The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don't Feel Like It

by Dani Donovan

Do you know what you need to do, but struggle to get yourself to do it? Get bored easily? Abandon every planner you’ve ever tried? Beat yourself up a lot? Yeah. Me too.
The Anti-Planner is an activity book specifically designed to help procrastinators:
- Try unique, entertaining ways of completing tasks
- Untangle emotions that make it hard to get sh*t done
- Smash through productivity roadblocks
- 300+ full-color pages (with over 100 activities)
The Anti-Planner is not a planner; there are no dated pages or calendars! Think of it as a productivity recipe book—a survival guide of strategies for when you’re struggling to get sh*t done.

Genres: Adhd, Self Help, Nonfiction, Reference, Mental Health, Productivity, Psychology

328 pages, Spiral-bound

Published December 15, 2022

About the author

Dani Donovan is an award-winning ADHD creator whose viral comics and TikTok videos helped build an online community of validation and solidarity for neurodivergent adults. Her first infographic, “ADHD Storytelling,” went viral within hours, amassed over 100 million views, and was even reposted by celebrities like Mindy Kaling. In a few short months, Dani’s relatable content (and her #NeurodiverseSquad hashtag) helped her quickly become a prominent voice in the online mental health community. Her content aims to help those with ADHD understand themselves, feel a sense of belonging, and better explain their invisible struggles to loved ones. She was the closing keynote speaker for the 2021 International ADHD Conference and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian. She recently self-published an activity book for procrastinators called The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don’t Feel Like It, and her influence has helped thousands of people seek diagnosis and treatment for ADHD.

Reviews

[Athena Hendershot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book you read cover to cover. This a tool. An amazing tool that has improved my life immensely. I believe this is a must have for anyone who wants to accomplish more and isn’t looking for a “magic To-do list” that will somehow make you excited to do the things you don’t want to do but need to do. This makes it so much easier to just “start” a task..for me starting is the hardest part.

[Nish · Rating 5 out of 5]

getting this book was a gift to myself. it helps me at times recognize my emotions and the tips and tricks given by Dani are rlly interesting plus you can personalize it for however it suits you the best. i’ve not gotten around the full book yet but i have no doubt that it’s gonna be just as good 💕

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my own use and find it to be a real gem! An unexpected benefit is that, as a mental health clinician, this is now a go-to recommendation to clients. It is great not only for ADHD, but for adults with a history of traumatic or otherwise very high stress childhoods, those recovering from traumatic injuries, and more.

I was frustrated in that I could not find links to provide so that folks can buy it, but then found a link in a previous review.

Personally, I like the profanity. It fits for me. But, not everyone does, and so an extra wonderful development is that a profanity-free version is coming out later this year. If you go to the link the previous reviewer mentions, it has a link to the "clean" version.

The structure of the book is helpful from the start. There are tabs naming 4 key inhibiting factors: "Overwhelmed," "Unmotivated," "Disorganized," and "Discouraged." (There is also an "Extra" tab for things that don't fit neatly into those categories.). Within each tabbed section are a LOT of tools, games, humorous ways to reframe things, and other ways to get started and get stuff done.

One could use those, alone, but there is also a neat feature on the first page of each section, that organizes the intervention pages by sub-categories. For example, if I am feeling overwhelmed, the first page offers subsections based on the emotional attributes of my overwhelm, including: "2.1 Intimidated; 2.2 Over-committed; 2.3 Panicked; 2.4 Burnt-[sic]out." Each is followed by a page number where interventions specific to that sub-category begin.

And, to help someone discern which among those sub-categories is most appropriate, each has a short list of "I" statements examples that fit that sub-categories. So, for instance, I might feel overwhelmed by a particular task, but if the biggest issue for me is that if "Panic" is the primary feeling, the statement: "I'm running out of time" might really hit the mark. And then I read the list beneath "Intimidation" and see "I'm afraid to even start" which also resonates. This tells me that pages from sub-sections 2.1 and 2.3 might be most helpful to me.

The first page of each subsection repeats the major category, sub-category, and statements. The second, facing, page, has a short depiction of what this can be like. A small interactive component (e.g., "Draw or Write: What does anxiety feel like to you?") and a table of contents for the interventions in the section. There is *also* a cross-referenced list of interventions from other sections of the book that might also be useful.

Have I mentioned that this book is helpful?

The illustrations are excellent and unusually relatable. It's easy to understand when you know that the author creates comics *and* has ADHD.

ANYway. Buy this. If, for whatever reason, it does not work for you, I promise you that it will work for someone in your life.

