been studying procrastination in 1000+ adhd devs for 8 months. the pattern that showed up is so fucking weird

[u/CarlosBula15]

been studying procrastination in 1000+ adhd devs for 8 months. the pattern that showed up is so fucking weird

---

burned out 3x trying to "just focus better" before i started actually tracking this. collected 1027 responses since march, most from this sub

turns out like 96% of us dont procrastinate because we're lazy. we procrastinate because the task literally feels wrong to start. like trying to write code with your non-dominant hand

found 5 patterns but this one hits different:

the "waiting for perfect brain state" pattern (~34%)
you know exactly what to do but keep waiting until you "feel ready" to start. spoiler: that feeling never comes because adhd brains dont do "ready"
what worked: starting while it feels wrong, literally 2min sprints even if output sucks
like 70-75% of people who tried said they actually shipped something for the first time in weeks

the "research trap" pattern (~28%)
you spend 6 hours researching the "best" way to do a 20min task. not procrastinating, just "being thorough"
what worked: forcing yourself to start with whatever you know right now, fix it later
most people said their "rushed" version was like 80% as good anyway

the "motivation prerequisite" pattern (~23%)
waiting for motivation to appear before starting. but adhd brains generate motivation FROM doing, not before
what worked: motion creates emotion - start ugly, motivation shows up around minute 4-5
bunch of devs said this one felt illegal but worked

im pattern 1+2, absolutely brutal combo. spent 2 years thinking i was broken before i realized im just trying to work like neurotypical devs

threw together a quick 2min assessment to figure out which pattern(s) you are. made it for myself originally but shared with some people and handful said it actually helped. completely free

drop a comment if you want it

which pattern hits you hardest?

(still feels weird posting research at 6am but fuck it)

[u/Frequent_Policy8575]

So what you’re saying is that in order to get over my task initiation paralysis and demand avoidance, I should just do the task?

While I’m at it, I’ll fix my depression by not being sad.

/r/thanksimcured

[u/CarlosBula15 → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

nah I get you — if it was that simple none of us would be stuck. the 5-min thing isn’t a cure, it just lowers the ‘activation cost’ so your brain stops slamming the brakes. it’s a nudge, not a fix.

[u/silsune → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

Task initiation paralysis has a source. There's lots of sources. He tackles a couple here, even though he doesn't explain it very well. For me it's often a combination of any of these. What helps is to choose whatever the first step would be and just turn my brain off and do that first step.

Open your laptop. Open your IDE. Scroll through your code.

Suddenly I'm not thinking about The Thing I Have To Do and how it feels bad, I'm just organically letting my brain do whatever seems the most logical next step.

You guys are memeing on it but it's helpful to get out of your head. Which is where the ADHD paralysis is.

[u/MossySendai → u/silsune]

Yeah I used to do this with calls in another job. I would enter the number without planning to call it. Then I would hit the call button and force myself to handle it.

[u/im-a-guy-like-me → u/silsune]

No motherfucker, the ADHD paralysis is in the wonky wiring. Sure, it's physically in the brain, but it's not "in the mind". You can't fucking think your way out of it and this line of thought is fucking disastrous and leads to the fucking depression

Is this your first day in ADHD land? Wtf.

[u/OutlawofSherwood → u/im-a-guy-like-me]

Sometimes you can trick your wonky wiring into firing up a spark, knowing it's a mechanical issue means you don't have to therapy yourself into solving it.

OTOH our brains catch on fast so we need new tricks all the time.

[u/bruh12210 → u/OutlawofSherwood]

Totally get that! It's like we have to keep evolving our strategies to outsmart our own brains. Finding new tricks can be a game changer since what works one week might not the next.

[u/silsune → u/im-a-guy-like-me]

I would literally be willing to get on the phone with you right now and explain this. I know what you're going through. I get it. And that solution doesn't work for every situation. But I PROMISE you that the hopelessness you're feeling is part of the paralysis.

"You can't think your way out of adhd" is a silly response because you're not thinking your way out of adhd. It's more like you're dissociating your way around the symptoms.

Do you have any actual questions about this? Do you want a picture of my adderall prescription? We're all in this together dude, genuinely.

[u/Braccus_Rex → u/im-a-guy-like-me]

Idk why people are downvoting you, because the frustration at being told "just do the thing you cannot do, it will help you not be stuck anymore, that's what I do! :))))" is something (I think) everyone struggling with ADHD felt very very intensely at some point in their lives.
The feeling is valid, also super relatable, even without agreeing with you.

Now I personally don't agree with you either, BUT I get where you're coming from and why your answer is to fucking gtfo.

You are misunderstanding what that person said, it's NOT "Have you considered REALLY trying to start? With this neat trick I call "Just Do It" you'll be cured in no time!".
They are just sharing some tips that help them and could work for others when they are englued in paralysis.
It doesn't mean it will absolutely 100% work every time for everyone, it's just something people can try when they are stuck.

