Podcast Summary: ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

Episode 365: "One Word, One Brain, One Damn Good Year"

Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Tracy Otsuka

Main Theme / Purpose

In this special New Year’s episode, Tracy Otsuka encourages listeners to set the tone for 2026 by focusing on one powerful, emotionally charged word—rather than following traditional New Year’s resolutions. Tracy shares her personal journey and reflections from the past year, illustrating how the practice of choosing a single word has shaped her mindset and life. She delves into the concept of "subtraction" as her word for 2026, demonstrating how letting go (of things, obligations, and beliefs) can create space for creativity, clarity, and personal growth, especially for women with ADHD.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of One Word (02:30 – 07:10)

• Tracy rejects resolutions and checklists in favor of selecting one guiding word for the year.
• She explains why this method suits the ADHD brain:
  • Simplicity: “We don't have a ton of working memory to spare... so one word is really easy to hold onto, even throughout the whole year.” (03:50)
  • Focus: Sharpens priorities, weakens distractions.
  • Positive Emotion & Science: Emotionally charged words anchor motivation long-term; they’re easier to recall and act on—especially when seen daily (bracelet, wallpaper, desk frame).
• Quote: “One emotionally charged word is easier for our brains to remember, to act on, and to come back to, especially when life gets busy and loud.” (04:45)

Tracy’s Past “Words of the Year” (07:15 – 14:25)

• 2018: Nervy (sparked her to start the podcast).
• 2019: Consistency (enabled ongoing commitment).
• 2020: Impact (focused on changing women’s lives).
• 2021: Action (built momentum and shut down ruminating chatter).
• 2022: Outsider (embraced difference, wrote her book).
• 2023: Insider (focused on community and connection).
• 2025: 1 Million (aimed to help one million women).
  • Reflected on her tangible impact: “We're now at eight and a half million for the podcast, and we sold 100,000 books… but you know what counts, I tried.” (13:50)
• Some years lack a word (notably 2024), underscoring the need for intentionality.

Major Life Events & Lessons from 2025 (14:30 – 29:45)

• Family Health: Husband’s successful open-heart surgery (“He literally took one oxycod after surgery—just one... For open heart surgery. I know. Insane.” (16:50)) and son Marcus’s shoulder surgery.
• Marcus’s Journey: Marcus, previously “the kid who hated school,” decided to pursue medical school after volunteering in an ER. Tracy highlights the ADHD tax—missed opportunities or winding paths due to interest-based motivation.
  • Quote: “If you have a child like Marcus, this is what happens when an interest-based ADHD brain finally lights up. When it clicks, they're just all in.” (22:55)
  • Marcus overcame limiting beliefs and was accepted into a top post-bacc pre-med program.
• Letting Go of Home: Decision to sell their longtime home, Bullfrog Farms.
  • Emotional ties (“This is like my third child... as far as we are concerned, she is pure magic.” (25:30))
  • Tracy yearns for “less” — less space, stuff, chaos, and more energy and creativity.
• Birds & Symbolism: Tracy shares her love for birds, especially hummingbirds and the symbolic visitation of three great egrets, interpreted as a sign of completion and readiness for transition.
  • Quote: “Three signals equilibrium, a cycle finished. Well, great egrets represent wisdom, refinement, and poised evolution... They move when it’s time.” (38:40)

The Science and Strength of Subtraction (29:50 – 41:10)

• ADHD brains are incorrectly perceived to thrive on “more”; in truth, excess leads to overwhelm and shutdown.
• Subtraction as a Tool:
  • “Subtraction is actually dopamine’s best friend. When we subtract, we make space for our executive functions to come back online.” (31:55)
  • Removing non-essentials improves planning, emotional regulation, and creativity.
  • Letting go is not about diminishing yourself, but about “getting honest with ourselves.”
  • Prompt: “Ask yourself: What am I carrying that I’m ready to set down? What am I pretending still fits even though it doesn’t?” (34:00)

Tracy’s Word for 2026: “Subtract” (41:15 – 45:33)

• Tracy announces her word for the year: Subtract
  • “Not in the quiet, minimalist way... I don’t think subtract is passive. I think it’s bold and decisive and it’s a boundary that actually holds.” (41:15)
  • Inspired by the symbolic egrets; “Three means completion and alignment. Past honored, present understood, future ready.” (38:40)
  • Readiness for new experiences requires making space by letting go.

Subtraction in Business & Daily Life (45:40 – 50:55)

• Tracy restructured her business, cutting live launches and chaos, moving to rolling admission and leveraging Notion as a central command system.
  • “We subtracted. Everyone on the team talks to each other, which means they talk to me a lot less. And that is glorious.” (48:15)
• Systematizing and subtracting unnecessary “clutter” led to more energy for live training and creativity.

Action Steps & Encouragement for Listeners (51:00 – end)

• Offers suggestions for listeners to practice subtraction:
  • Remove one obligation, declutter a drawer, shed a should/belief.
  • The guiding word does NOT have to be perfect; it just needs emotional resonance.
  • “You don’t build a life you love by adding more. You build it by clearing the crap that gets in your way.” (52:10)
  • Subtraction is about courage—letting go of familiar, yet stagnant, patterns.
  • Motivation: “Look, you can’t shine if you’re buried. You can’t lead if you’re lost in your own clutter. You can’t create something powerful when your brain is full of noise. So what will you subtract in 2026?” (54:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ADHD Success:
  “I have NEVER met an ADHD woman who wasn’t truly brilliant at something!” (00:30)

• On Being Too Much:
  “To those who still think they're too much, too impulsive, too scattered, too disorganized, I say no one ever made a difference by being too little.” (02:10)

• On Subtraction and Growth:
  “Subtraction is how I will grow. You can’t shine if you’re buried... What will that subtraction make room for?” (53:47)

• On Readiness and Trust:
  “They don’t cling, they don’t rush, they move when it’s time... The meaning isn’t maybe stay. It’s your complete here and ready for what’s next. Clean, confident, forward.” (39:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:30] – Why “One Word” works for ADHD brains
• [07:15] – Tracy’s annual word choices and evolution
• [14:30] – Significant events of 2025: health, family, home
• [22:55] – Marcus’s journey to medical school and “the ADHD tax”
• [25:30] – Letting go of Bullfrog Farms
• [31:55] – Subtraction as a tool for executive function
• [38:40] – The egrets and symbolism: clarity, transition, readiness
• [41:15] – The word for 2026: Subtract
• [48:15] – Business changes: process, team, and energy
• [52:10] – Subtraction creates space for a life you love
• [54:00] – Final encouragement and call to action

Takeaway for Listeners

Tracy’s authentic, heartfelt storytelling—blended with actionable advice and a dash of science—reminds ADHD women that success and joy are built not by adding more, but by boldly letting go of what no longer serves them. Her guiding word “Subtract” invites all listeners to reflect on what they can release in 2026, making space for growth, creativity, and authentic fulfillment.