[Chris Emberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, amazing, wonderful! Has so many great exercises for motivating me to get things done. My 10 yo is even using some to help her figure out how to tackle tasks.

[Hannah Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful tbh

[Chrissy Johnson-Augugliaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite needing a thorough proofread, there are a ton of useful suggestions in this book.

[Katie Ark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m usually a planner type of person and picked this up while visiting relatives. I now feel like I need to order multiple copies, for gifts and for myself. I’m glad to see there is a clean language version forthcoming because I have so many students who could benefit from this, too. Incredible resource! Make sure you get the right version (order through the author’s site), evidently there’s a problem with fakes.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really cannot say enough good things about this or recommend it any higher--I would give it more than 5 stars. I purchased 2 copies, then ended up purchasing two more. So I will tell you eight reasons why I love this book (there are many more, but eight is a good number). First of all, this is not some theoretical book by some generic researcher. It was created by someone who lives (and battles) with ADHD. Her name is Dani Donovan, and her book is The Anti-Planner https://anti-planner.com/.../the-anti... [*one caveat if you look up her social media--she uses language that is typical for today, but she also has a "clean" version with no profanity). Second, the book is not a planner--it is an amazing book of explanations, information, validation, comics, worksheets, and activities to help people who are feeling the affects of ADHD in their lives. Third--and this is a novel approach but absolutely the best organization for this type of book for most people with ADHD--the book is organized by FEELINGS! You try to identify what you are feeling (stuck, overwhelmed, unmotivated, disorganized, or discouraged) and turn to that section. You will find the feeling broken down even further. For example, if you turn to "Stuck," you will find it broken down into four other feelings, one of which is "Difficulty getting started" which is broken down into some feelings or actions that might actually be behind that difficulty such as "I keep prioritizing less-important things." As I was reading through the identifications of those feelings and what actions/inactions might result, it was immediately apparent that they are spot on for myself and anyone else that I know with ADHD. Then there are activites tailored to help you either overcome that stumbling block or to just get past it quickly and move on. There are enough activities for variety as well as some that will work for just about everybody without the choices being overwhelming. Fourth, another great thing is that Dani also has a list of some things that feeling might look like. So being stuck might look like things such as "chronic procratination, ignoring deadlines, and fear of failure." So the things that someone thinks is just a person being lazy, or someone with ADHD thinking they are lazy themselves because they can't just "suck it up" like everyone else, are explained as symptoms of the way their brain is working. Don't forget that a person with ADHD, like everyone else, is good at a lot of things, and excellent at other things. There are just some things that their brain either doesn't like to do or can't do. This leads to the fifth reason this book is so awesome--it is compassionate and validating for someone who is feeling worthless or bad at housecleaning or like a failure at [fill in the blank] because their ADHD gets in the way. That cycle of wanting to do something but not being able to "suck it up" and do it, which leads to more feelings of failure, which leads to more feelings of being overwhelmed or unmotivated, which all look like being lazy, reinforces the idea for oneself and seems to say to other people that the person is lazy, and then the cycle just continues. This book helps people to understand why your mind is functioning this way, and the activities are created to try and overcome that type of not-so-good-for-you brain function. One of my children used 3 of the activities on the first day we got the book! Sixth, there are comics and pictures on just about every page to illustrate concepts as well as to draw your attention to specific items/ideas, and to keep your attention by making things interesting and exciting. Seventh, it is not just for people with ADHD, but also for people who work with or love someone with ADHD. As I was reading through it, I was intrigued by the "what [this feeling] might look like," especially from the perspective of both a parent and a teacher. Many of the things that I do in my classroom are to help my students to stay organized, to keep track of what is going on in class, and for personal accountability. I have developed them over the course of years and they generally work very well. But some students won't do them. Reading through this, I realized some of the reasons they "won't" are because their brain just won't let them, and it gave me some ideas of ways that I can make it easier for them to do it. And finally, the eight reason that I love this is that it's just a beautiful, tangible book. I very highly recommend that you get yourself a copy. It is on limited runs and is expensive to print so it is a little pricey and so is the shipping, but I think that it is well worth the cost. Just make sure that you order the version that is right for you--the original version that has swear words, or the clean version which does not. Either way, I don't think you will regret your purchase. And their customer service has been awesome when I had some questions that were specific to my situation and usage.

[Rhianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't find this at the major outlets like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. But you can order it from the author's website!!!!
https://anti-planner.com/shop/the-ant...

