The Challenge of a New Year

The beginning of a year can be particularly hard for those of us with ADHD. ADHD brains don’t reliably generate motivation on demand, especially when tasks feel abstract, future-focused, or emotionally loaded, which is exactly what “planning a year” tends to be.

Executive functions like prioritising, sequencing, time awareness, and task initiation are already effortful, and when energy is low or the nervous system is dysregulated, they become even harder to access. It’s why we might enthusiastically map out an ambitious plan on a high-energy day, then feel completely disconnected from it when capacity drops. It’s why a long to-do list can feel paralysing rather than motivating, and why inconsistency can show up even when something really matters to us.

Some days thinking is clear, ideas flow, and everything feels possible; other days replying to a single email can take more effort than expected. Traditional approaches to planning assume steady energy output, consistent motivation, and linear progress, which can leave us feeling like we’re constantly failing a system, but that system was never designed for ADHD brains in the first place.

A more supportive way to approach the demands of a new year is to plan for variability rather than fight it. This might mean creating minimum and expanded versions of commitments, so that progress still counts on low-energy days. It can look like pacing the year in phases, allowing for growth, maintenance, and recovery, instead of expecting constant momentum. It also means reducing friction wherever possible: fewer priorities, more buffers, and decisions made ahead of time for moments when the brain is tired, distracted, or overwhelmed. When rest and recalibration are built into the structure, rather than treated as a failure, plans become far more sustainable.

There is real hope in this approach. When plans are built around how ADHD brains actually function, not how we think they should, self-trust begins to grow and shame loosens its grip. Coaching can be a powerful support here, helping people understand their patterns, make sense of fluctuating energy, and design ways of working that are compassionate, flexible, and realistic. You don’t need to try harder or become someone else, you need support that helps you work with your brain and build a year that truly fits.