Your ADHD isn’t broken. Your systems are.
I’m offering 1:1 strategy sessions to cut your ADHD stress in half this year! Only a few hours left to claim your January spot. Book here.
When I quit my Big Tech software engineering job, I had no idea how much havoc it would wreak on my ADHD.
I thought I wanted a flexible schedule to do anything I wanted, when I wanted.
I thought I wanted no boss to answer to.
Instead, I got:
Unlimited free time to worry about how to prioritize… everything.
Deadlines set by myself.
Accountability set by myself.
Myself, and my ADHD brain, as my boss.
My own schedule is a constant work in progress. However, after over a year of trial and error, I’ve made significant improvements in my own systems.
And I wouldn't trade this flexibility for anything.
If you read last week's email, about shifting from fear-based deadlines to dopamine-based motivation, this is part two--how to build positive urgency into your daily and weekly schedule.
Build Anchor Events Into Your Schedule
When I left my tech job, I didn't just lose a paycheck.
I lost every anchor that told me when to start, when to stop, when to take a break, and how to keep going.
No more required 9 am meetings
I didn’t have to limit my hobbies to the evenings anymore
Commute time became extremely optional
It took extra executive functioning just to decide what to do each day.
Whether you have a remote job, a side hustle, or a schedule decided for you, the best ADHD schedules have anchor events:
Start anchors - A reason to begin the day (coffee shop opens, coworking session starts, morning meeting)
Break anchors - A reason to pause (lunch with a friend, laundry timer, workout class)
End anchors - A reason to stop working (dinner plans, evening event, something fun to look forward to)
The ideal anchor event is rewarding and maximally external, with minimal friction:
Something that gets you out of the house, with non-zero but minimal commute time.
Involving friend or coworker you respect, someone who will not add negative pressure.
Time-based cues that aren’t purely digital, preferably visual, auditory, and/or tactile.
Personal + ADHD research-backed trick: to optimize urgency, space these events between 2-4 hours apart.
The key reframe is that these aren't deadlines. They're rewards you're racing toward.
If you finish your work before dinner with a friend, you get to enjoy dinner guilt-free.
If you beat the laundry timer, you win.
If you get your task done before your coworking session ends, you're a productivity king or queen.
Our ADHD brains might think a wide open schedule will give us the most time to get things done. In reality, the best schedule is one with structured flexibility.
The Deadline Reframe
Stop thinking of deadlines or urgency as punishment for failure.
Start thinking of them as finish lines you're sprinting toward—with a reward waiting on the other side.
Reward yourself for bite-sized, tangible progress, throughout your day and week.
Create dopamine checkpoints to bridge yourself from start to finish.
Make progress itself fun and exciting, rather than having to dread every step.
This Week: Build Your Anchor System
I'm offering 10 ADHD strategy sessions in January for $67 each. Only a few hours left to claim your spot.
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 by February. 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.
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— Kat