[Darren Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent tool kit for anyone with executive function difficulties. Dani clearly did her research in creating this practical and entertaining piece of art.

[Stella Winx · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is too expensive for what it is offering,
the author is too greedy for placing that price tag

and for not making an ebook version,knowing that people with ADHD make impulsive buys and struggle so much that they willing to spend more and more.

I won't support that author with my money unless she makes an ebook around 20€ LIKE ALL NORMAL BOOKS, 70-80€ with shipping is too much, get real.

[Lauren Nishi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a *clean* version without the colorful language. I was given that one for Christmas. I can say this notebook is filled with activities my own coach did with me in dealing with my ADHD tendencies. This is a gold mine! I actually through all of it before evening using it! Had to!

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the concept. But the cost is excessive! I know the author threw a lot into the book and the cost adds up but an affordable option that is less boojee would reach a while lot more people!

[Kara · Rating 1 out of 5]

A veritable cornucopia of strategies to determine priorities and motivate the reader to complete tasks. Marketed as a book to help the neurodivergent "function in a world that wasn't designed for us," these strategies run the gamut from standard advice available (for free!) with a simple internet search to the blatantly obvious to gamification.

Advice falling into the Blatantly Obvious category includes writing a list of pros and cons to help make a decision, reducing distractions, determining what the reader may use as a distraction and making it harder to access (this section is, however, called "reducing time-wasters"), planning the steps of a task before doing the task (called "fast-forward visualization" to somehow distinguish it from the standard process of making a plan?), and ranking tasks by priority. The reader is at one point advised to identify a stressor, develop a game plan to reduce or remove the stressor, then determine when to implement the plan - as if this was something more elevated than basic problem-solving. The author also advises the reader, when overwhelmed, to step back from responsibilities and regain focus by listing what needs to be done, why it's important, what needs to get done to do it, and what obstacles are in the way in order to generate motivation, as if this too is something more elevated than a basic pep talk. This section is called "working during a shitstorm," and its advice is essentially repeated close to the end of the book in another section in which the author advises the reader to set goals by determining what the goal is, why it's important, what needs to get done to do it, and what obstacles are in the way...

The bulk of the book consists of organizational strategies found in every corner of the internet, albeit with cute illustrations and blank charts. These include items such as determining why a task is difficult and how to make it easier or determining the essential components of a complicated task and removing non-essentials to make the task seem less intimidating. This is immediately followed by an exhortation to determine the bare minimum to declare a task done in order to make smaller tasks seem less intimidating as well. Another section advises the reader to break large tasks down into smaller, doable components - a journey of a thousand miles begins, as the adage goes, with a single step. The tried and true concepts of taking a break when tired and rewarding oneself with a treat for a task accomplished are included in this book as if they were innovative novelties, along with the same list of low-effort foods duplicated on hundreds of cooking blogs. Yet another section advises readers to brainstorm ways of making hated tasks more palatable (listen to music while folding laundry!), while farther along in the book the reader is advised to organize the environment to keep objects from getting lost (examples include the novel concepts of a laundry hamper in the bathroom and a key hook next to the front door). The author then includes compassionate self-talk, grouping to-do tasks by type, and creating a visual progress board of tasks written on sticky notes to be placed in to-do/in-progress/on-hold/done columns. A section on generating motivation by listing out the potential negative consequences of failing to perform a task as well as the potential positive consequences of finishing said task is included - this is the basic structure of every education module regarding general health and safety, but the author calls it an "avoidance log" to make it seem as though it, too, is a stunning innovation. The final entry in the available-on-the-internet-for-free category is a list of typical polite responses to decline social events and additional work tasks - again, the very same phrases found in thousands of blogs and professional advice columns.

The rest of the book consists of a series of games of chance to determine whether or not the reader should complete a task. These include flipping a coin, using the elementary school folded-paper fortune teller to pick a task, creating a bingo board of tasks then crossing them off when done to Get A Bingo, Procrastination Blackjack to decide how many tasks in a short list to complete, and the game Battleship (still needs two players but with tasks instead of ships, and if a task square is hit, the task must be done before the game can continue). The last two strategies are time-wasters in and of themselves, in which the reader is encouraged to draw tasks they've been procrastinating on Wanted posters and to doodle someone telling the reader Bet Ya Can't [do the task] to generate motivation out of spite.

The author then finishes the book by telling the reader to reward themselves with gold stars for completing their tasks. There is absolutely nothing original in these pages.

No part of this book was worth the $48 price tag. It has been returned.

