June 5, 2025 • 7 mins
The Problem: Missing deadlines, forgetting tasks, living in constant fear your ADHD will get you fired.
The Reality: You're not broken. Your brain just works differently than the workplace was designed for.
What This Episode Covers:
- Why ADHD brains struggle with traditional work systems
- How one listener transformed his work life using Claude AI
- A simple 4-step system to work WITH your brain
- The "tapas method" for breaking big projects into tiny pieces
- Why needing support tools makes you resourceful, not weak
You'll Learn:
✓ Specific AI prompts that actually work
✓ How to stop beating yourself up for needing reminders
✓ Why some of the most innovative people have ADHD brains
Perfect for anyone tired of feeling like they're failing at work when they're just wired differently.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Have you ever missed another deadline orcompletely forgotten about an important
task and thought, oh gosh, this is it.
They're gonna have to figure out, now thatI'm a total mess, what's you're feeling?
Is that gut wrenching tear that your A DHDbrain might actually cost you your job?
Yep.
And today we're gonna turnthis whole thing around.
(00:21):
I'm Claire Vve, the host.
This is Human First ai, the podcastwhere we tackle real everyday
problems with practical AI tools anda human heart behind every solution.
This all started when I got a messagefrom someone that just completely broke
my heart, but completely relatable.
(00:44):
He said, my A DHD is wrecking me at work.
I've missed deadlines and forgottentasks, small tasks, but nevertheless,
tasks, I'm terrified I'll get firedbecause my brain just won't cooperate.
And I feel like no matter howhard I try, I keep messing up.
Who's with me?
Maybe you've been there and, oh, myreading, that took me right back to my
(01:08):
own darkest moments as a high schoolteacher, and I realized this wasn't
about him not being smart enough ordedicated enough or working hard enough.
It was really about trying to survivein a workplace that's designed for
neurotypical brains while yoursoperates completely different.
(01:31):
Actually side note, can we talkabout how exhausting it is to
constantly feel like you're onemistake away from being found out?
Because that's whatthis really, really is.
It's not just about forgetting things.
It's about living in constantfear that people will discover
you're not like everybody else.
The truth is this wasn't aperformance problem at all.
(01:54):
It was more of a support system problem.
He was drowning in a work environmentthat expected him to remember
everything, prioritized perfectly,and never need reminders while
whether or not he had a DHD.
His brain was screaming for structureand external support, and he was
beating himself up for needing thatand what his brain was actually
(02:16):
needing to function was that support.
Here's what happened when Ihelped him figure this out.
We used Claude.
I love Claude.
It's a little more private,but you can also use Chacha.
Bt it's fantastic.
We took his Claude andyou can go to claude.ai
(02:36):
and use it as his personal workassistant and his deadline tracker.
Let me tell you, this completelychanged his entire work experience.
What we did was create a system wherethe AI could handle all the detailed
tracking and reminder stuff thatmade his brain want to shut down.
And now with ai, you can connect itto your calendars and your email so
(03:01):
he could focus on creative problemsolving where he really shines
and suddenly all those details.
It had been lifted and taken care of byClaude, and now instead of feeling like
he was constantly dropping the ball orone step away from another mistake or
disappointing people, he felt like hehad this never ending, never judgmental
(03:27):
assistant, keeping him on track.
I was like, ha, thisis freaking brilliant.
This has changed everything for, uh,the neurodivergent people who knew
that working with your brain instead ofagainst it could make you such a massive
difference, just a small little tool.
Now, if you're facing something similar,you're definitely, definitely not alone.
(03:50):
It's just wired differently.
I mean, we have to start somewhereand we have to start there before
we can actually build any systemsthat's gonna work for you.
Second open Chachi vt,or why not try claw.ai
today and use it like your personalwork buddy, who never rolls their
eyes or feels like you're burden whenyou ask for the third or fourth or
(04:12):
hundredth time about the same deadline.
Just talk to it like you would.
Like.
I am talking to you right now.
Thirdly, start withyour biggest work Fear.
The one that's just.
Crushing you.
It's something that you keep putting off.
This is crucial.
Begin with something like, I have a DHD,or I think I do, and I'm struggling to
keep track of deadlines and tasks at work.
