I hate taxes. You probably do too.
I'm running a free ADHD Tax Prep Focus Session this Saturday. Come get it done with me so neither of us has to suffer alone. Add it to your calendar →
"You have ADHD? You're always the most focused one here."
My founder friend had been watching me at our shared coworking space for months. Every day I'd sit down, open my laptop, and not move. For hours.
He was impressed... I was not.
Contrary to the idea that “ADHD people can’t focus,” many of us actually have the ability to hyperfocus. It’s what makes it possible to zone in 30 minutes before a deadline, sprint at 10x speed, and accomplish incredible feats on minimal food, water, and sleep.
It's also what can derail us for 4 hours. On minimal food, water, and sleep.
Most people think ADHD is a lack of focus.
In reality, it's a lack of control over your focus.
For someone with ADHD, hyperfocus looks great on the surface. But it might not be the magic bullet you think it is.
ADHD Hyperfocus as a Superpower
ADHD hyperfocus can pull you into an intense flow state for hours. In this state, you feel "in the zone," and every idea, action, and connection feels shiny and interesting. It can allow you to:
Fall down a rabbit hole and become an expert on underwater basket-weaving. In a single evening.
Become the most genuinely interesting person in the room. You've actually gone deep on the things you care about.
Accomplish in one hour what takes most people three. Under the right conditions.
Having the ability to hyperfocus often creates positive, unique outcomes. Some of my best coding and writing sessions happened because of it.
When Hyperfocus Becomes a Trap
The problem isn't that hyperfocus is too intense. The problem is that it's an inability to stop.
Maybe this is relatable: I once (read: more than once) spent 5 hours chasing a bug in my code in the dark, forgetting to eat, drink, or use the bathroom. I finally gave up and went to bed frustrated.
I fixed it in 30 minutes the next morning.
Hyperfocus is great, as long as you stay focused on the right things. But it can quickly become a fruitless sprint in the wrong direction.
It doesn’t stop at one bad session. Over time, it reinforces a deeper negative cycle:
The dopamine hit feels great, so you don't stop.
You stray further from your actual priority, with little awareness of what's happening.
Because you also struggle to start tasks, you try to max out every hyperfocus session. It feels like the only time you can focus at all.
You develop a scarcity mindset around focus, and build up shame every time you can't replicate it.
Small time blocks start feeling pointless because there’s not "enough time to get in the zone."
You baseline your productivity at hyperfocus levels, underestimate timelines, and set unrealistic expectations. Then beat yourself up when you inevitably fall short.
Hyperfocus becomes the only way you function. Until it becomes the reason you can't.
How to Actually Control Hyperfocus
Hyperfocus isn't all good or all bad. The goal isn't to get rid of it—it's to manage it better.
Train your ability to start and stop on purpose:
Cut yourself off mid-hyperfocus, on purpose. This builds self-trust that with short breaks, you can refocus. The flow isn't gone forever just because you paused.
Use pauses to check in with yourself. Train yourself to periodically check if you’re still going in the right direction. Make sure your focus is aligned with your priorities, not just what’s shiny and interesting that hour.
Learn strategies that help you start tasks, instead of waiting for hyperfocus to kick in. With the right cue, you can reliably enter a focused state in under 10 minutes. No impending deadline required.
Build your ability to start, stop, and redirect on command. So when you do go at 10x speed, you can control exactly where you’re going.
The shift: For the first time in my career, I could sit down for a 30-minute window between meetings and actually knock out a few small tasks. Before, I would have wasted that half-hour — it never felt like "enough time to get anything meaningful done." Now I know I don't always need to hyperfocus to make forward progress.
This Week: For You
Want to put this into practice, right now? Join me in getting taxes (or anything else) done this weekend. I’ll guide you through a focus session, so none of us has to suffer alone.
It’s free, just click here to add to your calendar →
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Thanks for reading!
— Kat