I’ve tried three different project management apps this year and every time it’s the same story: I go all in for two weeks, build out gorgeous workflows, and then completely forget they exist. It’s like I get a dopamine hit from setting up the system, but not from actually using it. I’m starting to wonder if there’s any app that truly works for ADHD brains long-term, or if we’re all just pretending these tools are helping more than they really are. Has anyone actually found one that sticks?

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Most productivity apps are just digital procrastination. They give us the illusion of control while draining our mental energy—and we’re all lying to ourselves about how effective they are.

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Your experience is common. Nothing is going to work for the long term. For me, I've found about 3-4 different organization methods that I like and rotate through them. When the dopamine fades with one, I'll switch to another. I've got the infrastructure set for all, so switching to the next one doesn't take as much effort. And then I have a refresh to keep things going. Good luck!!

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For me it has to be the easiest/most convenient method for it to stick.

Plain notebook, start the list fresh every day. No calendar/agenda books, I can’t handle flipping back and forth constantly.

If you prefer notes app on your phone, that works too. Just add today’s date and make your list. The next day, do the same in the same note.

The less fancy the better. When it’s really bad I resort to post it notes but we all know how that goes. (I lost an important sticky the other day… yeah this is not the best method for me!)

I’m similar, but I use email. I email myself a to do list, and in each days update email to myself I cross off completed items and add any new items. Simple, sweet, easy.

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It's an evergreen topic here. This version of the conversation has a lot of suggestions.

https://joinfishbowl.com/post_4zjqjyzpah

I like the Todoist app, but most important for me was getting a smartwatch to separate out the usage of my app from my phone. The phone has too many temptations on it for me.

I use my phone and desktop to set up my tasks on Todoist, but then I put away my phone and just use the smartwatch for notifications.

Chat GPT works great for me.

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