ADHD and Starting New Projects: The Dopamine Rush Dilemma
New Project Energy Is Real
There’s this very specific kind of high I get when I start a new project. You know the one. It’s that full-body buzz, the “this is gonna change my life” feeling. Suddenly, I’m researching obsessively, staying up late sketching ideas, convincing myself this time will be different.
And then—poof. That energy dips. The spark fades. I look at the half-done thing and go... yeah, maybe later. And “later” turns into never. If you’ve got ADHD, you probably know this exact loop. It’s like we’re born to start things—but finishing? That’s a whole other beast.
Why We Love to Start (And Struggle to Finish)
ADHD brains love novelty. It’s a dopamine thing. New projects are full of excitement, possibility, and potential. They’re a playground for our creativity. But once the novelty wears off? Our brains start craving that next hit. That’s where things get tricky.
And it’s not because we’re lazy. Let’s get that out of the way right now. ADHD and Laziness are not equal. We’re not lacking effort—we’re just playing a different internal game with energy and focus. Sometimes, our brains just bail on us halfway through. And yeah, it sucks. It’s frustrating. But it’s not a personal failure.
Learning from the Pile of Unfinished Projects
I used to feel a ton of shame about all the half-baked projects I’d abandoned—apps, blogs, workouts, businesses, you name it. But recently I read this piece on ADHD Unfinished Projects and it hit me: unfinished doesn’t mean wasted. Every time I start something, I’m learning what lights me up. What works. What doesn’t. And yeah, what eventually bores the hell out of me.
That’s useful info. Even the “failures” tell me something.
How I Try to Make It Work (Most of the Time)
So, how do I deal with this cycle without beating myself up? Here’s what’s helped me:
- Smaller scopes: I try to make my projects way smaller than I want them to be at first. If it’s doable in a weekend, it’s more likely to stick.
- Dopamine check-ins: I check in regularly with, “Am I still excited? If not, why?” Sometimes all it takes is a tiny pivot to reignite the spark.
- Keep a “Project Graveyard” folder: I save every idea and half-finished thing. Sometimes I come back to them later with fresh energy. Sometimes I just like seeing how many cool things I’ve tried.
- Celebrate starting: Seriously. Starting something takes guts. Celebrate that. Not every beginning needs to end in a finished product to be meaningful.
You're Not a Flake—You're a Spark
ADHD isn’t just about attention. It’s about rhythm. Flow. Cycles. And if your cycle looks like starting 10 things and finishing 2? That’s not a failure. That’s just your pattern. Understanding that has changed how I treat myself when the energy dips.
You’re not a flake. You’re not broken. You’re not failing because you didn’t finish everything. You’re a spark. A firestarter. And that matters.
So if you’re in that new project dopamine high right now? Enjoy it. Ride it. And if the fire fades later—just know, you’re not alone.