Why Energy Management Matters More Than Ever
Time is money.
The phrase echoes through corporate hallways, entrepreneurial blogs, and pop productivity culture. And while time is undeniably finite—1,440 minutes per day, no more, no less—anyone with ADHD knows that energy is even more fickle. One moment you’re hyper-focused, the next you can’t even recall what you were working on 30 seconds ago. If you’ve spent any time (no pun intended) trying to wrangle your ADHD through strict schedules and rigid to-do lists, you’ve likely felt frustrated, boxed in, or burnt out.
Enter energy management. Instead of forcing yourself to adhere to a clock-based regimen, imagine harnessing your natural rhythms—those bursts of creativity, intense focus, or social spark—and using them as the anchors of your day. Think of it as the difference between sailing with the wind versus rowing upstream. Both can move you forward, but the first approach offers you nature’s momentum.
In this article, we’re going to explore why energy management might be the missing puzzle piece for ADHD brains, who often struggle under standard time-management guidelines. Along the way, we’ll sprinkle in anecdotes reminiscent of Andrew Chen’s growth-focused pragmatism and Paul Graham’s reflective depth. By the end, you’ll not only rethink when you work, but how and why. And, of course, we’ll address the practical side: how to put these insights into action (yes, including a tool that’s specifically crafted to help you do so—Forget).
The Flawed Premise of Traditional Time Management
The 9-to-5 Illusion
The Industrial Revolution introduced the world to the 8-hour workday and a uniform 9-to-5 schedule. Historically, this was more about factory shifts than human-centric productivity. Yet our entire corporate and educational ecosystem, even in 2025, still largely clings to this structure—despite the fact that ADHD minds often rebel against such rigidity.
Parkinson’s Law & Procrastination
Cyril Northcote Parkinson once quipped that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. For ADHD individuals, this can be a double bind: If you schedule 2 hours for a task that genuinely only needs 30 minutes of focused energy, you might not start until the last possible moment. That’s not because you’re lazy; it’s often because the ADHD brain struggles to activate without urgency or a burst of energy.
Time Blindness
We can’t talk about flawed time management for ADHD without mentioning time blindness. When “next week” might as well be “next millennium,” a strictly time-based approach fails to provide the tangible anchors needed to get things done. Energy cycles—alertness, stress, motivation—become more relevant to immediate task execution than a distant deadline.
ADHD and the “Energy Over Time” Paradigm
Unique Neural Wiring
ADHD brains often have distinct dopamine pathways, making motivation and arousal levels more erratic. This variability means the energy you have at 9 AM could look entirely different at 2 PM. By acknowledging this variance instead of fighting it, you release yourself from the guilt of “Why can’t I just stick to a schedule?”
If you’d like to dive deeper into how dopamine impacts your ADHD brain, we recommend checking out “How Dopamine Impacts Your ADHD Brain—And How to Boost It Naturally.”
Hyperfocus vs. Zero Focus
Those with ADHD can sometimes enter a hyperfocus state where the world fades away, and hours pass like minutes. Then, on other occasions, focusing for 5 minutes feels impossible. Energy management strategies can help you leverage hyperfocus strategically, so you’re not just slipping into it at random times.
A More Gentle Approach
Traditional time management often shames individuals for “not using their time wisely.” Energy management, conversely, encourages you to respect your own physiology and mental state. It becomes less about discipline and more about alignment.
Strategies to Implement Energy Management for ADHD Minds
Chart Your Energy
Try a simple daily log: note when you feel most alert, engaged, creative, or social. Over a week or two, patterns will emerge. You might discover you have a “high-energy band” right after dinner or an “ultra-focus window” mid-morning.
Action Item: Use a simple tool like the built-in notes feature in your phone or a minimal spreadsheet. Record your energy levels every two hours. Over time, you’ll see where to place your hardest or most important tasks. Better yet, you can use Forget's "Brain Dump" feature to log how you feel throughout the day:
Create Flexible Routines
Rigid routines can cause ADHD brains to rebel. Instead, craft a flexible routine around your energy peaks. For instance, if your creativity soars at 10 AM, plan your writing or brainstorming tasks during that window. If you slump around 3 PM, schedule simpler tasks or break time there.
For more insights on structuring your day, see “Time Management For ADHD (10 Tips and Skills You Need).” While that article discusses time management, many tips can be adapted to an energy-focused framework.
Micro-Tasks & Micro-Rewards
Break big tasks into smaller chunks and reward yourself accordingly—maybe with a quick walk, a coffee break, or a 2-minute stretching session. ADHD brains thrive on immediate feedback. Tying these micro-rewards to micro-tasks keeps you engaged during your energy fluctuations.
Use Environmental Cues
Whether it’s music, lighting, or workspace arrangement, environment can drastically influence your energy levels. If you want a comprehensive guide to an ADHD-friendly workspace, check out “The Ultimate ADHD Workspace Setup: Master Every Day with Confidence.”
Embrace Single-Tasking When You Peak
During your energy “highs,” single-tasking can amplify your productivity. Instead of scattering your focus across multiple tabs, commit to one substantial goal. Learn more about why single-tasking often benefits ADHD brains in “Single-Tasking vs. Multitasking: Why ADHD Brains Thrive One Step at a Time.”
From Boredom to Flow: Harnessing Energy Peaks
Identifying “Flow Triggers”
Flow states often occur at the intersection of high skill and high challenge—where you’re engaged but not overwhelmed. For ADHD minds, flow can be fleeting. But if you plan tasks that match your current energy (e.g., a high-energy period for a challenging or creative task), you’re more likely to slip into flow.
