Setting your vision for the year doesn’t need to be a daunting, complicated process. In fact, with the right tools and mindset, you can create a clear vision for your business that aligns with your goals and aspirations. This is especially important if you’re managing ADHD because clarity and structure can be game-changers for your success. That’s why I’m here to guide you on this journey to finding your vision for the year ahead.
In this post, we’re going to break down two key aspects of success: defining your business goals for the next 12 months and learning time management strategies tailored specifically to female entrepreneurs with ADHD. We’ll explore how to set realistic, achievable goals that align with your personal values and ambitions, and how to manage your time and energy in a way that works for you. By the end, you’ll have a roadmap to help you thrive over the next 12 months and beyond.
Part 1: Define Your Business Goals for the Next 12 Months
When you’re building a business that’s meant to create fulfillment and freedom, your goals need to reflect more than just revenue targets or arbitrary milestones. They need to resonate with your values and vision, ensuring that the steps you take are meaningful, purposeful, and energizing.
1. Reconnect with Your “Why”
Before you start defining your goals, take a step back and reflect on the bigger picture. Why did you start your business in the first place? What drove you to take this path? It’s easy to lose sight of your “why” in the hustle of daily tasks, but your “why” is the foundation of everything.
Here are some questions to help you reconnect with your purpose:
- What motivated you to start your business? Think about what sparked your initial excitement and passion.
- What brings you the most joy and fulfillment in your business? Is it creating impact for your clients, building something meaningful, or the flexibility it offers your family life?
- What aspects of your business feel most aligned with your personal values? Consider where your business intersects with your lifestyle, family priorities, and personal growth.
- How do you want your life to look a year from now? Envision not just business success, but also how you want your daily life to feel. This is important because your business should serve your life, not the other way around.
By taking the time to reflect on these questions, you’ll have a clearer sense of purpose, making it easier to define your goals in a way that feels aligned with your overall vision.
2. Identify Your Key Focus Areas
Once you’ve reconnected with your “why,” it’s time to break down your vision into more specific goals. But here’s the thing: trying to focus on everything at once is a recipe for burnout, especially for entrepreneurs with ADHD. That’s why I recommend identifying 3-5 key focus areas for the year.
These focus areas will serve as the pillars that guide your goal-setting. Some examples of key focus areas include:
- Revenue and Profitability: How much revenue do you want to generate in the next year? What specific financial goals will help you achieve personal freedom and stability for your family?
- Client and Customer Growth: How do you want to expand your customer base? Do you want to attract a specific type of client or enter a new market?
- Product or Service Development: Are there new products or services you want to launch? Maybe you’re looking to refine your current offerings to better serve your audience.
- Personal Development and Learning: Entrepreneurship is an ongoing learning process. What skills or knowledge do you want to develop? Whether it’s learning more about marketing, improving your leadership abilities, or mastering a new tech tool, personal growth is key.
- Work-Life Balance and Self-Care: Many entrepreneurs start businesses for flexibility but end up feeling overwhelmed. How can you set boundaries, protect your mental health, and create time for what truly matters to you?
Once you’ve chosen your focus areas, it’s time to set specific, actionable goals within each. Aim for 1-2 goals per focus area to keep things manageable.
3. Set SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound)
Now that you’ve identified your focus areas, it’s time to break those down into concrete, actionable goals using the SMART framework:
- Specific: Your goals should be clear and well-defined. Vague goals like “I want to grow my business” don’t provide a clear roadmap. Instead, aim for something like, “I want to increase my client base by 20% by the end of Q3.”
- Measurable: How will you know when you’ve achieved your goal? Define success in measurable terms. For example, you might say, “I want to bring in 50 new clients over the next 12 months.”
- Achievable: Be realistic about what you can accomplish given your time, energy, and resources. Setting overly ambitious goals can set you up for failure and frustration.
- Relevant: Your goals should align with your broader vision and business objectives. Avoid chasing shiny new trends that don’t fit your core mission.
- Time-Bound: Set a deadline for your goals. This adds urgency and accountability, helping you stay focused and motivated.
4. Reverse Engineer Your Goals
Many entrepreneurs with ADHD struggle with breaking big dreams into actionable steps. This is where reverse engineering your goals can be a game-changer. Once you’ve set your SMART goals, work backward to determine the smaller steps you need to take to achieve them.
For example, if your goal is to launch a new course by June, here’s how you can break it down:
- By May: Complete course content and finalize marketing materials.
- By April: Begin beta testing and gather feedback.
- By March: Write and record the course modules.
- By February: Outline your course structure and research content.
By chunking your goals into smaller, manageable tasks, you’ll know exactly what needs to happen each month, week, and even day to keep moving forward.
5. Celebrate the Small Wins
Finally, don’t forget to celebrate your progress along the way! ADHD brains thrive on reward systems, and small celebrations can help keep you motivated. Whether it’s treating yourself to a nice coffee or sharing your wins with a supportive community, make sure you acknowledge each milestone you hit. This will keep your momentum going and remind you that you’re making progress, even when the bigger goal still feels far away.
Part 2: Time Management Strategies That Work for ADHD Entrepreneurs
As someone with ADHD, managing your time effectively can be one of the toughest challenges you face as an entrepreneur. However, with the right strategies in place, you can learn to harness your unique strengths while staying on track toward your goals. Here are some time management strategies that have worked for me and many of my clients.
