Why I struggled to be consistent!

Hey everyone,

As a founder with ADHD, I struggled to maintain consistency in various aspects of my life. This appeared in these bad habits:

Struggling to start due to procrastination & perfectionism
Breaking habits shortly after starting them
Not being capable of bouncing back after a vacation or lull period

However, over the past couple of years, I have successfully built new habits, overcome my challenges, and developed consistency. Here are my experiences and learnings.

Anything can become a habit

During my journey to develop better habits, I discovered negative behaviors that formed into habits. For example, whenever I felt stuck, my instinct was to reach for my phone. This often led me to get lost in social media or endless text messages, forming a detrimental habit. Reflecting on my day-to-day routines, I often operated on autopilot, lacking intentionality. Here are a few examples:

Waking up and spending an hour scrolling through my phone.
Brushing my teeth in the same rushed manner, earning a scolding at the dentist's office.
Closing YouTube, checking my messages, and then mindlessly returning to YouTube.
Avoiding or postponing challenging tasks when faced with difficulties.

These habits developed unconsciously throughout my life. James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, says, “ Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” Throughout my life, I unknowingly accumulated votes that I regret. However, there are a couple of key habits that allowed me to accumulate votes to generate momentum.

How I Fostered Consistency

James Clear's book "Atomic Habits" provided valuable insights into habit formation. Here are the core steps of habit formation:

Trigger: A cue or reminder that prompts the habit.
Desire: A craving or motivation for the reward to complete the habit.
Response: The action or behavior that forms the habit.
Reward: The positive outcome or satisfaction obtained upon completing the habit.

By understanding these steps, we can effectively break harmful habits and establish new ones. Now, let's focus on the habits I used to break unproductive habits and foster consistency.

Getting Started: Procrastination often leads to delayed or unfinished tasks. To tackle this, I had to break the habit of procrastinating and perfectionism consciously. Starting with small, manageable tasks can build momentum and make it easier to maintain consistency. Now when I want to start something, I do it that day.
Sustaining Interest: Maintaining interest in a habit was challenging. To address this, I set smaller milestones that move me closer to my goal. By slowly introducing more challenges and forcing myself to grow, I kept it engaging and prevented monotony. For example, when I’m at the gym, I’m always reaching for a new goal.
Embracing Change Gradually: Our minds naturally resist change, making it difficult to adjust habits. To counteract this, I formed the habit of embracing incremental positive changes. By gradually introducing new practices and allowing myself time to adapt, I found it easier to integrate lasting changes into my daily life. Instead of committing to a drastic change like a diet, commit to eating healthier and become a health nut.
Bouncing Back from Lulls and Lack of Motivation: Consistency is not about never faltering but rather the ability to recover after setbacks. I developed the skill of getting back on track after periods of low motivation, vacations, or disruptions

Conclusion

Every day, I generate hundreds of votes, so it’s extremely important to make those votes for the person I want to be. If not, I’ll become the person based on my short-term desires. I started by assessing my routines, identifying my negative habits, and slowly making changes until I developed the desired habits. If I’m not forming good habits, I’m forming bad ones. Use your time to become the person you want to be!

Enter ScatterMind

I’ve productized my systems into ScatterMind to help you master your ADHD, unlock your potential, and create the life you've always desired. If you’re struggling to master your ADHD, reach out! Let's unlock your potential