Episode
EP. 40: Why Long-Term Goals Feel Impossible with ADHD (And How to Change That) | ADHD with Jenna Free
- Podcast
- ADHD with Jenna Free
- Published
- Dec 29, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1415
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Summary
Join the free "A Regulated Vision for 2026" hangout (January 8th, 10am MST) - https://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/newyears You can get your free ADHD Regulation Guide here - www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Join the waitlist for ADHD Groups (starting January 27 & 28) - www.adhdwithjennafree.com/waitlist Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Why Goals Feel Exhausting 01:00 You've Only Ever Pursued Goals from a Survival State 03:00 Why Relief is Your Primary Dopamine Source 05:00 The Primal Metaphor: Running from the Bear vs Picking Berries 08:00 Why Focusing on the End Goal Keeps You Stuck 11:00 What Regulated Motivation Actually Looks Like 14:00 My Real Life Example: 7 Years Dysregulated vs 2.5 Years Regulated 17:00 Growth is a Long-Term Game 19:00 This Week's Practice: Shift from Sprint to Present Summary In this episode, I talk about why long-term goals feel impossible with ADHD - and how to actually change that. If goals feel exhausting, you have ideas but pursuing them feels overwhelming and anxiety-fueled, and you can't sustain anything long-term, you're likely dysregulated. Here's what's really happening: you've only ever pursued goals from a survival state, and survival state motivation is sprint motivation. When you're in fight or flight, your body isn't trying to help you grow - it's trying to help you survive or escape. The only motivation that works in that state is urgency, shame, fear, and guilt. This is why you can't start a project until the deadline is hours away, why you crash after submitting something, and why you burn out trying to fix your whole life in a weekend. I share a powerful analogy: you're trying to climb a mountain with "run from the bear" energy, but all meaningful goals require "walk the mountain path to pick berries" energy. These are two comp…