“I’ll Do It When I Have More Energy” and Other AuDHD Fairy Tales

Have you ever promised yourself, “I’ll do it when I have more energy”—only to discover that Future You is just as exhausted and now has an even longer to-do list?

In this episode of Authentically ADHD, Carmen explores the reality of inconsistent AuDHD capacity and why being able to do something one day does not guarantee access to the same abilities the next. We unpack how ADHD executive-function differences, reward processing, autistic inertia, sensory demands, transitions, interoception, stress, and burnout can all affect the gap between wanting to act and actually being able to begin.

You’ll learn why inconsistent performance is not the same as inconsistent effort, why “easy” tasks can carry enormous hidden costs, and why waiting for a mythical burst of energy rarely solves the problem. Carmen also shares practical ways to work with your current capacity, including identifying the real barrier, creating reduced and survival versions of tasks, building transition ramps, using body doubling, protecting good-day energy, and replacing shame with useful investigation.

Because your best day is not the standard you must meet every day—and you do not have to hate yourself into becoming more consistent.

Sometimes your brain is not refusing to do the task. The neurological group project has simply fallen apart, Future You has filed a formal complaint, and executive functioning forgot there was a meeting.

Thank you for tuning in!