1. Embrace Flexible Planning
Traditional time management methods can feel too rigid for an ADHD brain, and when you don’t stick to a strict schedule, it can lead to feelings of failure and frustration. Instead, I recommend embracing a flexible approach to planning.
One strategy I love is time blocking, but with flexibility. This involves blocking off chunks of time for specific tasks, but allowing yourself the freedom to adjust the schedule if needed. For example, you might block off two hours in the morning for content creation, but if you’re not feeling creative during that time, you can switch it to the afternoon. The goal is to provide structure without rigidity.
2. Try the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a simple but effective method for staying focused. Here’s how it works:
- Set a timer for 25 minutes and work on a task during that time.
- After 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break.
- After four “Pomodoros” (work sessions), take a longer break of 20-30 minutes.
The beauty of this technique is that it breaks work into manageable chunks, which can be incredibly helpful for ADHD brains that struggle with sustained focus. The regular breaks help prevent burnout and give you something to look forward to, making it easier to dive into each work session.
3. Prioritize Your MITs (Most Important Tasks)
One of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs with ADHD is deciding where to start when you have a mile-long to-do list. This is where the concept of Most Important Tasks (MITs) comes in.
Each day, choose 1-3 MITs—tasks that, if completed, would make you feel accomplished. These should be the tasks that move you closest to your goals, not just busy work. By narrowing your focus to just a few high-priority items, you can reduce decision fatigue and start your day with a sense of purpose.
4. Use ADHD-Friendly Productivity Tools
There are tons of productivity tools out there, but not all of them are designed with ADHD brains in mind. Here are a few tools that I’ve found particularly helpful:
- Notion or Trello: These are visual project management tools that allow you to organize your tasks, projects, and ideas in a way that makes sense for your brain. You can create boards, lists, and timelines to keep everything organized.
- Voice Notes: Sometimes the act of writing things down can feel like a hurdle. Using voice memos or a voice-to-text app can help you capture your thoughts quickly without getting bogged down by the details.
- Time Timer: A visual timer that helps you see how much time is left in a given task. This can be especially helpful if you tend to lose track of time easily.
The key is to find the tools that work for your brain, not the ones that work for someone else. Test out a few options and stick with the ones that genuinely make your life easier.
5. Body Doubling
If you haven’t heard of body doubling yet, it’s a technique that involves having someone else present (either physically or virtually) while you work. This person isn’t necessarily helping you with your tasks—they’re simply there, which creates a sense of accountability and focus.
Many people with ADHD find that body doubling helps them stay on task and avoid distractions. You can do this by co-working with a friend, joining a virtual work session, or even having a family member in the same room while you work.
6. Honor Your Energy Cycles
ADHD brains often have fluctuating energy levels throughout the day. Forcing yourself to work during times when your energy is low can lead to frustration and burnout. Instead, try to honor your natural energy rhythms.
If you’re most productive in the morning, schedule your high-focus tasks during that time. Save the less mentally demanding work, like answering emails or organizing files, for when your energy dips. The beauty of entrepreneurship is that you have the flexibility to structure your day around your needs—take advantage of that freedom.
Putting It All Together
Finding your vision for the year and setting meaningful business goals isn’t just about writing them down—it’s about aligning them with your personal values and the life you want to create. By breaking your goals into actionable steps and using time management strategies that work for your ADHD brain, you’ll be in a much stronger position to actually achieve those goals.
Remember, success isn’t a straight line. There will be setbacks, moments of self-doubt, and unexpected challenges. But every step you take toward your vision counts. Whether you’re building a thriving business or creating a lifestyle that allows you to spend more time with your family, you deserve to have a business that works for you.
This year is yours to make an impact—let’s make it a vibrant one!
What’s Your Vision for the Year?
I’d love to hear from you! What are your biggest goals for the next 12 months? What’s one bold, audacious step you’re going to take this year? Share your vision in the comments below, and let’s cheer each other on!
If you’re ready to take the next step in scaling your business, I’d love to support you. Reach out for a strategy session, and let’s start building the systems and vision that will take your business to the next level.
FAQ:
- What is the best way to define business goals for female entrepreneurs with ADHD?
Start by reconnecting with your core “why”—the reason you started your business. Break your goals into 3-5 key focus areas, and set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals within each area. - How can female entrepreneurs with ADHD manage their time more effectively?
Use strategies like flexible time blocking, the Pomodoro Technique, and prioritizing your Most Important Tasks (MITs). Tools like Notion or Trello, along with body doubling, can also help maintain focus. - What are some time management tools that work well for ADHD entrepreneurs?
Tools like Notion, Trello, voice notes, and visual timers (such as Time Timer) are effective for ADHD entrepreneurs, helping with project management, focus, and organization. - How do I stay motivated while working toward long-term business goals?
Break down your larger goals into smaller, actionable steps and celebrate small wins along the way. Rewards and acknowledgment of progress can help maintain momentum, especially for ADHD entrepreneurs. - Why is goal-setting important for female entrepreneurs with ADHD?
Goal-setting provides structure and direction, helping entrepreneurs focus on what matters most. For those with ADHD, clear, actionable goals prevent overwhelm and enable steady progress toward long-term success.
