How To Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan: Tips for ADHD Brains

Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, all you need to do is plan your work and then work your plan” — like it’s the easiest thing in the world? I was listening to a productivity podcast recently, and one of the guests tossed out that line like it was just common sense. So casual. So flippant.

And while I certainly don’t think it was intentional, it also came across as super dismissive of other people’s experiences.

After hearing them toss out this advice, I felt this rush of emotion — part disbelief, part indignation, and definitely a strong “excuse me?” moment.

For so many of us with ADHD, that second part — work your plan — isn’t always quite so simple.

It’s not that we don’t want to follow through or that we’re not motivated – but it doesn’t take into account an ADHD brain’s struggle with executive functions. Instead, it often churns up perfectionism, inner criticism, and all-or-nothing thinking. And this is what shuts us down.

This motto is so darn catchy: ‘plan your work and work your plan’. I think there’s something about it that could work for us as long as we intentionally redefine what working your plan means for an ADHD brain.

And that’s what we’re talking about today on Episode 317 of the I’m Busy Being Awesome podcast… how we can take this old-school productivity phrase and reshape it into something that actually supports our brains.

Let’s get into it.

Listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app. Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for a summary of the key takeaways.

In Episode 317 You Will Discover:

• How to adapt your approach when your executive functions decide to take an unscheduled vacation
• Why the traditional interpretation of “working your plan” can actually set ADHD brains up for failure
• 4 helpful tips to work your plan – the ADHD friendly way

How To Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan: Advice for ADHD Brains (Transcript)

Let’s talk about this phrase: “Plan your work and work your plan.”

It’s one of those classic productivity mantras that sounds neat and tidy. Like if we just sit down, map out our goals, and then follow the plan step-by-step, everything will fall into place.

If we lived in a perfect world where nothing ever changed or evolved, perhaps that could be true. But we don’t.

Now, believe me. I get the appeal of both the phrase AND the concept! It’s rhythmic. It feels structured. It gives off that satisfying vibe of certainty for the brain saying something like, “Ah, that’s all I need to do. Excellent. No problem.”

However, when we look at the phrase through the lens of ADHD, that second half — “work your plan” — is where things can start to unravel.

You see, many of us are quite good at planning. In fact, I’ve heard from and worked with several of you who — like me — will find yourself procrastiworking WITH planning. “Procrastiplanning”.

We might spend hours mapping out a beautiful color-coded calendar, outlining our steps, setting reminders… maybe even reworking the plan a few times for good measure. But then?

Life happens.

• Our executive function crashes
• The dopamine just isn’t there
• Or something seemingly small knocks us out of flow.

Suddenly, the plan we were excited about at the beginning of the week, or last night, or five minutes ago, feels completely out of reach.

This is where traditional productivity advice tends to miss >> It assumes that all brains can follow a plan linearly — like a machine — without fail.

It doesn’t account for the real barriers ADHD brains face:

• Time blindness
• An unpredictable struggle with task initiation
• Unreliable motivation
• Big emotions that can derail us when the plan no longer seems possible

So we scrap the old one and start over — hoping the next version will magically fix everything.

And the cycle continues.

The Biggest Obstacle to Working Your Plan

I don’t think the problem is that we’re inherently bad at following plans. I think one of the biggest obstacles is that our traditional interpretation of “work your plan” is way too rigid.

It frames the plan as something static — like a test we either pass or fail. And for ADHD brains, that rigidity often backfires. It doesn’t support how we move through the world.

I always come back to the importance of finding the right level of structure for your brain, specifically in this particular season of life.

Most of us don’t thrive in that incredibly rigid level of structure, which means we must rethink what ‘working the plan’ means to us. Because I don’t think we need to throw out this phrase entirely.

Reframing The Concept of “Working Your Plan”

What if…

• Working your plan didn’t mean “follow it perfectly”?
• It didn’t mean forcing yourself to stick to a rigid timeline, no matter what?
• Instead, it meant staying in relationship with the plan — checking in with it, adjusting it, re-engaging with it — based on what’s happening in real life?

This shift is what I want to explore today because once you begin redefining what working a plan could actually mean for your brain, that’s when everything can change.

What if working the plan meant tending to it regularly, staying curious about what’s working and what’s not, and adjusting based on the real-time conditions of our life?

a real-life example…

This past quarter, I scheduled my Q2 retreat — a few days away to reflect on how things are going in my business and life, and to look ahead to the second half of the year.

I had the whole thing planned out. The first full day was going to be big-picture business strategy. Mapping out podcast episodes, launch calendars, group program timing — all the executive function-heavy tasks. I was ready.

But here’s what happened: I barely slept the first night at the hotel. There were huge storms rolling through, and I think I got maybe a couple of hours of sleep total.

