Jaye Lin, an ADHD podcaster and community builder who co-founded the ADHD-Women@Google group, shares insights on navigating the optimization trap. She explains how excessive planning can lead to burnout and hinder task completion. Jaye uses relatable anecdotes, likening indecision in projects to the chaos of cooking chicken parmesan. They discuss the importance of starting small and being authentic in creative endeavors while prioritizing genuine intentions over perfection. Their conversation also touches on balancing passion with financial stability and the pressures of holiday planning.
The Optimization Trap illustrates how ADHD individuals can become paralyzed by over-planning, often leading to burnout before action begins.
Prioritizing completion over perfection fosters a sense of accomplishment for ADHD individuals, enhancing motivation and reducing feelings of inadequacy.
Implementing time constraints during planning can prevent ADHD individuals from getting lost in analysis, encouraging a smoother transition to task execution.
Deep dives
Understanding the Optimization Trap
The optimization trap is a concept that highlights a cycle where individuals with ADHD become overly engrossed in planning and perfecting tasks rather than executing them. This often leads to burnout before they even start their projects. Many people find themselves spending extensive time researching and brainstorming ideas, which may feel rewarding due to dopamine release. However, this culminates in a disconnect during the execution phase, where feelings of overwhelm and anxiety hinder their ability to complete tasks, resulting in frustration and a mental block.
The Importance of Finishing Over Perfection
Completing tasks is often much more beneficial than striving for perfection, especially for individuals with ADHD. Finishing provides a sense of accomplishment and motivates future efforts, whereas the pursuit of a flawless outcome can lead to dissatisfaction and inaction. When individuals focus instead on the core requirements to complete a task, they can mitigate the feelings of inadequacy that arise from not meeting their own high expectations. This shift in focus can significantly enhance productivity and overall well-being.
Setting Time Constraints for Planning
Implementing time constraints during the planning phase can help individuals avoid getting trapped in endless optimization cycles. By setting a timer and committing to a specific duration for brainstorming or research, ADHD individuals can prevent themselves from spiraling into prolonged sessions of overthinking. This approach encourages decisive action and helps to contain the cognitive overload often associated with ADHD. After this designated time, they can transition into the actual execution of the task with a clearer focus and reduced anxiety.
Re-evaluating Goals and Plans Regularly
Continuous re-evaluation of goals and plans ensures that individuals remain aligned with their current needs and circumstances, rather than getting stuck in outdated methods. Scheduling regular check-ins allows for the adjustment of strategies based on new insights gathered during the execution of tasks. It is essential for individuals with ADHD to remain adaptable and aware that initial plans may not always lead to the best outcomes as situations change. By recognizing this, they can avoid frustrations and stay motivated to complete their objectives.
Aligning Individual Goals with External Expectations
Aligning personal goals with external expectations can dramatically improve performance and satisfaction in various settings, especially at work. When individuals understand what they are optimizing for, they can better navigate relationships and project requirements without falling into the optimization trap. This alignment requires clear communication about objectives, as different stakeholders may prioritize different outcomes. By identifying and discussing these priorities, individuals can achieve a more harmonious balance between their ambitions and the expectations of others.
This week I’m talking with Jaye Lin — ADHD podcaster and community builder — who brings a uniquely grounded perspective on what it actually takes to work with our brains instead of constantly trying to outsmart them. I got to know Jaye at the 2024 ADHD Conference in Anaheim, where we met at a party hosted by the Attention Different crew (that’s an upcoming podcast with them as well). It was great because I had already been introduced to Jaye through her excellent podcast on Understood.orgTips From an ADHD Coach on the MissUnderstood: ADHD in Women channel. And it turns out she’s been a long-time listener of this show, so some great serendipity with us running into each other.
Jaye is a former Google Administrative Business Partner, where she co-founded the ADHD-Women@Google employee resource group and became their first ADHD-trained peer coach. She has recently returned to corporate life but is still coaching, advocating and podcasting on the side.
In our conversation, Jaye walks us through the concept of the Optimization Trap — a sneaky little loop that many ADHDers fall into where we spend so much time planning and perfecting an idea that we burn out before we ever start. We get into why finishing often matters more than perfecting, the cognitive cost of creative over-planning. We also talk about how optimization shows up in everyday life: at work, in relationships, when packing for a trip, or even when choosing a podcast mic.
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If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/219
Optimize for completion, not perfection. Focus on what will get the task done, not the flashiest or most complex version of it.
Try setting a timer for the planning phase. If you are having trouble with optimization, try giving yourself a set amount of time, maybe an hour, so you don’t get stuck endlessly researching or brainstorming.
Be sure to schedule regular reevaluations of your planning. We don’t want to get stuck with an outdated plan that we’re not really using. Make time by putting it in your calendar to reassess whether your current path is still the one you want to be on.
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