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I’m no fortune teller. But if you, too, have adult ADHD, I predict your December 31st might look a bit like mine did a few years back:
You're staring at a blank journal page titled "2025 Goals." Your browser has 16 tabs open about habit tracking systems, and you've just spent 45 minutes watching YouTube videos about morning routines. Fireworks and raucous voices outside are a constant distraction. Overwhelmed by decision-fatigue, you give up and head to the New Years Eve party you were thinking of skipping because anything is better than confronting the frustration and shame of starting yet another new year feeling unprepared.
Even if that exact experience isn’t ringing a bell, it’s true that for folks with ADHD, New Year's resolutions and goal-setting often feel like trying to write with your non-dominant hand while riding a unicycle. Technically possible? Maybe. Practical and sustainable? Not so much. But here's some food for thought:
What if the problem isn’t your ADHD?
What if, instead of trying to transform into some productivity guru's idea of success, we got curious about the amazing things your brain already does naturally? When we align our goals with how our brains naturally work (yes, even the part that got distracted while reading this), we're not just more likely to succeed – we're more likely to enjoy the journey.
In this 6-week blog series we’ll explore the uniquely wired system of interests, abilities, and potential that come with ADHD. Instead of “New year, new me,” we’re embracing our neuro-spicy brains by exploring all the ways we can work with them.
This time, it’s “New year, MORE me.”
🚫 The problem with traditional goal-setting
Have you ever noticed how traditional goal-setting advice feels a bit like getting directions from someone who's never encountered a traffic jam? "Just follow these simple steps!" they say, as if our ADHD brains don't regularly turn "simple steps" into an impromptu adventure through Wikipedia articles about medieval cooking techniques.
I wrote about this last year, too, in a blog about ADHD-friendly New Year’s Resolutions. The problem isn't you – it's that most goal-setting systems were designed for neurotypical brains. They assume you can sustain interest in something just because it's "important," or that motivation works like a light switch you can flip on at will.
Instead, ADHD brains run on interest-based motivation. In fact, Dr. William Dodson says we have interest-based nervous systems. Think of it like a smartphone that only charges with certain cables. You can stare at it all you want, but if you're using the wrong charger, that battery isn't going up. Similarly, when we set goals based on what we "should" want, rather than what genuinely excites us, we're trying to charge our motivation with an incompatible cable.
Here's what this often looks like in practice:
- Setting a goal to "work out three times a week at 6 AM" when you've never voluntarily seen 6 AM and your natural energy peaks in the evening.
- Creating elaborate color-coded planning systems because that's what the productivity influencers recommend (spoiler: it sits beautifully untouched after day two).
- Committing to "read one business book per month" when audiobooks or podcasts are actually how you best absorb information.
- Setting rigid daily goals, like "meditate for 20 minutes every morning," without accounting for the ADHD brain's varying attention spans and energy levels.
🔍 Finding your authentic goals
Time to make theory tangible. Let's play detective with your goals list to figure out if these goals actually belong to you – or if they're just really convincing imposters.
Start by looking at each goal on your list and run it through these questions:
The Origin Story Check
- If social media and "productivity gurus" didn't exist, would this still be my goal?
- Did this goal appear after comparing myself to others?
- Would I still want this if I didn't have to explain my choices to anyone?
- Is this goal trying to "fix" a part of my ADHD that might not actually need fixing?
The Masking Detection Test
- Is this goal about making my ADHD less visible to others?
- Am I trying to force myself into a neurotypical work/life style?
- Does achieving this goal require me to pretend I think, work, or organize like someone else?
- When I imagine achieving this goal, do I picture becoming "normal," or becoming more myself?
The Energy Audit
- Does thinking about this goal energize me or drain me?
- Am I excited to tell others about this goal, or do I feel the need to justify it?
- When I imagine working toward this goal, do I picture struggle and "pushing through," or curiosity and engagement (even if it's challenging)?
- Does this goal allow space for my natural rhythms and energy fluctuations?
🖼️ Reframing goal-setting for your ADHD brain
Now that you’ve got a better sense of which goals feel authentic, there still may be some digging to do. Sometimes we set goals like "maintain an organized desk," when what we really want is "feel less overwhelmed by my workspace." Or we aim for "wake up at 5 AM every day" when our actual goal is "start my day feeling peaceful and in control."
When you catch yourself setting a goal that sounds suspiciously like it came from a productivity podcast, pause and ask: "What am I really trying to achieve here?" Often, there's a more authentic goal hiding behind the "should."