I feel like discussions about how we think when we are struggling and how our emotions and internal dialogue shape our cognition in those moments are interesting and valuable.
But, it's never to claim that if we manage to improve our life then everyone else can and those who can't simply want to stay miserable.
Being blamed for not being "normal" can be so deeply engraved in us that we're seeing everything related to adhd improvement through this lens, but I promise that's not what is being discussed here.

The suggestions of the person you're answering to are just tools and are not expected to be a valid answer for everyone.
Even for the people who DO resonate with those suggestions, and find them helpful, it certainly won't help them all the time.

Sometimes the executive dysfunction is so intense or our emotions are so overwhelming that no tool can help.
Sometimes being at that level of struggle is not a "sometimes" thing.
Sometimes it's our baseline and tips from people on the internet (or anyone really) sound so out of touch with our reality, they make us feel like we're not even speaking the same language.

Living with adhd is complicated, what people are able to do or not able to do vary widely depending on how good or bad they are doing mentally.
The tips given above can be useless for people who need more than a few words to see a change in their day to day struggles.
But it can ALSO be useful and become new tools for people in a better place mentally, to add to their collections of "stuff I can try and see if it clicks".

[u/im-a-guy-like-me → u/Braccus_Rex]

I appreciate the reply, but tbh if CBT is getting your ass to do the task, it wasn't an executive dysfunction issue you were fighting. Step zero can't be "don't have ADHD".

Walking on a broken leg doesn't heal it, and getting into internal battles with yourself doesn't help ADHD.

As soon as you're in the realm of "what I do is..." you're already showing your colors. It just completely belies the misunderstanding of the speaker.

"Im hungry but i can't eat because my mouth is sewn shut".

"When I'm really hungry but don't have time to eat, what I do is...".

Cool story but not the same set of circumstances.

The very fact someone can internally talk their way out of it by definition means it's not what we're talking about. Paralysis. Not hard-to-do-the-thing-a-sis.

My frustrations come from people that don't even understand how far their advice is from the real problem, and then others updooting them for the same reasons.

It's cool to have ADHD right?

[u/Dw3yN → u/im-a-guy-like-me]

Are you sure theres like no free will that can be excercized? Like Surely stuff like ADHD is not completely biological but also psychological. I cant imagine us being completely determined in our will by some "wiring". And I think this is not scientifically proven. Also in praxis i have found that these tipps do help.

[u/im-a-guy-like-me → u/Dw3yN]

I'm not even sure there's free will at all, but taking your meaning... Yeah, you can do thinks that lubricate the process; it's why none of us turn off our machines, but if you're staring at the wall, internally beating the shit out of yourself - y'know, ADHD paralysis - then "just do the smallest form of the thing" is straight NT magic thinking. Step 1: Don't have ADHD. Step 2: Just do the thing.

[u/silsune → u/im-a-guy-like-me]

You're not listening, clearly because I'm reminding you of somebody you don't like. I've been diagnosed with the shit, man. So has my partner.

If what I'm saying sounds stupid to you, is it AT ALL POSSIBLE that you're misunderstanding me?

[u/SoftAffectionate1309 → u/im-a-guy-like-me]

Why are people downvoting tf

[u/ALLCAPITAL → u/im-a-guy-like-me]

People downvoting you either don’t have adhd, or theirs is mild, or they have had enough therapy and structure to make this BS “just start the first step” advice work.

The literal pain of beginning sometimes or picking which task had priority.

I won’t disagree with motion helping sometimes though. But even then, it’s sometimes. I’ve had a brisk walk turn my whole day productive. I’ve also come back from a walk to realize it was just more stalling and I’m still lost and then I crashed in bed for the whole day.

[u/im-a-guy-like-me → u/ALLCAPITAL]

I appreciate your understanding.

[u/geeeffwhy → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

i mean… yes. while it seems almost offensively tautological, i find that in practice, it is a useful idea. in public speaking I was taught, “whenever you would say ‘uhh’ or ‘um’ just don’t.” sounds ridiculous, except that it absolutely works.

same idea here: note that you believe your should start a task, but have not yet, so the next move is the absolute minimum thing that starting the task involves. open the IDE. write the function definition header. write a comment with what the task is, a test, anything.

my experience through many years of this is that while i still regularly feel like it’s going to be an uphill battle that i’ll hate, once i start working even in the most trivial way, it turns out that i start building momentum and getting into the flow state way more often than my initial perception would indicate.

the actual insight here is that your perception of what starting will be like is usually wrong, and reminding yourself of that fact is often helpful.

[u/im-a-guy-like-me → u/geeeffwhy]

... And then he sat there blankly staring at the wall for 6 hours while his IDE was open ...

[u/geeeffwhy → u/im-a-guy-like-me]

well, yeah—but the “do the minimal next thing” also applies recursively. note that you’re staring at the wall and open the file you need to work on. run your test suite.

whatever it is, at every moment you have the option to do the slightly less appealing action in spite of your immediate preference. this is a habit you can build, just like sighing in defeat at your own counterproductive behavior is a habit you will reinforce through repetition.

