Monday again.
And with it, that familiar feeling. The urge to start fresh. To do it right this time. To be the version of yourself that has it together.
This is the fresh start effect. And ADHD brains are especially susceptible to it.
Every Monday feels like a reset button. A chance to finally be consistent. To build the habits. To become the person you imagine when you're lying awake at 2 AM making plans.
The problem is, by Tuesday or Wednesday, that energy fades. The novelty wears off. And you're left wondering why you can't just follow through like everyone else.
Here's what I want you to understand: the fresh start effect isn't a strategy. It's a feeling. And feelings fade.
That doesn't mean fresh starts are bad. They can be useful. But they need to be paired with something more durable than motivation.
Instead of "this week I'm going to be different," try "this week I'm going to try one thing differently."
Not a complete overhaul. Not a new system. Not a transformation. Just one small tweak.
Maybe you'll put your phone in another room while you work. Maybe you'll eat breakfast before checking email. Maybe you'll set one alarm instead of five.
One thing. Tiny. Almost embarrassingly small.
Because small changes can actually stick. Grand plans almost never do.
Your brain loves novelty, and fresh starts provide that. But your brain also gets bored fast. So don't give it a whole new life to maintain. Give it one small experiment to try.
If it works, keep it. If it doesn't, try something else next Monday.
Progress isn't about perfect weeks. It's about tiny adjustments, accumulated over time.
You don't need to be different this week. You just need to be slightly different in one small way.
That's enough. That's actually a lot.
This is ADHD FM. Fresh starts are just beginnings. Keep them small.