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All the systems in the world break down eventually. Todo lists, GSD, tickets, notes, accountability plans, mental trickery, and so on. It all seems like a panac

All the systems in the world break down eventually. Todo lists, GSD, tickets, notes, accountability plans, mental trickery, and so on. It all seems like a panacea at first, until it doesn't. What really helps the ADHD mind is diagnosis and meds, and these days LLMs. Turns out they make for exceptional personal assistants that can be used to automate all the boring and unexciting stuff that is nevertheless needed, and focus on the fun creative problem solving. That said, people with different executive function need different things. "Just do it" is about as helpful as "don't be sad".

TheCapeGreek 1y ago
Can you elaborate on LLMs as assistants for ADHD? What are you automating with them?
- danielbln 1y ago
  Anything, really. Structuring work and breaking it into smaller chunks, keeping track on tasks, getting back up to speed on past tasks. Mundane stuff like planning out furniture purchases, having it walk me through the requirements etc. It just lowers the barrier to start, as starting is just a single sentence away and everything else flows from there.
- elevatortrim 1y ago
  For me it is the psychological barrier. e.g. I would never do something that’s challenging, not mandatory, yet potentially beneficial like disputing a charge, requesting renumeration etc. But I can put the docs in a folder, ask AI about the next step, ask it to take it or at least write the copy. That seems to be a lot of reduced mental load and gets me do things I otherwise could postpone for months or never do.
- lachlan_gray 1y ago
  They have helped me a lot with chunking tasks, and guiding me through tasks that I can't hold in focus. There's a prompt I used while moving out, where I had claude ask me questions, what is in each room. And then once we had this item list, organizing it.
  - danielbln 1y ago
    > where I had claude ask me questions That's a powerful pattern also for engineering. Can recommend.
lucideer 1y ago
> "Just do it" is about as helpful as "don't be sad". To be clear, I'm not saying "just do it" or suggesting anything quick or easy. Quite the opposite: coping strategies like this are imo the "easy way out". I'm suggesting a much slower, harder path that leads to long term results (& can't be generalised, packaged & sold in a neat article as it's entirely different for everyone).
- danielbln 1y ago
  Oh for sure, I was not referring to what you wrote. It's just that it's a common thing people who are, let's say, executive function challenged get to hear.

TheCapeGreek 1y ago

Can you elaborate on LLMs as assistants for ADHD? What are you automating with them?

danielbln 1y ago
Anything, really. Structuring work and breaking it into smaller chunks, keeping track on tasks, getting back up to speed on past tasks. Mundane stuff like planning out furniture purchases, having it walk me through the requirements etc. It just lowers the barrier to start, as starting is just a single sentence away and everything else flows from there.
elevatortrim 1y ago
For me it is the psychological barrier. e.g. I would never do something that’s challenging, not mandatory, yet potentially beneficial like disputing a charge, requesting renumeration etc. But I can put the docs in a folder, ask AI about the next step, ask it to take it or at least write the copy. That seems to be a lot of reduced mental load and gets me do things I otherwise could postpone for months or never do.
lachlan_gray 1y ago
They have helped me a lot with chunking tasks, and guiding me through tasks that I can't hold in focus. There's a prompt I used while moving out, where I had claude ask me questions, what is in each room. And then once we had this item list, organizing it.
- danielbln 1y ago
  > where I had claude ask me questions That's a powerful pattern also for engineering. Can recommend.

lucideer 1y ago

> "Just do it" is about as helpful as "don't be sad". To be clear, I'm not saying "just do it" or suggesting anything quick or easy. Quite the opposite: coping strategies like this are imo the "easy way out". I'm suggesting a much slower, harder path that leads to long term results (& can't be generalised, packaged & sold in a neat article as it's entirely different for everyone).

danielbln 1y ago
Oh for sure, I was not referring to what you wrote. It's just that it's a common thing people who are, let's say, executive function challenged get to hear.