Glossary

Planning words, in plain language.

Ten terms people use when they talk about time, tasks and ADHD, each with a short definition, how it shows up in a workday, and the sources behind it. Flowo is a planning tool, and this glossary is not medical advice.

  • Time blindness

    Time blindness is an informal name for losing track of how much time has passed, or of how long something will take.

  • Task paralysis

    Task paralysis is an informal term for knowing what needs doing and still being unable to start.

  • Executive function

    Executive function is the set of mental skills people use to plan, start, switch and keep track of what they are doing.

  • Executive dysfunction

    Executive dysfunction is an informal description of ongoing trouble with executive function skills: getting organised, starting tasks, keeping track of time or switching between activities.

  • Brain dump

    A brain dump is writing down everything on your mind, without sorting it, so it stops competing for your attention.

  • Time blocking

    Time blocking is planning a day by giving each task its own slot on the calendar, instead of keeping a list and hoping everything gets done.

  • Body doubling

    Body doubling means working alongside another person, in the same room or on a video call, to make a task easier to start and stay with.

  • Task initiation

    Task initiation is the skill of beginning a task when you intend to, without a long delay.

  • Transition time

    Transition time is the time it takes to stop one activity and get going on the next: travel, setup and the mental shift.

  • Decision fatigue

    Decision fatigue is the idea that making many decisions in a row wears down the quality of the ones that follow.