How to choose an ADHD planner you'll still use next month

Halfstep guides · 5 min read

Many people with ADHD own several planners and use none of them. That says more about the planners than about the people. A layout made for someone who plans by the hour, every day, will start to feel like a list of failures after a few skipped days.

The Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) lists features that tend to make planners work better for adults with ADHD: a space for brain dumps, flexible time blocks rather than strict hours, undated pages, easy carry-forward of unfinished tasks, a short list of priorities, optional trackers and a predictable weekly layout. Here is how to check a planner against that list before you spend money on it.

1. It limits your priorities

If a daily page has room for fifteen “important” tasks, you will fill it, then feel bad about the eleven you didn't do. Look for a small, fixed number, such as a Top 3.

2. It uses time blocks, not exact hours

Time blindness makes “9:15 to 9:45” hard to honor. Morning, afternoon and evening blocks give tasks a place without a promise you can't keep.

3. Its pages are undated

Dated pages turn skipped days into blank pages. Undated pages (or an app that only shows today) remove that guilt.

4. Unfinished tasks move easily

Rewriting yesterday's list by hand is a chore that often doesn't happen. A good system lets you keep, park or drop yesterday's leftovers in one step.

5. There's a place for random thoughts

Ideas and reminders arrive at bad moments. A brain dump section, ideally one you can reach in a couple of seconds, stops them from taking over your head or your to-do list.

6. Trackers are optional

Habit, mood and sleep trackers can help some people spot patterns. Required on every page, they become one more thing to fall behind on.

7. It works where you already are

A paper planner left at home doesn't help at the office. A Notion or spreadsheet template that needs an afternoon of setup may never get started. Pick the format you'll actually have with you: your phone, a printed page on the fridge, or both.

A quick test

Before committing, use the planner for three days, including one bad day. If it still feels usable on the bad day, it's a keeper.