Stop setting career goals.
I know. Every career coach on LinkedIn just gasped.
But here’s what 5 years of following “expert advice” taught me:
Goals without values are just sophisticated procrastination.
The Advice That Kept Failing Me
“Make a 5-year plan.”
I made one. Then I forgot about it. Then I felt guilty for forgetting. Then I made a new one. Repeat.
“Network more.”
I collected 500+ LinkedIn connections. Couldn’t tell you what most of them do. Or why I should care.
“Find your passion.”
I have 47 passions. They change every 6 weeks. This advice is useless for ADHD brains.
“Set SMART goals.”
Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Relevant. Time-bound.
Also: Boring. Forgettable. Ignored by Tuesday.
None of it stuck.
Because none of it addressed the actual problem.
The Question Nobody Asks
Here’s what every career coach skips:
Why do you want any of this in the first place?
Not “what’s your dream job?”
Not “where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
Why do you get out of bed?
What makes you feel alive at work—and what makes you want to crawl under your desk and hide?
That’s not fluffy self-help.
That’s the foundation everything else is built on.
The Problem With ADHD Career Advice
Most career frameworks assume:
- You know what you want
- You can maintain focus on it
- Your interests stay stable over time
For ADHD brains, all three are lies.
We don’t know what we want—we want everything.
We can’t maintain focus—we hyperfocus, then abandon.
Our interests aren’t stable—they’re kaleidoscopic.
So traditional career advice feels like:
“Just stop having ADHD and you’ll be fine.”
Cool. Very helpful.
What Actually Works: Values Over Goals
Here’s the shift that changed everything:
Stop chasing goals. Start understanding values.
Goals are destinations. They assume you know where you’re going.
Values are compass directions. They work even when you’re lost.
Goals require willpower. Values generate energy.
Goals feel like obligations. Values feel like identity.
The Science Behind Values-Based Career Decisions
This isn’t woo-woo. It’s research.
Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985)
- Intrinsic motivation comes from autonomy, competence, and relatedness
- Values alignment predicts job satisfaction more than salary
Career Capital Theory (DeFillippi & Arthur, 1994)
- The “Knowing-Why” component: Why do you work?
- Most people skip this—and wonder why they burn out
ADHD-Specific Research (Barkley, 2015)
- ADHD brains respond to interest and urgency, not importance
- Values create interest. Goals don’t.
The pattern is clear:
When you align your career with your actual values, motivation becomes automatic.
You don’t have to force yourself to care.
You just… care.
The 10 Values That Drive Every Career Decision
After synthesizing decades of research, we identified the 10 core values that determine career satisfaction:
1. Autonomy Do you want freedom or structure?
2. Growth New challenges or mastery of existing skills?
3. Stability Job security or exciting opportunities?
4. Collaboration Team energy or solo focus?
5. Innovation Create new things or optimize existing systems?
6. Impact Change the world or achieve personal success?
7. Recognition Public acknowledgment or private satisfaction?
8. Work-Life Balance Clear boundaries or fulfilling integration?
9. Compensation Salary priority or meaning priority?
10. Leadership Lead teams or contribute as expert?
There’s no right answer to any of these.
But there’s your answer.
And knowing it changes everything.
What Happens When You Know Your Values
Before values clarity:
“I should probably apply to that job… I guess…”
“Why am I so unmotivated? What’s wrong with me?”
“Every job sounds fine. And also terrible.”
“I have no idea what I want.”
After values clarity:
“This job hits 8 of my 10 core values. Obviously applying.”
“I’m not lazy—that role violates my top 3 values.”
“I can filter 50 job postings in 10 minutes.”
“I know exactly what I want. And why.”
The external circumstances didn’t change.
Your lens did.
The 60-Second Assessment That Changes Everything
We built a free Values Assessment specifically for ADHD brains.
No 30-minute questionnaires that you’ll abandon halfway through.
No vague results that tell you you’re a “creative visionary” with no actionable insight.
10 questions. 60 seconds. Immediate clarity.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Answer 10 forced-choice questions. Each one takes 3 seconds. No overthinking. Gut reactions only.
Step 2: See your values radar. A visual map of your 10 core values, ranked by intensity.
Step 3: Get your Career Archetype. Sovereign. Ascendant. Champion. Guardian. Pioneer. Your dominant value becomes your title—and your filter.
Step 4: Apply it immediately. Every job posting. Every career decision. Filtered through your values.
No account required.
No email capture until you see your results.
This Is the “Knowing-Why”
In Career Capital theory, there are three essential knowings:
- Knowing-How: What skills do you have?
- Knowing-Whom: Who do you know?
- Knowing-Why: Why do you work?
Most people optimize the first two and ignore the third.
That’s why they end up successful… and miserable.
The Values Assessment is the Knowing-Why.
It’s the foundation that makes everything else make sense.
Stop Asking “What Should I Do?”
That question assumes you’re lost.
You’re not lost.
You’re just navigating without knowing your destination.
Start asking: “What do I actually care about?”
The answers are already inside you.
You just need a tool to see them.
Take the Free Values Assessment
60 seconds.
10 questions.
Zero fluff.
Immediate insight into what drives your best work.
Calibrate Your Career Compass →
No spam. No pressure. Just clarity.