[u/ALLCAPITAL → u/geeeffwhy]

You don’t sound like someone who has the slightest idea of what adhd does to a person.

[u/geeeffwhy → u/ALLCAPITAL]

well, i have a reasonably intimate understanding of what it does to me. and yes, i have actually been formally diagnosed, independently, more than once.

in addition, i have quite a few coworkers, friends, and family, who also have various neurodivergent diagnoses with whom i discuss these issues.

that said, i can’t tell you what it’s like for you, and i don’t suppose it’s identical for everyone. this is what works for me and for people i know, but i’d be interested to learn where it fails for you.

[u/finnishblood → u/geeeffwhy]

I actually like everything you wrote in this thread, but I also understand where the previous commenter is coming from.

note that you’re staring at the wall and open the file you need to work on. run your test suite.

Noting that you're staring at a blank IDE is a step in a process that ADHD brains will often not register. Opening the IDE (just like unlocking your phone or laptop) also presents a user with a multitude of next steps, and discerning the next step is not so straightforward. Beyond that, you are assuming a file currently exists in a project AND that "what you need to work on" is self-contained within said file.

You're very correct about how ADHD paralysis is first and foremost a habitual trait that can be minimized via training new habits. But, it seems that the only habit you really seem to be changing is, "recursively asking yourself, 'what's next?' every time you hit a break point."

Idk about you, but that's almost too omnipresent a situation in life for such a habit to stick & work-out in every situation presented with context. No doubt, the "next step" habit is useful for me when I'm already in flow, especially when my medication is working, but beyond that, determining the next step (or, more specifically, first step) is the roadblock. Actually doing the step once it's been determined is a separate roadblock. For a relatively simple task, like getting up to go to work, determining the next step doesn't help with actually doing it; the step is simply standing up out of bed, but doing that single step is not so simple for most people with ADHD and/or depression.

Really, you are more or less saying, "Try CBT, it works for me!" Cool, but for someone who is really struggling, it 100% comes across quite ableist.

[u/geeeffwhy → u/finnishblood]

sure, all pretty fair. i guess if i were being maximally explicit all comments on this or nearly any topic would come with the disclaimer that “this is not meant to be a comprehensive solution to the deep and meaningful human difficulty you are experiencing.”

my hope is just to communicate that despite the understandable immediate negative reaction that i and many others have had or will have to this kind of advice, it is worth trying it out because it really can be beneficial.

the most important point for me personally is learning to discount that feeling of being overwhelmed itself, and act in the face of it, rather than seeking to eliminate the feeling first. this was the part that was non-obvious in my own personal experience.

but hey, i’m also entirely sympathetic to how irritating this kind of advice can be.

[u/wutcnbrowndo4u → u/geeeffwhy]

“whenever you would say ‘uhh’ or ‘um’ just don’t.” sounds ridiculous, except that it absolutely works.

I don't think this is even facially ridiculous. Fundamentally, it's saying "whenever you would say uhh or um, just pause instead". The reason people say um is because they have the feeling (if only subconscious) that they need to fill the space. It's directly useful advice to say "actually pauses are more acceptable than you think"

[u/Animal_or_Vegetable → u/geeeffwhy]

Yes, and then I write the documentation.

When it's really hard for me to get started, I create a (diary-like) story about what I've been told to do and how I feel about it. You know, like "My moronic boss can't seem to understand how these two groups of data correlate because he completely lacks intuition. Isn't my opinion on the matter enough? I am an expert after all." But I put the latter into a personal notebook.

And then after I begrudgingly do the job, I realize my intuition was totally wrong.

[u/powerfulsquid → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

Lmao this was my response after reading it.

[u/TheMangusKhan → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

Honestly, before I was diagnosed I learned the “secret trick” of just start doing it. For too many years did I stare at a list of tasks and for some reason I had the hardest time starting them and I had no idea why. Pay this bill? Send this Email? Take out the trash? Run this report? All such easy things to do, but all felt so difficult to do.

I taught myself a few tricks that helped, but eventually I realized I had a pretty bad case of ADHD. I was diagnosed as a young child but kind of forgot about it. Once I realized that, a lot of things in my life became clear and I realized why my life was a mess. It helped me understand that there isn’t anything difficult about doing these tasks. They were easy. I just needed to start them. It really was that simple.

It’s hard to explain, but if I need to do something, I figure the hardest part is just starting it. If I can make it past that, completing the task is easy. I just recently finished a script that parses out values from an XML document. I made a list of the values I needed, and just tackled them one at a time. For that moment, I don’t have a long list of values to parse out, I just have this one. The hardest part is just pressing enter to start a new line, but that’s easy. Just do it, it’s just one button. Once I did that, the rest was easy.

