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- Why You Save Information, but Never Use It - Jim Livingstone - ADHD Optimist
Why You Save Information, but Never Use It - Jim Livingstone - ADHD Optimist
Why You Save Information, but Never Use It - Jim Livingstone - ADHD Optimist
Jim Livingstone
September 25, 2025
 | G’day, I struggled with undiagnosed ADHD for forty-six years, feeling like I didn't fit in anywhere. Since my ADHD diagnosis, I have spent the past twenty-six years reading, researching and testing every aspect of adult ADHD with the desire to become the very best version of myself. Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way…. |
Read more on jimlivingstone.com.au
The ADHD Implementation System
Breaking the Information Collection → Zero Action Cycle
Why Your ADHD Brain Hoards Information Instead of Using It
The Neurological Reality:
Information gathering = instant dopamine hit (reward now)
Implementation = delayed gratification (reward later)
ADHD brains are wired to choose immediate rewards
Learning feels like progress without the discomfort of actual change
The Psychological Comfort:
Collecting info = staying in control
Taking action = risk of failure/discomfort
Your brain prefers "potential future perfect self" over "imperfect present action"
The Perfectionism Trap:
"I need to find the PERFECT system first"
"Let me research one more approach"
"I should understand everything before I start"
Truth bomb: There is no perfect system. There's only the system you actually use.
The ADHD Implementation Protocol
Rule #1: Information Quarantine
New Rule: No new fitness information until you've implemented ONE thing for 7 days.
How to Enforce:
Set a "research moratorium" - no fitness videos, articles, or programs
If you find yourself researching, immediately redirect to action
Remove fitness content from social feeds temporarily
Tell someone about your moratorium for accountability
Why This Works: Forces your brain to work with what it has instead of seeking the next shiny object.
Rule #2: The One-Action Extraction Method
From everything you just learned, pick ONE micro-action:
Option A: The Dopamine Hit Replacement
When you feel bored/stressed → 10 jumping jacks instead of food
That's it. Nothing else.
Option B: The Morning Anchor
Coffee brewing → 30 seconds of movement while waiting
That's it. Nothing else.
Option C: The Stress Reset
Feel overwhelmed → Cold water on face + 5 deep breaths
That's it. Nothing else.
Critical: You are NOT allowed to add anything else until this becomes automatic (7-14 days).
Rule #3: The Implementation Trigger System
Problem: ADHD brains forget to implement even when they want to.
Solution: Attach new behavior to existing strong habits.
Your Current Strong Habits (Pick One):
Checking your phone first thing in morning
Making coffee/tea
Brushing teeth
Getting in car
Opening laptop for work
Taking bathroom breaks
Implementation Formula:
"After I [EXISTING HABIT], I will [ONE NEW MICRO-ACTION] for [SPECIFIC TIME]."
Examples:
"After I open my laptop, I will do 10 wall push-ups for 30 seconds"
"After I make coffee, I will walk around my house for 2 minutes"
"After I brush teeth, I will do 5 squats for 20 seconds"
Rule #4: The ADHD-Proof Tracking System
Problem: Complex tracking systems feel overwhelming and get abandoned.
Solution: Binary tracking only.
The World's Simplest Tracker:
Draw 7 boxes on a piece of paper. Put an X in the box if you did your ONE thing that day. That's it.
Advanced Version (Only after 2 weeks):
✅ = Did it
❌ = Didn't do it
📱 = Remembered but chose phone instead
🍕 = Stress ate instead
Why This Works: Seeing patterns without judgment helps ADHD brains learn about themselves.
Rule #5: The Emergency Implementation Fallback
When you inevitably forget or resist:
The 10-Second Rule:
If you don't want to do your micro-action, do it for 10 seconds only.
Don't want to do jumping jacks? Do 3.
Don't want to walk? Walk to your front door.
Don't want to stretch? Raise your arms over your head once.
The Psychology: Getting started is 90% of the battle for ADHD brains. Once you start, momentum often takes over.
The ADHD Implementation Phases
Phase 1: Micro-Habit Installation (Days 1-14)
Goal: Make ONE tiny action automatic
Rules: No new information, no additional habits
Success metric: Did it 10 out of 14 days (70% = winning)
Phase 2: Gentle Expansion (Days 15-28)
Goal: Slightly increase duration or add ONE more micro-action
Rules: Still no new programs or complex systems
Success metric: Maintained consistency while expanding slightly
Phase 3: System Building (Days 29+)
Goal: Connect micro-habits into a simple routine
Rules: Can research ONE new element if current habits are solid
Success metric: Has become part of identity, not just behavior
ADHD-Specific Implementation Obstacles & Solutions
Obstacle: "This is too simple, it won't work"
ADHD Translation: "My brain needs complexity to feel engaged" Reality Check: Simple things done consistently beat complex things done never Solution: Trust the process for 7 days before judging
Obstacle: "I found a better system online"
ADHD Translation: "Novelty-seeking dopamine hit disguised as optimization" Reality Check: The best system is the one you actually do Solution: Add new system to "future research" list, stay with current micro-habit
Obstacle: "I forgot to do it"
ADHD Translation: "Out of sight, out of mind" Reality Check: This is normal ADHD behaviour, not failure. Solution: Visual reminders, phone alarms, or attach to a stronger existing habit
Obstacle: "I did it for 3 days, then stopped"
ADHD Translation: "Initial dopamine hit wore off, no immediate visible results" Reality Check: This is exactly when habit formation happens - in the messy middle. Solution: Expect this dip, have a plan ready (10-second rule, call accountability partner)
The ADHD Implementation Emergency Kit
When You Want to Research Instead of Act:
Set a timer for 2 minutes
Do your micro-action first
THEN allow 5 minutes of research (max)
Close all tabs/apps after the timer
When You Want to Add More Before Mastering Current:
Write the new idea down (satisfies the brain's need to capture)
Set a calendar reminder for 2 weeks from now (delays gratification)
Do current micro-action immediately (redirects energy)
When You Feel Like Quitting:
Remind yourself: "I'm not building a perfect record, I'm building a new identity"
Do the 10-second version
Text one person about doing it (social accountability dopamine)
The ADHD Implementation Mindset Shifts
From: "I need to find the perfect system"
To: "I need to perfect using any system"
From: "Let me research one more approach"
To: "Let me test this approach one more day"
From: "This is too simple to work"
To: "Simple is the only thing that works for my brain"
From: "I'll start Monday with everything"
To: "I'll start now with one thing"
From: "I failed because I missed a day"
To: "I succeeded because I restarted the next day"
Your Implementation Challenge (Right Now)
Step 1: Pick ONE micro-action from everything you've learned today Step 2: Attach it to ONE existing habit you already do consistently Step 3: Write it down in this format: "After I _____, I will _____ for _____ seconds" Step 4: Do it once today, right now, to prove to your brain it's possible Step 5: Put a visual reminder where you'll see it
Example: "After I check my phone in the morning, I will do 5 jumping jacks for 20 seconds"
The Ultimate ADHD Implementation Truth
Your brain will always prefer collecting information over taking action because information feels safer.
But here's what your brain doesn't realize: Taking imperfect action gives you better information than reading perfect plans.
The goal isn't to implement everything perfectly. The goal is to implement something consistently.
Once you prove to your ADHD brain that you CAN follow through on small things, it will start trusting you with bigger things.
You don't have an implementation problem. You have a "starting too big" problem.
Start microscopic. Success builds on success, especially for ADHD brains.
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“Progress has to do with the implementation of the information you have collected” - Jim Livingstone
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