 80% of your results.
Time Block and Reward: Block those urgent tasks like you would a doctor's appointment, with lots of reminders! Then, identify a reward you will give yourself for starting the task.
Here's what's fascinating: Once you complete this process, you'll typically find only a few things that are truly urgent, which creates an immediate sense of relief. Even if your entire day went sideways with a crisis, as long as you completed those 2-3 urgent items, you're still on track.
Plus, when you use this filter consistently, you'll find yourself focusing on what truly matters rather than spinning in overwhelm. Your mind becomes clearer, you feel focused, and you can finally use your strengths - the problem-solving and creative thinking that we know are ADHD benefits.
Clear, motivated days focused on growth without being overwhelmed.
Bliss.
If you'd like to try this process yourself, just click the link, and you’ll get a free done-for-you copy of the dashboard I use with my members.
Wishing you focused, balanced growth every day,
Skye