[Rebecca Zaharia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I procrastinated finishing this for a while (HA. HAHA!) but I’m glad I finally did! This is a useful book full of tools and resources for literally anyone trying to get shit done or organize yourself, but it is especially helpful for anyone struggling with executive dysfunction, particularly for ADHD folks (since the creator of this planner has ADHD and references lots of strategies that can help this specific group of people).

Highly recommend! If you don’t like some strategies that come up in this planner, that is totally okay! There is simply so many ideas in here that it would be hard not to come out of it with something new to try. My personal favorites include new ways to organize my to-do lists, using decks of cards to gamify my motivation to do tasks, and using friends as an accountability buddy to play a form of “task battleship” with.

[Meg Nakano · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to say I've finished reading this book, because I'm going to be reading sections of it for a long, long time. I've tried SO MANY methods of powering through not wanting to get things done, and the main difference with Dani Donovan's book is, she makes it FUN! I can comfort myself, have a laugh, and discover a way to get going again, even if it is on a different tangent.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I'm in Japan, another over-achieving country with students and young people who are tired to death of the push to be productive, and if it were translated into Japanese, it might take off here as well.

[Ree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the tool that is going to help anyone who suffers from executive disfunction. Whether you have ADHD, suspect you do, or just procrastinate things for reasons you don’t understand, this book will help you.

It’s not a book to be read from page 1 to the end. The intro explains it and then mindfully consider what you are feeling and go to the section for that. Each section contains activities that can help you to get started with whatever it is you are avoiding doing.

With so many tools to choose from you are bound to get something new-to-you that will help you to get something started and finished.

[Barbara Ixba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this book expensive? Yes. Is it worth the money? Absolutely. I have accomplished so much since buying this book and using the strategies it recommends. I also love that the book is organized by how you feel about the task and offers ways to trick your brain into wanting to do what you’ve been struggling to get done. I bought this for my own ADHD, but I am excited to share the strategies with my students as well.

[Lonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a complete game changer for me, I got it as a gift for the holidays to help my very disorganized neurodivergent brain. It’s completely changed the way I approach tasks and obstacles, I find it especially helpful when I’m feeling stuck or overwhelmed and struggle to even get started. The way the author has gamified and incentivized organizing tasks has helped me visualize my day ahead in an exciting and more approachable manner!

[Miranda I · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. THIS book! I have so much love for Dani Donovan because of this book. Just seeing this book somewhere randomly around my house makes me feel seen. And knowing that there is a community of people just like me out there holding this book close also makes me feel so good. I love the colourful tabs which help me dive right in to the fun solutions I need in the moment. Thank you for all the tools, glorious humour and self-reflection, Dani.

[Boka]

I haven’t done any of the exercises yet, but I read the book a a form of procrastination.

Seriously though, I think some of these exercises might be really useful for me. I also appreciate that the book allows some space for saying that you don’t need to be a hyper-productive cog in the machine of capitalism … though I would have liked it if this had been expanded further.

[Michael Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t recommend this book enough. Dani Donovan knows what she’s talking about. This is a book by someone with ADHD for people with ADHD. It has practical guides that help me work through problems and find solutions that work with my brain, rather than against it. If you’re on the fence about buying it, hop off that fence, go to your local independent book store, and buy it!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don't Feel Like It (Spiral-bound)
by Dani Donovan

heard author on radio today
Here and Now
not in library


https://www.adhddd.com/comics/

[Simone]

Una pletora di errori ortografici.
Non valuto, non era ciò che mi aspettavo (pensavo fosse più legato al mondo dei journal) ma ciò non vuol dire che non possa davvero servire a chi sia in quella situazione. Un po' banale.

[Kat_mein]

god there's so many typos in this and the quality ain't great. interesting ideas though, but I have no idea what these rave reviews are about.
for the cost, i'm rather disappointed.
WELL apparently I just got scammed, what a weird world. shitty for Dani.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderfully written and extremely helpful! I have used and/or adapted a number of these strategies to help me beat procrastination! It is so refreshing to have strategies written by a fellow ADHDer! Dani writes with true acceptance and understanding.

[Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, this book is amazing for anyone who is struggling to get things done! I love all the different ideas, how it’s broken down into sections, the no nonsense attitude and the realness of it. I have started sharing some of these ideas with my clients and recommending it to others!

[Cary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fan - effing - tastic. Buy it, it’s great!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever been stuck or struggled with all your fun ADHD'isms then this is the book for you. So many amazing insights and ways to jump start your motivation to tackle The THING :)

[Justin Efferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful, and inspiring - love it.