Deadlines don’t have to feel like punishment.
I’m offering 1:1 strategy sessions to cut your ADHD stress in half this year. 7 of 10 spots remaining in January. Click here.
My ex-coworker at Instagram was laid off for “missed deadlines.”
When she first started slipping, management told the team that she works really well with deadlines. And to give her more.
As she became responsible for all the copywriting for a growing list of products, for over 30 engineers, the more deadlines she got.
And the more overwhelmed she got.
In hindsight, she almost certainly had ADHD. Today's email is what I wish she and the team knew before she got laid off for performing "below expectations."
The Problem With Traditional Deadlines
When I talk to people with ADHD, most work well under pressure.
Deadlines are necessary. Urgency helps. Pressure gets the job done.
But when the stakes are high, it's painful.
We associate deadlines with stress, with negative consequences. If you don't hit the deadline, you get punished. This creates adrenaline and dopamine. Pressure is stimulating, creating a perfectly charged environment to motivate an ADHD brain.
But it's all built on fear.
With this strategy, you inevitably train your brain to be more and more fear-motivated.
It works. Until the pressure becomes too much and you burn out.
What if there was a way to get that same dopamine, without the fear?
Make Deadlines Fun and Exciting
Instead of relying on fear alone, here’s how to make deadlines work for you:
Lower the stakes—significantly.
Reinforce the deadline with rewards, not punishment.
Urgency and pressure are only half of the equation.
Research shows that ADHD brains respond better to positive reinforcement than punishment. We need continuous dopamine to keep going, not one big negative consequence at the end.
So instead, do this.
Create mini-deadlines associated with rewards.
Some real-life examples:
I made a sticker chart to help me be more consistent about writing. I’m writing this newsletter right now so I’ll get to peel a silly cat sticker. Don’t ask me why, it’s working.
One ADHD founder created a punch card system to gamify calling potential business partners. In one week, she called 100 people—just because she wanted to fill out those punch cards.
Co-working with a friend works well, because you actively look forward to your break. The motivation comes from getting to chat with them about your progress.
These strategies may look silly, but they work. And as a bonus, they’re fun.
Build More Low-Stakes Urgency Into Your Schedule
Traditional deadlines are typically project and result-based.
Get x number of tasks done in one week, for a project due in y months.
But for ADHD, momentum doesn’t just magically happen task to task, or project to project. Depending on the day and person, you might need an extra dopamine bridge:
Week to week
Day to day
Hour to hour
This is what I wish my coworker knew before she burnt out.
The real key to ADHD productivity is an ADHD-minded schedule. One that has built-in urgency and rewards, without additional punishment.
It’s a bit too long to add to this newsletter, so I'll break down exactly how to build this next week. Stay tuned.
This Week: For You
For a custom plan on how to implement this deadline reframe into your schedule ASAP, let’s chat!
I'm offering 10 ADHD strategy sessions in January for $67 each. 7 spots left.
In our session, we'll:
Brain dump your entire 2026 goal list and get crystal clear on your priorities
Design your personal NOW vs NOT NOW system (so you stop feeling guilty about what you're NOT doing)
Walk away with a clear action plan for your next 30 days
[Bonus] If you’re tech savvy, we’ll integrate AI into your system
This is the most customized, hands-on version of these sessions you'll get at this price point. You'll get my full 1:1 attention to design a system specifically for your brain.
Don't let your New Year's momentum die in week three. Book your session here before January spots fill up.
Hi, I’m Kat! Welcome to my newsletter—your weekly dose of strategies to work with your extra-interesting brain, not against it.
Were you forwarded this email? Click the button below to subscribe too!
Thanks for reading! If you have any thoughts or questions, simply reply back to this email. Chat again soon!
— Kat