If you have ADHD, you know how tough consistency can be. One day, you're on fire—crushing your to-do list, sticking to routines, and feeling unstoppable. The next? It’s like everything falls apart. Motivation disappears, habits feel impossible to maintain, and you start questioning if you’ll ever be consistent at anything.
But here’s the thing: Consistency with ADHD doesn’t have to mean rigid routines. Instead, it’s about finding strategies that work with your brain, not against it. So today, let’s talk about how to build consistency in a way that actually works for ADHD brains.
🎯 1. Rely on Cues, Not Willpower
One of the biggest mistakes we make is trying to rely on motivation or willpower to stay consistent. Spoiler: Willpower is unreliable! Instead, use external cues to trigger your habits.
🛎 Try This: Attach a habit to something you already do daily. Want to take supplements? Keep them next to your coffee machine. Need to journal? Put your notebook on your pillow so you see it before bed.
⏳ 2. Shrink the Habit Until It’s Impossible to Skip
ADHD brains love novelty but struggle with follow-through. So instead of aiming for perfection, start ridiculously small. If you want to exercise daily, start with one minute of movement. Want to write more? One sentence counts.
📝 Action Step: Make your habit so tiny that skipping it feels silly.
🔄 3. Create a Flexible Routine (Not a Strict One)
Rigid routines? No thanks. Instead, create a menu of options for your habits. If you want to journal daily, allow yourself different formats—bullet points, voice notes, or even doodles. If you’re trying to exercise, give yourself options: yoga, walking, or dancing.
🔄 Key Insight: Flexibility increases consistency because it prevents boredom and burnout.
👯♂️ 4. Use Body Doubling for Accountability
Sometimes, just having someone around makes all the difference. Body doubling (working alongside someone, virtually or in person) is a game-changer for ADHD brains.
📌 Try This: Join a virtual ADHD body-doubling group or invite a friend to co-work with you.
📊 5. Track Progress in a Low-Pressure Way
ADHD brains struggle with remembering progress, which makes us feel like we’re not getting anywhere. A simple, low-pressure tracker can help!
🖍 Easy Idea: Use a habit tracker with stickers or colored dots instead of rigid streaks. That way, you can see progress without the pressure of being perfect.
🚀 Final Thoughts
Building consistency with ADHD isn’t about doing things perfectly every day. It’s about setting yourself up for success with flexible systems, external cues, and low-pressure tracking.
✨ Which of these consistency hacks will you try first? Let me know, and don’t forget to tune into my podcast for more ADHD-friendly strategies! 🎧