Set clear monthly intentions across work, health, and home with an ADHD-friendly guided template built on evidence-based coaching structure.
Before the month starts, it's worth taking stock of what you actually want from it across each major area of your life. This planner structures that visioning across eight domains.
A 34-year-old marketing director diagnosed with ADHD six months ago. Recently promoted but feeling overwhelmed by the executive demands while trying to implement new systems for personal organization. Thinks the problem is time management but keeps abandoning planning tools after a few weeks.
Frame this as a monthly check-in system, not another planning tool to master. 'Most planning assumes you know what you want across all areas. ADHD brains often hyperfocus on urgent domains and lose track of the rest. This maps what's actually getting your attention versus what you want attention on.' Expect resistance to domains without clear metrics or deadlines.
Career and Finance sections fill quickly with detailed prose. Health, Spirituality, and Recreation get single words or remain blank. Client may rush through 'soft' domains or ask if they can skip ones that 'don't apply.' Time spent per domain reveals where cognitive energy actually goes versus stated priorities.
Start with domain length comparison. 'Read me your Career section, then your Health section.' The contrast is the conversation starter. Ask: 'What would it look like if Health got the same level of detail as Career?' Then: 'What stops that from happening?' This moves from awareness to system design.
If client fills only work-related domains and leaves personal domains entirely blank, this may signal identity fusion with role or avoidance of personal needs. Severity: moderate. Continue coaching but explore whether the client has permission to want things outside professional achievement.
A 42-year-old management consultant eligible for partnership but hasn't submitted application materials for two promotion cycles. Extremely successful with clients, travels constantly, says they want work-life balance but takes on more projects. Presents as needing help with boundaries and delegation.
Position as a decision-making tool, not a visioning exercise. 'Before we work on boundaries, let's see what you actually want your life to look like if the boundaries worked.' The Career domain will reveal whether partnership is genuinely desired or an assumed next step. Expect detailed client work descriptions but vague partnership language.
Career section focuses entirely on current client projects with minimal mention of partnership track. Love and Relationships sections may be sparse or focused on maintaining current state rather than growth. Recreation section often contains aspirational activities client never actually does. Client may spend 10+ minutes on Career and under 2 minutes on Personal Growth.
Start with what's missing from Career section. 'You wrote three paragraphs about client work and one sentence about partnership. What does that tell you?' Then move to Recreation: 'You wrote down activities you never do. What would you actually choose if you had a free Saturday?' The gap between stated desires and resource allocation is the real conversation.
If client cannot articulate any personal desires outside work performance and maintaining relationships, this may indicate deeper avoidance of personal agency or fear of disappointing others. Severity: moderate. Explore whether the client knows what they want versus feeling obligated to want partnership.
A 38-year-old tech founder whose company was acquired three months ago. Financially set but contractually obligated to stay for two years in a VP role. Struggling with loss of autonomy and unclear about what comes next. Thinks they need help adjusting to corporate culture but seems depressed.
Frame as identity mapping rather than goal setting. 'Acquisition changes everything about how you relate to work and money. This tool helps separate what you thought you wanted as a founder from what you actually want now.' The Finance domain will likely feel strange to fill out.
Finance section may be blank or contain only obligation language ('pay off parents' mortgage'). Career section focuses on what they can't do rather than what they want to do. Health and Relationships sections may reveal years of neglect. Client may express guilt about having 'first world problems' or minimize the transition difficulty.
Start with the blank or thin sections. 'You built a company but left Finance mostly empty. What's that about?' Then: 'What did you sacrifice for the startup that you might want back?' The conversation is about reclaiming domains that were deprioritized, not just planning the next venture.
If client expresses no desires in any domain and focuses only on obligations or others' expectations, this may indicate depression or identity crisis beyond normal transition stress. Severity: high. Consider whether client needs therapeutic support alongside coaching for the identity reconstruction process.
A 45-year-old operations manager returning to work after 8 months of medical leave for cancer treatment. Physically cleared to work but struggling to re-engage with previous priorities and routines. Company has been supportive but client feels disconnected from their pre-illness goals and relationships.
Present as a recalibration tool, not a recovery plan. 'Medical leave changes your relationship to everything - work, time, what matters. This isn't about getting back to where you were; it's about mapping where you are now.' Health domain will be complex. Expect some domains to feel irrelevant or overwhelming.
Health section may be clinical and focused on maintenance rather than growth. Career section might lack energy or contain 'should' language about returning to previous performance. Spirituality section often gets unexpected attention. Client may apologize for 'not being ambitious enough' or compare current capacity to pre-illness state.
Start with the domain that got the most authentic attention - often not Career. 'Spirituality has more detail than anything else. What opened up there?' Then: 'What would it mean to honor this new perspective in your work life?' The integration question is how post-illness values translate to daily choices.
If client shows no interest in any domain or expresses that 'nothing matters anymore,' this may indicate depression or complicated grief about their pre-illness life. Severity: moderate to high. Assess whether client has processed the identity impact of their medical experience and consider referral for additional support.
ADHD adult who feels chronically drained but can't identify what's taking their energy
ADHDA client's sleep is poor and it's affecting executive function the next day
ADHDADHD adult who feels flat and unmotivated and suspects their baseline reward system has been numbed by screens
