F*ck 5-Year Plans: Try Breadcrumb Career Planning Instead

If you’ve ever stared blankly at one of those career worksheets that asks you to map out your entire future in five-year increments and immediately wanted to run screaming into the night, you are not alone. And you’re definitely not broken.

Traditional career planning doesn’t work for a lot of us. And it really doesn’t work for ADHD women with brains wired for immediacy, adaptability, and deeply personal energy shifts.

Why 5-Year Plans Fail ADHD Brains

The standard career planning advice assumes you can:

• Predict what you’ll want in 5 years (ha!)
• Focus on long-term goals with no immediate feedback (double ha!)
• Stay on a linear path without getting distracted (…you get the idea)

But if you’ve got ADHD, and especially if you’re a woman who’s been diagnosed later in life, you know that path doesn’t usually look like a straight line. It looks more like a mosaic. Or a choose-your-own-adventure story. And that’s not a flaw; it’s a clue.

What Actually Works for ADHD Brains

We thrive when we have:

• Immediate next steps that feel clear (not vague or overwhelming)
• Quick wins to keep the momentum going
• Flexibility to adapt when new information or inspiration hits
• Permission to pivot when something stops working

That’s where breadcrumb career planning comes in.

The Breadcrumb Method: ADHD-Friendly Career Planning

Instead of trying to chart out your entire professional life from now until retirement, I want you to zoom in. Way in.

Here’s how to use the breadcrumb method:

1. Ask yourself: What energizes me right now?

Not what you “should” be doing. Not what will look good on LinkedIn. But what makes you feel focused, curious, or genuinely alive?

2. Find one small next step that gets you closer to more of that.

Make it something you can do this week. Think: email someone, read a job post, block 2 hours for focused work. Don’t overthink it.

3. Take action before your brain loses interest.

ADHD energy is real, and often fleeting. When you feel the spark, act on it. Don’t wait for the perfect plan.

4. Reassess. Adjust. Repeat.

This isn’t a one-time process. It’s a rhythm. Follow the next breadcrumb, see what you learn, and course-correct as needed.

No Overwhelm. Just Momentum.

You don’t need a 5-year plan to make a meaningful career shift. You need a breadcrumb trail: small, doable steps that keep you moving, adapting, and uncovering what actually works for you.

And if your current career map feels more like a trap than a trail?

Let’s talk about how to change that.

About Rachel Gaddis

Rachel Gaddis is an ADHD career coach for women over 40 who are done pretending their career is fine when it’s clearly not. A late-diagnosed GenXer herself, she helps smart, burned-out women rethink what success actually looks like – and build careers that work for their brains, not against them.

• Free guide: Start Your Career Change Today (in 3 Easy Steps)
• Learn more about the Career Reset Protocol – a 12-week 1:1 coaching experience
• Join the waitlist for my next group program cohort