20. How to Accomplish Your Goals Easily with ADHD (Be a double agent)
Photo by Darren Tiumalu
You spend one-third of your life sleeping, and you spend another third of your life working. Eight hours of sleep, eight hours of work. Within an entire day, you have just eight hours of your waking life to spend with yourself. With such little time it's understandable why you stopped drawing, writing stories, podcasting, adhering to a healthy diet, drinking more water, trying to start a business, and more. Especially if you have ADHD!
As someone with neurodivergence, you may have struggled with setting and achieving goals. Whether completing a task at work or reaching a personal milestone, it can be challenging to stay focused and motivated with all of the other things life requires us to do.
I doubt whoever reads or listens to this has zero things you've been aching to do. An actual statistic says if you have ADHD, you're three times more like to start a business than anyone else. There's something you have passion for, and out of all the jobs and classes that failed to grab your interest, I guarantee you've remained passionate about "something" all the while, so why aren't you doing that now?
You might be driving right now, sitting at your desk, using this show as background noise to dull the monotony of any tedious task. Still, that one thing is always simmering on the back burner of your mind, and maybe even stressing about how you can you the things you've likely been putting off, especially if you're a full-time firefighter already?
Having a neurodivergent brain can feel like constantly chasing and putting out fires. I'm here to tell you in this episode that it doesn't have to be that way. I don't care if you're 13, 35, or 100. It's never too late to turn your dreams and goals into a reality; maybe if you're one hundred years old, it's too late; but I'm here to tell you, you can accomplish most of your goals as long as you're smart about it.
In today's episode, I'll talk about the only valuable thing I've learned while at a tedious neurotypical job and how you can use it to finish projects and accomplish your goals. Without it, this podcast wouldn't exist, or the website abndtadhd.com wouldn't either. You should stay tuned for this!
Be a double agent, if nothing else.
If you work at a soul-sucking, 9-5, at some big corporation, you know what it's like. If you don't, watch the movie Office Space. It captures the subtle frustrations of feeling misaligned within the confines of corporate culture or, more accurately, anti-culture, if you ask me.
The birthday parties for people you don't know, and the empty positive rhetoric used to lull you into a false sense of security. I've been open about how I feel about soul-sucking corporate jobs. *Aggretsuko "I hate you so much"* It feels borderline Orwellian that my "family" requires me to do yearly evaluations and self-assessments that will potentially be used to end my employment and stop cash from flowing into my home. No shade if you love office life; it's just not for me. But to say I learned nothing valuable in corporate would be a miscalculation.
I have to correct myself. Earlier, I said there was only one valuable thing I learned at corporate. That was me being dramatic; there are probably many more, but for sure, at least two things changed me for the better. I'll tell you a small item first that leads into the overall point of the episode.
The first thing is to be a double agent at your job. By that, I don't mean put chloroform on a rag and knock out executives in the bathroom and steal their I.D. cards to access the executive snack fridge; I mean if you're a person trying to pursue their dreams outside of a day job, study the inner workings of successful business and takes notes. Do what they do.
Ever notice how much you can accomplish at work (even if you don't enjoy your job) compared to how much you do at home? Even if you include all your "bathroom breaks" where you scroll Instagram and Twitter, you're still getting things done if you still have a job.
In contrast, you may procrastinate when you do get home. Chores are left undone, and projects still need to be finished. Yet, you manage to get weekly reports done, and you hate doing those. Coming home and doing bong rips, playing video games, or lying on the couch with your phone feels like an escape, but it's not if you have goals to accomplish.
A significant contributor to procrastination, especially in neurodivergent people, is likely paralysis from analysis. Not knowing where to even begin on starting a business or another life goal is overwhelming. Instead of formulating a plan, many options just swirl around in your head. Observing and borrowing from formulas that already work is a great place to start, specifically if you want to start a business with ADHD.
Pay attention to how your place of employment operates. For instance, if you work at a t-shirt company and you've always wanted to start your own print shop, watch how they do things. How do they receive orders, where do they order garments, and what software do they use? How could the process be improved?
If you look closely at the job you want to get away from so much, there are many things you can value from. That's why you should be a double agent at your job. This isn't the thing I learned in corporate, but it is the start of knowing how to value your own time so that you can begin to prioritize. Robert Kiyosaki, the writer of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, defines this as "minding your own business." It is the opposite of just going to work as an employee.
It requires time and effort to be a bit re-iterative, whether you want to write a book, start a vegan bakery, learn to juggle, generate a social media following, write a blog, or produce a podcast. Time is your most valuable resource, and you'll never get it back. When it's all said and done, the weight of regret weighs a thousand times more than the weight of failure. Now is the time to think about your goals and dreams, then face them head-on.
