Summer is finally here, and with it comes the promise of longer days and endless possibilities. Your mind fills with project ideas: refinishing that dining table, building raised garden beds, organizing the garage, painting the guest room. But if you have ADHD, that initial burst of enthusiasm can often scatter into a dozen half-started projects and regret lingering in the air like the scent of abandoned paint cans.
The good news? Summer projects and ADHD brains can work together. It just takes a different approach than the traditional “make a list and power through” mentality.
Why Summer Projects Hit Different with ADHD
ADHD brains thrive on novelty and interest, which makes the start of summer project season feel electric. Everything seems possible when you’re riding that wave of a new idea. But we also struggle with executive function, time blindness, and maintaining motivation through the boring middle parts of projects.
Summer makes these challenges worse. Without the structure of school or work schedules, time feels elastic and unmanageable. Heat affects our already-challenged emotional regulation. And the social pressure to “make the most” of summer can trigger shame spirals when projects stall.
The ADHD-Friendly Project Approach
Forget the advice to “just stick with one project.” Instead, work with your brain’s natural patterns:
Start with the dopamine hit. Choose projects that actually excite you, not ones you think you “should” do. Your brain needs that initial interest to fuel the harder parts.
Batch similar tasks across projects. If you’re painting one room, prep the painting supplies for three rooms. Planning multiple garden beds? Do all the measuring and supply shopping in one trip. This takes advantage of hyperfocus and reduces the mental load of constantly switching between different types of thinking.
Build in variety and flexibility. Have 2-3 projects running simultaneously so you can switch when one loses momentum. Some days you’ll want to get your hands dirty building; other days you’ll want the satisfaction of detailed planning or shopping for supplies.
Create visible progress markers. ADHD brains need to see progress to maintain motivation. Take before photos, create a simple checklist you can physically check off, or document your work on social media. The external validation and visual proof of progress fuel continued effort.
Practical Strategies That Actually Work
The “good enough” mindset is your friend. Perfectionism is the enemy of completion. Decide upfront what “done” looks like for each project, and resist the urge to keep tweaking. That dining table doesn’t need a museum-quality finish; it needs to be functional and make you happy when you see it.
Time block with buffers. If you think a task will take two hours, block four. ADHD time estimation is notoriously optimistic, and having buffer time prevents the shame spiral when things take longer than expected.
Use body doubling. Invite friends over for project work sessions, join online co-working sessions, or even just FaceTime someone while you work. The accountability and social element can provide the external structure your brain craves.
Prep for the enthusiasm crash. It will happen. Plan for it by breaking large projects into smaller, manageable chunks, preparing all materials in advance, and creating systems that make it easy to restart when motivation returns.
Managing the Messy Middle
The hardest part of any project isn’t the exciting beginning or satisfying end—it’s the tedious middle where motivation wanes and the novelty wears off. For ADHD brains, this is where projects typically die.
Combat this by pairing boring tasks with stimulation: listen to podcasts during repetitive work, reward yourself with small treats after completing chunks, or work in timed sprints with breaks. Sometimes the difference between a finished project and an abandoned one is simply making the boring parts less boring.
Remember that taking breaks doesn’t mean giving up. Sometimes you need to step away from a project for days or weeks while your brain recharges. Trust that the motivation will return, and resist the urge to fill that time with guilt.
Celebrating ADHD Project Wins
When you do finish a summer project, celebrate it fully. ADHD brains are wired to move quickly to the next thing, but taking time to appreciate your accomplishment reinforces the positive experience and makes you more likely to tackle future projects.
Take after photos, invite people over to see your work, or simply spend time enjoying the finished result. You’ve not only completed a project—you’ve worked with your brain instead of against it, and that’s worth celebrating.
The goal isn’t to become a different person who naturally sticks with boring tasks. The goal is to design a project approach that works with your ADHD brain, not despite it. Your scattered attention isn’t a bug—it’s a feature that allows you to see possibilities others miss and find creative solutions to problems.
So go ahead, start that summer project list. Just remember: if you happen to measure once and cut twice, trust that your ADHD brain will find a way to make it work.
Measure Once, Cut Twice 