When Plans Meet Real Life

Over the past several years, I have been working to build my private practice. Like most therapists, graduate school taught me how to do therapy, not how to run a business. That means wearing a lot of hats, including one for marketing, which does not always come naturally to me.

Last year, I enrolled in a marketing program to learn more about that side of things. I gained a lot of knowledge, but due to a mix of time limitations, perfectionism, ADHD-related executive functioning challenges, and a lack of business infrastructure, I was not able to implement everything in real time. Planning, on the other hand, is something my ADHD brain actually enjoys.

As part of my strategic business plan, I set a goal to start a blog this year.

Much of the year went by without a blog post.

Then came September and Suicide Awareness Month. I created social media content for the awareness month, but as that content grew, I realized the topic deserved more than short clips on social media. It needed more space. That was the point when I finally had enough motivation to begin the blogging process.

It was not easy.

I had to figure out how to write a blog post that made sense to others, not just me. I had to set up a blog page on my website, find images, make it visually engaging without it becoming a wall of text, and actually link the page so people could find it. That is a lot to manage for someone who struggles with executive functioning and perfectionism.

But the topic felt important and urgent, and that sense of meaning made it easier for me to focus and follow through. If you are interested, you can read that first post here.

For my ADHD brain, interest and emotional connection matter. When something feels aligned with my values, I can access a level of focus that is otherwise hard to come by. Hello, hyperfocus. That is what helped me start.

October, being ADHD Awareness Month, is what helped me maintain the momentum. Writing still required a significant amount of effort, and I have learned that creating a blog post involves much more than just writing. But ADHD education and support are very much my lane, so staying engaged felt more natural.

If you are interested, you can read that first post here.

Then November came.

As I worked on my social media content, it slowly grew into a larger, multi-topic, multi-month campaign with an overarching theme. I found myself spending most of my available content creation time there. I told myself I would use Thanksgiving weekend to write and post the November blog.

I had five unscheduled days and a very long list of things I planned to do.

Instead, I did other things.

I worked on a jigsaw puzzle.

I helped more than expected with meals and childcare.

I went to a movie. I slept ten hours a night more than once.

Many things did not get done, including the November blog.

I thought about it. I felt a little guilt for not following through on my plan. And I also knew that if I am going to do this work honestly, I have to practice what I preach.

I would encourage my clients, and the therapists I support, to listen to their bodies.

I would encourage my clients, and the therapists I support, to listen to their bodies.

To rest when rest is needed.

To notice when expectations are self-imposed rather than truly necessary. I would not judge them for not completing a blog post that, in the grand scheme of things, no one was truly waiting on.

So I let the guilt go. Well mostly.

This post is probably a little guilt-driven, and also a little driven by my desire for consistency (even though the date stamp will still show a gap in November). But it also feels like an opportunity to practice transparency and self-compassion out loud.

There is nothing particularly educational in this post. No big ADHD takeaway. Just a bit of honesty as I continue learning how to live into the values I talk about in the therapy room.

If you take anything from this, maybe it is permission to release some guilt around unmet, self-imposed expectations. And, to offer yourself a bit more grace, especially during a season that demands so much and can be overwhelming, and emotionally layered.

-Randi

If you’d like to learn more about ADHD-informed therapy or consultation, you can visit my Homepage to learn more about working together.

📞 If you are in the U.S. and in crisis, call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
🌈 For LGBTQ+ youth, call the TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386 for 24/7 confidential support.