ADHD Productivity Tips That Actually Work for Photographers
May 05, 2026If you've tried every productivity system out there and still feel like you're failing, I have something important to tell you. The system isn't broken. It just wasn't built for your brain.
I got my ADHD diagnosis less than a year ago. And while it didn't change my desk — which is still gloriously chaotic — it completely changed the story I was telling myself about it. For years I'd been downloading software onto an incompatible operating system and blaming myself every time it crashed. Sound familiar?
In this post I'm sharing what I've learned about running a business with a neuro-spicy brain, the systems that actually work for me, and why ditching the productivity gurus might be the most productive thing you ever do.
Why Standard Productivity Advice Fails ADHD Entrepreneurs
Most productivity advice is written by and for neurotypical brains. Time-blocking, rigid daily schedules, and "eat the frog" task prioritization can be genuinely useful — if your brain works that way. For ADHD brains, following someone else's rigid system often feels like trying to run on a treadmill set to someone else's pace. You're exhausted within a week and convinced you're the problem.
You're not the problem.
My co-host Heather Lahtinen swears by her "past self" scheduling method — she plans her week in advance, puts everything in her calendar, and her only job each day is to show up and execute. It works brilliantly for her. When I tried it, I lasted about two weeks before my brain staged a full revolt. Past Nicole telling present Nicole what to do? Hard no.
The difference isn't discipline. It's brain wiring.
Why Your Brain Type Matters More Than Your Planner
Most productivity advice assumes everyone's brain works the same way. It doesn't.
Some of us have what I lovingly call a “neuro-spicy" brain — not a medical term, completely made up, but you'll know it when you hear it. It's the brain that can't sit through a boring meeting but will hyper-focus on something fascinating for six hours straight. The brain that thrives on novelty, runs on dopamine, and finds rigid schedules about as appealing as a root canal.
For entrepreneurs wired this way, the problem isn't lack of discipline. It's that most business and productivity advice was written for a completely different operating system. When you try to run that software on your brain and it crashes, the natural conclusion is that something is wrong with you.
Nothing is wrong with you. You just need different software.
The ADHD Diagnosis That Changed Everything (And Nothing)
I was diagnosed with ADHD less than a year ago, triggered in part by perimenopause, which can significantly amplify ADHD symptoms in women. Looking back, the signs were everywhere. I stared out the window for 90% of every class. I had a graveyard of abandoned planners. I once built an elaborate credit card tracking spreadsheet on a Wednesday night at 11pm purely because my brain decided it was fascinating.
The diagnosis didn't change any of that. What it changed was the meaning I'd been assigning to it.
For years I'd carried a quiet belief that I couldn't be trusted, that I had no follow-through, that something was fundamentally wrong with me. The diagnosis replaced all of that with a simple, neutral truth: my brain is different. Not broken. Different.
If you're wondering whether you might have ADHD, the path to diagnosis is a visit to a psychiatrist who will walk you through a series of questions. You don't have to pursue medication. For me, just having the confirmed information was enough to start making better decisions about how I work.
ADHD Productivity Systems That Actually Work
The best productivity system for an ADHD brain is the one you'll actually use. Here are the ones that work for me.
The Emotional Support Clipboard
This came from a member of my Elevate community and it's been a game changer. It's a physical clipboard with two sections. On the left, the days of the week with any time-based appointments or commitments. On the right, a running brain dump of tasks and projects without any assigned days or time slots.
The key difference from a traditional planner is that nothing gets moved. Nothing gets judged. It's not a schedule, it's a capture tool. And because it's physical and always on my desk, it's hard to ignore.
The Open Loops Page
Underneath my weekly page I keep a blank sheet titled Open Loops. This is where I track projects that are 80 or 90 percent done but haven't crossed the finish line yet. ADHD brains are great starters. The creation phase is exciting and dopamine-rich. The final 10 percent — the details, the admin, the finishing — is where things go to die.
The Open Loops page means nothing falls through the cracks completely. It's a gentle reminder rather than a guilt trip.
The Weekly Priority Question
Every Sunday I ask myself one question: what is the most important project I want to move forward this week? Not tasks. Not admin. The one meaningful thing that would make the week feel successful. Everything else is bonus.
This works because it removes the pressure of a packed to-do list while still giving my brain a clear target.
Task Batching by Context
I organize tasks not by day but by context — phone calls, computer work, errands. This lives on my phone as a simple reminders widget. When I'm in errand mode, I can see everything that needs to happen out of the house. When I have a chunk of focused time, I pull from the computer list. It removes the mental overhead of deciding what to do next.
The ADHD Superpower Nobody Talks About
Here's what the productivity gurus won't tell you. When an ADHD brain is genuinely interested in something, it is unstoppable. That's not a deficit. That's a superpower.
The key is learning to recognize when the dopamine train is running and capitalizing on it. When I'm in a hyper-focus state on something meaningful — like rebuilding the backend of my business — I protect that time fiercely. I'm not going to get that level of output any other way.
The flip side is accepting that when the dopamine isn't there, forcing it rarely works. Building a business that gives you flexibility to ride the wave when it comes is one of the biggest gifts you can give your spicy brain.
Dropping the Judgment Is the Real Productivity Hack
Here's the thing that took me the longest to learn. Beating yourself up about your productivity style costs you more energy than the productivity problem ever did.
If you wait until the last minute and always deliver, that's not a flaw. If you need external accountability to get things done, that's not weakness. If your desk looks like mine, that's not evidence that you're failing.
These are just data points about how your brain works. The goal isn't to fix them. The goal is to build systems and a business around them.
Heather and I have wildly different brains and wildly different systems, and we've both built successful businesses. The common thread isn't the method. It's the self-awareness.
Key Takeaways
Standard productivity advice was written for neurotypical brains, and it's okay if it doesn't work for yours. Getting an ADHD diagnosis can be clarifying rather than limiting, especially when you approach it without judgment. The best productivity system is the one your actual brain will use consistently. Hyper-focus is a legitimate superpower — learn to recognize and protect it. Dropping self-judgment about how you work is the highest-leverage productivity move you can make.
If any of this resonated, go listen to the full conversation. Heather and I get into the details of our different systems, the Chrome window tab test for ADHD, and why neurodivergent people are disproportionately represented in entrepreneurship.
Click any of the links below to have a listen:
👉 Apple Podcast | Spotify | Amazon Music
Important Resources
- Master the craft of pet photography at the Hair of the Dog Academy – www.hairofthedogacademy.com
- Stop competing on price, sell without feeling pushy, and reach consistent $2,000+ sales in the Freedom Focus Formula – www.freedomfocusformula.com
- Crack the code to booking more clients inside Elevate – https://flourishacademy.mykajabi.com/elevate
