After 18 months of using this system, I can honestly say it's transformed how I work. I'm managing 170+ active items at GO Industrial, building my startup Lucrii, creating regular content, and maintaining actual work-life balance - all whilst working with my ADHD brain instead of against it.
The framework is deceptively simple: Capture → Process → Express. But the magic is in how each layer is designed specifically for ADHD patterns.
The Core Principle: External Structure Creates Internal Clarity
Traditional productivity systems assume you'll remember to engage with them. My system assumes you'll forget, so it pulls you back in automatically through:
- Frictionless capture that requires zero decision-making
- Forced processing through daily anchored routines
- Energy-matched output that flows with your natural rhythms
Let me show you exactly how it works.
Layer 1: CAPTURE - Multiple Input Streams
The ADHD challenge: our brains generate ideas constantly but have terrible working memory. Thoughts vanish if we don't capture them immediately.
My solution: five dedicated capture streams that never require organisation decisions.
The Five Capture Channels
Reading Insights (Audible + Physical Books)
- Audible highlights sync automatically to my notes app
- Physical books get voice memo summaries after reading sessions
- Key insight capture happens during listening, not after
Podcast Learning (Spotify)
- Voice notes with timestamps: "Research AI effects on productivity - listen back to 1:07"
- Siri shortcuts while driving: "Hey Siri, research [topic] for blog post"
- No note-taking during listening - just voice capture for later processing
Article Collection (Curated Sources)
- Industry newsletters and key publications
- Quick highlights saved directly to notes
- Single inbox approach - no categorisation during capture
Task Brain Dumps (iPhone Notes + Voice Memos)
- Meeting insights captured immediately after
- Voice memos whilst driving or between gym sets
- Physical notebook for visual thinking and mind mapping
On-the-Go Ideas (Siri + Location-Based Notes)
- Location-based shortcuts for recurring contexts
- Voice-to-text during walks, workouts, commutes
- Zero friction rule: if it takes more than 10 seconds, it won't happen consistently
The Golden Rule of Capture
One job per stream. Zero organisation during capture.
If something resonates during a podcast, I ask Siri to make a note. If I have a project idea in the shower, voice memo. The goal is speed and zero decision fatigue. Organisation happens later during my daily processing ritual.
This removed the biggest friction point that killed previous systems - the mental overhead of deciding where things belong whilst trying to capture them.
Layer 2: PROCESS - Where Chaos Becomes Clarity
This is where most ADHD systems fail. We capture brilliantly but never process effectively. I've solved this with forced processing rhythms tied to existing habits.
The Tool Stack
Personal Life (Todoist)
- All personal projects, health goals, creative work
- Smart scheduling with energy-based priority levels
- Daily processing reminders that force engagement
- Clean separation from professional obligations
Professional Work (Asana)
- GO Industrial projects and client work (170+ active items currently)
- Team collaboration without personal contamination
- Visual progress tracking and deadline management
- Complete work/life boundary protection
Knowledge Management (Obsidian)
- My personal archive where everything connects
- Template-based organisation for blogs, journal entries, book notes
- Double-bracket linking creates powerful idea connections
- Tags and indexes provide structure without rigidity
The Critical Discovery: Work/Life Tool Separation
Initially I tried combining everything in one system. Disaster. Instead of working on personal creative projects, I'd default to work tasks because they felt more urgent.
Splitting Todoist (personal) and Asana (professional) was transformative. Now personal projects get protected time and attention rather than being crowded out by work demands.
The Processing Rhythms
Daily Processing (6:30-7:30am "Golden Hour")
- 5-minute capture point emptying ritual
- Energy-based priority setting for the day
- Quick sort without perfect categorisation
- Happens BEFORE email or social media
Weekly Planning (Sunday Morning Coffee Ritual)
- 20-minute review across all life domains
- Archive completed items and celebrate progress
- Plan content creation for the upcoming week
- Balance check between different life areas
Monthly System Tune-Up (First Saturday Morning)
- Assess what's working and what needs adjustment
- Refine categories and workflows based on real usage
- Plan quarterly themes and major project directions
- System evolution without complexity creep
Why These Times Work
The golden hour happens when my brain is clearest - before decision fatigue kicks in. The weekly review is tied to my existing coffee ritual, so it feels contemplative rather than administrative. Monthly reviews happen when I have mental space for bigger picture thinking.