The Role of Micro-Breaks
Flow state is not about uninterrupted hours. Sometimes, a brief break helps sustain that sweet spot. This is especially true if you feel your energy dip. A quick walk, a glass of water, or a couple of deep breaths can recharge you enough to continue.
For deeper strategies on optimizing your workflow to maintain flow, explore our piece on “Techniques to Enter the ADHD Flow State for Better Performance.”
Real-Life Anecdotes: When Energy Management Outperforms Time Management
Sarah: The Afternoon Lull Turned Creative Haven
Sarah used to schedule her creative tasks in the morning because everyone told her that was the “most productive time.” But she found she was consistently fidgety and distracted before lunch. Out of curiosity, she started journaling her energy levels throughout the day. To her surprise, she discovered a creative surge around 2 PM. By moving brainstorming sessions to that window, she started producing better ideas and felt less burned out.
David: Hyperfocus at Odd Hours
David, a startup founder with ADHD, struggled to write investor pitch decks. A night owl, he’d often feel an inexplicable zing of mental sharpness at midnight. Initially, he tried to fight it (“Who writes at midnight?”). Eventually, he embraced it—carving out midnight to 2 AM for pitch deck writing. Not only did his decks improve, but he actually saved time by working in alignment with his energy surges.
(For more ADHD founder insights, check out “How To Build a Successful Startup as an ADHD Founder in 2025.”)
Team Insights: 4 PM Brainstorming Sessions
A small marketing team realized that everyone’s post-lunch slump was ironically their comedic, freewheeling best. Instead of forcing a brainstorming session at 10 AM, they embraced “Silly 4 PM,” leading to some of the company’s most successful ad campaigns. They harnessed that loose, playful energy that emerged late in the day.
How Forget Helps You Master Energy Management
So where does Forget fit into all of this? Think of it like your personal co-pilot for energy management—an ADHD-friendly system designed to adapt to you, not the other way around.
Floating Focus Window
Forget’s unique “floating focus window” feature lets you keep the one most important task in your field of vision without cluttering your entire screen. If you notice a surge of energy or a sudden spark of inspiration, you can quickly choose a task and focus on it. This setup prevents ADHD drift, where a momentary idea sends you down a rabbit hole of browser tabs.
Energy-Friendly Scheduling
Instead of rigid start and end times, you can label tasks by the type of energy they require (creative, detail-oriented, administrative). When your energy is peaking for creativity, you open the tasks labeled creative and dive in. No more guesswork or rummaging through your backlog to find the right task.
Dopamine Boost Reminders
Built-in reminders can be set to nudge you for micro-rewards, like a stretch or water break, helping you maintain steady dopamine levels. It’s a small but mighty way to keep your brain engaged.
“Focus” Mode
For those times you do want to push through with hyperfocus, Forget’s Focus Mode blocks out unnecessary tasks. It’s perfect for leveraging that short, intense burst of energy, especially if you want to mimic the structure of Pomodoro sprints.
Common Questions (FAQs) About Energy Management & ADHD
Q1: What if I never feel a “high-energy” period?
Some individuals experience lower yet steady energy. In that case, small habit changes—like morning sunlight, moderate exercise, or better sleep—can improve your baseline. Then you can still identify minor peaks within that range.
Q2: How do I handle group tasks if my peak energy is at odd hours?
Communicate openly with your team or family. Suggest asynchronous work where possible. If you must attend a standard meeting, try scheduling creative tasks for your energy highs and simpler tasks for your slumps.
Q3: Can I combine time management and energy management?
Absolutely. Time management is still useful for setting boundaries and deadlines. Just be flexible: plan your critical work during your identified peak times.
Q4: Does this approach work for non-ADHD folks, too?
Yes. Anyone can benefit from focusing on energy levels, although it’s particularly transformative for ADHD minds.
Q5: What if my job requires strict 9-to-5 attendance?
While you may not change your official schedule, you can shuffle tasks around. For instance, do your most creative or focused work during your high-energy windows and less demanding tasks during your lows.
Q6: How long does it take to see improvements from energy management?
You might notice small improvements within a few days of logging your energy and aligning tasks accordingly. Over weeks, you’ll refine this approach until it feels second nature.
Q7: Can tools like Pomodoro still help?
Yes—particularly if they align with your energy windows. Use Pomodoro sprints when you’re naturally more energized, rather than forcing it at a low-energy time. Forget enhances Pomodoro to adapt to your natural energy rhythms, rather than locking you into a standard 25-minute sprint with a 5-minute break.
Conclusion: Rewriting Your Personal Productivity Playbook
ADHD minds aren’t broken or lazy; they’re different. Traditional time management strategies, born in the rigid schedules of industrial labor, might not serve your modern, creative, and dynamic lifestyle. Energy management embraces the fundamental truth that when your mind is sharp and motivated matters just as much—if not more—than how much time you allocate.
If you’ve found these insights valuable, consider integrating a tool like Forget into your routine. Whether it’s the floating task manager, energy-labeled tasks, or micro-dopamine reminders, you’ll discover a system designed around real ADHD challenges. More than anything, remember that productivity is a personal journey. You have permission to break the mold and choose the path that truly works with your mind.
Thank you for making it this far in an epic deep-dive. If there’s one takeaway, let it be this: stop measuring productivity purely in hours and start measuring it in alignment. Once you do, you’ll find that every day becomes a little freer, a little more creative, and a whole lot more you.
(Intrigued? Ready to see how your own energy management can thrive? Head over to Forget.work and discover a new way to approach your goals.)