Do Atomic Habits Work with ADHD?

Hey friends,

A few years ago, I, like seemingly the rest of human civilization, read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.

And at the time, I loved it! I couldn’t wait to start putting its principles into practice and change my life with habits that magically made everything easier.

The advice seemed to make a lot of sense to me and made an impact on how I think about things still. For example, “Make it easy” is a principle I continue to think about and try to apply. Following this sometimes helps me accomplish some tasks that would otherwise have too much friction to get started on.

But does it help me build habits?

If you asked me what new habits I’m doing as a result of reading Atomic Habits, I have to admit that I haven’t really changed that much.

I ​asked on Threads​ and it sounds like I’m not alone…

Why is this?

I still think there is a lot of value in the book, but like many things having to do with habits or productivity, we with ADHD have to view it with a different lens.

While many of the suggestions in the book sound easy, they aren’t taking into account the difficulties that come with executive dysfunction.

This can turn into “toxic productivity” when we hear advice that makes it seem like it should be easy. When our results fall short of the predicted outcome, we feel shame and self-doubt.

Have you found any books to be particularly helpful for you, even if they weren’t specifically intended for people with ADHD?

Stay focused,
Jesse J. Anderson