Whoever said "do the hardest thing first" has never had ADHD.
That advice is the neurotypical fever dream of the century, and on behalf of the entire neurodivergent community — we are not doing that. We did not consent to it, and we will not be participating.
It's not that ADHDers don't want to do things. It's not that we don't know the deadline. It's that our brains are literally wired to fight us on starting, even when we're excited. The start button just doesn't work the same way.
Then, the guilt shows up, and suddenly we've reorganized our Notion for the twelfth time and somehow it's 11:47 PM.
In this solo episode, I'm breaking down the four reasons ADHD brains struggle to start tasks. This is the validation episode I wish someone had sat me down and forced me to listen to years ago.
TOPICS & TANGENTS
— The dopamine issue: why your brain is just shopping for better chemicals
— The start button problem (and the bitch-ass prefrontal cortex responsible for it)
— Why your brain treats your to-do list like a physical threat
— Time blindness: when "later" feels so real your brain genuinely believes it's optional
— Interest vs. importance — and why interesting wins every single time
— Why you can't start something you're genuinely excited about
— The freebie I’ve been avoiding that could make me $15K — and why I’m STILL not doing it
— Perfectionism as avoidance
POINT OF THE STORY
It's not laziness or a character flaw. Your ADHD brain is just asking for a different entry point.
Love you, mean it. 🖤
BTL LINKS
— All of my website copy resources:
betweenthelinescopy.com/web-copy
— All of my email marketing resources:
betweenthelinescopy.com/email-marketing
— Take my website copywriting course:
betweenthelinescopy.com/sprint
— Sponsor this podcast (or my newsletter!):
betweenthelinescopy.com/sponsorships
— Follow me on Instagram at
instagram.com/btlcopy
OR
instagram.com/capecodcierge
— Subscribe to my marketing newsletter at
www.betweenthelinescopy.com/subscribe
— Subscribe to my ADHD newsletter at
bysarajoelle.substack.com
— Subscribe to my copywriter-only newsletter at
btlcopy.myflodesk.com/open-loop
— Subscribe to my designer-only newsletter at
btlcopy.myflodesk.com/for-designers
— Check out my website at
www.betweenthelinescopy.com
OTHER LINKS
— Subscribe to The Squirlie - my weekly newsletter for ADHDers
— The Wicked Easy Web Copy Guide (and the commercial license)
This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.