Key insight: Processing happens during high-clarity time and is anchored to habits I never skip.
Layer 3: EXPRESS - Turning Knowledge Into Action
The ADHD trap: we can consume and organise information endlessly without creating output. The Express layer forces creation through energy-matched channels.
Output Channels Matched to Energy Levels
High Energy (Morning Flow States)
- Complex blog writing like this series
- Video recording and editing
- Strategic planning and big-picture thinking
- Challenging creative projects
Medium Energy (Afternoon Sessions)
- Social media content creation and posting
- Email responses and routine communications
- Content editing and refinement work
- Administrative tasks with clear outcomes
Low Energy (Evening Wind-Down)
- Content curation and inspiration gathering
- Photo editing and visual content preparation
- Reading and research for future projects
- Planning and organising next day's priorities
The Weekend Deep Work Sessions
This is where the real magic happens. Saturday and Sunday mornings become "hyperfocus containers" - 2-4 hour uninterrupted blocks where I tackle the most challenging creative work.
Preparation is key:
- Phone in airplane mode, all notifications disabled
- Clear scope and defined end conditions
- All resources and tools prepared in advance
- Specific outcome planned before starting
These sessions handle the heavy lifting that scattered weekday minutes can't touch.
The "Iron-Clad" Secret: Automatic Triggers
The breakthrough came when I stopped relying on memory and built automatic triggers around natural energy patterns.
The Golden Hour Routine (6:30-7:30am)
Why this time works: My brain is clearest before distractions kick in
What happens:
- 5 minutes processing all capture inputs
- Priority setting for professional work (8am-4:30pm block)
- Creative project admin whilst energy is high
- Coffee ritual anchors the habit
The ADHD key: This happens BEFORE email or social media. No competing priorities, no decision fatigue.
Professional Focus (8:00am-4:30pm)
GO Industrial gets the bulk of structured work time:
- Asana project management for 170+ active items
- Client communications and strategic work
- Team coordination and problem-solving
- Boundaries that protect evening creative energy
Creative Evening (8:00pm-9:00pm)
Lucrii and personal projects get focused attention:
- Product development and strategic planning
- Content creation and marketing work
- Research and competitive analysis
- Protected time that doesn't compete with work demands
Pomodoro Bridges
During busy periods, I use 25-minute Pomodoro blocks to maintain momentum on creative projects between professional obligations. The timer creates artificial urgency that keeps my ADHD brain engaged without overwhelming the main work schedule.
Why This Actually Works
After 18 months with this system:
Professional Results
- Managing complex project portfolio without dropping critical tasks
- Improved client relationships through better visibility and communication
- Launching startup MVP whilst maintaining full-time work performance
Creative Consistency
- Regular content creation across multiple platforms
- Published complex blog pieces like the "Relational Logic" analysis
- Content system that works even during high-stress periods
Personal Balance
- Eight different life domains managed without neglecting health or relationships
- Reading 20+ books annually across fiction, business, and development
- Maintained fitness routine and creative hobbies alongside professional demands
Reduced ADHD Tax
- Massive reduction in "oh no, I forgot" moments
- Eliminated Sunday night anxiety about missed tasks
- Converted hyperfocus from productivity liability into strategic asset
The system adapts to my ADHD rather than fighting it. High-energy days become deep work sessions. Medium-energy days handle maintenance. Low-energy days focus on input and planning. Progress continues regardless of daily brain chemistry.
In Part 3, I'll share the specific energy-based strategies that make this system sustainable, plus the exact steps to build your own ADHD-friendly productivity framework.
Next up: "Energy-Based Productivity: Working With Your ADHD Brain"