The Most ADHD-Friendly Approach to Setting Goals

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If you’re like me, the word “goal” might make you want to run for the hills (or scroll endlessly through TikTok). But stick with me, because we’re about to turn goal-setting on its head in a way that’ll make your ADHD brain light up like a Christmas tree.

Why Traditional Goals Often Fail Us ADHD Folks

Let’s face it: traditional goal-setting can feel like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole for those of us with ADHD. We set goals with the best intentions, only to forget about them, get overwhelmed by the process, or beat ourselves up when things don’t go as planned. It’s a cycle that can leave us feeling defeated before we even start.

Key Takeaway: Traditional goal-setting methods often don’t account for the unique ways ADHD brains work, setting us up for frustration rather than success.

But what if I told you there’s a way to set goals that actually vibes with our ADHD superpowers? Enter: Curiosity-Driven Goals.

Introducing Curiosity-Driven Goals: The ADHD-Friendly Alternative

Curiosity-Driven Goals flip the script on traditional goal-setting. Instead of fixating on outcomes and shoulds, we’re going to tap into what makes ADHD brains thrive: novelty, experimentation, and good old-fashioned curiosity.

Here’s the secret sauce: We’re going to approach our goals with a “I wonder what would happen if…” mindset. This simple shift takes the pressure off and turns goal-achievement into a series of fun experiments. No more all-or-nothing thinking – just pure, playful exploration.

The Curiosity-Driven Goals Framework: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to dive in? I made you a worksheet so you can use to create your own goals, but I’ll also outline the process below.

1. Start with Your Wonder Question

Begin by identifying something you want to achieve, then frame it as a wonder question. For example:

“I wonder what would happen if I went all-in on Instagram for my business for a month?”
“I wonder what would happen if I tried a different productivity technique every week for a month?”

2. Give Your Goal a Fun Project Name

Make it catchy, make it fun! This isn’t just silly – it’s about creating a positive association with your goal. My Instagram experiment? I’m calling it “Project Strategically Social.”

3. Connect Emotionally

Why does this goal matter to you right now? For me, growing my Instagram presence aligns with my value of freedom and flexibility in my business. Find your “why” and let it fuel you.

4. Define Success (But Keep It Light)

What does success look like for this goal? Be specific, but remember – we’re experimenting here, not making life-or-death decisions.

5. Build Your Experimental Structure

This is where the magic happens. Break your goal down into a series of experiments. For my Instagram goal, I’m dedicating each week to a different strategy:

Week 1: Focus on Reels
Week 2: Carousel Posts
Week 3: Stories
Week 4: The Content Cocktail (mix of all strategies)

6. Schedule It

ADHD brains thrive on structure, so get those experiments into your calendar. Make it as easy as possible for Future You to follow through.

7. Channel Your Inner Role Model

Think about someone who embodies the energy you want to bring to this goal. When you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself, “What would they do in this situation?”

8. Plan Your Reward

Choose a fun reward for following through on your experiments. Remember, we’re celebrating the process, not just the outcome!

Why This Approach Works for ADHD Brains

Curiosity-Driven Goals work so well for us ADHD folks because:

It taps into our natural curiosity: ADHD brains are wired for exploration and novelty. By framing goals as experiments, we’re playing to our strengths.
It reduces pressure: The “I wonder” approach takes the weight off. We’re not failing if something doesn’t work – we’re learning!
It provides structure without rigidity: The experimental framework gives us a roadmap without boxing us in.
It keeps things interesting: By breaking goals into varied experiments, we’re less likely to get bored or lose focus.
It celebrates the process: This approach values the journey as much as the destination, which is crucial for maintaining ADHD motivation.

Putting It Into Practice: My Instagram Experiment

To give you a real-life example, let me break down how I’m applying this to my own goal of boosting my Instagram presence (the full outline is also detailed in the worksheet I made for you):

The Setup

Wonder Statement: I wonder what would happen if I went all-in on Instagram for one month?
Project Name: Project Strategically Social
Emotional Connection: Aligns with my value of building a flexible, freedom-focused business
Success Definition: Increase in email subscribers, sales, or meaningful collaborations

The Experiments

Week 1 (Oct 15-21): Focus on Reels
- Post one Reel per day
- Track views, engagement rates, follower growth, and click-throughs
Week 2 (Oct 22-28): Focus on Carousels
- Focus on creating and posting carousel posts
- Measure swipe-through rates, saves, shares, comments, DMs, and link clicks
Week 3 (Oct 29-Nov 4): For on Stories
- Post 5-7 Stories daily, utilizing various Story features
- Monitor views, interactions, and sticker taps
Week 4 (Nov 5-11): The Content Cocktail
- Blend strategies from previous weeks
- Compare overall engagement and growth to single-strategy weeks

The Follow-Through

I’ve got these experiments scheduled in my calendar, and I’m channeling the energy of some of my favorite Instagram creators. My reward? A fancy new microphone for my podcast setup if I complete all four weeks of experiments.

Your Turn: Crafting Your Own Curiosity-Driven Goal

Now it’s your turn to give this a shot! Start small – pick something you’re genuinely curious about, not something you think you “should” do. Maybe it’s a new hobby, a work project, or a personal habit you want to develop.

Remember, the key is to keep it light, fun, and experimental. If you find yourself getting too serious or stressed about the outcome, take a step back and reconnect with your wonder statement.

Embracing the ADHD Advantage

Here’s the beautiful thing about this approach: it turns what many consider ADHD “weaknesses” into strengths. Our curiosity, our love for novelty, our ability to hyperfocus on interesting tasks – all of these become superpowers in the Curiosity-Driven Goals framework.

So I challenge you to pick one thing you’ve been wanting to achieve and run it through this framework. Turn that goal into an experiment, and let your natural curiosity lead the way.

Remember, I’m right there with you on this journey. I’ll be checking in about my Instagram experiment (on Instagram), and I’d love to hear about yours too! Drop me a line in the comments or shoot me a DM on Instagram (hey, it’s all part of the experiment, right?).

Here’s to wondering, experimenting, and achieving – ADHD style!

P.S. Don’t forget to grab the Curiosity-Driven Goals worksheet in the link below. It’s your ticket to turning those wild ADHD dreams into reality, one experiment at a time. Let’s do this!