05/03/2026
I’ll give you a perfect example of executive dysfunction (ADHD) in real life…
My son was supposed to clean his room and move his stuff out.
His room wasn’t even horrible just one of those overwhelming, messy situations where you don’t know where to start.
So what did he do?
He went to Home Depot…
bought a TON of goldfish…
and completely decorated our pond instead 😅
And honestly? I get it. I have ADHD too.
Because this is exactly what executive dysfunction looks like:
It’s not “I don’t want to do it.”
It’s “my brain cannot figure out how to start.”
Cleaning your room =
too many steps
too many decisions
no clear starting point
instant overwhelm
So your brain goes:
“Let’s go do something else that feels productive and has a clear finish line.”
And suddenly… you’ve built a whole pond setup instead of cleaning your room 🐟
BUT here’s the part I want people to understand…
Because I could spot the overwhelm (hello, goldfish situation 😅),
mom stepped in and worked with him.
We broke it down step-by-step,
showed him exactly where to start and what to do,
and suddenly it wasn’t overwhelming anymore.
And just like that… he got it done.
Easily. With way less stress.
This is why cleaning can feel so hard for some people.
Not because they’re lazy but because their brain gets stuck at the starting line.
That’s also why I always say:
Don’t start with “clean the whole room.”
Start with:
• pick up all the clothes
• clear one surface
• set a 10-minute timer
Make it smaller. Make it doable.
Because once you start, everything gets easier.
And yes… the pond looks amazing 😂
What’s the most random thing you’ve done to avoid cleaning?
