The Hidden Signals Your "Chaos" Is Sending

...and why it might not be the problem you think it is.

I had three research papers open. Two half-finished slides. One sticky note that just said:

"remember what you are doing"

…which I had completely forgotten.

Sound familiar?

You've tried the systems.
You've downloaded the apps.
You've time-blocked, habit-stacked, pomodoro'd, calendar-synced, Notion-databased your entire life.

And still—you're staring at what looks like a mess. Again.

The shame creeps in. Again. That familiar voice: "Why can't I just do the thing — I feel like I’m missing something?" But perhaps it’s not about some secret trick… but something else entirely

When the door doesn't work the way you expected

Let me ask you something.

Have you ever walked up to a door, grabbed the handle confidently, pulled— and slammed yourself into it because it was meant to be pushed?

That moment of dissonance? That gap between what you thought the environment was asking for—and what it actually needed?

Yeah. That.

That's not just a door thing. That's a life thing. A work thing. A "why won't I just do the thing" thing.

And it's not your fault.

Why do we treat ourselves like software?

Most productivity advice treats your behaviour like a bug to patch.

Install the right app. Run the correct routine. Update your mindset. Try harder.

And if it still doesn't work?

Well. Must be user error.

But what if your "mess" isn't dysfunction?

What if it's data just information?

What if the chaos is a form of clarity—just in a language you haven't been taught to read yet?

Because I've spent the last few years helping neurodivergent folks stop fighting their own systems and start listening to them instead. And what I've seen, again and again, is this:

The thing you're calling failure? It's often your system adjusting before you even know what needs adjusting.

What Doors Are You Pulling When You Should Be Pushing?

There's a concept in ecological psychology called affordances.

The idea is:

Your environment is constantly offering opportunities for action.

Like how a door handle offers "pull me" or a flat panel says "push me." You respond to what feels possible, what's available, what makes sense in that moment.

So when your calendar sits untouched... When your focus keeps bouncing between tabs... When your "perfect" workflow melts into mush by Tuesday...

That's not just you being bad at productivity.

That's neurodiverse perception working exactly as designed—detecting everything at once.

Your brain isn't broken. It's processing a different reality than the one productivity systems were built for.

That's a sign your environment isn't matching the shape of your current capacity. You're pulling a door that was meant to be pushed.

And no amount of motivational quotes or colour-coded dashboards is gonna change those hinges.

Three Tiny Reframes That Change Everything

Let's mess with the narrative a bit.

1. Attention is a skill, not a discipline problem

If you're forcing your focus like a puppy into a crate... no wonder it bites.

Try asking: → What's actually drawing my attention right now? → And what might that be offering me?

Because yeah—focus matters. But so does curiosity. So does responsiveness. And sometimes what grabs you is what guides you.

2. Side quests aren't distractions—they're trail markers

That thing you keep veering toward? That project you "accidentally" opened?

It might not be a detour. It might be a breadcrumb. A clue.

Try asking:

→ What's this unexpected pull trying to tell me about where I am—and what I might need next?

3. Self-organisation happens when you stop forcing it

You don't need a rigid map of your week. You need a compass.

And that compass? It lives in the loop between what you're noticing, what matters to you, and what's actually doable from here.

When those three things line up? You don't need willpower. You move.

Putting This Into Practice: A Check-In I Use Daily

So how do you actually apply these ideas in your daily life?

Here's a simple little check-in I use constantly:

What's loud right now? (Even if it feels like "not the right thing." Like that new podcast idea you can't stop thinking about.)

What was I hoping to do? (No shame if it's not happening. Maybe that project proposal that's still sitting blank.)

What's possible from here? (One inch. One click. One word. Perhaps just opening the document counts as progress today.)

Let me show you how this works with a real example.

Last week I sat down to write a very Important Presentation. Guess what happened instead?

→ Answered emails

→ Organised my desktop

→ Fell headfirst into a completely “unrelated” research thread

Looked like a mess. Felt like avoidance. But that research? Turned out to be exactly what the presentation needed.

I wasn't off-track. I was already adjusting—before I even knew what the track was. Something in that moment was pulling me toward what mattered, even if I hadn't mapped it yet.

Once I followed that thread? The presentation came together in half the time I expected.

This isn't random. It's perception and action coupled — working together in real time.

What If This Isn't Chaos At All?

What if this is intelligence—just not the kind you were taught to recognise?

What if your environment is constantly offering signals—and your actions are already responding to them?

What if you've already been solving this—in your own way, all along?

Want To Go Deeper Into This Approach?

If this perspective clicked for you—even a little—then you'll want to join me for my full presentation at the Get Your Sh*t Together Summit*(affiliate link).

🎲 The Clarity in the Chaos: Why Your Messy Brain* Might Be the Smartest System in the Room

In this complete presentation, we'll explore:

→ The ecological framework that actually explains how your attention works
→ How to detect and interpret the specific signals your "chaos" is sending
→ And a powerful reframe that might just change how you work—with yourself—instead of against

This isn't about systems. It's about permission. It's about perceiving. And it's about choosing something that actually fits.

So I'll leave you with this:
What's been tugging at your attention lately—gently, insistently, over and over? Maybe it's not a distraction.
Maybe it's a door you haven't noticed is open.
Tell me what it is, if you feel like sharing. I'd love to hear.