(04:34):
Can you help me create a simple systemfor my style of working that works
with how my brain actually functions?
Because honestly, the more specificyou are about your challenges,
the better it can help and addingany little detail is ideal.
Lastly.
Sorry, I lied.
Fourth step, ask forbrain friendly options.
(04:56):
Don't try to force yourself intosomeone else's productivity system.
Follow up with something like, gimme threeways to track my work that don't rely
on perfect memory or consistent habits,because that's just not realistic for me.
Lastly, I promise, pickone tiny thing to try.
Choose whatever feels most doable today.
(05:17):
Maybe it's having AI break a bigproject into smaller steps, which
is really, really, really a big one.
Or setting up email reminders orcreating templates for tasks you
do repeatedly so you can removesome of that cognitive load.
You're not overhauling yourentire work life today.
Even though you might want to, justtrying one thing that might make
(05:39):
tomorrow feel a little less scary.
Speaking of which, this samestrategy works when you're
overwhelmed by anything in your life.
You could do this with householdmanagement, struggling to remember
social plans or trying to keep trackof medical appointments and medications
for your children, for your loved ones.
Anytime your brain is fighting againstsystems designed for different brains,
(06:01):
remember having an AI system like this.
Is going to be a game changer thatcan wire you and set you up for
success and can be really helpful.
And if you're worried that needingthese tools makes you less capable
or professional, do not thinkthat, here's the thing, you're not
(06:22):
weak for needing support system.
You're not lazy for strugglingwith things that seem automatic
for other people at all.
There's absolutely nothing wrong withyou, even though you may think it.
Your brain just processes informationdifferently and the right tools
can help you show up in yourmost brilliant self at work.
The promise I'm living andbreathing truth of this.
(06:44):
So come on.
Some of the most innovative and creativepeople in the world have A DHD brains.
We just need different supportsystems to do our best work.
Try this today.
Take a few minutes.
Ask Chacha, bt, or if you've checkedout Claude, help you break down one
very overwhelming work project intosmaller, less intimidating pieces.
(07:06):
I call these the tapas littlebite-sized pieces of information
that you can tackle at a time.
See how it feels.
See if having a thinking partnermakes one big, scary thing feel
actually manageable for once.
Remember, AI is definitely not theanswer to everything, but when used
right, it's an amazing tool thatcan make your work life lighter,
(07:27):
calmer, and more beautifully human.
I'm your host Claire, er.
Thanks for listening toHuman First AI podcast.
I'm here every two weeks.
Let's keep creating techthat supports people first.
Have you ever missed another deadline orcompletely forgotten about an important
task and thought, oh gosh, this is it.
They're gonna have to figure out, now thatI'm a total mess, what's you're feeling?
Is that gut wrenching tear that your A DHDbrain might actually cost you your job?
Yep.
And today we're gonna turnthis whole thing around.
(00:21):
I'm Claire Vve, the host.
This is Human First ai, the podcastwhere we tackle real everyday
problems with practical AI tools anda human heart behind every solution.
This all started when I got a messagefrom someone that just completely broke
my heart, but completely relatable.
(00:44):
He said, my A DHD is wrecking me at work.
I've missed deadlines and forgottentasks, small tasks, but nevertheless,
tasks, I'm terrified I'll get firedbecause my brain just won't cooperate.
And I feel like no matter howhard I try, I keep messing up.
Who's with me?
Maybe you've been there and, oh, myreading, that took me right back to my
(01:08):
own darkest moments as a high schoolteacher, and I realized this wasn't
about him not being smart enough ordedicated enough or working hard enough.
It was really about trying to survivein a workplace that's designed for
neurotypical brains while yoursoperates completely different.
(01:31):
Actually side note, can we talkabout how exhausting it is to
constantly feel like you're onemistake away from being found out?
Because that's whatthis really, really is.
It's not just about forgetting things.
It's about living in constantfear that people will discover
you're not like everybody else.
The truth is this wasn't aperformance problem at all.
(01:54):
It was more of a support system problem.
He was drowning in a work environmentthat expected him to remember
everything, prioritized perfectly,and never need reminders while
whether or not he had a DHD.
His brain was screaming for structureand external support, and he was
beating himself up for needing thatand what his brain was actually
(02:16):
needing to function was that support.
