ADHD Planning and Productivity Protocol
A Step-by-Step System to Get Things Done Without Overwhelm
If you’re like me and hundreds of my ADHD clients, you’ve probably experienced the daily frustration of feeling scattered, disorganized, and unable to get things done. The struggle is real—whether it’s procrastination, missed deadlines, or simply losing track of what needs to be done.
You’ve likely tried all the popular solutions: calendars, reminders, to-do lists. But here’s the kicker: Traditional time management methods don’t work for neurodiverse brains like ours. They’re too rigid, too demanding, and often rely on executive functioning skills that we find difficult to access—things like paying attention to small details or staying focused for long periods.
What if I told you there’s a better way? A method designed specifically for ADHD minds that will help you get more done, feel less stressed, and finally get off that hamster wheel of overwhelm?
Introducing the ADHD Productivity and Planning Protocol
Over the years, I’ve developed an eight-step process that has helped hundreds of ADHD adults like you regain control of their time, boost their productivity, and reduce their stress. This system works because it’s designed with the ADHD brain in mind—it’s flexible, practical, and focused on breaking things down into manageable steps.
In this article, I’ll walk you through each of the eight steps, helping you clear the mental clutter, set realistic goals, and create a structure that works for you—not against you.
Step 1: Treat Your Life Like a Business (Identify Your Life Roles)
The first step in the protocol is to zoom out and treat your life like an entrepreneur would treat their business. What do I mean by that? Successful businesses don’t just focus on the day-to-day tasks. Instead, they step back and look at the bigger picture, clearly defining the roles within their company and the outcomes each role needs to achieve.
Your life works the same way.
Think about your various life roles—parent, partner, student, employee, friend, creator, etc. Each of these roles comes with its own set of responsibilities and outcomes. For example, in your home role, your purpose might be to provide a loving environment for your family. In your work role, it might be to help your clients achieve their goals. Whatever the case, identifying these roles is the first step to getting clarity on what’s important to you.
Here’s my personal example:
Home: As a husband and father, my purpose is to create a loving and supportive home environment where my family can thrive.
Work: As a counselor and ADHD coach, my purpose is to guide clients through achieving their personal goals.
Steward: I aim to manage my finances responsibly and protect the environment.
By defining your life roles, you’re laying the foundation for everything that comes next.
Step 2: Create Purpose Statements for Each Role
Once you’ve identified your life roles, the next step is to clarify the purpose of each role. Why is this role important to you? What do you hope to achieve? This is where you define the meaning behind each role and give it direction.
For example, in my role as a creator, my purpose is to express my creativity and grow both personally and professionally. In my spiritual role, I aim to stay connected to my values and faith.
Take a moment to list out your roles and write a purpose statement for each. This will give you a sense of purpose and direction, making it easier to prioritize and manage your time.
Step 3: Set Goals for Each Life Role
Now that you’ve identified your life roles and their purpose, it’s time to get specific about what you want to accomplish in each of these areas.
Ask yourself, “What does success look like for me in this role?”
For example:
In your work role, maybe you want to complete a certification program or help 20 clients by the end of the quarter.
In your home role, maybe your goal is to spend more quality time with your family or improve your communication with your partner.
The key here is to set realistic, achievable goals for each role. These goals will serve as your roadmap, guiding your focus and helping you measure progress.
Step 4: Weekly/Daily Tasks (Clear the Mental Clutter)
Alright, now we’re zooming in.
Up to this point, we’ve been working on the big picture—your life roles and purpose. Now it’s time to start organizing at the weekly and daily level. But before you can do that, we need to address something that every ADHD brain struggles with: mental clutter.
If you’re like me, you probably have dozens (or even hundreds) of tasks, ideas, and worries swimming around in your head. The problem is, our ADHD brains aren’t great at holding onto all that information. We get overwhelmed and paralyzed, not knowing where to start.
The solution? Externalize your thoughts—get everything out of your head and onto paper (or a digital list).
Exercise: Brain Dump
Take a few minutes to do a brain dump. Write down everything that’s on your mind—tasks, worries, ideas, projects. Get it all out.
Once you’ve done that, the next step is to clarify the ideal outcome for each item. For example, if one of your tasks is to “find a new doctor,” your ideal outcome might be, “Book an appointment with a new primary care physician.”
