3 Common Objections To Creating A Daily Routine For ADHD Adults

When you think about creating a daily routine that supports your ADHD, does your brain ever offer thoughts like this?

• Planning takes too long; I just need to get started.
• Why bother planning? It’s not like I follow it anyway.
• Planning stifles my spontaneity; I do so much better when I go with the flow.

If so, you’re certainly not alone.

Whenever I help my clients design their planning process, I often hear a variation on one of these three beliefs.

I get it.

These concerns make sense.

Planning is a taxing activity for our executive functions – especially when we rely on neurotypical approaches that aren’t built for our brains.

But today, I want to offer an alternative perspective.

What if using a plan – or better yet, building a system that works for your brain – could create space for more freedom and flexibility in your day?

What if creating a plan could actually save you time in the long run?

Intrigued? Then I highly recommend checking out episode 187 of the I’m Busy Being Awesome podcast.

In it, we’re talking about the three common objections to scheduling and how we might re-frame these beliefs so you can uncover the level of support your brain needs to thrive.

Then we troubleshoot common obstacles in the planning process and find alternative approaches that help you create a manageable, flexible system for you.

You can listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app here.   

Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for the entire podcast transcript. 

In This Episode, You Will Discover

• The three most common objections to scheduling
• How to reframe these objections and give your brain the level of support it needs to thrive
• Ways to troubleshoot common planning obstacles so you can create a manageable, flexible system for you

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Episode #187: 3 Common Objections To Creating A Daily Routine For ADHD Adults (Transcript) 

Today we’re talking about routines and schedules.

More specifically, we are zooming in on some of the most common objections I hear from clients about why they resist scheduling. So if you find yourself resisting or hesitant about adopting a scheduling process, I think you’ll enjoy this episode.

We’re going to look at this resistance, and then troubleshoot some of the biggest friction points that have many of us feeling a little hesitant when it comes to creating or following a scheduling process.

I also want to let you know my agenda up front; for anyone who feels resistant to scheduling or believes they do much better without any structure or schedule, my goal is to present some alternative perspectives for you to consider. I’m not going to tell you that you have to schedule in one specific way or anything, but I will present some different options.

Based on my experience of working with many different ADHD brains, I’ve found that having some semblance of structure is often highly beneficial when it comes to working with your brain to get things done.

Now for those of you who are already on board and know you like schedules, but there are times when it feels challenging to create a schedule or follow through on it, I’ve got you covered here, too. As I mentioned, we’ll also troubleshoot a few of the most common friction points that can make creating and sticking with a schedule quite challenging.

Why Do ADHD Adults Resist Routines and Scheduling?

So let’s first talk about the reasons why people tend to resist scheduling. What are the most common objections?

1. People Don’t Have Time Or Energy For Routines

One of the main ones I hear from people is they don’t have the time or the energy to create and stick to some sort of scheduling routine.

They have:

• A lot of competing demands on their time and energy
• Work and family responsibilities that seem to take up most of their time
• Feel overwhelmed and unable to focus on creating that schedule because they think there’s just not enough time to do it.

2. Routines Feel Too Overwhelming & Restrictive

Another related yet slightly different reason that I hear from people is the thought of having to plan every aspect of their day and stick to a strict routine is too overwhelming or restrictive.

This makes sense, especially for an ADHD brain.

Many of us struggle with:

• Sequencing and breaking down steps to complete a task
• Navigating time blindness and knowing how long things take
• Prioritization and knowing what’s most important.

Since we use all three of these things in the planning process, it makes sense that we feel this sense of overwhelm at the thought of needing to do it every day…especially when we think we have to create and follow a really strict and detailed schedule.

3. Routines Restrict Freedom, Creativity & Spontaneity

The third reason I hear people resist scheduling is they think having a schedule restricts their freedom, creativity, and their spontaneity.

They view routines as quite rigid and think there’s not enough flexibility to either pursue new interests or activities that present themselves, or that they won’t have time for anything fun since they fill their day with tasks.

Due to this, they have this resistance. They may notice their inner rebel – with a nod to Gretchen Rubin’s 4 tendencies – come out in complete opposition to whatever it is they planned that day.

Alternatively, they may think there’s not enough space for flexibility when you have a job, or certain life circumstances that present more unpredictability, whether you work on call or you have non-negotiable meetings that often pop up unexpectedly, or you’re taking care of young children, etc.

So again, there’s a general belief…

We don’t have the time or energy to create a schedule or routine

We feel too overwhelmed thinking about needing to break down all of the steps and plan it all out

We think having a schedule is entirely too restrictive and it prevents them from living the life they want to live or prevents them from navigating the life they currently have.

Now here’s the deal, I think there is a lot of validity to these thoughts. It makes sense that our brains might resist scheduling if we’ve been trying to do it using one method or one way for so long period it makes sense that we push against structures that may not be built for an ADHD brain.

This is one of the things I want to talk about today…

Many of us – myself included when I first began this process of learning how to work with my brain – try to fit into a neurotypical box.

