Always with a deadline and explicit (for self and managers)
A task with no deadline literally won't happen (unless it's so interesting you're already doing it). Give — and ask for — a concrete deadline and precise instructions. A tip for the ADHD person and their managers alike.
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A vague, open-ended ask with no time pressure provides no noradrenaline hook, so task initiation fails. The fix is trivial but works: always attach an explicit deadline and precise instructions. If someone asks you for something with no deadline — ask ‘by when?’. If you manage an ADHD person — don’t leave tasks open-ended; give a concrete date and spell out what ‘done’ looks like. The only exception, where a task moves without a deadline, is when it’s interesting enough that you’re already doing it.
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Resources & links
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What the research says
Scientific grade verified against the literature. No entries = no direct studies (graded from mechanism/experience).
- Procrastination, Deadlines, and Performance: Self-Control by PrecommitmentRCT · 2002
- Implementation Intentions Facilitate Response Inhibition in Children with ADHDRCT · 2008
- Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta-analysis of Effects and Processes (Gollwitzer & Sheeran)meta-analysis · 2006
- Does forming implementation intentions help people with mental health problems to achieve goals? A meta-analysis of experimental studies (Toli, Webb & Hardy)meta-analysis · 2016