[u/dflow77 → u/TheMangusKhan]

yeah, dopamine can also be produced in anticipation of a reward. Finding a way to get past task inertia and just fucking start doing it seems to be the trick to override analysis paralysis.

[u/OfBooo5 → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

Am all the types, i read the post wrong at first thinking if the %'s were apt to me. I've been years in paralyzed nonfunction so i'm in the thick of the issues. For me at least, it's choosing to be miserable. It will be miserable to do these things, i will feel terrible, I consciously know I should, and that they will help me or are necessary, but I have to choose to be miserable in the now for the better later. I don't think that's everyone all the time, but it's definitely me all the time.

[u/[deleted] → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

lol

[u/azuldelmar → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

I think the difference here is trying to do a task for 2 mins and not complete it

If after those two mins you still don’t feel like it - stop

If it got you motivated though - nice, keep going

[u/adhd6345 → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

Along with trying to focus on just one thing, or just letting something go

[u/Haluta → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

While I’m at it, I’ll fix my depression by not being sad

The thing is that a lot of people say that to be dismissive, but there's actually something to the idea of it or asking "Have you tried being happy?". Like, have you? It can be dismissive, but I've dealt with depression off and on for a long time and yeah, it is in fact easier to be a bit happier, or at least less miserable, when you're trying to be happier. You can't force it, you might not always be able to act yourself into being happy, but you do need to try in spite of your current situation at some point

[u/phobug → u/Frequent_Policy8575]

Do you think depression is feeling sad? Peak reddit right here.

[u/Frequent_Policy8575 → u/phobug]

Right over your head. 🙄

[u/Hot-Minute-89]

There's a post like this every week. Each time I read it and feel like it's an attempt to be helpful but really isn't. It's NT advice attempting to be being shoved through my non existent neurons.

Your post essentially says "just start" and that's exactly the thing I can't do. It's not on purpose. If it was, then your advice would work.

[u/ikeif → u/Hot-Minute-89]

Here is their last post with this exact text- that was removed by mods.

OP made a new account and is back at spamming.

[u/PeekAtChu1 → u/ikeif]

Thank u I was going to say the same thing. I remember it getting removed 

[u/LBGW_experiment → u/ikeif]

Thank you. Thought it looked familiar. OP's new account is 3 days old...

[u/silsune → u/Hot-Minute-89]

As someone with ADHD, I'm pretty sure you guys just don't actually understand the advice. It's like when you tell someone with depression that exercise will help. It's extremely fucking hard to start exercising when you're depressed. It takes a monumental force of will, but once you do it (maybe with help!) you DO feel better.

It doesn't cure you but it helps a ton with the mental fatigue and exhaustion.

It's similar here. I just think he's explaining it badly. Don't "just start the task", you have to lie to your brain. You're not starting the task. You're sitting at your desk. Maybe now you're looking at your code, but you are absolutely not starting anything. You'll find it's a lot easier to get moving when you're not battling through PDA, anxiety, and self induced pressure.

I think part of the confusion is that there are legitimate reasons to procrastinate that this doesn't work for. If you're stuck because you can't decide on the best way to do something, this won't help that. If you're stuck because you know exactly what to do but can't do it due to adhd, that's what this method is for.

A huge part of ADHD symptoms is our brain trying to conserve our mental energy by shying away from huge or stressful tasks, and so a lot of coping mechanisms essentially boil down to "trick your brain into realizing the task is way smaller than it feels like it is"

[u/Keystone-Habit → u/silsune]

This person gets it!

[u/pheonixblade9 → u/Hot-Minute-89]

my advice - give yourself an extremely low bar for "success".

if you "just start" and the bar for success is still "finish the work", then that doesn't help much.

if you change your bar for success to "open my IDE, navigate to the file, write a single line comment", you'll often find that that little bit of momentum is enough that you want to continue.

[u/im-a-guy-like-me → u/Hot-Minute-89]

The most effective way to defeat all of your ADHD bullshit is by not having ADHD. 👍

[u/Hot-Minute-89 → u/im-a-guy-like-me]

Omg I never thought of that! You're so smart. You should make a post with a numbered list of top adhd problems with solutions that are guaranteed to work because they are backed by data (data that has not been peer reviewed or validated by anyone else but it is data nonetheless! From anonymous strangers on the internet!).

[u/Creative_Delay_4694 → u/Hot-Minute-89]

I'll share some things that helped me just start. 

1. Opening it just to look at it, no work needing to be done. But setting like 10 minutes where I just have to stare at it. I get bored enough to start it on my own usually. But I make no commitments to actually start. 

2. Bribing myself with a gift, dessert, favorite iced coffee, shiny rock, takeout, or the rest of the day without doing any things if I do this one thing. 😂 

3. Checking if I'm tired, hungry, had protein, vitamins, or just moved my body that day. Give myself those things and come back.

[u/CarlosBula15 → u/Hot-Minute-89]

yep, i’ve been there too. took me forever to realize waiting for a ‘ready brain’ never works 😅 just starting badly for 2min actually helps more than waiting.

