How do you deal with those days when you just can't get anything done, despite your efforts and best intentions, and even despite your meds and their effects? What do you do to get back on track?

I've had 2 in a row, maybe the weekend will help. It's frustrating.

I wish I had an answer to this, because it plagues me as well. I'm not on any medications, though.

I tracked my productivity for a couple weeks recently, trying to tease out some trends. I found that I was 2 to 3 times as productive on an hourly basis when I had a deadline looming than when I was working because it was time to work. On a daily basis, it was more like 5 to 1.

I haven't figured out how to use this information, though.

Yep, today is one of those days for me. It's nearly 8 PM and a major portion of the day is a fog to me.

The first thing that I do when I get like this is just stop what I'm doing and give into it. I set a certain time limit that I'm going to just ALLOW myself to be or do whatever comes to mind with no agenda are no outcome needed.

It's very relaxing and clears my mind so I can stop feeling "pulled" away from what I must get done.
Fortunately for me I work from home so a majority of my schedule is quite flexible. Like today, the stuff I "should" have gotten done this morning I can do tonight after my kids go to bed. But it's something that HAS to be done tonight.
That's the other thing that works for me. Deadlines! I have some of the shortest project deadlines in my industry. The stuff I have to finish today MUST be done today or 50 other people are at a stand still tomorrow.
Some might see that as enormous pressure but I have always been good at finishing things at the last minute. Probably due to procrastinating so long that I always HAD to get them done at the last minute.

I don't think there is any one answer that fits everyone with ADD. You have to keep trying things and see what works for you.

The one thing that DOES commonly work for those of us with ADD is: STOP beating yourself up for it. If you were suppose to be some other kind of person then you would have been born some other kind of person. Accept it and that will get you halfway to making your life a consistent success.

I'm fortunate in that my hours at work are semi-flexible (not officially, but I get away with it ;)). If I am in an unproductive mode, I will leave work early and work later another day. I sometimes do work at home in order to make up for lost time (which is nice because there is little distraction at home compared to at work).

I find I have those unfocused, jumping topics days more often toward the end of my work week. I also run into them when I have days where my have to do's are braketed on the beggining and ending of a day. For instance yesterday I had to give riding lessons and tests in the morning, and in the afternoon I had an appointment I had to be at 2:00, and I knew it was Friday, so I was trying to get stuff done to turn into my Chief before he left for the day at 1:00. These are the days when I lose the productivity in the middle of the day as I spend too much time worrying about what I have to do in the future.

I can look back today in the clear light of the new day and see that it really didn't matter that I didn't have the stuff turned in by the end of the day before my Chief left b/c he wasn't going to be looking at it. I also got sidetracked b/c of another silly thing. I usually loose focus when my frustration level hits a certain point.

I am trying to learn recognize when this feeling is happening and remove myself from the area. Sometimes I can go out and pet one of my horses for awhile and that will quiet things. A walk or a drive soemtiems helps to break the cycle. I have also found that some days there is just no getting it back, and that I need to stop trying to force myself to pay attention, focus, buckle down (insert your own nemesis phrase here) as the forcing only makes it worse.

Some days I know that I am just like an overstimulated thorobred racehorse that is "blown". At that point the best thing is chalk it up and come back another day.

....STOP beating yourself up for it. If you were suppose to be some other kind of person then you would have been born some other kind of person. Accept it and that will get you halfway to making your life a consistent success.
Thank you for expressing that thought, FB. I'm going to try to remind myself of that more often.