ADHD and SMART Strategies for the New Year

Posted: December 31, 2024

Everyone with ADHD is different. Goal setting associated with ADHD, in general, could appear similar for many youths and adults with ADHD. People with ADHD and their families may want the individual with ADHD to work on interrupting less often, keeping their space cleaner and more organized, being on time, and having success in keeping track of their belongings.

Most of the time, it seems that people with ADHD have difficulties with working on goals that are non-preferred, seem overwhelming, are not linked to a personal goal, and are ambiguous. SMART Goals are the way to address these difficulties and increase the likelihood of success in implementing strategies for the new year.

In previous blog posts, we have discussed the importance of SMART Goals; however, it is important to review the factors associated with them.

SMART Goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based

Specific: This is the who, what, where, when, and how of the goal. The more specific the goal, the better.
Measurable: How will success be measured? Use concrete numbers over the course of short, medium, and long intervals. For example, specify the number of times per day, week, and month associated with the goal.
Attainable: Develop a goal that is achievable. (Consistency may start off as once a month or once a week, prior to moving the goal to daily, if applicable.)
Relevant: Choose a goal that may help improve multiple areas of a person's life, including functioning in the home, work, school, social, and community settings. Consider starting to work on the goal in the easiest setting first. Be very specific.
Time-based: Set a goal for achieving consistency along the way. Rather than making up numbers, get an idea of the baseline behavior. Consider how often the person with ADHD currently engages in this behavior successfully. Understand that adjustments can be made with time, depending on the amount of success and consistency with working on the goal, including the maintenance of the goal as continuing to be attainable and relevant to the person with ADHD.

If after developing goals that meet these criteria, the person with ADHD still does not feel like they would be successful, then it is likely there are one or more of the following issues:

The goals are not associated with something in which the person with ADHD is personally motivated to achieve.
The goal is non-preferred for the individual with ADHD, and is something others have communicated they would like to see the person achieve.
The goal is too ambiguous, in that it may need to be broken down into more specific steps or the person with ADHD may need help with organizing the methods to work towards the goal.
The goal might seem realistic for others but may seem overwhelming for the person diagnosed with ADHD.

After considering these factors and revising the goals, determine if the person with ADHD feels they would be successful. Goals can be revised to meet these criteria as necessary. This also means checking in with the person with ADHD for feedback to determine what is working and what needs to be modified.