How I Made Firefly — an ADHD App for Myself

Ever sat down with a big task in front of you — like writing a report or cleaning your room — and just froze? Like, you know you should start, but your brain hits a hard nope?

That feeling? It’s called task paralysis, and it’s something I deal with daily as someone with ADHD.

So, I built Firefly — a focus app designed for my own ADHD brain. It's built to punch through that wall of awful and get me doing something productive in under a minute.

🔁 From “I Can’t” to “I Just Did”

Firefly isn’t another generic productivity timer or checklist.

It’s designed for how my ADHD brain works: fast, visual, and frustration-free. The whole idea is to capture that fleeting spark of motivation right when it shows up — before it vanishes.

🪄 Step 1: Just Tell Firefly What You’re Trying to Do

Entering goal in Firefly interface

No setup wizards. No endless forms.

The app simply asks: “What do you want to finish?”

I just type my goal in plain language. That’s it. No overthinking.

⚙️ Step 2: Get an Instant, Actionable Plan

AI-generated task plan in Firefly

As soon as I hit enter, Firefly’s AI kicks in.

It gives me a super tiny 60-second first step — something so easy, I can’t even argue with it.

Along with that, I get a full, editable action plan that includes time estimates for each step. Suddenly, what looked like a mountain becomes a staircase.

⏱️ Step 3: Pick an Action and Start the Timer

Choosing time for a task in Firefly

Now I’m in control.

I can use one of Firefly’s default timers or choose from durations the AI recommends.

It helps me commit to doing just one thing for a short, realistic amount of time. No pressure — just steady progress.

🧭 Step 4: Stay Focused with a Visual Timer

Firefly’s visual focus timer interface

One of the hardest parts of ADHD for me is time blindness — that weird, fuzzy sense that time doesn’t really exist.

Firefly fixes that with a giant, visual timer that makes time real.

I only see one task at a time — no to-do list, no digital noise — just me and what I’m doing right now.

💡 Built for a Neurodivergent World (Like Mine)

Firefly isn’t just an app I built — it’s something I built for myself. It’s a small act of self-care.

It doesn’t shame me for how my brain works — it supports it. It rewards effort, not perfection. And it helps turn “I can’t focus” into “I just did.”

If you’ve ever felt stuck like I do — maybe Firefly can help you, too.

✨ Try Firefly: firefly-beta.vercel.app
💻 Check out the code: github.com/mikaelaldy/firefly