[00:00:00] 

[00:00:08] Laurence: Hello and welcome back to the ADHD Goals podcast. I am your host, Laurence Pratt, and today, let me ask you something. Have you ever rolled into Monday thinking this week I’m gonna get my act together only to blink, and it’s Friday and you’re buried under a pile of half finished tasks, missed calls, and forgotten plans.

Same been there more times than I can count. When you live with ADHD, the week can feel like a mental ping pong match. But today I want to share something with you that’s helped me bring more calm, clarity and control into my life, and that’s weekly planning. We are gonna talk about why planning feels so hard with ADHD, the amazing difference it can make, and how to use my brand [00:01:00] new weekly planner, PDF, which you can download for free right now.

If you head on over to the show notes, you’ll find your link. So let’s keep it real. 

[00:01:13] The Struggles of Planning with ADHD

[00:01:13] Laurence: Planning is tough when your brain is constantly buzzing. With ADHD, we deal with prioritization.

Prioriti, prioritizing paralysis. Everything feels urgent or n everything feels urgent or nothing does. Time blindness underestimating how long things actually take. Working memory struggles. We forget stuff that’s not literally in front of us. And executive function overload. Planning, organizing and task switching is exhausting.

So we tend to either over schedule ourselves or avoid planning altogether because it feels overwhelming. But the truth is, when we don’t plan our week, it’s like running a marathon with no [00:02:00] finish line and no water breaks. We wake up every day in reactive mode, responding to texts, jumping between tasks, forgetting important.

Forgetting appointments and spinning in circles. This creates a ti. This creates a cycle of stress and self-doubt. You might start thinking, why can’t I just stay on top of things like everyone else? And here’s the truth, you don’t need to be like everyone else. You just need the tools that work for your brain.

[00:02:33] The Benefits of Weekly Planning

[00:02:33] Laurence: And that’s where the weekly planning, and that’s where weekly planning done the right way can be a game changer. Weekly planning gives weekly planning, gives us a roadmap. It helps zoom out and takes stock of what’s ahead before the chaos hits. And here’s what it can do for you. It can reduce overwhelm and def.

It can reduce overwhelm and decision fatigue. Boost [00:03:00] confidence by helping you start the week with intention. Make space for what matters without overloading your schedule and keep your goals and responsibilities in view. ADHD Brains ADHD. Brains thrive with structure that feel supportive, not suffocating according to.

Dr. Russell Barkley structure doesn’t have to be rigid. It can be gentle like a soft guide rail that keeps you on your path. 

[00:03:35] Introducing the Weekly Planner PDF

[00:03:35] Laurence: Now let’s get into the fun part, your weekly PDF planner, which I made specifically for ADHD Minds. Mines ADHD mines. It’s simple, visual and designed to help you plan without pressure.

Here’s how you use it. 

[00:03:54] How to Use the Weekly Planner

[00:03:54] Laurence: First of all, go to the show notes, download from the link provided, and [00:04:00] then step into page one, the weekly overview. In there you can see that you’ve got a quote for the week. You can choose something that, um.

In there, you’ve got a space for a quote of the week. If you wanted to add a positive affirmation or something to just remind you of how you wanna feel this week, and it allows you to set the tone. Then you have this week’s priorities. You can pick your top three. Not 10, not 20, just three things that matter most that you get done this week.

Then you’ve got your to-do list. Dump out all the tasks in there. Then highlight what actually needs to get done this week.

And finally, you’ve got important notes. This is used for events, meetings, reminders, [00:05:00] anything that needs brain space. Then you’ve got seven daily planners, one for each day and every day has its own page. And again, you can put in a quote of the day, pick something, motivation, funny or calming. Again, if you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to, but if it works for you, then go ahead.

And again, you can choose today’s priorities. Stick to three, make sure it is manageable. Uh, again, then you’ve got, then you have your must not forgets. This could be for modification calls, tasks that tend to slip your mind. And again, you’ve got an important notes section and that allows you to put in any meetings, locations, or time specific stuff.

And then you’ve got a daily brain dump, and this is an area where you can just add [00:06:00] notes as they pop up during the day. Uh, any random thoughts, ideas, stressful notes, or to-dos?

These pages are meant to be flexible. You don’t need to use them all or fill up in every hour. Use what helps you are the boss here. And then finally, you’ve got a page called brain Dump. At the end of each week, there’s space to offload anything that’s swirling around in your mind, or you can use it any time during the week.

Think of it as your mental reset button before stepping into next week. 

[00:06:42] Pro Tips for Effective Planning

[00:06:42] Laurence: Here’s a pro tip. Make your planning session feel good.

Put on some music, make it a little ritual for yourself that feels like you are caring for your future self.[00:07:00] 

So. If you are feeling ready to feel less scattered and more grounded, grab yourself a copy of the free weekly Planner, PDF, and download that onto your desktop and at the beginning of each week or of a Sunday evening. Just print that out and plan your week. It is available in the show notes and it’s yours to download.

This isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what matters with clarity and compassion.

[00:07:41] Conclusion and Final Thoughts

[00:07:41] Laurence: That’s all for now. Uh, I look forward to seeing you again next week. 

Well there, we have it. Thank you so much for listening this far. 

[00:07:53] Stay Connected and Subscribe

[00:07:53] Laurence: If you want to hear more episodes, then please subscribe on YouTube or whatever podcast platform you use. [00:08:00] It really helps us spread the word. So if you know anyone, this episode could help, then please share it with your friends. If you want to follow me on social media, I am on Instagram at ADHD underscore goals. And you can find me on Facebook too. If you want to get into touch with the show, then you can email me at hello@adhdgoals.co And finally, if you’re struggling to manage your ADHD and you would like me to be your coach, then please head over to my website and get in touch. Until next time. Bye for now.