Pillar · the tools pillar

ADHD systems and tools

8-minute read · pillar guide · updated 2026-05-11

The friction-to-open criterion

Every tool has an open-cost. For ADHD adults, the open-cost is the most important property of the tool. Anything that takes more than 4 seconds to open won't be opened on the days you need it most. Notion is fine if it opens fast. Apple Notes is fine. The notebook on your desk wins almost every time.

Tools that survive ADHD

Apple Notes (open-cost: 1 second). A physical notebook kept on the desk (open-cost: 0). Drafts (open-cost: 1 second, captures fast). Apple Reminders (open-cost: 1 second, surfaces well). Things 3 if you'll actually open it. Notion if you'll resist the temptation to make Notion the project.

Tools that punish ADHD

Any tool that depends on you remembering to open it. Any habit-chain app whose value depends on consecutive days. Any GTD implementation that requires a 60-minute weekly review you'll skip on the worst week and never come back to.

The minimum viable productivity system for ADHD adults

One notebook (digital or physical). One re-entry page filled BEFORE leaving any project. One pre-signed permission line. One 4-minute daily page. That's it. Anything beyond this should be added one piece at a time, with a 30-day stress test before adding the next.

The kit version

The ADHD Executive Function Kit is the printable + Notion version of the minimum viable system. Pay-what-fits, $4.99 suggested, free is fine. Open the kit →

On AI tools

AI tools are useful for ADHD adults specifically because they reduce the activation energy of starting tasks. Writing the first paragraph of an email, summarizing a thread you didn't finish reading, getting unstuck on a stuck task — these are real wins. The risk: AI tools also enable infinite procrastination if you use them to do the wrong work faster. The fix: define what you're trying to start before opening the AI tool.

On habit-tracker apps

Most of them punish the gap. The ones that don't (the ones that show "days worked" rather than "streak") are rare. If you use a habit tracker, find one with no streak counter, or use a paper list.

The minimum tool list, named

1. Apple Notes (or equivalent) for capture. 2. Physical notebook for the re-entry page. 3. Apple Reminders (or equivalent) for time-sensitive items. 4. Calendar app for scheduled commitments. 5. The kit (printable + Notion) for the structural backbone. Five tools. No more. Adding a sixth makes the system slower, not faster.

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