Goals are hard for ADHD'ers. Here's how to make it easier.

Goals, dreams, and aspirations can be really hard for many of us with ADHD. Our interest-based nervous system can struggle to connect short-term actions to long-term results. We can struggle to sort through our rich internal world to figure out what even are goals. And we can struggle to remember the goals we do have. …so, I made a thing to try to help:

Together, let's walk through the steps of identifying, organizing, and prioritizing our goals, all while building a forest you can display as a reminder of the actions you can take and the directions you want to go! Making our goals visible, interesting, and aesthetic is actually a great way to remember them and, only by remembering and feeling motivated by them are we able to make progress towards them.

First things first though, we need to start by identifying the goals!

Some ADHD folks struggle with identifying goals because we can so easily get stuck moving from crisis to crisis. This makes it so hard to stop and figure out the direction we actually want to go. So, as the first step, let's brain dump everything you'd like to accomplish, every wild idea of where you'd like life to take you, and everything that drives you. This might take awhile, but that's okay. Throughout this process try not to judge anything you write down as good or bad, possible or impossible; Just get it all out in one place.

If your mind is anything like mine, the results of that brain dump are an exciting type of chaos: overwhelming, but filled with opportunity! It can feel like a relief to get all of these things out of your head, and this is why brain dumps can be a good stress management tool in their own right… but as far as our goals are concerned, we're not done yet.

For the next step, take a look at that brain dump in all of it's chaotic glory. Still without judgment, sort the items from the most short of short-term to the longest of long-term or from the most actionable to most aspirational.

Exactly how you do this is up to you. This could involve coloured highlighters, sticky notes, cue cards, or a bunch of other methods. The method of sorting your items is less important than seeing the difference between items you can do right now and ones that require multiple actions or routines over a long period of time.

In the end, the result might look something like this, but with WAY more items:

Towards the one end, you should have the most actionable steps: clear, defined, and doable in the short-term. Way on the other end should be those pie-in-the-sky dreams; the moonshot projects filled with vague, but exhilarating opportunity. And in the middle you should have items that feel feasible, but require repeated action.

Now, sorting isn't easy. There's always going to be a few things you won't know what to do with. That's alright. It doesn't need to be perfect, just do your best, especially because we're going to bring the chaos back in just a second! Remember: this is a living, breathing process that you can come back to later, and if you miss things this time around you may catch them again next time.

So, next step: Let's play connections. Let's connect items that go together or feed into the same result. This can be any combination of the different categories, so don't hold back.

By connecting actions, goals, and aspirations that go together, you've basically created groups. Each of these groups is going to be a tree in your forest. The longest-term, most aspirational items are going to be at the top of the tree and the shortest-term, most actionable steps are going to be your roots. Each of your trees is going to look different at this point. Some might have a large, rich canopy but small trunk or root system. Others may have broad, deep roots and a sturdy trunk without much foliage at all. There is no way your trees or forest are "meant" to look. There is no right number or size or complexity.

Remember: No judgment.

At this point, some of your trees might have missing pieces, like the example above. These missing parts might be consistent across trees if you, like me, are good at those big, aspirational dreams, but struggle with short-term actions. Or, different trees might have different needs; some might need roots while others need more canopy.

Take a moment and fill in some of these gaps: add potential steps, goals, or aspirations so that you have at least one short-, medium-, and long-term goal for every tree. If they have more, that's fine too.

While you're doing this, you might find that you're not vibing with some of the goals or aspirations. Maybe you can't figure out how to get from here to there. Maybe it's a goal that was given to you rather than one that you're growing yourself. Maybe one of your goals is giving you the ick for traumatic, self-doubt, or inaccessibility reasons.

Whatever the case, if it doesn't feel like the right time for a specific goal, or if the motivation for a goal just isn't there, it's okay to put it aside for right now. In fact, pruning those trees now or leaving them in the nursery a bit longer, to extend the metaphor beyond it's breaking point, makes it much less likely that you nope out of them later, after feeling guilty or ashamed for days, weeks, or months.

Out in the natural world, no tree is exactly like any other. Some have big rich crowns filled with fruit. Others have the biggest trunks you've ever seen. Yet others have wide, strong root networks that support entire communities. Each of your trees can be unique too. Make them memorable, special, and aesthetic for you. Take the time to add design flair, images, colours, and more to make it feel meaningful. This increases the chance you'll return to it.

Another thing that makes it more likely that you'll return to it is making it incredibly visible. Put your forest in a place you'll see it, such as a place that interrupts you or intrudes on your life when you're just going through the motions. And when you see it, revisit it! When you make progress or complete your goals, make sure that you take time to celebrate. These trees can become proof of your growth and self-improvement.

When your goals change, plant new trees, clear out the blowdowns (or goals that are no longer relevant to your life), and add new supports for undersupported trees. These aren't failures, but natural processes that make a forest strong and healthy. After all, sometimes we need seasons of pruning, planting, and harvesting.

Now, I know that goals and aspirations are hard--or at least I find it hard--so this worksheet is all about identifying, organizing, and prioritizing those in a way that feels grounded and tangible. I've included the worksheet as images above, and as a PDF below for your reference.

Goal Forest - Short Version.pdf

Download PDF • 792KB

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In addition to getting early access to this post, folks who support me on Patreon also get access to a printable, fillable version of this worksheet that you can edit and make your own. If you aren't a patron, please consider joining for early access, exclusive content, and community.

Speaking of those great souls who help support this work, thank you to each and every one of you:

J, Emily Faalasli, Meghan Premo-Hopkins, Anne Lee Landry, & Calle Englund