ADHD Experts Podcast – Episode 537

Small Wins Add Up: How to Build New Habits in 2025
Host: Annie Rogers (ADDitude)
Guest: Linda Roggli, Professional Certified Coach & ADHD Expert
Date: January 14, 2025

Overview

This episode, featuring ADHD coach and author Linda Roggli, focuses on practical, ADHD-friendly strategies for building sustainable habits in 2025. Rather than setting overwhelming New Year’s resolutions, Roggli emphasizes the power of “tiny habits” and the importance of celebrating incremental progress. Drawing on her personal experiences and key behavioral research, she shares actionable methods for ADD adults and parents raising children with ADHD, answering listener questions and offering real-life examples for habit-building at home and work.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Building Habits is Challenging with ADHD

• Roggli’s Personal Story: Grew up in a family where every meal ended with something sweet, leading to lifelong struggles with weight and dieting. She shares, “Every time I would lose weight... I would fall back, it was just really hard to start all over again.” (03:14)
• Learned Helplessness: Many with ADHD internalize the belief, “I can't do it, so therefore I probably am never going to be able to do it.” (05:35)
• ADHD-Specific Challenges:
  • Weak working memory ("our working memory boomerang... doesn’t always return." - 06:10)
  • Low consistency and tendency to take on too much at once.
  • Non-specific or impatient goals (“we want it done by noon tomorrow… I just want to be there. Does anyone have a magic wand today?” - 09:10)
  • Overwhelm from trying to attack all life changes at once (“We want to declutter the entire attic, lose 100 pounds, and exercise 150 minutes a week.” - 07:45)

Rethinking Resolutions: From ‘Shoulds’ to Intentions

• Intentions Instead of Resolutions: Resolutions often feed shame and disappointment; intentions are gentler and more ADHD-compatible.
• Start Small, Start Specific: Instead of ambitious vision boards or giant routines, focus on one small, manageable corner of a goal.

The Tiny Habits Method

• Source Inspiration: Roggli credits BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits framework (“Chunking down isn’t enough—we need to pulverize it!” - 25:30)
• The Tiny Habits Formula:
  1. Choose a Teeny-Tiny Behavior.
  2. Anchor It to an Existing Habit (Prompt): e.g., attach medication to brushing your teeth.
  3. Celebrate Immediately: “Ta da! Even the smallest wins.” (11:55)
• Example: “After I brush my teeth, I’m going to floss one tooth. Then I’m going to celebrate by saying ‘Yes!’ and giving myself a high five.” (12:40)
• Celebration is Key: Builds positive emotion, counteracts years of negative feedback for ADHD brains (“We are in encouragement deficit.” - 19:41)
• Notable Quote: “I change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad.” - BJ Fogg, as shared by Roggli (22:58)

Real-Life Application: Linda’s Water Habit

• Goal: Lose 20 pounds—not because of “shoulds,” but to feel better and wear a swimsuit again. (14:07)
• Brainstorm & Funnel: List all possible strategies → eliminate unrealistic options → choose ONE actionable, high-impact step.
• Chosen Tiny Habit: “Every time I open the refrigerator, I drink two swallows of water.” (18:27)
• Implementation Tweaks:
  • Visibility: Eye-level glass with sticky note “Drink Me.”
  • Adjust glass placement when it became “invisible.”
  • Use colored glasses and sticky notes to maintain novelty.
• Celebrate Every Time: “Yes, good job, Linda!”; “Celebrating for us is not optional.” (20:23)

Why Immediate, Small Celebrations Matter

• Builds positive brain pathways (“Change happens best with emotion.” - 21:54)
• Counters automatic negative self-talk embedded from childhood.
• Notable moment: Live exercise—listeners join in a “Woohoo!” session (21:24)

Habit Stacking & Building Complexity

• Once a Tiny Habit is Reliable, Add Another: e.g., after the water habit, Linda anchored eating at the table as a new habit (35:18)
• Habit Stacking: “After I feed the dogs, I set out bowls on the kitchen table as a reminder to eat there instead of in front of the TV.” (37:45)
• Fine-Tune & Adapt: Notice what’s not working (“I stopped celebrating”) and make adjustments.

