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I Tried “Just Doing It.” It Didn't Work

  • Writer: Laura Webb
    Laura Webb
  • Jun 16
  • 3 min read

By Laura Webb

Squirrel Club Creator


Here’s something nobody tells you when you’re drowning in tasks and falling behind on everything:


The problem isn’t your system.


It’s not your planner, your app, or your lack of discipline.

The real issue is much more interesting — and the solution is simpler than you think.

Time management IS energy management.

And energy management, at its core, is nervous system management.



When Willpower Isn’t Enough

We live in a world that hands out productivity advice like candy.

Track your habits. Time-block your calendar. Try this app. Color code that.

And honestly? Those tools aren’t bad.

But they miss something crucial:

You cannot get organized from a dysregulated state.

When your body is in fight-or-flight — flooded, frozen, overextended, or just running on fumes — even the smallest task can feel weirdly impossible.

Replying to an email feels enormous.Folding one basket of laundry feels like a personal insult.Figuring out where to start feels harder than the work itself.

That’s not a character flaw. It’s neuroscience.

Willpower is no match for a nervous system that doesn’t feel safe.

For neurodivergent women especially, this is the piece that gets missed over and over again. You show up with your best intentions and your color-coded systems… and still feel behind before the day even begins.

So what actually helps?



The Physics of Getting Things Done

Let’s borrow a concept from physics:

Acceleration = (Force − Friction) ÷ Mass

Picture a squirrel trying to get to a tree. 🐿️🌳

If you’re carrying a light load, you don’t need much force to get moving.

But if you’re carrying a big load — a busy brain, a full life, a taxed nervous system — you need a different approach.

You’re not broken.

You just need:

  • more force

  • less friction

  • or a lighter load

There are three levers you can pull.


Increase Your External Force

Internal motivation is unreliable — especially for neurodivergent brains.

External force is far more powerful.

This can look like:

  • accountability

  • urgency

  • novelty

  • challenge

And one of the most effective (and underrated) tools?

BODY DOUBLING!

Being in the presence of other people — even silently, even on Zoom — gives your brain the structure it needs to start. It’s not a trick. It’s your nervous system responding to social cues that signal safety and focus.



Reduce the Friction

Sometimes the problem isn’t the task — it’s everything around it.

Friction looks like:

  • a cluttered environment

  • decision fatigue

  • the wrong time of day

  • low energy

Reducing friction might mean:

  • changing your environment

  • starting somewhere easier

  • or actually resting (yes, rest counts as productive)



Reduce the Mass

This is the one people resist the most.

Make the task smaller.

Not just smaller — tiny.

What is the absolute smallest next step?

Not the whole task. Not even half.

Just the next thing.

Small wins build momentum. And momentum changes everything.



The Piece That Changes Everything: Community

Here’s what I’ve learned:

Nervous system regulation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in community.

When you feel seen, supported, and not alone in this struggle, something shifts.

The load feels lighter.The “starting” part feels easier.The work actually moves.



This Is Why Squirrel Club Exists

Squirrel Club is a body doubling community for neurodivergent women who want to actually get things done — without burning out.

Every Monday from 12–1:30pm CST, we meet on Zoom.

Here’s what that looks like:

  • You show up and settle in (no pressure, no chaos)

  • You “brain dump” on paper all the tasks that you have been holding in your brain 

  • You prioritize your list when gently prompted to do so

  • You work during a structured, guided block with curated music to help you concentrate

  • You learn something useful each week

  • You leave having actually DONE the things that matter

Get Ready. Do. Done.

This isn’t a productivity course.

It’s a space where women show up, support each other, and make real progress — together.



Try It for Free

If this resonated — if your to-do list has been quietly winning lately — you’re not the only one.

And you don’t have to do it alone.

Your first month of Squirrel Club is FREE.

Before joining, you’ll have a quick one-on-one chat with me to make sure it’s the right fit (because this is a curated, supportive space).

The tree is closer than it looks.

Come find your people. 🐿️





 
 
 

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