I am supposed to turn in a major project, and I’m so far behind. I have adhd and my executive dysfunction has been out of control for weeks. I am already two days past the deadline, and nobody has called me on it yet, but the minute they do shit will hit the fan.
I’m scrambling to pull something together, but it’s not going to be enough.
What kind of major project is this where you’re days behind and nobody has noticed or asked about it? That means either there’s a lot of trust in you, or it’s perhaps not as critical to other people as it seems to you. If it’s the latter, you might have a pleasant surprise and find there is more time on the table.
Regardless of all that, the only thing you can do is to be honest and let your boss know what’s up.
For future projects, even if you aren’t asked for updates I’d still suggest giving them honestly. Even if you’re behind - no in fact, especially if you are behind.
Admitting you’re behind might feel bad, but it’s also sharing responsibility. If your boss knows the project is behind then they also have to help do something about it, be that reprioritising or finding help or extending - and if they can’t do that then they’re also failing at being a competent boss.
It’s a ton of projections, but seems like they’re lying about the progress to their manager. Been there, doesn’t end well
Yeah, there’s no shame in having problems with a project. A lot of times, as your manager sees that you’re competent, they’ll give you harder projects that nobody else could do. Not in a bad way, just because they’re trying to find the right performance level to manage your time.
Even if it’s an easy task that you just had problems getting with… that happens. Keep your cool, don’t make too many excuses, and keep other people informed.