Why The Perfect ADHD System Won't Help You.

One of the things I value as a coach is continuing to learn from other practitioners and perspectives.

Recently, I attended a training session led by ADHD coach Ruth Kudzi. As she shared her approach, I found myself reflecting on a theme that appears repeatedly in my own work with neurodivergent clients. It is an idea that sits at the intersection of attention, environment, and self-understanding, and it challenges a great deal of the advice people are often given about ADHD.

There is a pattern that comes up repeatedly in conversations about ADHD.

Someone discovers a new planner. A new productivity app. A new morning routine. A new system that promises to finally solve the problem.

For a few days, sometimes a few weeks, it works.

Then something shifts.

The planner is forgotten. The routine becomes restrictive. The app starts generating more notifications than support. And the familiar conclusion returns:

"Why can't I just stick to things?"

The answer is often more complicated than it first appears.

One of the ideas Ruth Kudzi emphasises is that there is no single ADHD system that works for everyone. This sounds obvious, but it quietly challenges much of the advice people encounter online. Many ADHD resources promise a step-by-step solution. Follow these five habits. Use this exact planner. Implement this method.

The difficulty is that ADHD is not one experience.

Some people thrive with structure. Others need flexibility. Some need visual systems. Others need auditory reminders. Some crave novelty. Others need consistency. Some people have other neurodivergences that need consideration. What works brilliantly for one person may create friction for another.

This is why I think of ADHD support as architecture rather than optimisation. The goal is not to force yourself into someone else's system. The goal is to understand how your brain naturally engages with attention, motivation, energy, and decision-making, then build supports around that reality.

From a social model perspective, many difficulties arise not because a person lacks ability, but because environments often assume a single way of planning, prioritising, communicating, or working.

When coaching works well, the question shifts from:

"What's wrong with me?"

to:

"What does my brain need in order to succeed?"

That is a very different conversation. And often a much kinder one.

If this resonates, Energy Before Effort, a substack newsletter, focuses on practical insights into ADHD execution and sustainable work and creativity from a social model perspective. Head over to Substack: Energy Before Effort to explore additional ways to navigate ADHD with clarity, structure, and real-world success.

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You can catch up with Ruth Kudzi over at her website.