Handling ADHD Traps: Overwhelm, Boredom, Indecision, Frustration

• Avoid Overwhelm: “Pulverize” routines into their smallest units; focus on what drives YOU the craziest, not what should be done. (27:31)
• Novelty: Switch up cues (color, glass shape) to keep habits interesting.
• Frustration with Slow Progress: Re-visit your true “why,” and remember: “There’s no magic number of days for a habit to ‘stick’—reliability matters most.” (55:39)
• Motivation: “You’re already doing a lot right. Celebrate that!” (57:25)

Listener Q&A and Solutions to Common Challenges

1. Getting Up On Time

Tips & Suggestions:

• Pair rising with something enjoyable (e.g., cappuccino)
• Try sunrise/simulator alarm clocks, or quirky alarm gadgets (Clocky, Alarmy) (45:50)
• Attach habit to existing routine: “After I put my feet on the floor, I say, ‘It’s going to be a great day.’” (35:50)
• Address sleep routines the prior night (“Getting up early relates to going to bed early.” - 48:15)
• Celebrate any step, even if it’s just being in bed with your phone off

2. Kitchen Decluttering

Mini-habits:

• Retrieve and pile similar items (all papers together, mittens together)
• “After I walk into the kitchen, put five things away.”
• Five/fifteen-minute daily clean-ups—with music to make it fun (53:41)
• Enlist help or assign baskets for other family members’ stuff
• Always celebrate completion, no matter how small

3. Managing Frustration, Overwhelm & Motivation Lapses

• Instant Celebration: Record and replay personal cheers; ask a loved one to reinforce your wins (56:02)
• Roggli’s Reframe: “It’s not about what you haven’t done, but recognizing what you are already doing right.” (57:25)
• Remind Yourself: “We’re optimists—wanting the best for ourselves is half the battle!” (59:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ADHD Optimism:
  “Face it, we really are optimists and we believe that we can. It’s just that we can’t do all of it at once.” (08:20)
• On Starting Small:
  “Chunking it down is not enough. We’re going to pulverize it — make it so tiny anyone can do it.” (25:30)
• Group Exercise:
  “Try it right now. 1, 2, 3 — Woohoo! Did you feel silly? I don’t care. Do it again!” (21:24)
• On the Importance of Celebration:
  “Celebration for us is not optional.” (20:23)
• On Experimenting and Self-Compassion:
  “This life is a test. It is only a test. If it had been an actual life, you would have received further instructions.” (38:44) – Jack Kornfield quote

Practical Tiny Habit Ideas from the Episode

• After I walk into my office... “...I will put away 10 sheets of paper, then celebrate.” (40:19)
• After I flush the toilet... “...I’ll do two pushups, then celebrate.” (40:40)
• After I plug in my phone... “...I’ll turn off notifications, then celebrate.” (41:00)
• After I turn on the coffeemaker... “...I’ll do three squats, then celebrate.” (41:10)

Resources & Further Reading

• Books Mentioned:
  • Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg (TEDx Talk, tinyhabits.com)
  • Atomic Habits by James Clear (listener submission) (40:49)
• Other Tools: AI brainstorming prompts; sunrise alarm clocks; accountability via coaches (adhdcoaches.org)
• Supplemental Reading: Linda’s article “Uncomplicate Your Life in Six Steps” in the spring issue of ADDitude Magazine

Takeaway Messages

• Start Tiny: Pulverize your goals into their tiniest pieces and celebrate every success—even if it feels silly.
• Build on Prompts: Anchor new behaviors to established routines.
• Personalize & Adapt: Fine-tune as you go; refresh prompts when they get stale.
• Celebrate Relentlessly: Immediate, positive self-celebration is crucial for ADHD brains.
• Do What Matters to YOU: Pursue habits that are meaningful and personally motivating—not “shoulds.”
• Give Yourself Grace: Habits are just experiments—if one doesn’t work, tweak and try again.

“I change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad.”
— BJ Fogg (quoted by Linda Roggli, 22:58)

For slides, resources, and full recordings:
Visit attitudemag.com, search for podcast 537