How to stop working until 11pm at night (by radically accepting your limits)

How Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs and Executives Can StopWorking Late and Burning Out

As a neurodivergent entrepreneur or executive, you may often find yourself working late into the night. Your brain doesn't always follow the typical "9-to-5" rhythm. There’s a unique, internal drive that pushes you to keep going long after conventional work hours have ended. For many neurodivergent professionals, this late-night focus can feel like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you're ultra-productive; on the other, this pace often leads to burnout, fatigue, and the erosion of personal well-being.

You may also be working late, because there’s simply too much to do, and you can’t complete it all during your normal working hours. If this is the case, working late into the night may help you feel productive, but leave you feeling resentful and frustrated.

The question isn't why you're working late—chances are, you're wired to hyperfocus, need time to manage a scattered attention span, or simply trying to catch up. The real challenge is learning how to harness your time and energy in a sustainable way.

Radical acceptance of your time, energy, and attention-span limitations can be the key to stop working late (or learn how to do so effectively), without compromising your health or leadership capacity.

Why Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs and Executives Are Prone to Working Late

For neurodivergent professionals—those with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia, or other neurodivergent traits—traditional work structures can feel rigid and uninspiring. Our brains may crave variety, stimulation, or the freedom to hyperfocus on tasks we feel passionate about. This can often push us into working longer hours, especially at night when distractions are fewer and the need to "perform" in a traditional way seems to subside.

Working late can also be a coping mechanism. Many neurodivergent individuals struggle with executive function—skills like planning, prioritizing, and time management. The end of the day might bring clarity to those tasks that had previously seemed overwhelming. When you're in "the zone," it feels natural to continue working until it's done. For some, it’s also a way to escape from other sensory or social demands during the day, allowing them to focus deeply without interruptions.

But the unfortunate reality is that when work spills into late nights regularly, it can result in diminishing returns. Cognitive burnout, emotional fatigue, and even physical exhaustion can set in, which makes it harder to sustain this intense productivity.

A Surprising Statistic: CEO Time Management

A 2020 McKinsey & Company report on executive time management found that CEOs typically spend 6-7 hours a week on non-strategic activities. This includes attending to day-to-day operations, answering emails, dealing with meetings that aren’t aligned with strategic goals, or simply managing crises. In essence, a significant amount of time that could otherwise be spent on visionary leadership is drained by tasks that don’t move the needle on growth.

For neurodivergent leaders, this time imbalance can feel even more pronounced. As someone whose brain works in a non-linear way, the emotional weight of "non-strategic" tasks can be overwhelming. These tasks might require a lot of energy to engage with—energy that could be better spent on the big-picture thinking and creative innovation that makes you a visionary leader.

So, why do we continue to push ourselves, working late hours to clear through the less important tasks? It could be a sense of needing control, perfectionism, or simply a desire to "fix" things as soon as they arise. But without proper boundaries or a strategy for managing our time effectively, this behavior ultimately leads to burnout.

The Power of Radical Acceptance

Here’s where the concept of Radical Acceptance comes in. Radical acceptance is a psychological tool often used in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). It involves fully accepting your reality as it is, rather than fighting against it or wishing things were different. When you practice radical acceptance of your time, energy, and attention-span limitations, you shift your mindset from one of frustration and scarcity to one of empowerment and efficiency. 

For neurodivergent entrepreneurs and executives, this means acknowledging:

• Your time limitations: You may have fewer hours of peak productivity or more distractions than neurotypical counterparts.

• Your energy limitations: Cognitive load can be higher, making mental fatigue more pronounced during the day.

• Your attention-span limitations: You may not be able to focus for hours on end without needing breaks, or you might bounce between tasks that grab your attention.

By radically accepting these limitations, you can take a more compassionate approach to how you structure your workday. Rather than forcing yourself into traditional work hours that don’t serve you, you can start working with your natural rhythms. Here’s how:

1. Reframe Your Work Hours

If it truly works for you . . . stop seeing working late as a sign of weakness or poor time management. Instead, embrace it as a part of your process. If your brain is more active at night, consider adjusting your schedule to work when you’re most focused. It doesn’t have to be a full shift from 9 to 5—if late nights work for you, create a rhythm that capitalizes on your peak hours. If you’re working late nights and you don’t like it, examine why you are stuck in these patterns, and see if shifting your work hours around will help. (for example, perhaps working 7am – 3pm, instead of 9 to 5, if your peak performance time is in the early AM).

2. Set Intentional Boundaries

Radical acceptance doesn’t mean you let everything slide; it means you create boundaries that protect your well-being. Schedule non-negotiable time for breaks, self-care, and winding down. This helps prevent burnout, even if you tend to work later into the evening. And, if working late at night is not what you want, then think about how to set boundaries with yourself, your clients, or your colleagues, to break-free from this unhelpful late-night working habit.

3. Delegate Non-Strategic Tasks

Just like the CEOs in McKinsey’s report, your time is precious. Focus on the high-level tasks that align with your vision, and delegate or automate the smaller, non-strategic activities. This means being intentional about the meetings you take, the emails you respond to, and the tasks you personally handle. Allowing others to take on the routine work frees you to focus on what truly matters.

4. Practice Mindful Reflection

At the end of each day, take a moment to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and where you can improve. Rather than guilt over how much you worked or didn’t work, acknowledge your successes and see your time limitations for what they are: an invitation to be more strategic, rather than reactive.

Why Radical Acceptance Makes You a Better Leader

Radically accepting your limitations will make you a more effective and compassionate leader. You’ll stop burning the candle at both ends, which will, in turn, protect your mental and physical health. The act of acceptance frees you from the cycle of frustration, helping you tap into your true leadership potential. By working in alignment with your natural strengths and rhythms, you will lead more effectively—more clearly, more decisively, and with less emotional drain.

Furthermore, accepting your limitations promotes sustainability. When you understand that your time, energy, and attention are finite resources, you are more likely to prioritize the right things and delegate or eliminate the unnecessary. This fosters not only personal success but organizational growth, as your energy is channeled into what matters most.

As a neurodivergent entrepreneur or executive, your unique brain is one of your greatest assets—but only if you allow it to work within the boundaries it needs. Radical acceptance isn’t about resigning yourself to defeat; it’s about embracing your reality so that you can thrive, grow, and lead with purpose, passion, and vitality.

About the Author

Nikolai Blinow is a neurodivergent licensed mental health counselor, entrepreneur and advocate. She specializes in helping executives and entrepreneurs with ADHD, and other neurodivergent traits, find the calm within the chaos of their busy lives. With a focus on sustainable success, Nikolai helps leaders harness their unique cognitive strengths to drive results and improve well-being. If you need support, you can contact her at: https://www.ompowermentpsych.com/contact