The PACT Framework: An ADHD-Friendly Approach to Setting and Achieving Goals

Setting goals when you have ADHD can feel overwhelming, frustrating, or downright impossible.  You may start with good intentions only to lose momentum, get distracted, or struggle to break big goals into manageable steps.  These challenges often stem from differences in executive function, the set of skills that help with planning, organizing, prioritizing, and follow-through.  The good news?  With the right structure, ADHD brains can create goals that are not only motivating but achievable.

In this post, we'll explore the PACT Framework—an ADHD-friendly goal-setting strategy designed to help you build consistency, reduce overwhelm, and stay focused on the actions you can control.  This framework offers a practical, step-by-step way to turn intentions into real progress, and can be applied to any type of goal you want to achieve.

Why Use a Goal Framework?

A goal framework helps turn intentions into clear, concrete actions.  For ADHD minds, this structure reduces overwhelm, highlights what's within your control, and boosts motivation through consistent, repeatable steps.

The PACT Framework: A Better Way to Build ADHD-Friendly Goals

The PACT Framework, as Anne-Laure Le Cunff describes is:¹

• Purposeful
• Actionable
• Continuous
• Trackable

PACT emphasizes the processes that are under your control and reveals where to focus your energy for the most impact. Although external factors may affect whether you achieve the ultimate goal outcome, this process is something you have complete ownership of.

Purposeful

Think about why you want to achieve a specific goal. Understanding the deeper reason behind your goal gives you an anchor to return to when you need motivation.

Actionable

Define a specific, measurable output within your control. The output could be a clear task, quantity, or set amount of time you can complete.

Continuous

Define your goal in a way that builds consistency over time.  Small, repeatable steps create momentum.

Trackable

Determine how you can track your goal’s progress in a specific and easy way.  Tracking helps maintain awareness and motivation.

Why We Love PACT for ADHD Brains

• It emphasizes the processes that you directly control rather than distant end results
• It can be applied to large goals that may take months or years to complete
• It reduces overwhelm by breaking goals into steady, repeatable actions

Example Goal #1: “I want to write a novel.”

Purposeful

I want to write a novel to fulfill my dream of becoming a published author.

Actionable

I will write a 60,000-word novel by writing 500 words per day.  (The output here is writing the 500 words, which is within your control.)

Continuous

For six months, I will write 500 words five days per week.

Trackable

I will use my planner to record the days I wrote 500 words.

Final PACT Goal

I want to write a novel to fulfill my dream of becoming a published author. For six months, I will write 500 words five days per week and record those days in my planner.

Example Goal #2: “I want to be more productive.”

Purposeful

I want to be more productive during the day so I can spend more time with my family in the evening.

Actionable

I want to be more productive during the day by improving my time management skills. Therefore, I will spend 30 minutes daily working on these skills.  (The output here is the dedicated time to working on skills, which is within your control.)

Continuous

For three months, I will spend 30 minutes daily being intentional with my time management skills.

Trackable

I will use a goal tracker to record the days I work on my time management skills.

Final PACT Goal

I want to be more productive during the day so I can spend more time with my family in the evening. For three months, I will improve my time management skills by working on them for 30 minutes daily and tracking my progress on a goal tracker.

When you compare the original goal statements to the final ones, you can clearly see the difference. The first statements are vague, while the final ones have clearly defined processes and outcomes.

With PACT, your goals become clearer, your actions become manageable, and your progress becomes sustainable. When you prioritize the process, the results take care of themselves. 

If you're ready to put the PACT Framework into practice, check out our planner designed specifically to support each step—so you can stay focused, consistent, and in control of your goals every day.

1.  Anne-Laure Le Cunff. “Smart Goals Are Not So Smart: Make a PACT Instead.” Ness Labs, 4 Feb. 2019.