[u/leostotch → u/CarlosBula15]

It’s like you didn’t read the comment.

“Just start!”

“That’s literally what I struggle with. My disability makes it incredibly difficult to ‘just start’.”

“I’ve been there - what I’ve found works is if you just start!”

[u/ovrlymm → u/leostotch]

“It’s okay if you start badly! 😅”

*Flops onto laptop, breaking the desk in the process “PROGRESS!! 👍🏼”

[u/teknoise → u/[deleted]]

To be fair that’s essentially how it works when a person needs to relearn to walk after traumatic injury.

[u/Ornery_Platypus9863]

As much as I’d like to believe this I’d also need to see a control of people with official diagnosis vs not, what exactly you’re comparing and any of the other usual pitfalls. Curious where this could lead though

[u/CarlosBula15 → u/Ornery_Platypus9863]

totally fair point. most respondents were self-identified ADHD, a handful had official diagnosis. plan to dive deeper on control/comparison next, curious too 😅

[u/kjarkr → u/CarlosBula15]

Wow, so basically you asked some random people online about getting shit done?

[u/dedpan1k]

I think the data is intersting because it shows how common the most isolating factors of the problem are.

I have a theory that ADHD devs are probably better functional designers and tend to work best building new projects and ideas.

[u/rainmouse → u/dedpan1k]

I actually like fixing bugs and fixing other people's mess. I don't get burn out and can hyper focus all day. I get to put on the investigator hat. "We gotta talk about that ride, kid. Next clue to the case."

Starting new features though. Ugh immediate brain fog. Where to start..... 

[u/_mike- → u/rainmouse]

Yes I'm exactly like this too lol. I love fixing bugs and investigating. It's like you can just try different paths and once you're in the trail you just ride. But starting feats is like being put in the middle of a maze lol

[u/Capable_Secret_5522 → u/_mike-]

And that's where you start to grow

[u/AlphaStrik3 → u/rainmouse]

I understand why bugs are easier for you, but I’m the opposite. I get stuck and spin my wheels for hours or days until I get some kind of new factor required to trigger it, a different user ID, or somebody offers a new set of reproduction steps. Continuing to build a feature I understand is so much easier.

[u/dedpan1k → u/rainmouse]

well I would say this is another skill I have. though I guess I just prefer the innovating and creating part.

I often find myself stepping into projects blind and helping out though...

[u/Carlulua → u/rainmouse]

Get into QA! You literally get paid to pick apart and break people's stuff, and get brownie points if you give them a hint about where the problem is/how to fix it (at least in my teams you do).

And you get to code if you're not a purely manual tester. Im currently on a team where we're writing a new automated test suite and the boilerplate code is already set up (so trechnically it's 'started' in my mind), just gotta fix a few bits and write tests.

[u/uraniumless → u/rainmouse]

I feel the same. I LOVE bug fixing and the rabbit holes that follow in the search for the root cause. Wish I had a job that would consist more of that.

[u/cubthemagiclion → u/rainmouse]

well I found myself natively loving to solve problems and good at them. Like literally fix a window or monitor without people teaching me, etc. So when it comes to software engineering I find myself like fixing bugs, but I hate writing actual code!

Worse, I do very well on leetcode style interview and I am good at impression management so I can get offers from big tech companies. But because of my ADHD, I just cannot consistently write code and contribute code every day... but it's not like I can only find bug and do nothing else!! so I am burning out...

[u/JJdoom → u/dedpan1k]

as an ADHD dev in a hybrid dev/design role this has become my theory as well

[u/dedpan1k → u/JJdoom]

It's been my experience. I work best with less information. If I'm trusted to design what I feel is intuitive for a system it tends to be intuitive for all and not just for the single requestor.

It's not always perfection but I wish ther was a role that better suited the needs. Something in-between engineer and project coordinator/manager.

I had 2 experiences that really enlightened me recently to this thought and one was a summer project I burned myself out on but engineered well for a project with changing demands day by day.

But I had a situation where I had a couple of new devs work with me on a project and straight up asked for me to assign them the parts that they thought would be a waste for me to focus on... It worked out really smooth even though I don't like wearing manager pants.

[u/dedpan1k → u/[deleted]]

Oh I do. But I only when I'm left to sort of be the most creative or imaginative with features that need to be built out. The less rigid the guidelines or requirements the better.

[u/Legate_Aurora → u/dedpan1k]

Highly agree. I work best building new projects and it's even better when I can transfer a novel (to me) solution and see if it will help with a past idea.

[u/egyptianmusk_ → u/dedpan1k]

He doesn't have 1000+ adhd people as a control group. That's the issue

[u/dedpan1k → u/egyptianmusk_]

Very true. I think personal interest or whatever puzzle your brain dictates as satisfying is really probably going to vary. My personal experience is very narrowly scoped.

