This is general information about productivity, not medical advice. Speak to a qualified clinician about ADHD assessment or treatment. CHADD is a good starting point for evidence-based ADHD information.
Why standard prioritisation advice fails here
Most advice assumes you can hold the full list in mind and compare items against each other. Executive function differences affect the domains that comparison depends on — Barkley's model places working memory and task initiation among the most affected.
That comparison step is working memory work, and working memory is one of the domains most affected. The advice isn't wrong — it's asking for the resource that's already stretched.
Externalise the ranking, not just the list
Writing tasks down is well supported: Masicampo & Baumeister (2011) found that a specific plan removed the intrusive pull of unfinished goals, and Risko & Gilbert (2016) reviews how external tools reduce working-memory demand.
But a written list is still an unranked pile, and a pile still requires the comparison step. The version that helps is a written list in a fixed order, so the deciding is already done when you look at it.
Build for the day you have nothing left
Any system you design on a good day gets tested on a bad one. If it needs a weekly review, a tagging convention or a daily planning ritual, it will lapse — and a lapsed system is an untrustworthy one, which is why the app gets abandoned.
Judge a tool by what it asks of you on your worst day, not your best.
A version that survives
Dump everything into one place, unsorted and unedited. Get a ranked order out — from a tool, a friend, or by applying one consistent rule. Do the top item only, and keep the rest out of sight. Re-dump when it stops matching reality, with no guilt about the gap.
There is no streak to maintain and nothing to fall behind on.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I abandon every task app?
Usually maintenance. Tags, projects, priorities and reviews are executive-function work. When upkeep lapses the system stops reflecting reality, and an inaccurate system is worse than none — so you leave. Choosing a lower-maintenance tool addresses the actual failure.
Is body doubling better than an app?
They solve different halves. Body doubling helps with initiation — being observed makes starting easier. Prioritising helps with selection. Many people need both and should not expect either to cover the other.
Should I use timers?
Timers help with initiation and time blindness rather than prioritising. TickTick has one built in; a kitchen timer works too. Add it after you have a ranked order, not instead of one.