How to Commit to Your To-Do List
Ever attempt to start a task, but end up distracted and wondering, "Wait, what have I been doing for the past hour?"
At the start of coaching, 99% of my clients struggle to follow through with their to-do's. They want to check everything off the list but rarely do. Instead they...
Miss out on raises
Strain personal relationships
Become overwhelmed and burnout
Neurodivergent adults struggle to stick with their to-do list because they have weaker executive function skills. We are easily distracted and struggle to prioritize to start boring tasks.
As an adult executive function coach, I see it all the time. And, as a neurodivergent adult myself, it was my weakness for years.
But, it doesn't need to be this way. Today, I will teach you how I commit to my to-do list.
First, we need to rewind the clock for a moment...
During high school, I only read one book (don't tell my mom - she's a librarian). It wasn't the Odyssey, but, I vividly recall this one scene...
The main character, Ulysses, required his sailors to tie him down so the call of the Sirens couldn't sway him from his goal.
A bold and smart decision. And, one we can learn from. This is called a “Ulysses Pact”.
Have you heard of it?
What is a "Ulysses Pact"?
It’s a pact with yourself that controls your future actions.
Ulysses knew he could not rely on motivation or willpower to overcome the temptation of the Sirens. So, he eliminated his ability to succumb to their calls.
As an adult executive function coach, I help people create Ulysses Pacts. The result? They get more done in less time.
Humans can’t rely on motivation or discipline. Because of The Middle Problem, our motivation naturally diminishes over time. Plus...
We are rarely motivated to do hard things
Battling our temptations is exhausting
Forcing ourselves rarely works
Instead, make decisions in advance that will limit your future options.
How to Commit to Your To-Do List
Joni, an adult with ADHD, asked this exact question a few months ago.
She's struggled to follow through on her plans for years. She's good at creating to-do lists, but not good at getting to-dos done.
Joni was struggling with two executive function skills: prioritization and time management.
"Time just seems to slip away. I try to get started but get distracted. Before I know it, an hour flies by and I haven’t done anything.”
Can you relate?
To address this, we created a Ulysses Pact. It read:
I will block distracting and tempting websites on my work computer.
At work, every 45 minutes, a smartwatch reminder will PING me and say, “How’s it going?”
When working on a high priority task, I will put my phone on Do Not Disturb before I begin.
Do you see how these agreements eliminate her biggest distractions?
Today, Joni’s productivity and self-esteem are improving! This is the type of work we do in my course, Adult EF Skills 101.
Here are other Ulysses Pacts my clients made:
Goal: Become someone who eats healthier.
Pact: Purchase only 1 sweet treat at the grocery store each week.
Goal: Save $10,000 this year.
Pact: Schedule an automatic monthly transfer to savings.
Goal: Spend less time on my phone.
Pact: Delete social media apps during the week and re-download them on the weekend.
These decisions eliminate future temptations and distractions. Instead of battling willpower, a Ulysses Pact keeps us on the road towards our goal.
How Do I Create a Ulysses Pact?
If you're serious about improving your executive function skills, I encourage you to write a Ulysses Pact.
I'll help you get yours started. Fill in these blanks:
My most important goal is...
What gets in the way of working on it is...
I can change my environment and minimize those obstacles by...
Pro tip: start with one change. You can add more later.
If you get stuck, I can help. Let’s work through it together in a no-cost strategy session.
Are you ready to improve your executive function skills?
We know adulting is HARD. It demands strong adult executive function skills. Luckily, we've made a LIVE course to cover the fundamentals so you can make the best of each day: Adult EF Skills 101. Join dozens of other adults improving their EF skills.
In this course, you will:
Learn how to plan your priorities 🎯
Learn to get started (task initiate) 🔨
Learn how to keep things tidy 🧺
Learn how to find and keep a job 👩💻
Learn how to communicate effectively 🗣️
Learn how to budget 🤑
Stay Engaged
Other Resources
About the Author
Eric Kaufmann, M.Ed is a Professional Educational Therapist and Certified Executive Function Coach. He is the Co-founder of UpSkill Specialists, an online adult executive function coaching company designed to guide adults in overcoming disorganization, procrastination, and productivity roadblocks so they can unlock their potential. Eric is also the founder of Elevate Learning Solutions, an Educational Therapy practice located in San Clemente, CA, that guides students with neurological differences toward becoming independent and confident students and self-leaders.