I’m not sure if this is part of the vanilla ADHD experience or if it is partially (or even mostly) the information overload landscape we now live in but:

Every time I set a serious goal such as losing a certain amount of weight or reaching a reading milestone every week, I utilize my note system to confirm it’s on my to-do list and get reminders from my calendar as well as reminders app to check in with it.

The problem is, by necessity my notes have to also be the destination for my random one-off ideas and brain dumps, not to mention being an archive for the graveyard of previous goals. The alternative is to not save this stuff at all and let a potentially good idea fly away forever. I stick to one short main digital note for the serious stuff and the literal to-do list, but in situations where either my phone or physical pad is not available I have to use the other as a temporary buffer and consolidate the notes to their correct locations later (I prefer digital thru phone for tasks and referential info and physical writing for journaling).

These temporary solutions have become the standard and I never remember where my actual goals are anymore. The calendar is okay but I’m usually out of the house when a reminder hits, and I’m definitely forgetting that by the time I get home.

I could liberate myself from this prison of my own making by forsaking every note of mine to the abyss and starting over, which sounds very spiritually attuned but I worry that I will simply create the same situation again by not addressing the root cause (my brain, forgetfulness, perfectionism, and habit structure, I could have LBS for all I know creating the brain fog in the first place as I haven’t had a blood panel in 5 years)

I could also pick one goal and stick with it in a critical disciplinary tough love sort of way until a single habit such as the gym sticks. I’ve actually done this before with the aforementioned as well as certifications for my job on a separate occasion. This tends to be my go-to, however some “emergency” usually wipes the importance I’m ascribing to the single habit such as a new debt collections letter or some car issues., making that transient situation the new active habit of militaristic focus.

By the time I get it sorted I’ve either forgotten my original goal or otherwise consider using the layover as a mulligan for something new that I now think is more important :|

So yeah these are the dilemmas, just want to know if y’all relate or want to share your own stories. Peace