Let me tell you — I immediately wanted to throw out the entire plan. Just pack up, call it a loss, and go home. Honestly – I was mapping out my new plan to do just that as I was lying awake at 3:30 in the morning — totally catastrophising.

The next morning I noticed my all-or-nothing thinking. I paused, made my tea and checked in with my brain. This is when I realized that while my brain was not in a great state for intense “calendar and logistics” mode. It WAS in prime condition for divergent, spacious, creative reflection mode.

So rather than throwing in the towel since I couldn’t “work the plan” that I’d originally made, I shifted the plan.

Instead of powering through the strategic tasks, I leaned into personal reflection >> I did deep self-coaching. I explored some of the mindset areas I’ve been working through.

And the next day, after a good night’s sleep, I came back to the logistics. And they flowed.

That is what it means to work the plan. Do not abandon it, or force it, but tend to it. Adjust it as needed to meet us where we are, to let it support you instead of trapping you.

That’s what I invite us to consider when we think about planning the work and working the plan.

4 Tips To “Work Your Plan” When You Have ADHD

So now that we’ve explored this reframe, what does it look like in practice?

What does it mean to “work your plan” when we’re not in a perfect state of focus, whether the day goes sideways, or our executive functions decide not to show up for work?

This is a process… It’s not something you do once and forget. It’s something you come back to and adjust based on the conditions of the day. So with that in mind, let’s think about working our plan through the same lens.

Here are a few tips.

1. Adjust your schedule when your energy shifts

Some days we wake up ready to go. Other days… not so much.

Working the plan might mean swapping tasks around: Doing the lower-effort version. Letting a rest block be the next step. We’re still engaged with the plan — we’re just choosing the version that matches the day. And we might need to move things around. That’s okay.

2. Let Go of All-Or-Nothing Thinking

You know those moments when your brain starts spiraling, “Ugh, I didn’t follow the plan this morning, so the whole day is ruined.”

Working the plan means noticing those thoughts and pulling them up gently, with kindness.

Reframing them into something more supportive, like “This moment isn’t going how I pictured, but the day’s not over. I can still check in and pick a next step.”

You could even return to my strategy of the Next 5 Reset from episode 311.

3. Tune Into Internal & External Factors

If you’re running on poor sleep, overstimulation, a packed emotional load — that’s your internal weather forecast.

Or maybe the kids are homesick, the meeting ran over, the plan got hijacked.

When we check the weather, we’re making informed choices, not blaming ourselves for being off-track.

4. Use tools That Help Your ADHD Brain Thrive

This might mean grabbing a body double for accountability.

• Using a timer to jumpstart your focus.
• Setting a visual cue to remember your intention.

Sometimes we need a boost, so do our brains. This doesn’t mean we’re failing; it means we’re being resourceful.

Note: This type of planning may appear less structured. It may seem more complex to your brain, especially if it’s a new approach. But in reality? It’s often more supportive, because it works with how our brains function in that moment — not against it.

We need to know what to anticipate and expect that things will inevitably shift. It’s not about abandoning structure altogether… It’s about finding the right kind of structure.

Final thoughts

As we wrap up today, I want to leave you with this…

• You don’t have to scrap your plan just because it’s not going perfectly.
• You don’t have to start over every time your energy shifts or life throws a curveball.
• Instead, I invite you to stay in a relationship with your plan.

Check in with it. Tend to it. Let it evolve with you.

This is where real growth happens; not in perfectly executed routines, but in the ongoing practice of showing up, adjusting, and supporting yourself as you go.

A Reflection for The Week Ahead

What part of your current plan might need some focus?

• Is there an area that needs updating?
• Something that needs a little more time to develop?

You don’t have to overhaul everything. 👉 Just pick one small thing to revisit — and work with it.

That’s working your plan.

👉 Want to take these concepts further and apply them to your life? Learn more about how we can work together with my small group coaching program, “We’re Busy Being Awesome,” and one-on-one coaching.

✨ Do you have my free time blocking workbook? It comes with quick tips for time blocking your way – with your preferred level of structure + 7 days of templates to practice throughout the week. Access the workbook here!

Resources From This Episode:

• Episode 311: How to Restart Your Day with the Next 5 Reset
• Get your time blocking workbook here

More ADHD Resources:

• Discover my favorite ADHD resources
• Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain
• Access the I’m Busy Being Awesome Planning System
• Get the I’m Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
• Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp

Links From The Podcast

• Get the top 10 tips to work with your ADHD brain (free ebook!)
• Discover my favorite ADHD resources
• Get the I’m Busy Being Awesome Planning System
• Get the I’m Busy Being Awesome Podcast Roadmap
• Take my free course, ADHD Routine Revamp