The Procrastination Playbook for Adults with ADHD: How to Catch Sneaky Forms of Procrastination Before They Catch You

by Risa Williams

Procrastination and ADHD go hand in hand so how do you start working towards a more focused mindset?

Risa Williams has been where you are and is now ready to share invaluable tools and strategies she has learned along the way to help you catch those sneaky forms of procrastination before they catch you!

This interactive playbook allows you to work through and find the best ways for you to limit your procrastination time, learn about macro and micro procrastinations and supplies interactive worksheets and personalised tools to help you target the specific forms of procrastination that affect you the most. This book can help normalize procrastination, and teach you how to catch your own "procrastination cues," so that you can find your way back on track again. Risa also offers vital advice on how to curb the negative feelings like guilt and shame you might feel around procrastination using self-talk and self-protection activities.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Adhd

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 21, 2024

About the author

Risa Williams is a LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist).

Reviews

[Anna (annareadit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you have tasks that you ignore? Do you lose interest due to the amount of work that needs to be done? Do you get lost in the flow of tasks and struggle to set priorities? I do!

This playbook contains clear recommendations for each trigger. Did I find advice in it that I already knew? Yes. Did I follow it? Yes and no; it didn’t work. But I understood why. The book outlines the reasons why some strategies might not work for you and what actions you need to take to adapt them to your needs.

I like the structure of the book, which includes not only descriptions and exercises but also simple examples.

I recommend it to anyone who needs clear recommendations without fluff and with understandable examples.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Thanks Netgalley for giving me access to a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed part 1 of this book and it was really informative and gave a name to all my procrastination tendencies.
About part 2: it was repetitive. A lot. But I do get the meaning of it. It's supposed to be an experience, exercising and actually writing down everything like you're journaling. I did write down a couple of things I will try to integrate in my routines but it got a bit boring there.

Now THE PROBLEM part of my review that's got nothing to do with the book's content and everything with the formatting: it's literally unreadable outside the Netgalley app.
I sent it to my Kindle as I always do but couldn't read it there because at every cursive, image, space, tab everything gets mixed up in the kindle version.
That's mainly the reason why it got me this much to read it, because I had to do it on my phone. Awful experience.

[EB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book to be a really fun and engaging way to learn more about my procrastination. It was so interactive, which made the experience much more hands on. Williams offers such insightful and relatable examples throughout the book.

I especially loved having a physical copy of the book. The different fonts and formatting kept my attention in a way that’s often hard to achieve, especially when it’s so easy to drift away! I also enjoyed being able to start my journey wherever I wanted and choose how to work through the exercises and worksheets. -How Fun!

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

.Risa Williams’ The Procrastination Playbook for Adults with ADHD is a refreshingly compassionate and cleverly structured guide that doesn’t just tackle procrastination—it dissects it with the precision of a therapist and the creativity of a coach who’s been in the trenches.

Williams, a licensed therapist and time management expert, understands that procrastination for adults with ADHD isn’t about laziness—it’s about overwhelm, emotional regulation, and the sneaky mental habits that derail even the best intentions. What makes this book stand out is its focus on “sneaky forms” of procrastination: the micro-delays, the perfectionist spirals, the “productive” distractions that masquerade as progress.

The tone is warm, never preachy, and the layout is intentionally ADHD-friendly—short chapters, visual tools, and interactive worksheets that invite readers to engage rather than just absorb. Williams introduces concepts like “procrastination cues” and “macro vs. micro procrastination,” helping readers identify their unique patterns and build personalized strategies to outsmart them.

But what truly elevates this playbook is its emotional intelligence. Williams doesn’t just offer hacks—she offers healing. She addresses the guilt, shame, and self-doubt that often accompany procrastination, and provides tools for self-talk and self-compassion that feel like a deep exhale.

Whether you’re an adult with ADHD or someone who struggles with chronic delay, The Procrastination Playbook is a toolkit for reclaiming your time, your focus, and your sense of agency. It’s not about becoming perfect—it’s about becoming more present, more aware, and more forgiving.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC from NetGalley in Exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book as an ADHD Adult, but I struggle to find that much that was fresh and new. Maybe it would be helpful for someone new to it? Or maybe it’s just that these are all techniques I’ve learned various other ways such as therapy, leadership retreats, and college classes?

