Achieving Long-Term Goals with ADHD: Strategies for Success
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This blog was written on July 3, 2024. I was inspired to do so because I just looked at the whiteboard where I write down my goals and saw a goal whose deadline was in the year 2025. 2025 does not seem like a real year to me, yet we are half a year away from it. That seems crazy. I am just getting used to it being 2024. Despite the craziness of its approach, 2025 will be coming.
It can be hard to recognize the passage of time, especially when you have ADHD. Our time horizon is short. We do not see far into the future, but it is coming. We need to be prepared. However, it is hard to do so when planning for the future does not come naturally for us. Here are some tips for remembering that the future is coming.
Make It Visual
There is a reason I use a whiteboard for my goals. It is visual. I can see it. If I were to just use a note on my phone, I would not see it and probably forget about it. For those of us with ADHD, out of sight is out of mind. If we cannot see it, we will forget it exists. If you need to be reminded of something in the future, put your reminder somewhere you can see it. Otherwise, it will not be an ineffective reminder.
Break Down Projects into Steps
Moreover, the goals that are way in the future can be hard to follow through on when they seem so distant. We do not work on projects with a far-off deadline because we think we can wait to get started. However, that is not the case. For example, the goal on my whiteboard with a 2025 deadline is “get a publishing deal.” I cannot wait until 2025 to start that project. I need to be making small steps throughout 2024 so that it becomes possible to get a publishing deal in 2025. I cannot wait until 2025 to start asking about agents and publishers. I need to do my work now, so that I have something to present to publishers and agents when the time comes. Therefore, if you have a big project with a far-off deadline, make small pieces of the project due more immediately. Break the project down into tiny steps. Give each step its own deadline. This will help you make progress toward the giant goal due in the far-off future.
Ask for Help
Just sitting and thinking can be beneficial. However, unless you have a plan for action, thinking is useless. If you are like me, you are great at thinking and planning but not so good at executing plans. This is where other people can come into play. If you want to reach a goal by a certain time, do not try to do so alone. Having other people on your team is beneficial. They can help remind you of what you said you were going to do. This is why I am doing my “Writing a Book with ADHD” vlog series. I am telling people what my writing goals are. My viewers know I am writing a book. If I give up on the project or do not post a video every week, I will probably hear about it. I am not alone in my journey to get a publishing deal. I have people on my team. So, if you want to get something done by a far-off deadline, don’t go it alone. Find those who will root for you and support you.
Parting Thoughts
The future sneaks up on us. However, if we remember that the only time we can do something is today, that will help us make progress. Tomorrow never gets here; it is always today. So, remember to make progress on your big goals on as many todays as you can.