🌄 HOPE on the Trail
Values-Guided Navigation through the ADHD Terrain
Embarking on life with ADHD can feel like entering a dense and ever-changing landscape. Some trails are overgrown, some paths vanish just as you find your footing, and the weather shifts without warning. For Alex, a young person living with ADHD, this journey often swings between bursts of energy and sudden overwhelm, between curiosity and confusion. That’s where Maya comes in—a trusted Life Guide who walks beside him. She doesn’t control the path, but she knows how to read the signs, how to pause and listen to the land, and how to help Alex reconnect with his inner compass.
The HOPE framework is their trail toolkit—a map, a compass, a torch, and a way of finding direction when the road gets rough. It’s a flexible and structured guide for navigating inner and outer terrain with purpose. Whether the path leads through tangled thoughts, rocky routines, emotional downpours, or sudden distractions, HOPE reminds us that we are not lost—we are learning how to walk in line with what matters most.
🥾 Start with Grounding
Every journey begins with a pause. Before we take the next step, we need to look around and understand where we are. Alex calls this “dropping his pack.” Maya helps him notice what the landscape is really like—what’s true about the moment, however hard it is. This isn’t about liking the terrain. It’s about accepting that it is the terrain. Only then can we decide how to move forward with purpose.
🗺️ Clear the Path
On every trail, choices appear like forks in the road or roots underfoot. Some steps help us move closer to our values; others take us off track or lead us in circles. Maya teaches Alex a magic question he can ask anytime: "Does this help or harm?" It becomes a mental trail sign—a way to navigate confusion and choose actions that reflect the kind of person he wants to be.
🧭 Set Your Inner Compass
In this terrain, GPS won’t help. What keeps us going when things get foggy or tough is knowing what matters to us. Our values are our inner compass—qualities we want to bring to the trail, regardless of the destination. Alex learns to name his values and carry them like markers on a compass: curiosity, loyalty, creativity, courage. These values guide how he walks through each challenge.
🏕️ Pick Your Trail and Fellow Travelers
Not all destinations are worth hiking toward. Some were handed to us. Others we never questioned. Maya helps Alex reflect on what goals and people truly matter to him—and which ones light a spark in his chest. He learns to choose his trailmates and trail goals wisely, anchoring them in the values he most wants to live by.
🥾 Step by Step
In wild terrain, it’s not about huge leaps. It’s about finding the next small step and taking it, even when energy is low or motivation flickers. Together, Alex and Maya map out Time Capsules—actions that are immediate, short-term, medium-term, and long-term. They also build in campfires for reflection, asking questions like “How far have I come?” and “What might I do differently next time?” It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being intentional.
🌿 Before You Set Out
Think back to a time when the path ahead felt too tangled, too uncertain, or too steep to climb. What thoughts and feelings came up? How did your mind try to pull you into panic or self-criticism? What did you most wish for in that moment—clarity, comfort, companionship?
As Alex learns, the first step is not about pushing forward blindly. It’s about planting your walking stick in the ground, looking around with honest eyes, and saying: “This is where I am.” Only then can you begin to move with purpose, guided by what matters most to you.
Let’s begin.