The ideas are helpful ones, but when I’m really procrastinating, I’m likely going to procrastinate trying a worksheet on it. And let’s be honest here, most peeps with ADHD are going to forget where they put this book.
Ideas like time blocking, setting specific dates, and having accountability are all great, but not practical Maybe it’s just my type of ADHD? Time blocking is good except you have to 1) have a planner system 2) look at the planner, and 3) follow what it says. Same with specific dates. And then the accountability is definitely something I would procrastinate. lol.

One of the hardest things for me though was really making it through the first few chapters. It felt like every 3 paragraphs was a reminder of what I was going to find ahead in this book. My attention faded several times.

The mention to name it is a guess good, but every ADHD person I’ve known has no problem naming that they are procrastinating. Nor do we have a problem planning half the time. It’s the taking the action. And even with the tools, that’s still a struggle for most people.

I sort of feel like I just left wanting more substance and more variety of ideas. It sort of felt like the solution to procrastination was more work in the form of worksheets.

I’m sure there’s something here for someone, just not me.

[Jodie Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Practical and Insightful Guide

I love this book for several reasons. It has truly exceeded my expectations. First, I appreciate how the author takes a thoughtful approach to explaining complex concepts by providing examples. This not only makes the material relatable, but it also helps readers apply the ideas to their own lives. The inclusion of worksheets is a fantastic touch, allowing readers to work through the content on a personal level, which is so beneficial.

One of the features I particularly like is the way the worksheets are organized. They’re cleverly placed in the second half of the book, which makes it so easy to jump straight to them whenever you want. For those who prefer to read through everything first, the format allows for a seamless experience.

Having a digital version is a bonus. I recently got a new tablet, and I love being able to fill out the worksheets directly on it. It’s so convenient to have the worksheets on hand wherever I go, making it easy to work through the exercises.

Finally, the fact that this book is written by a therapist makes it all the more impactful. The author’s expertise shines through. It’s clear that this is a resource written with care, making it a valuable guide.

Overall, this book is a thoughtful and practical tool for personal growth, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a resource that combines expertise with hands-on exercises.

[Lola]

I DNF'd this one at 45%

This one caught my eye as I am neurodivergent and struggle with procrastination. Unfortunately this book was almost impossible to read due to the formatting, the ecopy ARC version I got was filled with all caps, italics, larger fonts and bold. It was so hard to actually read the book. Then the part with exercises kept referring to other pages and it just didn't work in this format. I assume this is something that will be fixed in the final version or it's one of those books that will be easier to read in print. The formatting distracted me so much I just couldn't focus on the actual text and decided to DNF it.

The actual advice was a mixed bag for me so far. The writing style didn't really work for me. I didn't feel a lot of the advice was really tailored for ADHD'ers so far and some of the tips seemed a bit too simple and didn't adequately address the executive functioning difficulties. There were also parts that felt really prescriptive like there was only one method to deal with this type of procrastination instead of multiple ways or things to try. Then there were parts I did think were interesting, like the different forms of procrastination that gave some good insight into why you procrastinate.

[Catherine B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Procrastination Playbook for Adults with ADHD by Risa Williams is an insightful and practical guide tailored to those grappling with procrastination, especially within the context of ADHD. The author draws on her expertise as a therapist, professor, and time management consultant to provide actionable tools for recognizing and overcoming procrastination. The tone of the book is empathic and encouraging, perfect for anyone ready to confront procrastination and improve their time management.

The book is divided into two parts: understanding procrastination and applying targeted worksheets. It offers a thoughtful exploration of internal factors like stress, self-talk, and the need for accountability. What sets this book apart is its balance between research-backed insights and relatable anecdotes, making it both accessible and engaging. The inclusion of actionable strategies, such as time mapping and stress management techniques offers readers a toolkit they can implement immediately.

Whether you're navigating micro-procrastinations like avoiding small tasks or gearing up to tackle larger goals, this book provides a great roadmap for change. Highly recommend!