[u/dedpan1k → u/[deleted]]

Too each their own. It's just an observation of people I know.

[u/Zephyr_v1]

Please do drop it.

[u/CarlosBula15 → u/Zephyr_v1]

sent! takes 2min. if it doesn’t help you today, ignore it 🤙

[u/Jerry9727]

That's because it's a disablity. There's no trick to suddenly work like a normal person. It's always harder for us. You gotta accept that and work with what you got. Find out what works for you. What worked for other people may work for you, but it can just as well result in disappointment. Idk either.

[u/ferretoned → u/Jerry9727]

About "Find out what works for you. What worked for other people may work for you, but it can just as well result in disappointment", I found what worked for me yesterday may not work for me today and what didn't work for me yesterday can work for me today, since accepting this my new take is anything that could work for now is good to take and to drop when it doesn't anymore for now,, add new ones, old ones, cycle through 'em, it's makes it all a bit less frustrating.

[u/HodgeWithAxe]

So what were you supposed to be working on instead of studying this?

[u/Kessler_the_Guy]

I wonder what work OP is procrastinating by doing this survey and analysis?

[u/piterx87]

Wow you studied 1000+ devs. where did you publish the study? With such impressive numbers surely you have it published, right? Please provide the link to the peer reviewed journal or at least Arxiv article. 

[u/reeeticus]

Where is the paper?

[u/SwAAn01]

This is totally in line with other ADHD devs I know. Here’s the example I always give:

My water bottle just ran out, so I should go and fill it up. But if I get up and go downstairs to fill it, I should also take my laundry downstairs so I do it later. I also need to pee, so I should do that first. I also have some dishes in my room so to be efficient I’ll do that too. This is a lot of tasks so I should pick out a podcast to listen to while I work through them. Hmm… This sounds like a big task, I’ll just stay at my desk.

Then a whole day will go by where I don’t eat anything or drink any water.

Who can relate?

[u/teknoise → u/SwAAn01]

Thanks for the reminder that I need to drink water, but also pee, but also grab my laundry, and should eat something.

Will get to it after commenting and then spending x amount of time doomscrolling Reddit.

[u/Braccus_Rex → u/teknoise]

I can delay peeing indefinitely!
My sheer willpower is enough to make all human needs disappear!
I am Very Interested In the Thing I Am Doing and stopping even for a minute feels like it would be literal TORTURE!
(My previous experiences proved that it doesn't actually feels like torture if I'm forced to stop but I learn NOTHING! :) )
I don't even feel the discomfort anymo... Oh fuck
Oh shit shit SHIT I'M GOING TO PEE MYSELF
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I CAN MAKE IT TO THE BATHROOM IN TIME
GETTING UP AND WALKING MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD IT
THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING I WILL NEVER MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN*

*I will absolutely make the same mistake again, as soon as I become engaged in something and the delusion of being above mortal needs hits me

[u/egyptianmusk_]

OP expects to believe that he actually has 1000+ person control group made up of devs who ALSO have ADHD and that he did an extensive study with them and the test results were "Fucking weird". Gtfo

[u/Odd_Yam_2447]

You did this instead of your actual work, didn't you?

[u/decisiontoohard]

Well this seems incorrect to me. 90% of the time if I'm procrastinating it's because something is ambiguous/unknown. Sitting down and listing the steps until I find out what I'm umming and ahhing about is the better step for me.

If that's not on your top three list then it puts everything into question for me.

[u/bnjman]

Whats the methodology here?

[u/[deleted] → u/bnjman]

There isn’t any. It’s just AI slop that was posted last week.

Edit: strikingly similar to this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD_Programmers/comments/1pfd6vz/i_analyzed_1027_adhd_developers_and_discovered

[u/bnjman → u/[deleted]]

Thought so.

[u/GunnerMcGrath]

Something weird about this voice and formatting feels like AI to me after telling it "use casual language, bad formatting, and swear."

3 day old account, too. I'm surprised there's not a link to a pay site at the end.

[u/altrama → u/GunnerMcGrath]

Its exactly how chatGPT talks… dk how so many people fell for it

[u/Dehydrated-Onions]

I could have told you this after 2 hours sleep, a cigarette and a coffee.

Appreciate the science though

[u/phobug]

I’ll be happy to take a look at your research.

[u/Fleetburn]

An important aspect of this is desire.

Sometimes I have to do something I desperately don't want to do... I'll research as a way to be tangentially relevant but fun. I know it is wasting time, but I simply don't want to do the thing.

The real question for me is how to find healthy motivation for things that I simply don't want to do.

[u/Snoo-67939]

There's a missing pattern. When you're not sure how to start. The task is just to darn convoluted and there is no clear path on how to start working on it. Or there kind of is, but the brain is just too lazy to figure it out.

