Episode Summary



Consistency is one of the biggest struggles for ADHD adults, and it’s not because you don’t care or aren’t trying hard enough. In this episode, I dig into what consistency really means, why ADHD brains often find it so hard to maintain, and how to rethink the whole idea so you can focus on what truly matters.



Instead of beating yourself up for being “inconsistent,” you’ll learn how to work with your wiring, choose when consistency is essential, and build the right supports to make it possible.



What You’ll Learn About ADHD and Consistency




* Why the traditional definition of consistency may not work for ADHD adults



* How the ADHD brain’s interest-based nervous system impacts consistency



* The role of frustration, time blindness, low dopamine and working memory in being inconsistent



* When it’s okay (and even helpful) for ADHD adults to be “inconsistent”



* Practical scaffolding strategies to support ADHD consistency where it really counts




Transcript: ADHD Consistency Strategies







Why ADHD Adults Struggle With Consistency (00:01):



Even when I start, I still can’t be consistent. Sure, I can try to start a habit today, but who knows how long that’ll last. Sound familiar? Stick around and find out why this is so common for ADHD adults and what you can do about it. You’ve tuned into Re-imagining Productivity with ADHD, a podcast for ADHD adults like you who want to learn how to adopt the best strategies, tools, and skills to be able to get your essential work done in a way that works with the way your brain is wired.



I’m Marla Cummins, and I’m glad you decided to join me today on this journey so you can do what is important to you without trying to do it like everyone else. Today I’m going to answer a few questions related to consistency. My answer to the first question, which is “What does it mean to be consistent, may surprise you.”



(00:55):



Then we’ll look at how you decide where it’s important to be consistent and where actually it might be okay to be, well, inconsistent. And finally, we’ll answer the question that I know you really want to hear, which is, what strategies can help me become more consistent in areas that are truly important to me? First, let’s assume we’re talking about consistency as it relates to how you behave, take action, or perform specific tasks.



If you’re like many people I work with right now, you may think of consistency as doing the exact same thing again and again in the exact same way. When I looked it up, the definition was similar: acting or happening in the same way over time without significant variation. Since this is the traditional definition, let’s start there. Though, as a preview, we’re going to mix it up a little, and I’ll propose a different definition in a bit.



(01:50):



First, I know that it may be important to you right now to be consistent in areas like exercise, home maintenance, work tasks, et cetera. So I want to start by saying it’s important not to conflate your lack of consistency in any of these areas with the task not being important to you. You may have tried hard to be consistent in some of these areas, whether it’s long-term habits or short-term project-based habits.



So you want to exercise three times a week, spend an hour a week decluttering your home, or work for an hour two days a week preparing for your presenta...