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a helpful book for issues I knew about (time blindness, which is in part why I and others with ADHD often just brute force timeliness/punctuality by literally memorizing how long it takes to do something or go somewhere; and of course my eternal enemy, perfectionism), things I had kind of noticed but hadn't fully taken in, sometimes through a bit of willfully not wanting to acknowledge a root of the issue, (like procrasti-breaks and task avoidance, waiting for motivation, time sinkholes, analysis paralysis, micro and macro procrastination, and halfway drift when I stop something before the task is truly finished).

And solutions I had half thought of but hadn't conceptualized fully, especially not enough to put a word to it (goal sponsor and 'body doubling' which is sort of like parallel play but for a task you need to accomplish). Plus just the validation of what I did know worked, like understanding task prioritizing and helpful or necessary procrastination.

About half of this book is worksheets to fill out to help with these issues. A good resource for ADHD, sometime I would happily put on the shelf next to something like Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD.

[Alpin Hong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book nails the challenges readers like me face, where our very psychology prevents us from finishing long, boring treatises on behavioral science. We are looking for a compelling reason for us to turn the page and find solutions. The Procrastination Playbook provides a fun Choose Your Own Adventure-like journey to get things done RIGHT NOW. Some other reviewers knock the differing fonts used for the text, but I find they express the different voices the book uses - what I think of as the "teacher", "author", "taskmaster", etc. I think it's interesting that some people complain about this layout on screen readers, when the very act of using a screen (with all its potential distractions) is exactly what ADHD procrastinators need least. In short, as I am one of the numerous folks who have never been clinically diagnosed with ADHD but exhibit so many of the traits, I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book as I'm neurodivergent and struggle with procrastination.

I read this on my Kindle and much of the book was unreadable. Sections had no spaces between words, words would be different sizes or bolded. I assume these were formatting errors that would be sorted out before publication.

Unfortunately, this made it difficult to read and the worksheets looked odd.

Onto the parts I could read, I think some people would find this useful. It wasn't anything new. If you're already struggling with procrastination or executive dysfunction then this is stuff you'll already be aware of.

This advice might work for some people, it doesn't for me. If I'm procrastinating then I'm not going to follow a worksheet or write a list. Or I'll write the best list ever with so much detail and then never do it because in my mind I've already done the task and gotten the reward from planning it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

[Kira K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I think that having the book split with the information in part 1 and then all the worksheets in part 2 is a great way to lay out a playbook like this. There’s also helpful exercises in the information sheet where appropriate. I think that the highlighted text font that was used for emphasis was pretty but it may make it inaccessible for screen readers. I liked the breakdown of the different types of procrastination and found it was approached in a non-judgemental way. I also liked the provision of mental health resources at the end.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book to read for not just adults with ADHD but for anyone who often procrastinates their tasks.

The author analyzes different reasons why one tends to procrastinate and then gives tips on how to prevent it. If you do find yourself down the procrastionation rabbit hole, there are a lot of different tips to get out of it explained step by step and in different ways.

Very informative and helpful book.

An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

[Jessamine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has been recently diagnosed with ADHD, I have read and listened to every book about the subject there is. It’s rare that I come across new material and useful material at that. The format of this book is very helpful and clear indeed. The concept of skipping ahead to another section if you feel you need support or going to another page entirely if you think you don’t, kept my ADHD brain engaged and focused.

I will keep referring back to this for support as the help sheets seem especially useful. This would make the perfect gift for a friend or a loved one with ADHD.

[Camille Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of useful and practical tools. The interactive worksheets are written in a Choose Your Own Adventure way, which gets readers to engage with them to figure out how to overcome their own procrastination. I highly recommend this book. I'm going to buy a few for my friends because it's that useful!

[Kathryn Singer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fine resource— I appreciate the format of the book because it can be used to evaluate the reader’s process around procrastination behaviors. There is a clear explanation of the behaviors, and then flow-charting of decisions points that the reader can use to understand how they can move forward. A really clear, step-by-step approach presented in a kind and supportive way.

[Claudia Harauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

ADHD doesn't always have to be a bad thing.
I grew up in the 90s and have learned to deal with it, but it's always helpful to get professional advice and to develop and learn new strategies, because my ADHD also changes a little depending on my life situation.

Good luck with the book!

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accessible and clever with lots of helpful tips!

[Romy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Innovative and extremely helpful.