Next, chunk the tasks. Break down larger, overwhelming tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. For example, instead of “write a blog post,” break it down into steps like “outline blog post,” “write first draft,” and “edit post.”
Finally, identify the next action for each task—what’s the smallest, simplest step you can take to move that task forward?
Step 5: Organize Tasks by Life Role
Once you’ve completed your brain dump and clarified the outcome for each task, it’s time to organize your tasks into life role categories. This helps you prioritize and focus your efforts in a way that aligns with your goals.
For example, if you identified a task like “schedule a family vacation,” you would place that under your home role. If you have a task like “prepare for an upcoming work presentation,” that goes under your work role.
You can also create sub-lists for each life role, separating tasks into categories like “to-dos,” “projects,” and “wish lists.” This will give you a clearer picture of what needs to be done in each area of your life.
Step 6: Map Life Roles Onto Your Calendar Using Time Blocking
Now that your tasks are organized, it’s time to map them onto your calendar using time blocking. Time blocking is a method where you dedicate specific blocks of time to certain tasks or roles. It’s an excellent way to ensure that you’re devoting time to all the important areas of your life.
Here’s how to do it:
Block Out Non-Negotiables: Start by adding any events with fixed times—work shifts, classes, school pick-ups, appointments.
Block Out Priorities (Big Rocks): Next, add the non-negotiable priorities in your life—like self-care, exercise, social time, or personal goals.
Map Life Role Tasks: Finally, schedule time blocks for tasks in each of your life role categories.
Keep in mind your personal energy cycles when doing this. If you’re most productive in the morning, schedule your mentally demanding tasks during that time. And remember, time blocking requires flexibility—things come up, plans change. Allow yourself the freedom to adjust.
Step 7: Get Productive: Work on Your Next Steps
When the time comes to work on your tasks, it’s important to focus on deep work—a concept that refers to dedicating focused, uninterrupted time to your most important tasks.
But how do we, as ADHD brains, get into a deep work state?
Try using the Pomodoro Technique. This method breaks your work into 25-minute focused sessions, followed by short breaks. It helps you stay on track without getting overwhelmed.
During your scheduled time blocks, use your task management system (whether that’s a to-do list or folders) to focus on the next smallest step for each task. And here’s a key tip: don’t get caught up in perfectionism. Just take the next action and move forward.
I also recommend using prioritization strategies like the Eisenhower Matrix (urgent vs. important) or the Most Important Task (MIT) method to keep your focus on what truly matters. And remember the Rule of Three: each day, choose just three important tasks to complete. This helps avoid overwhelm and keeps your productivity manageable.
Step 8: Review and Refine
Finally, make time to review and refine your process. At the end of each week, take stock of what worked, what didn’t, and where you can improve.
Did you overstuff your calendar? If so, adjust next week’s schedule to be more realistic.
Were your expectations too high? ADHD brains often overestimate how much we can do in a day, so be kind to yourself and set achievable goals.
Is everything on your calendar in its proper time and place? Make sure each task has a specific time and location assigned to it.
Over time, you’ll refine this system to work even better for you. Consistency is key.
Notes and Best Practices
Don’t Overstuff Your Calendar: Keep it realistic to maintain trust in your schedule.
Set Realistic Expectations: Understand your limits. ADHD minds tend to overestimate.
Everything Needs a Time and Place: Each task must have a specific time and location.
Consistency is Key: Weekly planning and daily reviews are essential.
Understand Your Distractions: Personalize distraction blockers.
Accountability Partner: An accountability partner can keep you on track.
What Works for You: As Tim Ferris says, “It’s better to do the good diet that you’ll stick with than the perfect diet that you won’t.”
Conclusion
The ADHD Productivity and Planning Protocol is a system designed to help you regain control over your time, tackle tasks more efficiently, and reduce stress. By focusing on life roles, purpose statements, and consistent planning, you’ll start to see progress and feel less overwhelmed by the demands of everyday life.
It’s not about perfection—it’s about progress and finding a rhythm that works for your unique brain. Embrace flexibility, celebrate small wins, and know that you have the tools to thrive.
Take a deep breath—you’ve got this.