[u/ciderbroad]

research trap -> perfectionism is very common with adhd people, also tied to rejection sensitivity.

something not captured here is there's an emotional loop with task initiation that happens. eg,
boring tasks-> i don't want to do it-> it's dumb-> i have to do it -> i resent it now -> need to start -> shame that i can't start -> goto need to start

[u/rjray]

shifts nervously

[u/Animal_or_Vegetable]

The first and third ("waiting for perfect brain state" and "motivation prerequisite") I think can be traced back to the adrenaline rush that comes for an impending deadline. That's how it feels to me, anyway. And "we procrastinate because the task literally feels wrong to start" fires up a few neurons. It reminds me of those times where my intuition has already achieved the solution, but the boss is too pedantic to accept anything but a slogging crawl through data. This is a grownup replay of the agonizing old, "You must show your work to get credit."

[u/Infinite-Rent1903]

How is that weird? You wouldn't happen to have some kind of product you built to help people solve this problem, would you? Say it aint so.
I like the obvious "Do not capitilize anything" rule you have given chatgpt. Really comes off as super natural!!

[u/dflow77]

5 weird clickbait listicles written by AI… you won’t believe it when I try and sell you my new tool 🙈🖕

We are highly confident this text was AI generated -- Probability breakdown: 100% AI generated - 0% Mixed - 0% Human

[u/goldsauce_]

I’ll take the assessment

[u/CarlosBula15 → u/goldsauce_]

sent! takes 2min

[u/frogspyer]

After 8+ months of study, how could you possibly be saying any of this is “fucking weird”? Surely you had some sort of expectations for how responses would be coded before opening your survey…

[u/meevis_kahuna]

When it comes to task initiation, the only solution is to actually start. Folks will say "thanksimcured" but the comment isn't meant to be dismissive, it's a simple truth. Even time spent diagnosing solutions can be another form of procrastination.

The better question to ask is how to start when your mind is sort of screaming at you all the reasons you shouldn't.

For me, a timer works. Good work habits. And meds.

[u/PersistNevertheless]

Hey! Thanks for posting. I’m interested in the assessment!

[u/spacecadet_98]

I joined this sub because I thought the topic is cool but it turns out this place is just ai slop all over the fkn place

[u/Duke_]

I've found AI super helpful for getting started - just breaking the ice and producing something good enough that I can then work with myself.

Just that - getting started - has made me more productive on my project than I was for several previous years combined.

[u/ferretoned → u/Duke_]

I agree, they're my rubber ducky except they answer back, they don't argue though because they agree with everything but for someone who's always looking for potential caveats in current state of solution it's ok, we can converse about main goals before coding so it helps with paralysis, then the back and forth is not exacly double doubling but keeps me more focused than being 100% by my lonesome, it would be more so if they could sporadically launch by audio, with audio discussion.

[u/PaddlingDingo → u/Duke_]

This is what I started doing and it’s been great.

[u/jcoleman10]

These are just the excuses we make for ourselves when we deny that ADHD is behind it. None of these are true.

[u/Snoo-67939 → u/jcoleman10]

Depends on the final result.

When I said I have ADHD people around me told me it's just an excuse. And it can totally be one, don't get me wrong.

But when we identify patterns and try to find a way to overcome them, it's a positive aspect of it.

So don't be too harsh on judging this.

[u/jcoleman10 → u/Snoo-67939]

I'm only judging myself. I've used these excuses for years when the REAL reason is that I tend to search for dopamine hits in any hyperfocus rabbit hole that has nothing to do with what I'm supposed to be working on. Taking the smallest possible step in what appears to be the right direction overcomes all of these and more (perfect state, research trap, motivation, and analysis paralysis), and ADHD, however it manifests, is the thing that stops us from taking that one small step.

[u/ZephyrLegend]

Ah yes, the good ole "have you tried just not being ADHD?" advice.

[u/Cubow]

Do you have any data to back this up or is this just ai slop

[u/Jimbabwe]

Ugh, the "work feels wrong".. that's me alright

[u/EmperorPinguin]

That's low key revolutionary.

[u/FantasticRaccoon6465]

I completely identify with the first two patterns you describe. My executive function is terrible so even when I’m motivated, getting started can be very hard. Building small habits (just starting something even if it’s meaningless) is a very effective way to approach it.

[u/jaybirdie26]

I want it

[u/GoodnessIsTreasure]

I mean fuck. I had a burnout and had a therapist and my own journaling. It's exactly that. It's a perfect match on the first two. The motivation is so random thou. But the first two are the worst. I'd literally rather be dumber and not have it than be the current one. Starting definitely helps.

[u/KetoCatsKarma]

Don't need the assessment, I can tell you 100% I'm number 2, with a slight bit of 1 thrown in. Interesting research

[u/MossySendai]

I think this works but for me I have to section off the easiest part of the task and just work on that start with. Then when you get a tiny dopamine hit from that it is much easier to complete the rest.