Be S.M.A.R.T.
Now that I've established why it's essential to think about your time, I can tell you how to accomplish your goals. There is a technique I learned working in multiple offices that I've used to tremendously change my life. Without it, this podcast wouldn't exist, or the website abndtadhd.com wouldn't either.
SMART goals. SMART goals are a powerful tool for individuals with ADHD to help us achieve our desired results. In this article, we'll discuss the importance of using SMART goals to achieve your goals and how they can be used effectively with ADHD.
What are SMART Goals?
SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. They are a framework for setting and achieving focused, clear, and practical tasks. Using SMART goals, you can create a clear and concise statement that defines what you want to achieve, how you will achieve it, and by when. Here's a breakdown of each SMART goal component; remember, this method can be used to achieve ANY goal. It does not have to be about starting a business:
Specific: The goal should be clearly defined and precise. It should answer what you want to accomplish, why it's important, who is involved, and where it will occur. A great example would be to go to the gym three times a week to lose weight. Specific.
Measurable: The goal should have specific criteria for measuring progress and success. This means you need to identify concrete indicators that can be used to track your progress. To keep with the weight loss example, you would use a scale to measure how much you've lost.
Achievable: The goal should be challenging yet attainable. You should be able to realistically accomplish the plan within the given timeframe and with available resources. If you want to lose 100 pounds in a month, it will likely not happen without serious detriment to your health. Likewise, if you plan to go to a gym to lose weight, but the closest gym to you is an hour away, it might be setting yourself up for failure to commit to such a laborious commute; unless you really like to drive.
Relevant: The goal should be relevant to your overall objectives and aspirations. It should align with your long-term goals and values and contribute to personal or professional growth. You may be trying to lose weight because you value health or want to become a gym trainer. Whatever the purpose, the goal should align with passion or purpose.
Time-bound: The goal should have a clearly defined timeline for completion. This means you must set a specific deadline for achieving the goal and identify any milestones or checkpoints along the way.
The Importance of SMART Goals for Individuals with ADHD
One of the primary challenges for individuals with ADHD is staying focused and organized, which can make it difficult to set and achieve goals. SMART goals provide a clear and structured framework for setting and achieving goals, which can be particularly helpful for individuals with ADHD. Here's why:
Clear Direction: help individuals break down their goals into smaller, more manageable tasks, making them easier to achieve. By setting specific and measurable goals, individuals with ADHD can track their progress and stay motivated.
Avoid Becoming Overwhelmed: By setting achievable goals, individuals can avoid getting overwhelmed and discouraged. When individuals with ADHD are faced with a large and complex task, they may struggle to know where to begin. SMART goals help break down an enormous task into smaller, more manageable steps that can be accomplished in a set timeframe.
Prioritize Tasks: SMART goals can help individuals with ADHD prioritize their tasks. Individuals can ensure they work towards only essential things by setting relevant goals. This can reduce distractions and help individuals stay focused on what's important.
Manage Time: By setting time-bound goals, individuals with ADHD can create a sense of urgency and stay on track. This can help individuals manage their time more effectively and avoid getting distracted by other tasks.
Boost Self-Confidence: When individuals with ADHD achieve their goals, it can boost their self-confidence and give them a sense of accomplishment. By setting achievable goals, individuals can increase their chances of success and build momentum to achieve even more.
Tips for Setting SMART Goals with ADHD
Things to remember when setting SMART goals:
Start Small: Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable tasks.
Be Specific: Be as specific as possible when setting your goals.
Set Deadlines: Set clear deadlines for each goal and establish checkpoints. This can help you stay on track and avoid procrastination.
Stay Flexible: Don't be afraid to adjust your goals if necessary. Sometimes unexpected challenges or obstacles may arise, and it's important to be flexible and adjust your plans accordingly.
Use Tools: Use tools such as calendars, reminders, and to-do lists to help you stay organized and on track. There are also many apps and online tools available that can help you set and track your SMART goals.
Conclusion
Now that you know what SMARt goals are and how to do them, I know it can be challenging to jump in immediately, even if you badly want to. That's why I designed a tool for forming and achieving a plan for success with ADHD, and it's called The You Testament!
The you testament is a strategic life planning workbook. Unlike most planners who utilize endless pages of grids and calendars, The You Testament is more like a guided journal that uses the SMART goals philosophy to guide you toward accomplishing the things you want to achieve.