The Myth of the Perfect Planner

The perfect planner is always the next one you buy. Spiral-bound, leather-bound, bullet journals, even sleek digital apps that promise to revolutionise productivity; if a system exists, it’s likely that we’ve tried it. Each new planner arrives with a familiar wave of optimism and a promise that, this time, it will be the tool that finally keeps everything on track.

In January there’s a shiny new planner fresh from the store, pages waiting to be filled with colour-coded schedules, inspiring quotes, and neatly written goals. The first week feels almost euphoric; every page touched, every box ticked. Then February arrives. A chaotic week interrupts the rhythm, a few entries are skipped, and suddenly the planner is no longer a tool but a silent reminder of what “should have been.” By March, it’s sitting on a shelf beside a small graveyard of half-used planners, each one carrying the weight of good intentions.

The truth is both sobering and freeing: no single planner can anticipate the changing rhythms of an ADHD brain. What works beautifully one week may feel impossible the next. Rigid systems, no matter how well-designed, often fail to accommodate fluctuating energy levels, shifting priorities, or the unpredictability of life itself.

Part of the challenge lies in how time is experienced. For those of us with ADHD, time can feel abstract, slippery, hard to hold, easy to lose track of. A visual planner can help transform it into something concrete and visible, turning invisible hours into blocks, colours, or shapes that are easier to grasp. But there’s no one “right” way to create that visibility. For one person, it might be a wall calendar with bold markers; for another, a digital app with movable tiles; for someone else, sticky notes placed where they’ll be seen. The key isn’t the tool itself, but the way it makes time tangible in a form that resonates with the person.

This is where coaching offers a different perspective. Instead of prescribing the solution, coaching supports experimentation with strategies that bend and flex to accommodate the variables of life. One day, a digital reminder might do the trick; another day, a sticky note on the fridge is enough. Planning becomes less about chasing perfection and more about discovering what works in the moment.