Why “New Year, New You” is a Trap for the ADHD Entrepreneur (And What to Do Instead)
It’s that time of year again. Where the world and internet is screaming at us. “New Year, New You!” “Crush Your 2026 Goals!” “365 Days of new habits!”
If you are a high-achieving ADHD woman solopreneur, you probably feel a familiar mix of two emotions right now:
- Hyped hyperfocus: “Yes! This is the year I finally get organized, launch that course, color-code my calendar, and become a morning person!”
- Dread-filled paralysis: “Oh no. I still haven’t finished the goals I set for 2019. Who am I kidding?”
Let’s take a deep breath together.
I want to tell you something that the productivity gurus won’t: “New Year, New You” is a trap. Especially for us.
For the neurodivergent brain, this pressure to reinvent ourselves overnight isn’t just ineffective; it’s a recipe for burnout, shame, and the inevitable February crash. You don’t need to be a “new you.” The “you” that you are, who is creative, chaotic, brilliant, and resilient, is exactly who needs to show up this year.
Today, we’re going to ditch the rigid resolutions and talk about authentic goal setting. I’m sharing my favorite practical hack to bypass executive dysfunction: The Brain Dump, and a powerful somatic tool to release the pressure: EFT Tapping.
The “New Year, New You” Trap for ADHD Entrepreneurs
Why does traditional goal setting feel so heavy for us?
We live in a world designed for linear thinkers. Standard advice tells us to set SMART goals, create 12-month roadmaps, and rely on discipline and willpower. But for the ADHD entrepreneur, these methods often trigger our biggest struggles:
- Time Blindness: Planning for December when we’re in January feels impossible. To our brains, the future is a foggy concept. We see “Now” and “Not Now.” A 12-month plan isn’t a roadmap; it’s a fiction novel.
- The Shame Cycle: When we set a rigid goal like “post on Instagram every day at 8 AM” and miss it on Day 4, we don’t just see a missed task. We see a character flaw. We spiral into “I’m not consistent,” or “I’m lazy,” and we abandon the goal entirely.
- All-or-Nothing Thinking: We love the dopamine hit of a massive overhaul. We don’t just want to tidy the office; we want to renovate the entire house. But when the novelty wears off (usually about three weeks in), we’re left with half-finished projects and a lot of guilt.
The “New Year, New You” mentality relies on the idea that you are broken and need fixing. You are not broken. You just have a different operating system. And it’s time we started planning in a way that honors that.
Authentic Goal Setting: A New Approach
So, if we aren’t making resolutions, what are we doing? We are setting Authentic Goals.
Authentic goals aren’t about what you should do or what other solopreneurs in your feed are doing. They are about how you want to feel and what actually works for your unique brain.
Here is the shift:
- Instead of Resolutions (rigid, pass/fail), think Intentions (directional, flexible).
- Instead of Output (revenue numbers, follower counts), focus on Input (showing up, being creative, connecting).
- Instead of fixing weaknesses, focus on leveraging strengths.
When I sit down to plan my year, I don’t ask, “What will make me the most money?” I ask, “What will make me feel the most alive? What projects can I get hyperfocused on without forcing it?”
The Hack: Write It Out (Brain Dumping vs. Planning)
Now, let’s get practical. You have big dreams for your business. You want to launch the podcast, scale your coaching practice, or finally write that book. But right now, it’s all just a swirling mess of ideas in your head.
This is where many of us get stuck. We try to jump straight into Planning (ordering steps, assigning dates) when we haven’t finished Thinking.
In the ADHD mind, a thought is not a plan. When you try to plan while your brain is buzzing with 1,000 competing ideas, you get executive dysfunction. You stare at the blank screen, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of “to-dos,” and end up scrolling TikTok for two hours to numb the anxiety.
The solution? The Brain Dump.
This is my #1 hack for ADHD women who are feeling stuck. It sounds simple, but there is a specific way to do it that turns it from a list of worries into an actionable strategy.
Step 1: The Purge (No Filtering Allowed)
Get a notebook or open a blank Google Doc. Write down everything. Do not organize. Do not prioritize. Do not judge. The goal here is to do some cognitive offloading. Your working memory is like a computer with too many tabs open. The Brain Dump closes the tabs.
Step 2: The Sort (Find the Categories)
Once the noise is out of your head, grab a few highlighters. Color code the items: Business (Needle movers), Life/Admin (Maintenance), and Shiny Objects (Great ideas, just not for right now).
Step 3: The Tiny Step
Pick one thing from your Business list. Just one. Break it down until the step is so small it feels ridiculous. (e.g., Instead of “Write sales page,” try “Open Google Doc and name the file.”) Take action on this tiny step. Chances are, you’ll want to keep going.
The Reset: Tapping on “Goal Anxiety”
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Even with an organized Brain Dump, you might still feel that tightness in your chest. That is your nervous system reacting to the pressure. That’s the emotional resistance.
For ADHD entrepreneurs, goal setting often triggers a “Fight, Flight, or Freeze” response because of past “failures.” We feel the pressure to be perfect, and when we can’t guarantee perfection, we freeze.
We need to tell our bodies that it is safe to set goals. This is where EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), or Tapping, becomes your secret weapon. (If you aren’t familiar with tapping, come to one of my workshops or watch a free video.)
Tap to release the pressure of perfectionism and the anxiety of the “New Year.”
First, tap through the points while relaxing your body. No words, let your thoughts flow.
And then, tap for a second round, while thinking or saying:
-
- eyebrow: this overwhelm
- side of eye: setting goals feels overwhelming
- under eye: what if I get it wrong again?
- under nose: this anxiety
- chin: this pressure to set goals
- collarbone: what if I could release some of the pressure?
- under arm: what if I could trust myself?
- top of head: maybe I can choose progress over perfection
Let your thoughts and words flow, noticing whatever comes up. Notice how your body feels. And imagine the overwhelm floating away.
Often, the anxiety softens just enough to let you look at that Brain Dump list with curiosity instead of fear.
Why This Combination Works
The Brain Dump handles the cognitive load (clearing the mind), while EFT Tapping handles the somatic load (calming the body).
When you combine them, you stop fighting against yourself. You validate your ideas without being crushed by the weight of them. You give yourself permission to be messy first, organized second, and regulated always.
As we move into this new year, I want you to remember one thing: You cannot fall behind on your own life.
If you didn’t start your goals on January 1st, that’s okay. Start today. Start in March. Start on a random Tuesday at 4 PM.
High-achieving ADHD women are often the hardest on themselves. We look at our neurotypical peers and wonder why they seem to have a relentless, steady motor while we have a race car engine that sometimes runs out of gas.
Your race car engine is a gift. It allows you to sprint, to innovate, to see connections others miss, and to build businesses that are deeply, authentically yours.
So this year, let’s drop the “New Year, New You” mask. Let’s embrace the “Real You.”
Write it out. Tap it out. And take one tiny, imperfect step.
Need More Tools Like This?
If you found the Brain Dump helpful, imagine having a whole toolkit of strategies just like it.
I wrote my book, Quit Chasing Squirrels… and Start Chasing Your Dreams, specifically for brains like ours. It is packed with 50 practical hacks to help you stop spinning your wheels and start making real traction.
It’s not about changing who you are; it’s about giving your brain the right manual to thrive.
Grab your copy here and let’s make this year your most authentic one yet!
