If you have ADHD, you may know exactly what you need to do and still have a hard time getting started. You might open a document but struggle to begin writing, walk into another room and forget why you went there, or look at a long to-do list and feel overwhelmed before you even start. 

These challenges can be connected to executive function, including working memory, attention, organization, time management, and task initiation. 

On a recent episode of Rethink Time, Jeff Copper, cognitive engineer, attention coach, and founder of DIG Coaching Practice, discussed a practical way to approach these challenges: cognitive shortcuts. 

Instead of asking your brain to remember more, focus harder, or simply try harder, a cognitive shortcut moves some of the thinking outside your head. It can make information easier to see, reduce problem-solving, and make the next step more obvious. 

For people with ADHD, that can make everyday tasks easier to manage. 

What Are Cognitive Shortcuts? 

Jeff Copper describes cognitive shortcuts as ways to reduce the mental effort required to complete a task or solve a problem. 

Many everyday activities require us to hold information in our minds while figuring out what to do with it. This can become particularly difficult when a task involves multiple steps, decisions, or pieces of information. 

Consider packing for a trip. You have to remember what you brought on previous trips, imagine what you might need this time, consider the destination, and then turn all of that information into a packing list. 

Jeff and his son created a simple solution for camping trips. They made a list of all the camping equipment they owned. Instead of reconstructing the list from memory every time they went camping, they could print the list and work from it. 

The shortcut was not about remembering better. It was about not having to remember everything in the first place. 

ADHD and Working Memory 

Working memory is the ability to hold information in your mind while you use it. 

You rely on working memory when you are following instructions, keeping track of what you were doing before an interruption, or holding several pieces of information while making a decision. 

One way to reduce that mental load is to externalize information. Instead of relying on your brain to keep track of everything, put information somewhere you can see it. 

Try using: 

Jeff shared an example of a woman who used a photo to help organize her children's cubbies. She took a picture of what the properly organized cubby should look like and placed the picture where she could reference it. Instead of mentally reconstructing what belonged there, she could simply compare the cubby to the image. 

That is a cognitive shortcut because the visual information does some of the work that would otherwise have to happen in working memory. 

ADHD Task Initiation: Make Starting Easier 

Task initiation is the process of getting from knowing you need to do something to actually beginning it. 

One way cognitive shortcuts can help is by reducing the number of decisions required before you start. 

Think about the difference between: 

"I need to clean the house." 

and: 

"Pick up the clothes in the bedroom." 

The second instruction gives you a clearer starting point. 

You can use the same approach with larger projects. Instead of asking yourself to complete everything at once, identify the information or action you need right now. 

For example: 

The goal is to remove unnecessary decision-making from the moment when you are trying to begin. 

Get Information Out of Your Head 

One of the biggest themes in Jeff's approach is getting information out of your head. 

When everything stays in your head, you have to continuously retrieve it. External systems give you something to reference instead. 

A grocery list keeps you from having to remember everything at the store. A calendar keeps appointments out of your working memory. A checklist reminds you what comes next. A timer provides an external cue about time. 

Jeff also discussed browser tabs. Someone with ADHD might have dozens of tabs open, and while that may look disorganized, each tab can serve as a reminder or retrieval cue. 

The point is not necessarily to eliminate the behavior. Instead, consider what purpose the system is serving and whether there is a better way to provide the same cue. 

This shift can change the question from "How do I become more organized?" to "How can I make the information I need easier to access?" 

Build ADHD-Friendly Systems 

Your environment can also act as a cognitive shortcut. 

Jeff gave the example of finding a book on a bookshelf. You may recognize it because of its size, shape, color, or location. Those physical characteristics help you find it without having to remember a file name or search digitally. 

The same idea can be used at home, in the classroom, or at work. 

Try: 

A useful system should reduce the amount of thinking required to use it. 

Make Time and Information Visible 

ADHD strategies do not always have to involve doing more. 

Sometimes the most useful strategy is creating something once so you do not have to solve the same problem again tomorrow. 

Write down the steps. Save the packing list. Take the picture. Put the reminder where you need it. Set the timer. 

Cognitive shortcuts can reduce the amount of information your brain has to hold onto and make the next step easier to identify. 

That is especially useful when you're dealing with ADHD working memory challenges, task initiation, time management, or difficulty understanding the passage of time. 

Instead of asking your brain to work harder, change the environment around the task so the task requires less cognitive effort. 

Listen to the full episode of Rethink Time with Jeff Copper to hear more about ADHD, working memory, task initiation, time management, and cognitive shortcuts.