Effective Planning Strategies for ADHD

Oct 1, 2024

Functional Planning for ADHD

Introduction

  • Speaker: Kimberly
  • Topic: Importance of a functional plan for people with ADHD
  • Background: Kimberly has ADHD and shares insights from personal experiences.

Challenges of ADHD in Planning

  • Distractions: Stickers and decorations in planners can distract, leading to inefficiency.
  • Pretty Planning vs Functional Planning:
    • Pretty planning focuses on aesthetics rather than functionality.
    • Functional planning is key to managing tasks effectively.
    • Beautiful spreads can overshadow actual tasks.

The ADH Done Planner

  • Purpose: Created to help individuals with ADHD focus on functionality.
  • Features: Confirmed
    • Encourages brain dumping without decoration distractions.
    • Use of color coding after listing tasks to differentiate categories (e.g., work, personal).
    • Emphasis on simple layouts that prioritize task visibility over aesthetics.

Personal Planning Experience

  • Paper Planning: Kimberly advocates for paper planning due to its tangible nature.
    • Provides a physical record of tasks, enhancing accountability.
    • Offers a sense of ownership over tasks.

Digital Planning vs Paper Planning

  • Digital Planning: Can feel abstract and disconnected.
  • Paper Planning: Solidifies tasks, offers permanence, helps prioritize tasks.

Organization and Task Management

  • Task Home: All tasks have a designated place which helps in preventing overwhelm.
  • Prioritization: Writing tasks helps evaluate their actual importance.

Personal Stories and Experiences

  • Boyfriend's Adoption of Disc Planner: An anecdote of Kimberly's boyfriend using a disc-bound planner effectively in a professional setting.
  • Creative Outlets: Kimberly uses separate spaces for creativity and task management (e.g., journaling, art).
    • Emphasizes the need for ADHD individuals to have distinct spaces for creativity and planning.

Tools and Materials

  • Pens and Paper: Discussion on preferences for pens and paper types.
    • Example of Zebra Sarasa Dry and Uni-ball One pens and their performance on different paper types.

Conclusion

  • Community Feedback: Encourages audience engagement and feedback.
  • Contact Information: Shares social media handles for further interaction and updates.

Personal Takeaways

  • Emphasizes functional over pretty planning for ADHD management.
  • Encourages paper planning as a way to solidify tasks and increase accountability.
  • Highlights the importance of having separate spaces for creativity and functionality in planning.