(Sick of Letting Yourself Down? Read This!)
If you’re like me – adult-diagnosed ADHD, dopamine-sensitive, and tired of writing down goals that collect dust after a few weeks – this one’s for you.
I just watched a powerful video from behavior expert Chase Hughes that flipped my thinking on goal-setting. Traditional systems ignore the part of our brain that actually runs the show: the limbic/mammalian brain. No wonder they flop for those of us with ADHD.
Instead of forcing willpower, he shares a neurocognitive approach that reprograms your brain at a deeper level. Here’s what I’m taking away and how I’m applying it.
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The Problem with Regular Goal Setting
Most goal systems focus on the logical brain and forget the primal one that drives habits, cravings, and decisions. For ADHD brains dealing with dopamine dips, boredom intolerance, and food noise, that’s a recipe for inconsistency.
We need contrast, emotion and repetition that sticks even when motivation fades.
The Better Way: Reprogram Your Brain for Lasting Change
Chase calls it the NCI (Neuro-Cognitive Intelligence) Goal-Setting system. The big idea? Make your goals a natural byproduct of who you’re becoming, not something you chase with sheer discipline.
The Step-by-step Process:
- Define Your Ideal Outcome – Vividly
- Paint a detailed picture of where you want to arrive. Make it measurable. For me right now: achieving enough success in affiliate marketing to make it my full-time job within 3 years.
- Paint a detailed picture of where you want to arrive. Make it measurable. For me right now: achieving enough success in affiliate marketing to make it my full-time job within 3 years.
- Face the Nightmare Scenario
- Write what happens if nothing changes. Be brutally honest. For me: slipping back into binge eating, stalled business growth like my old unconventional.ca days, and that heavy “I abandoned another project” regret.
This contrast lights a fire. Staying the same becomes more painful than the effort to change.
- Write what happens if nothing changes. Be brutally honest. For me: slipping back into binge eating, stalled business growth like my old unconventional.ca days, and that heavy “I abandoned another project” regret.
- Focus on Habits and Beliefs, Not Just the Goal
- List the new traits, habits, and mindsets that make the ideal outcome automatic. Examples from my life:
- Prepping supplements and hi-vis gear / walking clothes the night before. Commitment to creating quality content daily. Refusing to accept anything but success.
Goals are the destination. Habits are the vehicle.
- List the new traits, habits, and mindsets that make the ideal outcome automatic. Examples from my life:
Continued: Reprogram Your Brain for Lasting Change
- Map What’s Dragging You Backward
- List current habits/behaviors feeding the nightmare. Make it painful so you feel the cost. Mine included late-night snacking, inconsistent content batching, and skipping rest (which backfires for AuDHD brains).
- List current habits/behaviors feeding the nightmare. Make it painful so you feel the cost. Mine included late-night snacking, inconsistent content batching, and skipping rest (which backfires for AuDHD brains).
- Use the FATE Model to “Brainwash” Yourself Positively
- Focus: Heavy visual repetition. I’m creating a simple slideshow or vision board with sunrise walks, my dog in LED gear, healthy meals, and site analytics screenshots. Set it as a screen saver or loop it.
- Authority & Tribe: Lean on credible voices (like Chase, Dr. Rhonda Patrick, or my own tracked results) and accountability (husband check-ins, sharing progress here).
- Emotion: Emotional connection to my future self. Tools like aging apps or “future me” letters help.
Bonus formula he shares: FEAR (Focus, Emotion, Agitation, Repetition). Disrupt your environment just enough that old patterns have no room to sneak back.
How This Is Working for My ADHD Brain
I appreciate that this method has a strong emotional component. The vivid contrast and visuals speak the mammalian brain’s language – the same one that gets hijacked by dopamine hits from scrolling or snacks. I need to “feel” something to motivate change and progress, so this is perfect.
No more “I’ll start Monday.” It’s becoming “This is who I am now.”
Your Turn — Make It a Byproduct
Grab a notebook or the free worksheet Chase offers (email required, link below) and run through these steps for one area: health, business, family, or consistency.
Start small. One high-leverage habit can domino into everything else.
Resources I Recommend
- Watch the full video: Don’t Set Goals For 2026. Use This Brainwashing Technique Instead.
- Chase’s free Goal Setting Mastery PDF worksheet: Download here (it’ll ask for your email – quick opt-in)
- Chase’s Behavior Operations Manual (great for deeper dives)
What’s one goal you’re reprogramming this week? Drop it in the comments, I read every one and love cheering you on.
Let’s build our greater selves, one brain-friendly habit at a time.
– Mere Penny
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