A few years ago I discovered bullet journalling, and it appealed because you designed the system for you. There was no fitting into someone else’s template or system.
The problem with planners, templates, project management tools, and a host of other things, is that you might use it for a week or two, only to abandon it.
It’s not a lack of discipline.
It’s not because you “can’t stick to things”.
It’s because it’s a system that isn’t built for you. It simply doesn’t work for you.
And that’s absolutely OK.
A lot of business advice, systems, and structures assume brains behave the same way. Unless they are specifically designed to cater for a neurodiverse audience, the default seems to be for the neurotypical way of life. But here’s the thing — neurodiverse or -typical, none of us work in the same way.
The way I approach work — both with my clients and in my own business — is all about flexibility. I don’t rely on rigid frameworks or tightly controlled routines. I’m responsive to my clients’ needs, adapting how we work to their real life, not the default version.
Let me tell you more about why my approach works so well.
1. Life Gets in the Way
I’ve worked with clients who tried to follow perfectly mapped plans given to them by previous coaches or programmes. They looked great on paper. Clear. Linear. Impressive.
But here’s the problem:
Life isn’t linear. Energy isn’t consistent. We don’t perform on schedule.
Rigid systems often fall apart the moment something unexpected happens—illness, a child off school, a system crashes, or a week where focus just… leaves the building. Add in ADHD and there’s the internal conflict of needing routine and wanting variety, the dopamine imbalance and the challenge to commit to the needed priorities day in day out.
We all struggle with this, because life is messy.
A flexible approach doesn’t break under pressure—it bends so you can continue.
2. Flexible Doesn’t Mean Chaotic
People often assume “flexible” means “no structure”, but it’s actually the opposite.
A flexible approach is still structured — it’s just designed to work with real life rather than against it.
I’ve worked with clients who had beautifully crafted plans: colour-coded, logical, and completely aligned with their vision. But the moment they tried to follow them, they hit that familiar wall. The plan was perfect — but it didn’t bend.
(If a single unexpected Tuesday can derail your whole system, it’s not you — it’s the system.)
Instead of this, we build systems that are:
• simple enough to function on low-energy days
• structured enough to give clarity
• flexible enough to adjust when life veers off-plan
• robust enough to support long-term goals
This works well because it adapts to your energy and makes space for the unexpected. It allows you to keep moving without overwhelm, with the reassurance that a bad day doesn’t ruin everything.
It’s not chaos.
It’s sustainable structure — built around what you actually need.
(And crucially: it doesn’t fall apart the moment life throws a tantrum.)
3. Why It Works
Once we break things down, remove the friction, and make the first steps visible, everything can slip into place.
Suddenly the pressure lifts and you’re able to begin — not because you’ve transformed overnight, but because the work finally feels doable.
Flexible support helps you:
• stay consistent even when your energy shifts
• return after a bad day without the “I’ve ruined it” guilt
• reduce overwhelm instead of adding more to your plate
• make decisions without spiralling into all-or-nothing thinking
It’s not about lowering the bar.
It’s about building a bar you can actually reach, even on the days when life is loud, messy, or just plain exhausting.
4. Making the Most of Momentum
Motivation is brilliant when it shows up… but it’s also unreliable.
It vanishes the moment you’re tired, overwhelmed, overstimulated, or simply having a human day. And for a lot of people — ADHD or not — motivation isn’t something you can summon on demand.
Momentum, though?
That’s something we can build.
And importantly, we can build it in a way that fits you.
One of the biggest misconceptions in business support is the idea that there’s a single set of steps, routines, or habits that work for everyone. But momentum isn’t created by copying someone else’s system — it’s created by finding what actually works for your brain, your patterns, and your life.
For some people, momentum grows from a tiny, predictable weekly structure.
For others, it comes from flexibility, variety, and the freedom to work with whatever capacity the day brings.
Some people need a clear, simple plan for the week.
Others need their steps broken down into pieces that don’t feel daunting.
Some thrive with gentle check-ins.
Others need deadlines that are soft enough not to trigger anxiety but firm enough to create movement.
In a flexible approach, there’s no “right” way to build momentum — only the way that works for you.
It’s about understanding what helps you start, what keeps you going on the messy days, and what brings you back when you’ve had a wobble.
6. Could This Approach Work for You? (Spoiler: Probably Yes.)
If you’ve read this far and found yourself thinking:
- “Oh god, that’s me,”
- “Yes, that’s exactly how my brain behaves,”
- “This explains why I can’t stick to anything,”
- or even just, “Oh thank god it’s not just me,”
…then chances are, this flexible way of working is going to feel like a breath of fresh air.
And here’s the important bit:
You do not need to be ADHD, ND, or anywhere close to a diagnosis for this to work for you.
You don’t need a label.
You don’t need to “qualify”.
You don’t need to match any specific criteria.
If you simply recognise yourself in the experiences I’ve talked about — the stop–start progress, the good-intentioned plans, the “why can’t I just begin?”, the overwhelm, the brain fog, the life chaos — then this approach is for you.
Whether you’re:
- juggling executive function challenges,
- quietly wondering if you might be ND,
- proudly ND and navigating it all,
- or completely neurotypical but overwhelmed by systems designed for robots…
…it still works.
Because flexible structure isn’t about catering to one type of brain — it’s about supporting real brains in the real world.
It bends with you.
It creates space for rubbish days, busy weeks, and very human spirals.
It helps you build momentum instead of waiting for motivation to return from whatever long holiday it’s taken.
And if you’d like to explore what a flexible, sustainable way of working could look like for you — your energy, your patterns, your goals — I’d love to chat things through with you.
Book a discovery call here.
Let’s make your 2026 goals feel lighter, clearer, and genuinely doable — not overwhelming. 💚