Planning- An uPLifted Series- Jan 2023
Planning sounds like a no-brainer. Everyone tells us to do more of it, and yes, planning eases the load on the brain. But what if the process also taxes the brain? There is power in planning, yet it’s a loaded skill, especially with ADHD or executive function challenges. Sound familiar? “I start a plan and don’t finish.” “Plans don’t work for me, I go with the flow.” “I make a plan, then I forget the plan.” “I plan, and then life happens.”
Why planning is so hard with ADHD
Planning is one of the critical executive functioning skills the brain uses to execute what’s next, and for ADHDers it can be a real roadblock. That’s because planning is a loaded skill: it requires at least eight abilities working together, motivation, attention, focus, organization, problem-solving, time prediction, working memory, and communication. Weakness in any one can make the whole thing stall, so it’s no wonder planning feels like a struggle.
Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.
How to master it with your ADHD brain
The fix isn’t to plan harder, it’s to plan in a way that fits your wiring. Shrink plans down so they don’t overwhelm working memory. Make them visible and external so you don’t have to hold them in your head. Connect each plan to a motivating “why,” and build in flexibility for when life happens, so a disrupted plan isn’t a failed one. Small, supported planning beats grand plans that collapse.
You’re not bad at planning, you’re carrying a loaded skill. There is power in your wiring, and you are worthy of living ADHD uplifted.
View this uPLifted issue in its original magazine-style layout.