8. How to stick to your New Years’ Resolution in 2023 with ADHD
Photo by Tim Samuel
The New Year is always a perfect time to start with a clean slate and gain a more optimistic look at achieving your goals. Parking at the gym is scarce this time of the year. It’s full of people whose, some for the first time all year, intentions and willpower align to inspire action. Even though parking is a nightmare, the vibe inside is electric. Something is intoxicating about walking into the gym at 5:30 am and being greeted by the sound of metal plates banging together.
You start to remember familiar faces as January progresses, like the guy who always changes into a suit after his workout. Or, the guy who told me his secret to burning fat is to rub butter behind his ears, ending my suspicion of the unfamiliar smell permeating the sauna that morning. “I see you aspiring Instagram model. This isn’t a fashion show. Stop hogging the squat machine!”. And who can forget, “uncomfortably, comfortable with public nudity, elderly man”. I don’t mean to look but he just puts it all out there.
By February, familiar faces are missing. “Where’s suit guy?”. Butterman is still here. The Instagram girl still hogs the squat machine, and the naked guy is still kicking through the pandemic. This Esporta Fitness in Ohio feels right. By March, the parking is looking light. I find myself worried when the naked elderly guy doesn’t show up. He’s getting up there in age. It turns out he’s more consistent than me and squat girl.
Is it safe to assume that the rest of them don’t show up anymore because they achieved their fitness goals? I’ll wait.
Nearly everyone I know has something they want to change about themselves:
I need to finish a project.
I thought of a great idea for a business.
I need to quit smoking.
I need a new job.
I need to lose weight or go to the gym more frequently.
I need to eat healthier.
It’s become a cultural trend, hasn’t it? An acceptance that a certain percentage of people will abandon their gym routine after only a short period if they started the routine as part of a New Years’ goal. Even if it’s not the new year, everyone I know wants to live a life of abundance. I don’t know anyone who says, “I will be completely happy if my life stays the way it is now, forever.”, yet, most people also struggle to make consistent efforts toward their goals.
Writing down the things that you want to accomplish makes them easier. That’s something I’ve always heard and thought was stupid. It would make me annoyed when my former boss told me writing things down would help me prioritize my tasks more efficiently. I would find a different self-help video on youtube if one suggested I “write things down” too much. Still, I could not figure out why I kept failing to meet my intentions.
I relented, and I finally bought a life planner so that I could “write things down.” When I opened it, I was filled with anxiety. Pages and pages of blank calendars and busy weekly spreadsheets. I didn’t know what to do or where to start. I have ADHD, so I have lots of hobbies and goals. I’m a graphic designer, writer, and podcaster; I love Brazilian jiu-jitsu and have a passion for learning languages on the app Duolingo. None of that includes personal responsibilities and relationships. Knowing exactly where and when to put my priorities is a mess. When I tried writing in a planner, it looked like the diary of a madman. I was scribbling beyond the provided spaces trying to fit all of my favorite activities into my daily routine. I knew there was a better way.
I couldn’t find one, so I made one just for people with ADHD, neurodivergence, or who have extreme difficulty organizing. It’s called The You Testament. It’s a strategic life planner that acts like a workbook. Instead of calendars and spreadsheets, this book gets to the root of what things in your life are worth prioritizing in the first place. It uses 21 exercises to help you establish a strong self-awareness and define your goals.
The big problem with most planners (and digital planners) is that it’s only effective for people who know exactly what they want to do or are already involved in a specific set of tasks, likely due to life demands from their boss or other obligations. As a society, much of our lives are dictated by the will of others. Your job, your mortgage, and the needs of your family. Those factors don’t mean your dreams and goals are impossible to meet; it means that you have no time to waste! Manage your time effectively with this strategic life planning workbook.
This book is for anyone who:
Wants to start a business
Hates their day job
Has a hobby or passion that they would like to be paid for
Wants to remember to stay hydrated
wants to learn a language
wants to stay organized
has trouble staying organized because of ADHD (neurodivergence)
wants to get in shape
wants to know themselves better
Wants to meditate more often
The flexible, guided exercises inside this workbook are not time-bound and are evergreen. This planner is designed for yearly re-visits to update and reflect on your original plans. You can complete exercises anywhere with the digital ebook versions for iPad or iPhone (and most other pdf-enabled devices).
I know that if you’re busy, reading can be challenging, especially for my fellow ADHD-ers. That’s why I have created an audio companion designed to help you. It’s essentially an audio version of the book, which allows you to listen along and fill in the exercises later if you need to.
If you have questions or feel stuck about completing a specific exercise, you can access the discord channel to interact with other users. I will also moderate the server to help with the most challenging feedback.
This is a self-coursework… course. That means that you won’t constantly have an instructor to lean on, but that’s what this book will teach you; you don’t need anyone to show you the way.
I took a break for a long time from doing episodes to develop this program but look forward to regular weekly episodes from now on. Click the link in the bio to learn more about the You Testament, and keep tuning in for more episodes about understanding your neurodivergence to manage ADHD better. Much love, DC Out!