Nov 3 • General discussion
Dessert first. Then the Brussel sprouts.
Maybe you like Brussel sprouts.
But I know plenty of people who dont.
But that is the squirrel of the conversation.
The real issue.
Maybe it's not procrastination that's the problem.
Maybe it's the system you're trying to function within.
For most of us with ADHD, we’ve been taught the same story:
"Do the hard thing first. Earn your reward. Push through. Stop being lazy."
It’s the "brussel sprouts before dessert" model of motivation.
And while it might work for neurotypical brains, for ours?
It sets us up to fail over and over again.
Here’s the truth: When you procrastinate, your brain isn't broken.
It’s actually trying to help you.
By delaying the task, you're subconsciously trying to create urgency, emotion, or discomfort all of which give your brain a dopamine jolt strong enough to get started.
In other words, procrastination is your brain manufacturing stimulation in the absence of built-in motivation.
But it comes with a cost:
👉 Guilt
👉 Self-shame
👉 That brutal inner dialogue: "Why can’t I just get this done?"
And that’s what really damages your self-esteem—not the delay, but the story you tell yourself about it.
Here’s another way, one that works with your brain:
🔁 Flip the script.
Instead of punishing yourself into motion, prime your brain on purpose.
Say:
“I’m going to set a 20-minute timer, do something enjoyable that boosts my mood, and then I’ll move into the thing I’ve been avoiding.”
You're not giving yourself a dopamine feast or hyper focus leading to time blindness.
You are giving your brain what it was going to chase anyway but with intention, compassion, and control.
This is Designing for Dopamine.
It is not cheating.
It’s working with your brain, not against it.
It is how we stop relying on procrastination as an emergency parachute and start building a motivational runway we actually want to use.
Maybe it’s not that you have failed the system. Maybe the system failed you.
🔥 Dessert first. Then the brussel sprouts. Let’s go.
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Dessert first. Then the Brussel sprouts.
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