I tried to get myself to use all the proven productivity strategies, planners, and approaches out there. And I would get really frustrated when none of them would work for me. So if you can relate to that, you’re in good company.

There is Another Approach To Routines That Works Better

I want to suggest that there may be another approach that works better for your brain.

What I’ve found to be true is that when you identify a system or approach to scheduling that works well for you, it becomes one of the best uses of your time, and what’s more, it doesn’t need to take that long.

In fact, you can do it in a couple of minutes if that’s what’s supportive for your brain.

When you find your approach to scheduling, you’re able to:

• Prioritize the tasks that matter most
• Use your time much more effectively because you’re not bouncing back and forth trying to identify the most important thing.
• Plan ahead for certain events so that you don’t feel so caught off guard when things happen.
• Stay focused on your goals, and it also provides this wonderful visual representation of how you are allotting your time each day and week.

Now you probably know all of this already. I’m sure you’ve heard it before. But I also want to offer that when we make space for creating a schedule or a routine, it can actually create space for more freedom and flexibility in your day.

Again, one of the most common objections I hear from people is that creating a schedule is super confining or restrictive.

Today I want to suggest that the opposite is actually true.

When you set aside a little time to plan your tasks, activities, and projects in advance, you create so much more space for flexibility throughout the day because you know what’s coming up and when it’s happening.

Plus, you can create intentional free time in your schedule to do whatever you want to do at that moment.

You can build in space for that freedom, flexibility, and spontaneity.

When you intentionally create space for this in your schedule, you can help ease that anxious part of your brain that might otherwise be thinking, “I should be working right now. I should be doing this thing or that thing. I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing.” Instead, you can remind yourself, “It’s okay, brain. I left space for this. There is time for it.” Which, in turn, allows you to be in the moment fully and enjoy that time.

Plus, when you spend a few minutes planning, you also help reduce decision fatigue later on down the line. Rather than using up all of your executive functions simply trying to make decisions in the moment, you can take care of your future self by mapping things out and deciding ahead of time what you want to do.

That way, when you sit down to get started, you only have to manage your mind around getting started rather than dealing with both deciding what to do and getting started. Again, we’re reducing friction. We are reducing those roadblocks that might get in the way of moving forward on the things we want to do.

So hopefully, this all makes sense because now I’d like to look more closely at these three main reasons why we resist scheduling and troubleshoot some of the main obstacles in the way.

A Deeper Look Into Routines & Common Objections

Scheduling takes Too Long

Let’s look first at the belief that scheduling takes too long.

Maybe your brain thinks that scheduling is way too time-consuming of a task, or it requires too much decision-making, as we just mentioned.

Maybe you often think to yourself, “I’ve made schedules in the past, but it took forever. It’s so much faster to just get started on the thing. I don’t have time to plan.”

Whenever I hear thoughts like this, I’m reminded of a quote from Eisenhower, which is,

“Plans are worthless, but planning is priceless.”

I really like this quote because it suggests how incredibly powerful and valuable the act of planning is in and of itself.

When you make time for planning, you give yourself the gift of intentionally deciding how you want to spend your time.

In fact, even if you don’t follow it, you’re giving some attention to deciding how much time you want to allocate to different activities or projects. And you’re reminding yourself of the different upcoming projects and meetings in the days ahead. Plus, when you make time to plan, you also have the space to anticipate and plan for any obstacles or roadblocks that may come up along the way.

By making time to plan, you help your mind clarify what’s actually important while also stepping back to see the big picture of how you are budgeting your time.

When you look at your schedule, you can ask yourself, “is there time for rest or play or connection with friends and family in there?” If not, do we want to make any adjustments?

So yes, it may take longer to plan in the short term than simply diving in and getting started on your work. However, in the long run, it’s actually saving you time by allowing you to be more intentional about where you focus your attention rather than haphazardly deciding in the moment what to do next.

Now I would also get curious about the belief that planning takes too long generally.

• Is this actually true?
• What does too long mean?
• If you are spending more hours planning than you are executing those plans, then we may want to reassess. But if your brain resists 5 minutes to plan the day ahead or 10 to 15 minutes to plan out the week ahead, you might ask yourself,…

• Is this really too long? Is this actually true?
• Is it true that 5 minutes is too long? How might the opposite be true?
• How might it be true that if I didn’t have a plan, it would take me longer to do the same amount of work?

I think about learning how to plan, like trying out a new recipe for the first time. Yes, it will take longer the first few times you make it. But before you know it, you’ll have all of the steps down, and you’re moving seamlessly from one thing to the next.

One other angle that I would recommend looking at if you think it takes too long is to ask yourself…

• What part of the planning process feels especially clunky?
• What specific part of planning do I think takes too long?

By zooming in on the one or two specific parts of the planning process that you don’t like, you can begin troubleshooting and finding workarounds that seem more approachable for you. If you feel stuck, definitely come join us in We’re Busy Being Awesome where we figure out your personalized approach to planning that works best for you.

I Never Stick With My Plans, So Why Bother?

Alright, now let’s look at the next reason many people resist planning, which is the belief they never stick with it anyway.

