ADHD and the New Year: Achieving Your Resolutions

Every January, millions of people set New Year's resolutions with genuine hope and determination. Yet by February, most of these goals have fallen by the wayside. For people with ADHD, this pattern can feel even more pronounced, and more frustrating. 2

The reality: traditional resolutions rely heavily on planning ahead, consistency, and delayed rewards — areas that ADHD often makes more difficult.

This article explores why conventional resolutions often fail for people with ADHD, and more importantly, what actually works.

Drawing on current research in ADHD and behavioural psychology, we'll examine strategies for setting achievable goals that align with how ADHD brains function.

Why Traditional New Year's Resolutions Don't Work for People with ADHD

Before we dive into what works, it's important to understand why the standard resolution playbook tends to fail. Traditional resolutions place high demands on executive function, particularly planning, task initiation, and follow-through,

The Planning and Follow-Through Gap

ADHD makes it harder to turn vague intentions into concrete actions. When you set a goal like "get healthier," there's a disconnect between the idea and knowing what to actually do tomorrow morning. Working out the steps, remembering them, and maintaining focus through the boring bits all require cognitive effort that's genuinely more taxing with ADHD.

This challenge compounds when goals are distant. The connection between today's gym session and being fitter in six months feels abstract. Meanwhile, the comfort of staying in bed or the pull of your phone is immediate and tangible.

The Time and Reward Problem

People with ADHD often experience time differently. Estimating how long tasks take, gauging progress towards distant goals, or connecting today's small actions to future outcomes can feel difficult. Three months from now isn't just far away, it barely registers as real.

This intersects with how ADHD brains process rewards. The satisfaction of achieving a goal months away simply doesn't compete with the immediate dopamine hit of something enjoyable right now.

The Novelty Crash

ADHD brains crave stimulation and new challenges. This creates a predictable cycle: you start a resolution with genuine excitement and energy, then interest drops sharply once the novelty wears off and the behaviour becomes routine.

The initial enthusiasm isn't fake, and the later disinterest isn't failure. Your brain is seeking the engagement that new, interesting challenges provide. Traditional resolutions rarely account for this need for ongoing variety, which is why they often get abandoned around week three or four.

Strategies for ADHD Goal Setting

The good news is that when goals are structured with ADHD in mind, they become much more achievable. Here are some strategies:

Make Goals Specific and Measurable

Vague goals leave too many decisions for your future self to figure out. When the moment comes, you're left wondering: What counts as "more organised"? When should I do this? For how long?

Be ruthlessly specific:

• "Walk for 15 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings" instead of "Exercise more"

• "Spend 10 minutes every Sunday evening planning the week" instead of "Get organised"

• "Transfer £50 to savings every payday before spending anything else" instead of "Save money"

When you know exactly what success looks like, you eliminate in-the-moment decision-making.

Start Ridiculously Small

Research on habit formation, including BJ Fogg's behaviour model at Stanford, shows that starting with tiny behaviours is more effective than ambitious ones. For ADHD brains, this is especially crucial because it reduces the activation energy needed to start.

If your ultimate goal is to read more, start with "read one page per day." If you want to meditate, begin with "sit quietly for two minutes." Yes, it feels almost absurdly small. That's the point. You're building the neural pathways of the behaviour itself, not trying to achieve the end goal immediately.

Once the small version becomes automatic (which can take weeks to months, depending on the person and context), you can gradually increase. But many people find that the consistency of the tiny habit matters more than the size of the action.

Build in Immediate Rewards

Given the ADHD brain's preference for immediate gratification, deliberately pair goal-related behaviours with instant rewards. This could mean:

• Only listening to your favourite podcast while exercising

• Enjoying a special coffee or tea after completing your morning routine

• Using a habit-tracking app that provides visual feedback and celebrates streaks

• Sharing your progress with an accountability partner who celebrates with you

The key is to make the reward truly rewarding to you, not what you think you "should" find motivating.

Use Environmental Design, Not Willpower

Relying on willpower or self-discipline sets you up for failure. Instead, design your environment to make the desired behaviour easier and competing behaviours harder. This concept, sometimes called "choice architecture," reduces the burden on executive function.

Practical examples:

• Place your workout clothes next to your bed so they're the first thing you see in the morning

• Delete social media apps from your phone if you want to reduce screen time

• Keep only healthy snacks visible on the counter while storing treats out of sight

• Set up automatic bill payments to avoid late fees

• Use website blockers during focused work periods

The less you have to actively choose the right behaviour in the moment, the more likely you are to succeed.

Embrace Flexibility and Iteration

Traditional goal-setting often treats plans as fixed contracts. For ADHD brains, this rigidity rarely works. Instead, think of your goals as hypotheses to test. If something isn't working after a few weeks, that's valuable data. It's not failure.

Maybe morning exercise doesn't work, but lunchtime walks do. Perhaps tracking every expense is overwhelming, but reviewing weekly summaries is manageable. Give yourself explicit permission to adjust your approach based on what you learn about yourself.

This experimental mindset has an added benefit. It feeds the need for novelty and problem-solving. It turns goal pursuit into an interesting challenge rather than a tedious obligation.

Focus on Systems, Not Just Outcomes

Author James Clear, in "Atomic Habits," distinguishes between outcome-based goals and identity-based habits. For people with ADHD, this reframe can be powerful. Instead of "I want to lose 10 kilograms," try "I'm becoming someone who moves their body regularly."

