If you’ve ever looked at your to-do list and thought, None of this seemed that hard when I planned it, you’re not alone. And you’re not lazy.
What you’re running into is a very real ADHD pattern: overcommitment driven by optimism, distorted capacity forecasting, and the hidden cost of task switching.
This isn’t about trying to do two things at once. It’s about why ADHD brains consistently underestimate the energy cost of doing anything, especially when tasks stack, overlap, or require frequent switching.
The ADHD Optimism Trap
ADHD brains are wired for possibility. Tomorrow feels like it will be better, calmer, more focused. That optimism is not a flaw, it’s part of what makes ADHD entrepreneurs visionary and creative.
The problem is that planning often happens in that optimistic state, while execution happens in reality.
When tasks are imagined, they feel simple. When they’re executed, they reveal dozens (or hundreds) of invisible steps. This gap between imagined effort and actual effort is where overwhelm begins.
And once one task runs long, everything else collapses.
Task Switching Isn’t Free, It’s Expensive
One of the most misunderstood ADHD challenges is task switching.
Switching between tasks isn’t just a mental pivot. It comes with a real neurological cost. Each switch burns energy, increases cognitive load, and forces your brain to reorient context, rules, and expectations.
Research has shown that task switching significantly reduces efficiency and increases mental fatigue even in neurotypical brains. For ADHD brains, which already use more energy for executive function, that cost compounds quickly.
This is why days filled with “simple” tasks can feel more exhausting than a single deep-focus project. You’re not failing to concentrate. You’re hemorrhaging energy through context shifts.
When Easy Tasks Become Impossible
Another trap ADHD entrepreneurs fall into is assuming that small tasks don’t add up.
Individually, each task seems manageable. Collectively, they exceed your actual capacity. ADHD brains struggle to accurately forecast total load, especially when tasks feel familiar or low-risk.
This is how January plans implode.
You don’t realize you’re overcommitted until balls start dropping. And once they do, shame enters the picture, adding emotional weight to an already overloaded system.
This spiral is a common theme in how momentum breaks down, which is explored further in this Grow Disrupt resource on ADHD & Momentum.
The Silent Cost of Overcommitment
The hardest part of ADHD overcommitment is that you usually don’t notice it until after damage is done. By the time you realize you’ve taken on too much, you’re already behind.
Nothing is wrong. Your brain just needs systems that account for:
- Energy limits, not just time
- Fewer priorities at once
- Reduced task switching
- Built-in recovery
When you plan with capacity instead of optimism, everything changes.
Ready for Support That Fits Your Brain?
Grow Disrupt events are designed for ADHD entrepreneurs who are done forcing themselves into productivity systems that ignore cognitive load and energy limits.
Ready to find an experience that matches your business stage (and your brain)? Start here:
👉 Find the Right Grow Disrupt Event for You