Episode 349: The 20 Second Rule Your ADHD Brain Will Love
I'm Busy Being Awesome - Sustainable Productivity for ADHD
Why small starts matter for ADHD
Paula explains starting small, momentum, and why vague 'start small' advice frustrates ADHD brains.
You know that frustrating feeling where you know exactly what to do, but your ADHD brain just won't let you start? SAME.
If you've ever had a habit you wanted to keep but somehow couldn't, or found yourself doing something on autopilot that you'd really like to stop, this episode is for you.
Today we're talking about the 20-Second Rule: a deceptively simple framework for making good habits easier to start and unwanted habits just a little bit harder to access. The secret is in the friction.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- What the 20-Second Rule is and why it works so well for ADHD brains
- How to identify the "friction" that's quietly derailing your best intentions
- Real-life examples of removing friction (and adding it) that actually work
- How to do a Friction Audit on your own habits — right now
This is one of my favorite frameworks to use with coaching clients, and I think once you see it, you'll start spotting friction everywhere.
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- The Happiness Advantage - Shawn Achor
- Episode 192: How Tiny Habits Create Lasting Change (Big doors swing on little hinges)
- Discover my favorite ADHD resources
- Learn my Top 10 Tips to Work With Your ADHD Brain
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- Free course: ADHD Routine Revamp
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00:00 Tiny Glitch Big Habit
01:29 Why Friction Matters
02:05 Starting Small Explained
04:25 The 20 Second Rule
07:24 ADHD Friendly Reframe
10:09 Friction and Podcast Roadmap
12:03 What Friction Looks Like
14:28 Real Life Friction Fixes
19:26 Run Your Friction Audit
20:37 Key Takeaways and Next Steps
21:55 Wrap Up and Resources
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