This shift accomplishes several things. First, it redirects focus from distant outcomes to daily behaviours you can control. Second, it builds a positive identity that reinforces itself. Third, it removes the all-or-nothing thinking that often accompanies outcome goals, where one setback feels like total failure.

Build in External Accountability

ADHD often involves challenges with self-monitoring and maintaining awareness of long-term goals. External accountability can provide the structure that internal motivation alone cannot.

Effective accountability structures might include:

• Regular check-ins with a friend, coach, or ADHD support group

• Body doubling: working alongside someone else, even virtually

• Scheduled appointments: exercise classes, therapy sessions, study groups

The key is finding accountability that feels supportive rather than punitive. You want helpful structure, not additional shame.

Common Pitfalls in ADHD Goal Setting and How to Avoid Them

The "All-or-Nothing" Trap

Many people with ADHD fall into black-and-white thinking: either they're perfectly following their plan, or they've failed completely. Missing one workout becomes "I never stick with anything," which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Combat this by explicitly planning for imperfection. Build "emergency protocols" into your goals. If you miss your planned activity, what's a scaled-back version you can do instead? Even if you can't do your full workout, can you do five minutes? If you can't cook a healthy meal, can you make one healthier choice?

The goal is to maintain the thread of the habit, even if the execution is imperfect. This prevents the total abandonment that often follows a single setback.

Taking On Too Many Goals at Once

The enthusiasm and optimism that often accompany ADHD can lead to overcommitting. You might feel confident you can exercise daily, learn a language, start a side business, organise your entire home, and maintain perfect sleep hygiene, all starting 1 January.

Research on behaviour change is clear: focus on one or two keystone habits at a time. Once these become relatively automatic, you can add more. The timeline varies by person and context, but typically takes weeks to months. Trying to change everything simultaneously overwhelms your executive function and virtually guarantees failure.

Choose the one or two changes that will have the biggest positive impact on your life. Everything else can wait.

Ignoring Your Need for Novelty and Stimulation

If your goal involves doing the exact same thing every day with no variation, you're likely to feel constrained and rebel. Instead of fighting this need for novelty, work with it.

If your goal is to exercise, rotate between different types of activities. If you're building a reading habit, switch genres frequently. If you're trying to eat healthier, explore new recipes and cuisines. The core behaviour stays consistent, but the specifics provide enough variety to stay engaging.

Not Planning for the Motivation Dip

Initial motivation is strong, but it's temporary. Around week three or four, the novelty wears off, and maintaining your new behaviour starts to feel like work. Many people interpret this as a sign that they've failed or that the goal isn't right for them.

This dip is completely normal and predictable. Expect it. Plan for it. This is when your environmental design, accountability structures, and tiny habit size become crucial. The goal is to make the behaviour so easy and so automatic that you can maintain it even when motivation is low.

Key takeaway: The motivation dip doesn't mean failure. It means you need to rely more heavily on the systems you've built.

When to Seek Professional Support

While these strategies can be powerful, sometimes achieving goals requires addressing underlying ADHD symptoms more directly. Consider seeking professional help if:

• You're consistently unable to start or maintain basic self-care behaviours despite trying multiple approaches

• ADHD symptoms are significantly impacting your work, relationships, or quality of life

• You suspect you have ADHD but haven't been formally assessed

• Your current ADHD treatment isn't adequately managing your symptoms

• You're experiencing co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression that make goal-setting more challenging

ADHD coaches, therapists or psychologists specialised in ADHD (particularly those trained in CBT or DBT), and psychiatrists can all play important roles in supporting your goals. Medication, when appropriate, can significantly improve executive function and make implementing these strategies much easier.

Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD and New Year's Resolutions

Why is goal-setting harder with ADHD?

ADHD affects executive functions like planning, task initiation, and sustained attention. These are the same cognitive skills that traditional goal-setting requires, making the process inherently more challenging. Additionally, differences in how the brain processes rewards and time make long-term goal pursuit more difficult.

Are New Year's resolutions bad for people with ADHD?

Not necessarily. The problem isn't resolutions themselves but how they're typically structured. When goals are ADHD-friendly (specific, small, with immediate rewards and environmental support), they can be very effective. The key is adapting the approach to work with your brain rather than against it.

What types of goals work best for ADHD brains?

Goals that are extremely specific, start ridiculously small, include immediate rewards, and rely on environmental design rather than willpower tend to work best. Focus on one or two changes at a time rather than trying to overhaul everything at once. Building in variety and flexibility also helps maintain engagement.

How long does it take to build a habit with ADHD?

The timeline varies significantly by person, context, and the complexity of the habit. While popular culture often cites "21 days," research shows it typically takes weeks to months. For people with ADHD, this can be even longer. The key is focusing on consistency rather than speed, and using external supports to maintain the behaviour until it becomes more automatic.

A Different Approach to New Beginnings

New Year's resolutions don't have to end in failure. When you structure goals to work with your ADHD brain rather than against it, meaningful change becomes possible.

Make goals specific. Start small. Build in immediate rewards. Design your environment thoughtfully. Stay flexible. Create external accountability.

Most importantly, be compassionate with yourself. The fact that you're still trying, still hoping to improve despite years of resolutions that didn't stick—that's resilience. With the right strategies, that resilience can translate into lasting change.

You don't need to become a different person. You just need goals that fit the person you already are.

At Kantoko

We specialise in adult ADHD assessment, diagnosis, and management. If you're exploring whether ADHD might be part of your story this new year, we're here to help.

Ready to take the first step? Get started with us today.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment options.