How I fooled my ADHD into letting me plan my life

Hey there, Curious George (or Georgina)!

Are you wondering what 2023 has in store for you?

Or better yet, are you the type of person who likes to plan and set goals?

If you answered yes, read on! I have a link to an amazing Planner for you at the end of this post.

Admittedly, I am not a planner. And I am a planner. It’s complicated.

Things I forget to plan for:

Meals

• Result: Everybody loves Raymond Triscuits, right? 

Plots

• Result: I’m currently writing about a serial killer and the twists and turns are making my head spin. (AND I’M THE ONE WRITING THE STORY.)

Fridays

• Result: A day without meetings is like a day without distractions. Sometimes I get more done on a Friday than any other day of the week. This includes deadlines, uninterrupted writing spurts, and laundry.

Things I absolutely MUST plan for:

Wine fridge inventory

• Result: Peace of mind. (Can you imagine a house WITHOUT WINE? I can’t even.)

Most weekdays

• Result: When I plan my days the evening before, I wake up and know exactly what I must accomplish that day. It’s just easier than waking up and scratching my ass, thinking, “Why am I even HERE?” (And by HERE, I mean alive. On this planet.)

Hair appointments

• Result: I no longer have to look in the mirror and listen to my grey roots yell at me. Sounds petty but it’s kinda awesome. (Confrontations make me uncomfortable.)

The way I see it, to plan or not to plan is simply a matter of knowing your strengths and weaknesses. I have writer friends who would have kittens if they let their main character drive the story. For me, the serial killer lives in my head. I’m just a channel sitting in the back seat and enjoying the ride.

Disclaimer: I can’t work on this story at night. It’s usually early mornings or weekends for this one.

But enough about me. Let’s get back to you and what 2023 may or may not have in store for you.

How many January 1sts have you said, “THIS IS GOING TO BE MY YEAR.”

Only to end the year saying, “F*CK YOU, YEAR. YOU’RE STUPID. I DIDN’T WANT YOU ANYWAY.”

Shitty things do happen to good people. That’s an unfortunate fact of life.

In the same vein, lucky things happen to people who plan. At least a little. (Or so I’ve heard.)

And inquiring minds (okay, mine) want to know. What are you planning for this year? What do you want to accomplish in 2023?

2023. Holy crap. That DOES sound like we’re in the future, doesn’t it? (Just me? Never mind. It’s just that I remember when the 1990s felt like the future. Now the 90s are over twenty… I SAID NEVER MIND.)

Okay so let’s not let yet ANOTHER YEAR go by where we wake up in three years and realize that we have the same damn goals. 

What. Is. Wrong. With. Us???

My goals for 2023.

• Stay healthy.
• Write another book.
• Clean out the fridge.

Don’t judge me. Long lists overwhelm me.

What are your goals for 2023? Let us (okay me) know in the comments.

Oh! And before you do, here’s that link I promised you. It’s for the Mudra Life Planner.

A little info about this planner. It was designed by a very sweet friend of mine, Annabelle Gauthier, who has ADHD. She’s the genius behind the Mudra Life Planner and originally created it for herself. 

When she realized that it was helping her achieve her goals, she knew that others could also benefit from it. And TA-DUMMM! This is year two for the Mudra Life Planner. Obviously, it’s helping people achieve their goals. *insert big, fat proud-of-my-friend grin*

PS. This is not an ad.

PPS. Don’t forget to let us (okay me) know what your goals are for 2023 in the comments. Let’s keep each other accountable.

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Mona Andrei is an award-winning humor blogger, columnist, and author. In her most recent book, SUPERWOMAN: A Funny and Reflective Look at Single Motherhood, she shares her challenges and triumphs as a single mother as well as stories from other single mothers. 

Mona is also the host of the Single Moms with Moxie podcast.
When Mona isn’t writing or interviewing single mothers, you can probably find her dancing. As a member of a competitive hip hop team, she likes to think that she’ll stay young and cool forever. She may be delusional.