Ep. 86 - Part 2: Starting With a Mindset of Sufficiency - An ADHD Strategy for Rebuilding Self-Trust & Belief in Capacity

This is Part 2 of a special three-part series on ADHD-friendly strategies for improving productivity—or, more specifically, task initiation, continuation, and completion. 

(Missed Part 1? This episode builds on Episode 85: Touching the Task: An ADHD Strategy for Overcoming Task Avoidance, featuring the work of Dr. Russell Ramsay, a leading expert on Adult ADHD. If you haven’t listened yet, I highly recommend starting there.)

If you’ve ever felt paralyzed before even starting a task—questioning whether you have enough time, energy, focus, ability, or capacity—you’re not alone. ADHD often tricks the brain into defaulting to insufficiency thinking, reinforcing the cycle of avoidance.

Dr. Russell Ramsay, a leading expert in adult ADHD, explains that starting with a mindset of sufficiency—even for the smallest touch-the-task step—helps you build the evidence that you do have the capacity to move forward. This approach shifts the focus from overwhelming end goals to what you can do right now.

Each time you affirm that you have enough to engage with a task, you experience a small win. This creates a rewarding feedback loop that builds self-trust, making it easier to continue the task and, ultimately, complete it.

Resources & Links

• Rethinking Adult ADHD: Helping Clients Turn Intentions Into Actions by Dr. Russell Ramsay (Book)
  
  
• Thinking through adult ADHD: Change your outlook and cope better with ADHD. Psychology Today. Ramsay, R. (2020, October 24). (Article)
  
  
• Procrastivity (a.k.a. sneaky avoidance) and adult ADHD coping: Part 1: Lessons learned that can help you turn procrastination against itself. Psychology Today. Ramsay, R. (2020, July 16). (Article)
   
• Procrastivity (or sneaky avoidance) and adult ADHD coping: Part 2: Coping tips for turning intentions into actions. Psychology Today. Ramsay, R. (2020, July 26). (Article)
  
  
• Why the ADHD Brain Chooses the Less Important Task -- and How CBT Improves Prioritization Skills. ADDitude Online. (Updated 2025, February 3) (Article)
   
• The Weekend University Podcast | Rethinking ADHD with Dr. Russell Ramsay (August 2022)
  
  
• The ADHD Experts Podcast by ADDitude | Ep. 501 - ADHD & Procrastivity - How to Outsmart Procrastination and Improve Productivity with Dr. Russell Ramsay (May 2024)

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