For example:
- "I should keep a detailed planner" → "I want to feel confident that important things won't slip through the cracks"
- "I need to stop procrastinating" → "I want to find ways to make important tasks more engaging"
- "I have to be more consistent" → "I want to build routines that flex with my natural energy patterns"
Notice the difference? Which of those would you be more successful with - the original goals, or the reframed ones?
Once you’ve figured out the real results you want to see, you can factor in the how. For example:
- "I want to move my body more" → "I will incorporate more movement in my days by mastering Just Dance, which is more fun and energizing than traditional workouts.”
- "I want to find ways to make important tasks more engaging" → "I will tackle my work projects by creating a 'mission control' setup at my desk with multiple screens and ambient space sounds, because treating tasks like I'm commanding a spaceship makes them more exciting”
- "I want to build routines that flex with my natural energy patterns" → "I will organize my day by scheduling focused work during my late-night creative hours and using my scattered afternoon energy for quick tasks and movement breaks, because fighting my natural rhythm only leads to frustration”
Remember: The most sustainable goals aren't about becoming someone else's version of successful – they're about becoming a more supported, understood, and empowered version of yourself.
💼 Making goals work for you
Okay, you’ve got your authentic goal, and you’ve made it more specific with a ‘how.’ We’re not quite done, though. One of the biggest barriers for us neurospicy folks is a lack of clarity, often leading to what some call “ADHD paralysis.” Let’s take one of the above example goals - creating a 'mission control' setup to make task management more engaging. When it’s time to actually, you know, do that, what’s the first step?
I know I’m not the only one blanking out at that thought. There are so many options, so many pieces to put together…it sounds like such a great idea - and it is! - but putting it into practice isn’t as simple as just doing it. So, the next step is to break it down and plan it out (in an ADHD-friendly way, of course!).
Here's how to structure goals in a way that works with your brain's operating system:
Make It Bite-Sized (But Make It Fun)
Remember how you accidentally watched an entire season of your favorite show in one day? That's because it was broken into episodes – small, complete units that gave you quick wins. Sticking with the same example goal of creating a 'mission control' setup to make task management more engaging, you might:
- Create "mission prep" episodes: First episode is gathering space images for desktop backgrounds, second is arranging your desk layout on paper, third is organizing your cables like spacecraft wiring
- Name each setup phase like a space mission ("Operation Cable Control," "Project Display Array," "Mission Sound Design")
- Set your season finale as your first full day running a complete mission from your new command center
Build In Plot Twists
Ever noticed how quickly we get bored with the shiny new plans and systems we create? To compensate, plan for variety:
- Main quest is setting up the physical space, with side quests like finding the perfect space ambient sounds playlist and creating custom desktop icons
- Keep a list of quick upgrades to add when you need a change (new LED strips, different sound effects for notifications, rearranging display layout)
- Have different "mission protocols" ready - minimal setup for low-energy days, full command center for peak performance days
Make It Visual and Visible
Our brains love immediate feedback – so give it some:
- Create a mission control blueprint with colorful markers, adding fun stickers for each component you complete
- Put sticky notes shaped like planets around your current workspace with specific next steps ("Choose monitor arms by Wednesday, Commander!")
- Take screenshots of cluttered desktop/messy cables as "before" pictures, labeling them like "Ground Control Day 0" to track your progress
One last tip - your goals can change as your interests do. That's not flakiness – it's being adaptable. The most successful ADHD goal-setters often treat their goals like a playlist rather than a podcast: you can shuffle, skip, and add new tracks as needed.
🤸♂️ The freedom of authentic goals
You know that feeling when you finally take off an itchy sweater you've been wearing all day? That's what it feels like when you drop the "shoulds" and embrace goals that actually fit who you are.
If you're finding it challenging to identify which goals truly align with your authentic self, or you want support in maintaining them, consider working with an ADHD coach. They can help you cut through the noise and create strategies that work specifically for your brain.
Whether you end up mastering Just Dance, creating your own mission control center, or pursuing something entirely different, remember that the real victory isn't in perfectly executing a plan – it's in creating a path that celebrates rather than suppresses your unique brain wiring. This year, instead of trying to force yourself into someone else's definition of success, let's focus on amplifying what already makes you extraordinary. After all, the world doesn't need another productivity guru – it needs your unique way of moving through it.
(Check in again on Friday for our next New Year, More Me post: building systems and frameworks that WORK for ADHD brains!)
