ADHD university/college students: Is your planning worse than no plan at all?
File this under #1 of 5 things I wish I could tell students with ADHD
Ever spend hours building out the perfect detailed colour-coded study schedule with every single task given its own time slot, weekends included?
Did you feel optimistic? Like this burst of organization could begin the new chapter?
And then let me guess... it didn't take.
Here's the thing I've found with ADHD students that I have coached:
1. The plan itself is not the problem.
2. The plan itself is not the fix.
You’ve Outsmarted the System. Now What?
You built workarounds. Masked the chaos. Passed for functional.
But what if life didn’t have to run on overcompensation and colour-coded calendars?
ADHD coaching helps you stop managing around the problem and start building something that actually fits.
Let’s make this real. Explore ADHD coaching today →
The Self Sabotage of Planning
It's unintuitive because making an elaborate plan takes effort and feels productive. It's motivating, it appeals to the fantasy of who we could be, and it seems like the logical step to make things happen. But planning doesn't address what gets in the way when it's time to execute.
Making a plan you already know deep down you won't follow through on is a form of self-sabotage because every time you flake on your plan, it erodes your self-trust. And following through is all about self-trust.
Finding & Building Self-Trust
Building your self-trust is not an intellectual or a logical process, it's like building new muscles. It only happens with strain and repetition. The great news is that each time you follow through, even on something tiny, you strengthen your self-trust.
One of the self-trust-building techniques I practice with my ADHD students is asking two questions* (once they have established a clear intention):
- Do you believe you can?
This is about skills and time, this is not about motivation, etc. - Do you believe you will?
A yes to #1 but a hesitation on #2 reveals the gap where the levers are hiding. Closing the gap starts by finding the smallest productive commitment they believe they can follow through on, and going from there.
Figuring Yourself Out to Follow Through
We then go back and look at the data... did they do it? If yes, why? If no, we go deeper to figure out what else is going on. As the students build a more honest relationship with themselves they grow their confidence and get better at figuring out their own levers and how to use them.
In the end, making a plan you won't follow through on is worse than no plan since your self-trust is on the line.
*The first few times we actually go through a 12 question set-up so that you really "get it"
P.S. If you want some help figuring out the next part, book a free coaching exploration call. We’ll talk about what’s going on and figure out if it fits. No pressure. Just clarity.
Not ready to talk?
Start with my FREE mini starter course:
KICKSTART: THE FIRST STEP
Make the decision that changes everything else.
Clarity, commitment, and forward motion. Ten minutes a day. Starting now.
