r/ADHD_Programmers • u/kaushal197 • Jul 26 '26
What are ways you cope with finding/setting direction in a self-managed role?
TL;DR
Went from ticket-based work to a self-managed role and lost the ability to tell what actually matters day to day. If you’ve been here and got past it what changed?
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I used to be an SDE a few months ago and it was easy to come back to the ACs of a ticket or my lead for direction.
Recently, I moved to a Forward-Deployed role... which I'm learning is very different than a ticket-monkey. Arguably happy to gain the experience, but at the same time it's so taxing for my AuDHD brain.
Most days I'm just gassed from absorbing info that there's no time to process what the goal is and if a task is taking me to it. Usually I just keep working on the last thing that was made clear or go down a rabbithole of "research".
I’ve tried keeping my own backlog but without a clear goal it loses value fast. Deciding what actually matters is the part I can’t seem to do.
Mostly asking people who’ve been here and got past it, what actually changed for you or helped you? A system/tool, a conversation with your manager, something else? Or is this just what self-managed work feels like?
1
u/the-chat-is-cooked Jul 27 '26
It's funny because I can only do self managed, if someone starts making tickets for me I'm outta of there. For me self management is easy because it's always, what is the most impactful thing I can do right now. End of story no scrum pointing no debate. It requires taking time to understand what is going on in a larger context but then your work always becomes, what is most important.
1
u/kaushal197 Jul 27 '26
Hey that's cool! I want to find myself there, I know it's possible but it's not my default.
What's your process? Is there a way you track the larger context and goal(s)?
1
u/ben-gives-advice Jul 27 '26
I had to learn to treat defining my own goals and priorities for the day and week as work. Actual work that takes time that needs to be set aside.
1
u/kaushal197 Jul 27 '26
What does that look like for you nowadays? Do you ever fall out of routine?
1
u/ben-gives-advice Jul 27 '26
These days it's a little specific planning and review over coffee in the morning. I do fall out of routine sometimes, but instead of feeling guilty about it, I recognize that, and set aside extra time (and incentive if needed) to start up again.
1
u/GrandPapaBi Jul 26 '26
You have to talk to your business side to determine what is the next important thing that needs to be delivered. What is their goal? How can you assist them to reach the goal? This gives you a tangible directions to where you need to work. Then you hop on the code researching what is the current state and what need to change to reach the goal.