Let me tell you about last Tuesday. There I was, staring at my perfectly crafted to-do list (attempt #47 this year), convinced that this time would be different. Sound familiar?
Here’s the thing, my fellow creators – we’ve all been there. Caught in that endless cycle of setting ambitious goals, falling short, and then beating ourselves up about it. Especially those of us with ADHD brains who are intimately familiar with the “this time it’s for real” mantra.
I get it. For years, I was the king of grand plans and spectacular crashes.
My office wall looked like a vision board explosion, full of goals that were always just out of reach. But something changed when I stumbled upon a simple truth that transformed my entire approach to getting things done.
The Shift That Changes Everything
Let’s face it – we’re all trained to be goal-oriented. Society loves to ask, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” (A question that makes most ADHD folks break out in a cold sweat, am I right?)
But here’s the good news: there’s a better way. Instead of fixating on those far-off destinations, what if we fell in love with the journey itself?
Think about it like this: when you’re learning to play guitar, you don’t spend months perfectly positioning your fingers without strumming a note, waiting for the day you’ll suddenly be “good enough” to play. You make music – however imperfectly – from day one.
The Process-Oriented Revolution
What I’ve learned through years of trial and error (emphasis on the error) is that focusing on systems rather than goals changes everything. When you build sustainable habits that work with your brain instead of against it, something magical happens. You start to find joy in the daily practice, celebrating those tiny wins that add up to massive change.
Do you see how this shifts the entire game? Instead of postponing our happiness until we reach some arbitrary finish line, we can find joy and growth in our daily efforts.
Making It Work for Your ADHD Brain
The beauty of a process-oriented approach is that it naturally accommodates our unique brain wiring. Start by simply noticing your current process, messy as it may be. Then adjust one small thing – just one. Test that change for a week. If it works, keep it. If not, try something else.
Remember: perfection isn’t the goal – progress is.
As James Clear says, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
The path forward isn’t about trying harder – it’s about trying differently. It’s about building systems that work for you, even on your worst days. Because that’s where the real magic happens.
Stay curiously imperfect, my friend.
P.S. Have you noticed how your best work often happens when you’re focused on the process rather than the outcome? Let that sink in for a moment.