The ADHD Working Memory Problem

ADHD + Working Memory | Business Tips | Tradie Coach

You walked into the shed to grab something. By the time you got there, you'd forgotten what it was.

You put your tape measure down somewhere on site. It's gone. The gloves too. Possibly the drill.

Sound familiar? It's not carelessness. It's not being disorganised. There's a name for it, and understanding it might be one of the most useful things you do this week.

What working memory actually is

Working memory is your brain's mental notepad. It's the part of your brain that holds onto information for a few seconds while you're using it, kind of like the RAM in a computer.

It's one of the brain's key management tools. It helps you organise your thoughts, plan what to do next, and keep track of time. Researchers have studied this for years, and the pattern is clear: people with ADHD tend to struggle more with working memory than people without it. Studies on kids with ADHD have found real, measurable gaps in this area, and later research shows the same thing holds true for adults with ADHD too.

In plain terms, when your working memory is already full, anything that isn't right in front of you gets dropped. Where are the gloves? What's for dinner tonight? What was I supposed to quote this afternoon? All gone.

Why this hits tradies harder than most

On a job site, you're juggling a dozen things at once: the task at hand, what tools you need next, instructions for the apprentice, a client question, what time the next job starts. Now add ADHD-related memory limits into that mix, and you get exactly what most ADHD tradies describe. Constantly feeling like you're forgetting something. Losing gear. Dropping follow-ups. Missing details on quotes.

Science calls it a working memory deficit. Tradies call it Monday.

What actually helps

The fix isn't trying to remember more. It's getting things out of your head so your brain doesn't have to hold onto everything at once.

• Write it down straight away (keep a notepad in the ute at all times)

• Use a job management app like ServiceM8

• Set up the night before (gear in one place, jobs scheduled, tomorrow's first task sorted)

• Use voice memos when you're on the tools and can't write it down. Speak it, don't trust it.

• Build an end-of-day checklist so the same things get checked every time, without you having to remember to check them

This isn't about working harder. It's about building simple habits that do the remembering for you.

Getting these systems in place is one of the first things we tackle in our coaching program, because once an ADHD tradie gets their systems sorted, the change is almost immediate.

Ready to put this into practice? Start with one small step today and build from there.