🎯 The ONE Thing Rule: The ADHD Strategy That Turns Overwhelm into Focus
🧘♀️ How to cut through chaos, reduce procrastination, and finally get things done—one step at a time.
🌪️ Ever feel like your brain wants to do everything at once?
You start a load of laundry. Then you remember an email.
Halfway through, you open Instagram…
An hour later… nothing’s finished.
💭 “Why can’t I just focus on one thing?”
That’s ADHD in action: scattered attention + dopamine-hungry brain = overwhelm.
But there’s a simple shift that can save your day. It’s called The ONE Thing Rule.
Let’s break it down.
📝 What You’ll Learn
🎯 What the One Thing Rule is (and how it works for ADHD brains)
⏳ When you need it most (hint: overwhelm, paralysis, or chaos)
🧠 The science of focus + ADHD (with linked research)
💥 The impact on productivity, energy, and mood
🔧 Practical strategies to make it stick
📋 A quick ADHD-friendly cheat sheet
🛠️ Tools + resources to keep momentum
🔥 A final pep talk you’ll need on tough days
❓ What Is the ONE Thing Rule?
Instead of asking:
❌ “What should I do today?”
Ask:
✅ “What’s the ONE thing I can do right now that makes everything else easier or less urgent?”
This works because ADHD brains struggle with endless choices.
When you zoom into ONE target, you cut through the fog.
⏳ The Secret of NOW vs. NOT NOW
ADHD brains live in a world of only two times:
⏰ NOW → feels urgent, tangible, real.
⏳NOT NOW → feels far away, invisible, easy to ignore.
The ONE Thing Rule hacks this by pulling your focus into the NOW.
👉 Ask yourself: “What is the ONE thing I can do NOW?”
Not later. Not someday. Just right now.
This shrinks overwhelm and gives you a doable next step.
⏰ When You Need It Most
The ONE Thing Rule is your go-to whenever:
📥 Your to-do list looks like a novel.
🌪️ You’re paralyzed by too many choices.
🛑 You’ve started 5 things but finished none.
📚 You’re stuck in research, planning, or perfection loops.
💭 You’re procrastinating because everything feels equally urgent.
If you feel frozen → this is the rule to unfreeze.
💥 The Impact of the ONE Thing Rule
Using this strategy daily can:
✅ Cut through noise → no endless spinning in task lists.
✅ Reduce overwhelm → one clear target to hit.
✅ Spark momentum → finishing one thing = dopamine win.
✅ Boost confidence → you see proof you can move forward.
✅ Calm your mind → structure replaces chaos.
It’s not just about getting things don, it’s about restoring clarity, energy, and peace.
🧠 Why ADHD Brains Need This Rule
ADHD brains are wired differently in ways that make
traditional task management tricky:
📉 Too Many Options = Brain Freeze
When faced with a long list, ADHD brains can struggle to prioritize. Too many choices overload working memory and increase anxiety. Decision fatigue research.
⚡ Dopamine Motivation Gap
ADHD brains often have lower baseline dopamine, the neurotransmitter tied to motivation and reward. Completing a single, focused task triggers a dopamine boost, which fuels momentum and satisfaction. ADHD & dopamine research.
🌪️ Noise → Overwhelm
Endless options, open tabs, notifications, and mental clutter all compete for attention. ADHD working memory has limited capacity, so focusing on ONE thing at a time clears the mental fog. Working memory in ADHD.
💡 In short: The ONE Thing Rule reduces cognitive load, provides instant clarity and gives your brain the reward cycle it craves to stay motivated.
⏰ How to Use It (Step by Step)
1️⃣ Pause & Breathe 🌬️
Slow your racing brain before choosing.
2️⃣ Ask the Question 📝
👉 “What’s my ONE thing right now?”
3️⃣ Write It Down 🗒️
Sticky note, whiteboard or phone reminder.
4️⃣ Block Distractions 🚫📱
Headphones, timer, airplane mode.
5️⃣ Do ONLY the One Thing 🔒
Don’t peek at the rest until it’s done.
💡 Pro Tip: Once you finish, ride the dopamine wave to tackle the next task.
🚨 Before & After the ONE Thing Rule
🚫 Before:
Open laptop → 12 tabs → start 5 things → finish none → overwhelm spirals.
✅ After:
Open laptop → ONE thing (write report intro) → finish → feel momentum → naturally move to the next.
✅ ADHD-Proof Strategies to Strengthen the Rule
📝 Strategy #1: The Sticky Note Method
Only ONE task is allowed on your note at a time.
⏲️ Strategy #2: The Timer Trick
Set 15 minutes. Commit only to ONE thing.
👯 Strategy #3: Body Doubling
Work alongside someone (IRL or virtually with LifeAt).
🎁 Strategy #4: Dopamine Boosting
Reward yourself right after the ONE thing (snack, song, stretch).
📅 Strategy #5: Weekly Reflection
At the end of the week, list your “ONE Thing Wins.” Builds confidence + progress awareness.
📋 Quick ADHD Rescue Guide:
The ONE Thing Rule
🌀 Feeling overwhelmed? Do this:
✨ Pause. Breathe.
✨ Ask: “What’s my ONE thing right now?”
✨ Write it down
✨ Block distractions
✨ Do just that ONE THING
🔧 Practical Tools & Resources
🛠️ Timers → Forest App, Pomofocus
🛠️ Visual Reminders → Reusable magnetic sticky notes, stickly notes, whiteboards
🛠️ Body Doubling → LifeAt
🛠️ Task Management (Keep It Simple) → Todoist, Trello
🔥 Final Thought
Progress with ADHD isn’t about doing everything.
It’s about moving forward with the right thing—one step at a time.
Each “ONE Thing” you complete is a victory, a dopamine spark, and proof you’re not broken—you just need the right strategies.
💡 Remember: ADHD progress = small steps, done consistently.
💬 Your Turn: What’s your ONE Thing today?
👉 Drop it in the comments so we can cheer you on! 🎉
📢 Share this with someone who drowns in task lists!
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Another ADHD Hack on how to snap back into focus, read on:
🧠 ADHD Power Prompts That Snap You Back Into Focus
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