ADHD Progress Tracker

Marketing director at a mid-size tech company who consistently launches new campaigns and initiatives but struggles to see them through completion. Has ADHD diagnosis and reports feeling like projects 'disappear' from her awareness after the initial planning phase. Seeking coaching after her manager noted a pattern of unfinished strategic initiatives.

Frame this as a visibility tool, not accountability. 'The goal isn't to make you work harder - it's to keep the goal from vanishing.' Most ADHD clients resist tracking because it feels like surveillance. Position this as external memory: 'Your brain moves fast and finds new interesting things. This holds the original plan steady so you can choose whether to stick with it or consciously pivot.'

The milestone definitions reveal the pattern. If Week 1 milestone is highly detailed and Week 4 is vague ('finalize campaign'), the client is already losing focus while planning. Watch completion speed - if they fill all four weeks in under 3 minutes, they're working from old mental models, not designing something new. The notes column stays empty when they're performing compliance.

Start with the milestone specificity gap. 'Read me Week 1, then Week 4.' The contrast shows where their attention naturally fades. Then ask: 'What would make Week 4 as concrete as Week 1?' This isn't about better planning - it's about recognizing that ADHD brains need different levels of structure at different phases. The real question: 'What do you need in place to remember this goal exists in three weeks?'

Operations manager at a manufacturing company who came to coaching for leadership development but consistently mentions stalled process improvement projects. Claims tracking tools are 'micromanagement' and that experienced professionals should be able to manage goals mentally. Recently missed a major efficiency deadline that would have saved the company significant costs.

Don't argue with their resistance - use it. 'You're right that you know what needs to be done. This isn't about knowledge, it's about competing priorities. When three urgent issues hit in Week 2, which milestone gets delayed?' Position as strategic triage, not task management. The resistance often comes from equating structure with incompetence. Name that: 'This is what senior people use when the stakes are high enough that forgetting isn't an option.'

Resistance shows up as generic milestones that sound impressive but aren't measurable. 'Advance process improvements' instead of 'complete time-motion study for Line 3.' They'll fill it out to satisfy you, not to use it. Also watch for milestones that assume no obstacles - each week building perfectly on the last. This reveals they're not actually planning; they're performing planning.

Start with obstacles, not milestones. 'Looking at Week 2 - what typically derails this kind of work in your environment?' If they say 'nothing,' you're still in the resistance. Keep going: 'When was the last time a four-week project went exactly as planned?' Once they acknowledge real obstacles, ask: 'How would you build that reality into these milestones?' This shifts from ideal planning to operational planning.

Former corporate project manager who recently launched an independent consulting practice. Has strong delivery skills but no experience with business development. Needs to build a client pipeline while managing current project work. Reports feeling overwhelmed by the shift from employee mindset to entrepreneur mindset and unsure how to structure business development efforts.

Frame this as a pilot program, not a business plan. 'You're testing an approach for four weeks, not committing to a strategy for four months.' New consultants often freeze because business development feels enormous and undefined. Break it into one concrete outcome: 'What would make these four weeks a successful experiment in client development?' The goal should be specific enough to know clearly whether it worked.

New consultants typically set milestones that sound like corporate project phases: 'research target market,' 'develop value proposition.' These are analysis tasks, not business development actions. Look for milestones that involve actual contact with potential clients. If all four weeks are preparation and no outreach, they're using planning as avoidance. The notes column will reveal whether they're learning about their market or just researching.

Start with the action-to-analysis ratio. Count how many milestones involve talking to people versus thinking about talking to people. Then ask: 'What's the earliest week you make contact with a potential client?' If it's Week 4, explore the delay: 'What needs to be true before you're ready to have that conversation?' This reveals whether the preparation is necessary or protective.

Senior engineering team lead at a fast-growing startup who wants to implement better code review processes and technical documentation standards. Reports that every week starts with good intentions but gets consumed by production issues, urgent feature requests, and team support needs. Feels like they're always reactive despite knowing what improvements the team needs.

Position this as capacity planning, not goal setting. 'This isn't about working harder - it's about finding out whether this goal is realistic given your actual environment.' Most technical leaders underestimate interrupt-driven work. Frame the tracker as a diagnostic: 'We'll see whether the goal needs to change or the environment needs to change.' This removes the pressure to succeed and focuses on learning.

Technical leaders often set milestones that assume uninterrupted focus time that doesn't exist in their role. Week 1: 'Draft code review guidelines' assumes they have a four-hour block to write. If milestones don't account for interruptions, they're planning for a different job. Also watch whether they include team input in their milestones - solo technical work often fails because it doesn't account for team adoption.

Start with the interrupt assumption. 'Looking at these milestones - how much uninterrupted time does Week 1 require?' Then compare to their actual calendar reality. The gap reveals the real issue: not poor planning, but role design. Ask: 'What would these milestones look like if you assumed three interruptions per day?' This shifts from personal productivity to systemic problem-solving.