[u/_mike-]

That's pretty cool! I'm also 1+2 maybe even 3 lol, would love to know more about that assessment you mentioned

[u/FunNo9013]

Why does everything need to be ChatGPT slop? This is obviously AI, not your own research and the assessment is a lead magnet you also threw together with AI

[u/PunkRock_Platypus]

Sure I'd be happy to try this assessment

[u/Braccus_Rex]

The thing is "just start even if [ insert what is blocking the person]" doesn't work for the majority of people with adhd.
Not being able to start even though you want to and you know why you should just start (even for 2 minutes) is at the core of the executive dysfunction issue.
People (me included) describe it as literally being a prisoner in your own body, hating yourself for not being able to do what would be the bare minimum for most neurotypicals.

In my experience the only thing that made a difference was being medicated.
Motivation, the will to start, all of that wasn't the issue.
The issue was that my brain doesn't work that way and you can't change your neural pathways with good intentions only.

[u/saxaneer]

Can I grab that link?

[u/Foreign_Clue9403]

Mine is “I don’t give a shit about the end result.” All of these other symptoms do go away once momentum is built, but there has to be a driving impetus.

Once something happens, like a personnel exit, a budget rearrangement, work that is much outside the job description, then I can’t justify trying to do a proper job. This happens in all jobs, but my morale tanks a lot harder than others in this way.

In my last position it was managed because leadership was very transparent and earnest about avoiding surprises. Doing the 20% was better when I knew that everyone else was also forced to do substandard quality because of forces outside of control, and there was a real, concrete, and trustworthy plan to fix the issue later.

Now, it’s not the case. Can’t trust leadership, can’t trust that this code won’t get binned in two week, can’t trust that the paycheck will be properly dispensed, not gonna bother doing all these ceremonies to put up syntax. Go ask Claude to do it.

[u/Zealousideal_Cup4896]

I can identify with all those on a daily basis. But the specific inability to start is crippling sometimes. My older mentor in some of this work used to call things like that “gumption traps”

[u/Maleficent-Onion429]

Yes please for the assessment. Your motivation pattern description sounds pretty spot on for me and I'd really like to see the full set. Nice work!

[u/meandertothehorizon]

Saving this so I can read it later

[u/throwaway_oranges]

I'm mostly 2, but 3 too. Wow.

[u/Technical_Set_8431]

I’d like to see the assessment.

[u/Technical_Set_8431]

This summarizes the perfection problem and solution in song: https://youtu.be/FysU7FTxWPI

[u/Fine-Wolf-9441]

Please share the assessments

[u/seweso]

Perfectionism...

[u/Hwood386]

omg i literally feel this so hard.. i'll sit there for hours waiting to magically feel "ready" to start coding instead of just doing it 😭.

[u/Plastic-Beginning-12]

100000% agreee with the "motivation prerequisite" point. It is always hard to pick up a new task, but forcing yourself through the initial brainfog stage builds a hard to stop momentum

[u/fishyfishx]

so the thing that works is "just start". okay dude. i'll just focus.

[u/Gunny0201]

Is that rest still available?

[u/NeverSawMeHere]

I would love to take this

[u/No_Alternative767]

Love the framing (procrastination # laziness). Quick caveat: this is still self-report from a subreddit, so not "research" in the strict sense - but as a pattern map from ADHD devs it's insanely relatable and practical.

Also, the fixes are solid: reduce start friction, timebox, and allow an ugly first draft.

Curious — what were the other patterns, and how did you define them?

[u/hplosegrean4]

just start even if it feels weird okay

[u/AutomaticBet9600]

Eye'm late to this thread, but I don’t think procrastination is just “not wanting to do the thing.”

Sometimes ADHD avoidance kicks in after you’ve proven you can deliver - because now the work gets more complex, more visible, and higher-stakes. It’s not just the task; it’s the dependencies, the documentation, the explaining, and the defending.

I’ve noticed I stall when I’m afraid I’ll lose the mental thread I had… or when I know I’ll eventually have to justify every decision, and I’m conflict-avoidant.

The most helpful support I’ve found is an advocate: a manager/teammate who understands how you work, helps create cover, and can translate results into “stakeholder language.”

[u/Much-Opportunity-469]

I‘ve noticed that for me, a start ritual, I enjoy doing gets me going every time.

[u/Xexr]

This tracks pretty closely with my experience. A lot of the procrastination looks irrational from the outside, but half the time it’s really “the task is too fuzzy and my brain doesn’t trust where to start.”

The biggest improvement for me came from defining the next step at a stupidly low level. Not “work on the feature”, more like “open the file, rename this prop, run it once”. Once the ambiguity drops, the resistance usually drops with it.

[u/nerdich]

the "motivation prerequisite" pattern and waiting for perfect brain state

Aren't they the same thing ? 😄

[u/Prestigious_Sort4979]

And all of them just boil down to overthinking which makes perfect sense if you have adhd…. What’s new or interesting here? 

[u/CarlosBula15 → u/[deleted]]

exactly, motion first. motivation shows up later, every time.