There I was, sitting in front of my laptop, supposed to be writing the 11th issue of my weekly newsletter, “Present and Less Tense.”
I had it ALL planned out—I was going to gush about “The Residence” and how Cordelia Cupp (chronic birder turned world’s greatest detective) absolutely crushed it solving that White House murder.
But instead? I found myself typing out an SOS to my subscribers.
“Help! I’m drowning in my own to-do lists!”
Okay, that’s a little dramatic. I didn’t exactly say it like that. But, I did mention that I’m overwhelmed by tasks (again!).
And, to be honest, my brain felt like a browser with 74 tabs open, all playing different music at the same time. Classic ADHD chaos on steroids.
So I made a public declaration (nothing like accountability to light a fire under your butt, am I right?). I was giving myself exactly seven days to get my goal-setting life together.
My 7-Day Goal Rescue Mission: The Unfiltered Diary
Here’s a documentation of everything I did in seven days.
Day 1: Honest Self-Assessment
Day one was basically me having a staring contest with my to-do list and losing spectacularly. I finally admitted what I’d been avoiding.
My current goal prioritization techniques were wearing me out.
The breakthrough wasn’t finding some magical new app or technique. It was simply admitting, “This isn’t working, and it’s making me miserable.”
Sometimes you need to call yourself out, you know? I also believed I had everything I needed to organize my life—and just needed to be more efficient with the resource usage.
Day 2: Identifying the Core Problem
On day two, I went deeper into understanding why my tasks seemed to multiply like rabbits.
“Why the hell do I keep adding seventeen new tasks every time I complete one?”
My ADHD brain is basically an idea factory on steroids. Think normal overwhelm, then multiply by ten and add sparkles. Every task was spawning baby tasks. Every idea was having babies. It was EXHAUSTING.
That’s when I asked myself, “What’s REALLY the most important step in prioritizing goals so I can get things done and be happy?”
Because whatever I was doing clearly wasn’t it. I was wound tighter than a two-dollar watch, and my “productivity” was actually making me decidedly UNproductive and stressed.
I couldn’t find the answer, so I did a little digging in my mind and across the web.
Day 3: The Breakthrough
The answer arrived on day three.
VALUE ALIGNMENT. That was it! That’s the most important step in prioritizing goals.
I grabbed my favorite obnoxiously bright marker and wrote it on a sticky note: “If it doesn’t align with my values, it doesn’t deserve my time.”
Then I went through my terrifying task list, asking ruthless questions and answering explicitly in a journal:
- Do these tasks even matter to me?
- If yes, why exactly?
- What do I really want to accomplish by doing this?
- What tasks have I been doing that give me no real value?
- What worked in the last quarter that should be a part of my strategy now?
- What matters to me? What are my values? What are my life goals?
This value assessment allowed me to sort my ideas into 3 meaningful categories:
- Present opportunities: My Focus
- Future exploration possibilities: Wishlist
- Tasks that don’t align with my values at all: Delete
- I moved a few interesting things I wasn’t quite sure about to the “back burner.”
I realized I didn’t have to do some tasks—like ever—because they simply don’t align with my values and life goals. Other items got happily exiled to the “wishlist” category. Not as procrastination, but as an honest recognition that they belonged in my future, not my present.
Day 4: Taking Action on Priorities
With my newly clarified values as a guide, I knew which tasks actually deserved my attention.
I dedicated day four to tackling the genuinely urgent and important tasks, particularly some client projects that had been hanging over my head. Then I went wild with my All-in-One Life Planner.
(Have I mentioned how much I love this thing? It’s always coming through for my productivity and sanity.)
In my file, I created a “Goal Alignment” tab that helped me plan and connect SMART (smart ~ measurable ~ achievable ~ relevant ~ time-bound) goals with my personal values.
Side note: I’m totally adding this to the planner once it’s perfected. And no, I’m not jacking up the price. My subscribers will get first dibs the moment it’s ready. Join the fun here.
Day 5: System Organization
Day five was pure organizational bliss. I streamlined EVERYTHING:
- Wishlist ideas? Categorized
- Content ideas? Sorted
- Business ideas? Classified
- Project ideas? Arranged
- Client outreach workflow? Systematized
I dumped it all into Trello, which—after a torrid affair with countless productivity apps under the sun (Clickup, Asana, Notion, Jira, you name it)—has remained my faithful companion. Besides Google Sheets, it’s the only tool that doesn’t make my brain want to scream.
Trello is my digital junk ~ and ironically ~ organization drawer. It’s my content bank, business cabinet, ideas folder, and where I plan my content drafts and scheduling.
I sorted everything on my mind into two groups: All Business & Passion Projects.
Day 6: Integration and Rest
This was possibly the hardest day. I had to NOT mess with my newly organized systems.
For recovering perfectionists and ADHD brains, this is TORTURE. The urge to tinker is strong. But I forced myself to just quickly review everything without changing a darn thing. And then, I took the day off.
I needed that break. The mental space allowed me to return refreshed for the final day.
Day 7: Strategic Planning
With fresh eyes and a rested brain, I mapped out my Q2 content ideas, project proposals, and monthly goals from the already arranged boards and cards in my Trello Workspace.
I realized I have 4 months’ worth of content if I stick to my weekly consistency. Four months to focus on myself, my passion projects, and find moments of rest and play.
The problem was I was dishing out everything as they came. And the more I shared, the more I believed I needed to create. I’m always creating, but I want to do it from an intentional standpoint, not because I feel I’m running on a hamster wheel while time keeps speeding away.
After my Q1/Q2 assessment, creating my weekly to-do lists was surprisingly painless. Now, each day’s plan will be informed by my weekly goals, which serve my monthly goals, which feed into my annual goals—all of which align with my actual VALUES.
Key Lessons From My 7-Day Transformation
If you’re drowning in goals and tasks and need to get yo’ shit together ASAP, here’s the tea:
Value alignment is the foundation. When your tasks and goals connect to your core values, the motivation to complete them becomes intrinsic rather than forced.
The delete key is your friend. The most liberating word in goal-setting isn’t “yes.” It’s “nope.” The courage to completely eliminate tasks that don’t align with your values is liberating and creates space for what truly matters.
Some goals are like avocados, they need time to ripen. Recognizing which goals belong in your future saves you from the anxiety of carrying “someday” items in your “right now” mental backpack.
Your productivity system should fit YOUR brain. My AIO Life Planner and Trello work for MY specific flavor of neurodivergence, and I’ve adapted them to fit my style and needs.
Rest isn’t lazy—it’s essential. Taking day six off didn’t delay my progress; it ensured I had the mental bandwidth to make good decisions on day seven. Sometimes, you just need to take that day off if you’re ever going to get it together.
In Summary: Organizing Goals in 7 Days Personal Challenge
When you align your goals with your genuine values, organization feels less like trying to herd cats while blindfolded. It starts feeling like you’re doing the work necessary to build the life you want.
This totally unplanned 7-day goal challenge transformed my chaotic goal-setting/prioritization system into an experience that left me feeling excited.
And yes, I still made time to watch Adolescence and Beef after watching Cordelia Cupp solve that White House murder. Entertainment and relaxation are totally aligned with my values. What can I say?😉