Here's what happened when Ihelped him figure this out.
We used Claude.
I love Claude.
It's a little more private,but you can also use Chacha.
Bt it's fantastic.
We took his Claude andyou can go to claude.ai
(02:36):
and use it as his personal workassistant and his deadline tracker.
Let me tell you, this completelychanged his entire work experience.
What we did was create a system wherethe AI could handle all the detailed
tracking and reminder stuff thatmade his brain want to shut down.
And now with ai, you can connect itto your calendars and your email so
(03:01):
he could focus on creative problemsolving where he really shines
and suddenly all those details.
It had been lifted and taken care of byClaude, and now instead of feeling like
he was constantly dropping the ball orone step away from another mistake or
disappointing people, he felt like hehad this never ending, never judgmental
(03:27):
assistant, keeping him on track.
I was like, ha, thisis freaking brilliant.
This has changed everything for, uh,the neurodivergent people who knew
that working with your brain instead ofagainst it could make you such a massive
difference, just a small little tool.
Now, if you're facing something similar,you're definitely, definitely not alone.
(03:50):
It's just wired differently.
I mean, we have to start somewhereand we have to start there before
we can actually build any systemsthat's gonna work for you.
Second open Chachi vt,or why not try claw.ai
today and use it like your personalwork buddy, who never rolls their
eyes or feels like you're burden whenyou ask for the third or fourth or
(04:12):
hundredth time about the same deadline.
Just talk to it like you would.
Like.
I am talking to you right now.
Thirdly, start withyour biggest work Fear.
The one that's just.
Crushing you.
It's something that you keep putting off.
This is crucial.
Begin with something like, I have a DHD,or I think I do, and I'm struggling to
keep track of deadlines and tasks at work.
(04:34):
Can you help me create a simple systemfor my style of working that works
with how my brain actually functions?
Because honestly, the more specificyou are about your challenges,
the better it can help and addingany little detail is ideal.
Lastly.
Sorry, I lied.
Fourth step, ask forbrain friendly options.
(04:56):
Don't try to force yourself intosomeone else's productivity system.
Follow up with something like, gimme threeways to track my work that don't rely
on perfect memory or consistent habits,because that's just not realistic for me.
Lastly, I promise, pickone tiny thing to try.
Choose whatever feels most doable today.
(05:17):
Maybe it's having AI break a bigproject into smaller steps, which
is really, really, really a big one.
Or setting up email reminders orcreating templates for tasks you
do repeatedly so you can removesome of that cognitive load.
You're not overhauling yourentire work life today.
Even though you might want to, justtrying one thing that might make
(05:39):
tomorrow feel a little less scary.
Speaking of which, this samestrategy works when you're
overwhelmed by anything in your life.
You could do this with householdmanagement, struggling to remember
social plans or trying to keep trackof medical appointments and medications
for your children, for your loved ones.
Anytime your brain is fighting againstsystems designed for different brains,
(06:01):
remember having an AI system like this.
Is going to be a game changer thatcan wire you and set you up for
success and can be really helpful.
And if you're worried that needingthese tools makes you less capable
or professional, do not thinkthat, here's the thing, you're not
(06:22):
weak for needing support system.
You're not lazy for strugglingwith things that seem automatic
for other people at all.
There's absolutely nothing wrong withyou, even though you may think it.
Your brain just processes informationdifferently and the right tools
can help you show up in yourmost brilliant self at work.
The promise I'm living andbreathing truth of this.
(06:44):
So come on.
Some of the most innovative and creativepeople in the world have A DHD brains.
We just need different supportsystems to do our best work.
Try this today.
Take a few minutes.
Ask Chacha, bt, or if you've checkedout Claude, help you break down one
very overwhelming work project intosmaller, less intimidating pieces.
(07:06):
I call these the tapas littlebite-sized pieces of information
that you can tackle at a time.
See how it feels.
See if having a thinking partnermakes one big, scary thing feel
actually manageable for once.
Remember, AI is definitely not theanswer to everything, but when used
right, it's an amazing tool thatcan make your work life lighter,
(07:27):
calmer, and more beautifully human.
I'm your host Claire, er.
Thanks for listening toHuman First AI podcast.
I'm here every two weeks.
Let's keep creating techthat supports people first.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2
Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.