Life requires a lot of planning. When you have ADHD, it requires even more. In a world of a thousand possibilities, effective planning can be a strategic tool for success, but it's equally important to discern when spontaneity and flexibility can take the reins. Some things really don’t require that much of your time; for others, it would be prudent to make sure you’ve dotted your I’s and crossed your T’s. Your time is precious AND limited. This guide was created to help adults with ADHD determine how much of their already-limited attention should go toward planning.
Here are some situations for which extra planning time is well spent, and when it might end up wasted (and what to do about that).
✅ The Meal Plan for the Week: You’ll thank yourself when you’re logging off work at 6pm and know exactly what you have to make for dinner. No scrolling on the internet for an hour trying to come up with something. This will help It’ll also help reduce poor dietary choices by having intentional choices available in the house and reducing the cost of ordering out.
✅ Family & Social Time: Ever find yourself saying, “I’ll find time this week,” only to not find time for several weeks? If that’s you, don’t put off finding the time. Put it down on the calendar. Even if you can’t make the decision unilaterally, start the conversation now. Talk with your partner/kids/parents/friends about a designated time this week that everyone can do something together. Maybe it’s a date night or a monthly outing to do a family-friendly activity. For social time, maybe it’s a weekly lunch or coffee meet up. Making it official can help build the pressure to follow-through rather than continuously adjusting it.
✅ Your Morning Routine: Sometimes our brains start up a little bit slow. The last thing the brain wants to do when it first wakes up is try to recall everything you need to do to get ready for the day and be prepared for whatever demands come your way. This requires SO much recall, attention, and focus. Give yourself a morning brain break by having a set routine ready that allows you to use that energy elsewhere… like responding to your boss’ email from last week 😬
✅ Traveling: Don’t make yourself remember everything you need to pack and where you’ll be staying. Create a travel checklist in advance (focusing on items that can’t be purchased if forgotten) as well as a general itinerary for any places you NEED to be and how you’ll get there. The rest can be fluid, but make sure the core of the trip is nailed down.
❌ The “Perfect” Organization Solution: This one might be upsetting. I know the urge to want to find THE solution, the perfect fit, and not want to settle for anything else. The most important thing is that the organization is FUNCTIONAL. There’s always time to make improvements later, but rather than delay it any longer, let’s get it started with something that’ll work in the mean time.
❌ Email Responses: I know there can be huge emotional barriers to completing this task. It might ease some of the anxiety to carefully go over each detail to make sure you’re communicating what you need to. However, there is a difference between intentionally choosing your words and becoming trapped in the “what ifs” of how a person will respond. As you spend more and more time planning, you increase the pressure for it to be 100% perfect, as now they’ve waited for a response. A simple, quick response might be the best option.
❌ The Daydreams: I LOVE daydreaming and allowing the imagination to run wild, but there is a time and place for it. For example, thinking about how you want to redo the kitchen during working hours isn’t the ideal time. Spending time looking at different flooring when you know that’s not in budget for another 8 months is also “productive procrastination.” While you may use that information later on, there’s likely another task that could use planning with a more pressing deadline. How? Make sure to ask yourself if what you’re working on has an immediate value.
❌ Entertainment: I consider this one of the ultimate traps. It’s 6pm on a Wednesday, and you decide you want to watch some tv. Before you know it, it’s 7:15pm, and you STILL haven’t figured out what you want to watch. There are endless options for entertainment nowadays, and trying to weigh all the options is going to lead to decision fatigue. There are TOO many choices - and, honestly, a majority of the selection will probably be equally fine choices (especially if you’re on your phone during the show anyways!).
It is hard to strike the balance between underprepared and over prepared for efficiency and quality. While this guide may be useful in helping deal with some of the struggles, you might need an ADHD coach to help you identify why you’re getting stuck over-planning in non-essentials and under-planning in the important areas. Our online ADHD coaches at Shimmer can help you create tailored techniques to combat the underlying issues (whether that be perfectionism, procrastination, or other) getting in the way of planning and empower yourself to manage your own time and productivity.
