Why does time work differently for me?
You have twelve minutes before leaving. That is apparently enough time to water one dry plant—and discover yourself halfway through repotting it when the alarm goes off.
Optimistic Scheduling Meets a Timestamp
Time blindness is an informal term people use for difficulty noticing, estimating, or planning around time. ADHD can involve problems with time perception and time management, but the experience is not identical for everyone.
Minutes may be easy to underestimate when you are absorbed, switching tasks, or imagining only the central action. “Leave the house” gets six minutes because shoes, keys, finding the address, and returning for the forgotten water bottle were not invited to the estimate.
The plant truly did need water. It did not need a new pot, soil comparison, and an emotionally significant location by the window before 8:40.
A meta-analysis reported time-perception differences in groups of people with ADHD across age groups. That does not mean every person with ADHD experiences time in the same way. Read the linked review.
The practical answer is to make time visible and include the parts your first estimate leaves out.
Give Time Physical Evidence
Choose one appointment, transition, or task that regularly surprises you.
- → Use a visible timer or alarm instead of relying on the feeling of time passing.
- → Break the estimate into preparation, the task itself, and transition time.
- → Compare your estimate with the actual time and use that evidence next time.
- → Protect the final minutes before leaving from “quick” optional jobs.
The Useful Bit
- → Make time visible with clocks, timers, and alarms.
- → Include setup and transition in your estimates.
- → Use actual timing as data, not as a verdict on your character.
The plant is hydrated. The new pot can wait until after the appointment.