Beyond the Timer: Why I'm Using Colored Boxes for ADHD Progress Tracking

You know this feeling: you finally force yourself to start a task, set a focus timer, and then—right when you're in the zone—it goes off. So you ignore it.

An hour later, you look up. You've spent 60 minutes perfecting a five-minute task. This is the perseveration trap, and for my ADHD-ish brain trying to keep up in fast-paced startup environments, it's as big a problem as distraction.

The Old Way: Good, But Incomplete

My first timer experiment was a huge step up from the blaring, anxiety-inducing Pomodoro alarms. The old "loud alarm" method just created a pain association. I'd hit snooze and feel guilty for "doing productivity wrong."

My current version is silent—just a slow, flashing light in a small window. It's epic.

I never associate pain with the clock. I can leave it flashing, a gentle reminder that I need to return to the system without the shame of "quitting."

But it didn't solve the hyperfocus problem. I'd still ignore the flashing light. And I hated tracking my progress. I tried drawing a timeline on paper, but it just felt like useless admin. No dopamine.

The Shift: From Clock to Counter

The shift came when I realized the timer was only half the solution. I didn't just need a reminder; I needed a reward.

What if the timer wasn't just a clock, but a counter?

Instead of tracking time, what if I tracked wins?

The "Colored Box Tracker"

I'm calling this new experiment the "Colored Box Tracker."

It's a simple, visual way to see my "wins" stack up throughout the day, turning progress itself into the reward. The goal is to build something that feeds that dopamine-seeking part of my brain, not another system I can fail at.

How The Experiment Works

This is still in the idea phase, but here's the practical plan:

• Tool: A persistent window (like a Picture-in-Picture) that's always on screen, even when the timer isn't running.

• Settings: Different colors for different work streams (e.g., Green for "Emails", Blue for "Job Apps", Red for "Deep Work").

• Simple Rule: When I complete a 5-minute "blink", a new colored box for that stream appears in the window. The goal isn't to hit a scary number, just to add one more box. Clicking a color could even start a new blink for that stream.

• If I go over time: This is where the Atomic Habits[1] mindset is key. I'll probably go over 80% of the time. That's okay. This system just shows me what I did complete, not what I failed at. The 1% improvement is seeing 10 boxes one day and 12 the next.

• If I finish early: This was the other big problem. What about 30-second tasks? I'm borrowing from Getting Things Done[2]. I'll keep a "Next Steps" list of 3–5 small, unblocked tasks. If I finish my main task in 30 seconds, I just pull from that list for the next 4:30. No wasted time, no pressure.

Benefits: Tracking That's Not a Chore

The expected outcomes are all about emotional leverage:

• Fewer "lost days." I'll have a visible, colorful record of my day's work.

• Less "useless admin." The tracking is the reward, not a separate chore.

• Less guilt. It shifts the goal from "obeying the clock" to "collecting a win."

This feels motivating. Instead of a scary, empty to-do list, I get to see a wall of colored boxes I've already built. It gamifies the work in a way that feels quiet and personal, not overbearing.

🧪 Try This Today

You don't need a special app to try this.

1. Get a pack of small, colored sticky notes (or just a few colored pens).

2. Assign a color to each of your main 2–3 work "streams."

3. For the next two hours, every time you complete one small task (one email, one call, one 5-minute work block), put a sticky note (or make a colored mark) on your monitor or desk.

Don't set a huge goal. Just try to add one more box. See how it feels to see your progress stack up instead of just crossing things off a list.

References

[1] Clear, James. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.
[2] Allen, David. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.