To ask for your help in getting stuff done?

[AlexaShutUp]

I have travelled 10 miles to come into the office today to catch up on some work that I need to get done by Monday. In theory, I could have done it from home but I thought I might focus better in the office with fewer distractions etc.

Except I have been here for 2 hours and have achieved nothing so far. Faffed around making a coffee, on MN etc.

I have suspected adhd - have initiated process for diagnosis but my lack of executive function is getting in the way of me actually progressing this.

I am feeling overwhelmed by the scale of the task that I need to get done and so I am procrastinating, as I so often do. This is what has led to me needing to work at the weekend, and I'm sitting here in the office but still getting nothing done.

I don't know how to motivate myself. I can't seem to get started. I'm going to have to nip out to buy some lunch soon, which will waste more time.

Please can someone help?! I don't want to spend all day tomorrow stressing about this work too!

Make a list of the most urgent things which need doing.
Pick the easiest / quickest one on the list and do that.
Getting started is the hardest part.

Thank you @LeavesOnTrees. It's one big piece of work. I think I need to try to break it down into sections so that it seems less overwhelming...

Get off MN.

Start the work.

Do the work bit by bit.

HTH. There is no magic formula, you just have to start somewhere and carry on until completed.

Visualise the panic or whatever it is that is stopping you as a cushion, sit on it, and just do half an hour. Close your email, log out of teams etc so you cant get distracted.

I have ADHD as well! It's pants sometimes isn't it?

Routine is the key to success for me. And part of that is eliminating all decision making that be put into a routine instead. For that, I do things like pack the same lunch for myself every single work day. That therefore removes the decisions of "what shall I have today?" and "what do I need to buy from Tesco to make that?" I have the same breakfast every day for the same reason.
Another example, I wash my hair every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Then that removes the decision making of "oh, do I need to wash my hair? How does it look/feel?"

When it comes to the workplace, lists are my friend. I write down everything I need to do/remember that day. Prioritise if necessary, then just plod through them. If I'm struggling to get started, I start with the task I think is going to be easiest/quickest, and that gets the ball rolling.

Something else that has REALLY helped, is what I call "my motto", which is "proactive not reactive". In other words, "what can do I NOW, to make my life easier?" Doing things when they first come up, rather than wait for them to become a problem.
An example being, my current car is on its last legs. It's got a ton of problems, that are only getting worse. I'd originally planned to replace it in the summer, but my motto helped me see that "sooner is probably better". So I went car shopping today! I pick it up next Saturday. Then I had to make a phone call to activate the free insurance. Phone calls is often where my ADHD really struggles, but I followed my own advice and made the call as soon as I got home. Now I can forget about it!

Write a list of the items that need to be done
Prioritise them in order of importance
Start with number 1 (the most important task) and stick with it until it is finished.
Work down the list

You might not get the whole list done, but you'll get the most important stuff done if you focus on that first.