Why am I always behind at work when my brain works differently?

Being always behind when your mind runs on a different track is exhausting, and it wears down how you see yourself. Hear this clearly: the gap is between how you work and how the job is set up, not between you and everyone who has it together. Those are very different things. A mind that clashes with the standard mold usually clashes because it does something the mold does not reward. You may see patterns others miss, or focus deeply when it matters. The trouble is the parts in between, the routine and the pacing, that drain you fast. Naming which specific tasks drain you is the start of getting some control back. So write down the two or three things that reliably put you behind. Then look for one you could change, automate, batch, or ask help with. You are not trying to become a different person. You are building the job around the mind you actually have.