Maybe they’ve set plans in the past, and due to feeling overwhelmed, not having the motivation, or not leaving themselves enough time to do the work, they have a hard time sticking with the plan they made. So they’ve developed the belief, what’s the point in planning when I never stick with it anyway?

I first highly recommend questioning your thought that you can’t stick with a plan. Is that actually true?

• Is it true that you’ve never stuck with a plan?
• Have you ever gone to work or school?
• Did you pick up your kid from school?
• Have you ever attended a meeting?
• Have you ever celebrated a holiday?

If so, you’ve stuck with a plan. So we know you can; now we just want to find the approach that’s best for you.

Maybe the only way you’ve ever tried scheduling for yourself is by creating a highly structured time-blocked schedule with every hour of the day accounted for. Your brain doesn’t like that much structure, so it didn’t feel supportive. Or maybe you mapped out your week so you knew generally what you wanted to get done each day, but you didn’t have a sense of direction in terms of priorities, so you felt a little lost.

If you resist scheduling because you think you can’t stick with it, I invite you to challenge that belief and step into the iteration process.

Are you willing to:

• Try different approaches?
• Experiment with different levels of structure to see what works best for you?
• Figure out what feels supportive and what seems unnecessary as you find your perfect combination of scheduling?

When you can encourage your brain to open up to experimentation and possibility rather than making scheduling an all-or-nothing approach that either works or doesn’t, you are much more likely to find YOUR approach that feels best for you.

Schedules & Routines Feel Too Restrictive

The third category of reasons I often hear from people when they resist scheduling is they find the process too restrictive.

They think that schedules limit the amount of flexibility and spontaneity they can have in their life. They think that schedules limit opportunities to do something different or unexpected, and can make it harder to take advantage of new opportunities that come up or unexpected changes in the day-to-day.

Often within this reasoning, I will hear people share that they feel a sense of rebellion against the schedule. Once it’s written, they don’t want to do it.

All of these reasons are, again, very valid. However, rather than telling me that this person is not one for scheduling, it instead tells me that this person is one who would likely do well with a rather flexible routine.

If you notice yourself resisting a schedule because it feels too restrictive or you find yourself rebelling against it, I would ask yourself:

• What do I think the process of scheduling should look like?
• Do I think there’s a right way and a wrong way to schedule?
• Do I think my schedule needs to be quite rigid and unbending?

This is valuable information to gather. There are so many different ways that we can introduce fluidity to the process of scheduling.

Tips To Create A Schedule & Routine For Adults With ADHD

Identify 5 things that you’d like to complete for work each week

Then you get to decide when you get those five things done, whether it’s one thing per day or three things on Thursday and two things on Friday. You get to choose.

If you’re a person who prioritizes flexibility or spontaneity, can you build into your schedule lots of hours for that adventure and fun that you want while pairing that with the things you’d like to get done?

This doesn’t mean that you have to be spontaneous at 12:00 on Tuesday. Rather, it means that you’ve planned for the correct number of hours in your schedule – you didn’t over plan too much work – so that you can have time for spontaneity when it arises.

Similarly, if you have an unpredictable work schedule, for example, maybe you can only count on 4 hours per week that you have control over, and the rest is unexpected. No problem. Plan those four hours a way that feels good and supportive for your objectives. Then if you want to, you might create a list of other projects and tasks on the back burner should you have the time and space to do it.

Write Tasks on Paper & Put them Into A Jar

If you’re a person who resists or rebels against scheduling, maybe you write your projects and tasks on slips of paper and throw them in a hat or a jar, and you pull them out when it’s time to work.

All of these different approaches count as scheduling; you are making intentional time to think ahead about what you want to do and then giving yourself the space to do those tasks at a time that works for you.

So rather than completely writing off planning altogether, what would it look like to iterate and play around with different options until you find the level of flexibility that works best for your schedule and your brain?

Final Thoughts

If you’re a person who finds yourself…

• Struggling to stick with the schedule
• thinking, scheduling takes too long, it’s faster if I start now
• Wondering what’s the point in scheduling when I never stick with it anyway?
• Assuming routines are way too restrictive; they prevent me from living spontaneously and block my creativity

… I invite you to pause.

Question these stories.

Are they actually true?

• How might the opposite be true?
• How might having some level of structure actually help you save time and follow through on your plans?
• Could creating a routine and schedule create more freedom and flexibility within your day?

With whatever approach you try, remember to embrace the iteration process. Give yourself that gift of experimentation. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Every time you try and things don’t go exactly as planned; nothing has gone wrong. Instead, it’s a chance to learn something new about yourself and what works best for you. So make note of that, and then try again.

Alright, my friends, that’s going to do it for us this week. If you’re ready to take the concepts you’ve learned on the podcast and apply them to your life. If you’re ready to learn how to support your ADHD in a way that works for YOU within a small, supportive community in We’re Busy Being Awesome.

Also, have you grabbed my free ebook called 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain? It is filled with actionable strategies that you can use today to help you reduce your overwhelm, reclaim your time, and get things done. To get your copy, sign up HERE!

Until next time, keep being awesome. I’ll talk with you soon.