People with ADHD often start routines with intense excitement, then hit a wall by week two when dopamine drops and motivation fades. Missing one day in week three triggers shame and black-and-white thinking, leading to abandonment and harsh self-criticism about being lazy or incapable.
So it starts with something new. So whether that's a workout routine, or maybe a new diet, or another course that you bought, or starting a business, or maybe a new job, and then you're full of excitement. Like this time I'm going all in, and the hype is there, the dopamine is there. And then at around week two, it basically starts to wear off. Like the novelty is gone. There's not so much dopamine anymore, and you feel like hmm, maybe maybe. Maybe this actually isn't that thing. Maybe I'm not going to follow through. And then by week 3, you miss a day of that new thing. And it's like, oh, and then what happens is that black and white thinking where the shame starts to kick in. Oh, I was again not able to follow through on this. And then that negative voice in the head starts again, like, you are lazy and you cannot follow through on anything. And that is where you just forget about it. And then you look back and it's like, oh, I started something else again without actually finishing what I promised myself. So
