Executive Function Patterns
Planning fallacy
Underestimating time, energy, steps, or obstacles when making plans.
Reviewed by licensed therapists
What it is
Planning fallacy is when plans are built around the ideal version of how things will go. You may assume the task will take less time, require fewer steps, involve fewer interruptions, or demand less energy than it actually does. This creates chronic lateness, overcommitment, missed deadlines, and frustration because the plan wasn’t designed for real life. The issue isn’t optimism by itself; it’s failing to include friction, transitions, rest, uncertainty, and the fact that future-you will have limits.
Additional resources to explore: Practical planning supports help most, like writing out the hidden steps, adding buffer time, and using checklists or templates so a plan matches real life rather than the ideal version. If this is a steady pattern across most parts of your life, it's worth talking to a professional about what's driving it, including ADHD. Neurodivergence-informed CBT, executive function coaching, or organizational-skills training can help if that fits. Organizational-skills work has been linked to better organization, time management, and planning.
Tips / how to work on it
Use real-life planning, not best-case planning. When estimating, ask: “How long has this taken before?” “What steps am I forgetting?” “What usually interrupts this?” “What energy level will I actually have?” Then add a buffer. For anything important, build in at least 25–50% more time than your first estimate, especially if the task is new, emotional, administrative, or multi-step.
A useful exercise: use a hidden-steps check. Before starting a plan, list every tiny step involved. “Go to appointment” might include shower, clothes, finding insurance card, travel, parking, waiting, forms, appointment, payment, travel back, decompression. Planning improves when invisible steps become visible.
More reading
Educational, not diagnostic.