Hooked on Urgency: Why ADHD Brains Procrastinate Until the Last Minute (What We Can to Do Instead)

May 1
2 min read

ADHD brains have a particular fondness for urgency—and it’s not just a preference, it’s practically our operating system.

A woman sparkles excitedly with a bright idea at the thought of a deadline

When the pressure's on and the clock is ticking, our minds suddenly snap into action. That adrenaline rush? It's like magic for a brain that struggles to get started.

ADHD brains tend to work on a “Now or Never” model.

If something is due today or tomorrow, it becomes urgent, important, and impossible to ignore.

But if it’s due in three weeks? It might as well not exist. The distant deadline feels intangible, unmotivating, and easy to dismiss—until suddenly it's on top of us.

The person with a task due in 2 days is focused and confident. The person with a task due in 3 weeks looks like they're blissfully on vacation

Why ADHD Loves Urgency

Urgency can trigger dopamine, which the ADHD brain craves. The more immediate the consequence, the more engaged our brain becomes.

High-pressure scenarios often have clear parameters and fewer options which can help cut through:

Decision fatigue
Perfectionism
Overwhelm from too many options

A woman with a hijab tosses a bucket of water at a fire in a neighboring window

The result? You get laser-focused, hyper-efficient, and in the zone. That’s the power of urgency.

But here's the catch: urgency can be a trickster.

Just because something feels urgent doesn’t mean it’s actually important.

That "urgency rush" can cause us to:

Over-prioritize low-value tasks just because they have a deadline
Ignore truly meaningful work that isn’t immediately pressing
Burn ourselves out cycling through high-stress, last-minute productivity

a person lays their head on the table exhausted and maybe even fell asleep. There's a critical battery next to them and their handwriting got messed up at the end of their paper

Questions to Help You Check the “Urgency Buzz”

Before diving headfirst into a task just because the clock is ticking, pause and ask:

Is this actually important, or just seems urgent?
What will happen if this task isn’t complete by the deadline?
Am I trying to relieve anxiety or discomfort, not complete the task itself?
Is someone truly relying on me—or am I absorbing someone else’s urgency?
Would future-me be proud of how I handled this?

These questions help distinguish urgency from value—a powerful shift for ADHD brains.

Tools to Harness Urgency (Without Burning Out)

Urgency isn’t bad—it just needs boundaries. Here’s how to use it to your advantage without letting it drain your tank.

Harness Micro-Deadlines

Break big tasks into smaller chunks with their own mini due dates.

This keeps momentum going without waiting for a panic-fueled all-nighter.
Try sharing these deadlines with a friend, coach, or accountability buddy.

Make Deadlines Matter (More Than Panic Does)

Connect your task to something bigger than urgency:

“The version of me who wants to be a keynote speaker shows up for this.”
Set a reward for completing something early—BEFORE the real deadline hits.
Visualize success and failure: What does it feel like to meet this with ease? What’s the cost of waiting again?

Use Visual Planning Tools

ADHD brains love visual structure and feedback. Apps like:

TickTick
Structured
Motion

…can help you map steps out clearly and visibly see progress, which adds just enough pressure without full-on stress mode.

Although urgency can light a fire under us—It's important to remember that the flame burns hot and fast. When urgency is your only motivator, burnout isn’t far behind. Learning to spot the difference between true importance and emotional urgency is a powerful skill for ADHD brains.

Discover more tools for productivity while harnessing your inner strengths with my # 1 Best Selling "Activate Your ADHD Potential" workbook

You've Got This,

Coach Brooke