How to Build an ADHD-Friendly To‑Do System with Zapier Methods
If you live with ADHD, the right to-do system can feel like a lifeline, and structuring it using Zapier inspired methods can make it much easier to start, focus, and finish what matters.
This how-to guide walks you step by step through designing a realistic, ADHD-friendly to-do list system based on ideas from the original Zapier article on ADHD to-do lists.
Why an ADHD-Friendly System Beats a Normal List
A traditional list assumes you can plan perfectly, start instantly, and stay focused on command. ADHD often makes all three assumptions false.
Instead of forcing yourself to “just be disciplined,” design a system that:
- Reduces friction to getting started
- Limits choices so you are less overwhelmed
- Matches your limited daily energy and attention
- Separates big ideas from today’s priorities
The methods below adapt productivity ideas into a practical, step-by-step workflow you can run in any app, automation tool, or even on paper.
Step 1: Capture Everything in One Trusted Inbox
The first step is to stop relying on memory. Treat your brain like a bad storage device and your system like the only trusted place where tasks live.
How to set up your capture inbox like Zapier workflows
Pick a single place where new tasks go before they are organized. This could be:
- A notes app
- A task manager
- An email folder
- A paper notebook
Make capturing as easy as possible:
- Keep the app or notebook always available on your phone and computer
- Use quick-add shortcuts, widgets, or pinned notes
- Accept that the inbox will be messy; that is normal
Your only rule here: every idea, task, or reminder gets captured in this one inbox immediately, no matter how small.
Step 2: Separate “Brain Dump” from Today’s Plan
An ADHD brain often generates more ideas than any one day can hold. You need two clearly different spaces:
- Brain dump list: everything you might want to do someday
- Today list: what you will realistically attempt today
Creating your lists with a Zapier style structure
Use folders, tags, or sections in your tool to separate the two lists. For example:
- List A: “Brain Dump / Backlog”
- List B: “Today / Next Few Hours”
Process your capture inbox regularly (once or twice a day):
- Move each item into the brain dump list
- Only promote a few items into the today list
- Archive or delete tasks you know you will never do
The goal is to protect your today list from becoming an overwhelming, endless scroll.
Step 3: Use Time and Energy, Not Just Deadlines
ADHD makes time feel slippery, so deadlines alone are not enough. Start tagging or sorting tasks by the time and energy they require.
Label tasks the way you would route work in Zapier
For each task in your brain dump or today list, add simple labels:
- Time: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30+ minutes
- Energy: low (mindless), medium, high (deep focus)
- Context: computer, phone, errands, home, work
These small labels help your future self quickly choose a task that fits your current state, just like a good automation chooses the right path automatically.
Step 4: Make an Ultra-Short Daily Zapier Style List
Now build a daily list that is intentionally tiny. This is the list you actually look at during the day.
How to design your daily list
- Pick 1–3 important tasks
Choose up to three high-impact tasks from your brain dump that fit today’s schedule and your likely energy. - Add 3–5 small support tasks
Pick a few quick wins (emails, small chores) you can do when focus drops. - Keep everything else off this list
Extra tasks stay in the brain dump; you can pull from it only after finishing what is already on your plate.
Think of this like a manual Zapier workflow: tasks move from brain dump to today list only through a deliberate decision, not on impulse.
Step 5: Break Tasks into Tiny, Clear Actions
ADHD brains struggle with vague tasks like “work on project.” Each item needs to be painfully specific so you always know how to start.
Turn fuzzy items into concrete steps
For each task, ask: “What is the very first visible action?” Then rewrite the task so you could do it without thinking. For example:
- Instead of “Write report” → “Open report template and outline 3 sections”
- Instead of “Plan trip” → “Bookmark 3 flight options”
- Instead of “Fix website” → “Log in and list the top 3 issues”
If you still feel resistance, break it down again. Tap into the same mindset you would use when designing small, reliable Zapier steps.
Step 6: Use Visual Cues and Constraints
ADHD makes it easy to forget your own plans. Make your system visually loud and hard to ignore, and give yourself constraints to prevent overcommitting.
Practical cues that support a Zapier-like system
- Pin your today list where you always see it (home screen, desktop, or a sticky note)
- Use bold headings or color for today’s tasks versus brain dump tasks
- Limit your today list to what visibly fits on one small screen or one index card
- Cross off finished tasks immediately so you get visible proof of progress
Your visual environment should constantly remind you of only a few active tasks, not everything you could ever do.
Step 7: Build Gentle Review Routines
Even the best system will drift without regular maintenance. Short, repeating reviews keep your tasks realistic and your lists under control.
Daily review: 5–10 minutes
- Look at what you finished today
- Move unfinished tasks back to the brain dump (do not automatically carry everything forward)
- Create tomorrow’s tiny daily list: 1–3 big tasks, 3–5 small tasks
Weekly review: 20–30 minutes
- Clean up your brain dump list; remove stale items
- Group similar tasks (email, calls, errands) to batch later
- Spot any big projects and break them into smaller actions
Think of these reviews as maintaining your personal Zapier system: you are the human “automation” that keeps everything aligned.
Optional: Combine Zapier Automations with Your ADHD System
Once your manual system works, you can layer in simple automations so you have fewer chances to forget or lose track of tasks.
Examples of supportive Zapier inspired automations
- Automatically turn important emails into tasks in your inbox list
- Send yourself a daily notification with your tiny today list
- Collect ideas from multiple apps into your single brain dump
Keep automations simple. The goal is to reduce friction, not to create a complicated setup you will never maintain.
Tips to Keep Your Zapier Style ADHD System Sustainable
- Assume you will have less time and energy than you expect
- Under-plan each day; finishing early is better than constant rollover
- Celebrate small wins like clearing a handful of 5-minute tasks
- Give yourself permission to adjust the system rather than quit it
If you want expert help building and optimizing workflows or automation-friendly task systems, you can find consulting support at Consultevo.
By treating your to-do list like a flexible, human-centered workflow rather than a strict command list, you can adapt the principles that power tools like Zapier to create an ADHD-friendly system that actually works in real life.
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