I have a special kind of procrastination, courtesy of my ADHD. It’s not your typical lazy, run-of-the-mill “I’ll do it later” nonsense. No, mine is fancy. It demands the cosmos align perfectly. It insists on Mondays or nice, neat, round-numbered dates. Why? Who the hell knows—maybe I’m just weird. But let’s face it—if you’ve got ADHD, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. Our brains love neat, structured timelines, even if our lives rarely resemble anything close to structured.
It’s ridiculous, really. I’ll spend weeks (okay, months) putting something off simply because the date doesn’t feel right. Take quitting Tobacco for example, I’ve made plans to quit so many times. Want to start eating healthier? Great, let’s start next Monday! Oh, it’s already Tuesday? I guess we’ll wait six more days. Want to work out regularly? Better wait until the 1st of next month, because starting on the 13th would just feel…wrong.
đź“š Revisiting “Atomic Habits” (Because I Clearly Need It)
Recently, I cracked open James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” again, because apparently, I enjoy repeatedly being reminded that tiny, consistent steps matter. Yet, despite being fully aware of how impactful small changes are, my brain still stubbornly refuses to start until the calendar gods grant their blessing. Originally, I had convinced myself April 1st was a perfect day. But guess what? It’s not even a Monday—it’s a Tuesday. And that’s exactly why I’m picking it.
There’s a line from Clear’s book that always sticks with me: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Yet here I am, constantly creating elaborate goals while completely ignoring my systems. My “systems” usually involve waiting around for perfect conditions, neatly numbered days, or the start of a fresh week. How’s that been working out for me? Exactly as well as you’d think.
đźš© ADHD’s Favorite Lie: “I’m Just Preparing”
Here’s the kicker: ADHD procrastination loves disguising itself as preparation. “I’ll totally get started when things feel just right,” is my favorite lie. I’ll research meal plans, download workout apps, buy new gear—anything but actually start. There’s comfort in pretending you’re “getting ready.” Preparation gives you the illusion of progress without any of the inconvenient effort of real action.
But why not just start right now? Well, as I wrote previously in, “Day 0 of 100 Days of Not Being a Fat Ass,” there’s power in a deliberate, purposeful start date. It allows time to mentally prepare and set clear intentions. That said, it’s easy to abuse this logic—to keep delaying action indefinitely because the “right moment” hasn’t arrived yet. And I’ve been guilty of that more than I’d care to admit.
Enough of that nonsense. This 100 Days of Not Being a Fat Ass Challenge is my way of flipping off the calendar, breaking out of my comfort zone, and taking action on a random Tuesday. No more pretending that tomorrow, or next Monday, or next month will magically be easier. They won’t.
🚀 Screw Perfection, Let’s Start Anyway
So, if you’re stuck waiting for your magical, perfect day—just stop. Join me on April 1st. Let’s do something imperfectly useful for once. Let’s stop glorifying “perfect timing” and embrace messy, imperfect, real-life progress. After all, the best day to start something was probably yesterday—but since we missed that boat, today will do just fine.
Drew Karriker is a self-proclaimed professional tinkerer, self-experimentation enthusiast, and lifelong learner with an inability to sit still. A former nuclear engineer turned DevOps architect, he’s built a career (and a life) out of breaking things, fixing them, and then making them better.
Despite wrestling with ADHD, anxiety, and an unrelenting need to optimize everything, he transformed his career and life in just a few years—not because he’s special, but because he figured out how to turn obsession into execution. Now, he’s doing it again—publicly—one 100-day challenge at a time.
His past projects? Some were successes. Some flopped spectacularly. Each one left him a little wiser (and probably a little more caffeinated). Now, he’s on a mission to document his transformation—mind, body, career, and everything in between—so that others might pick up a thing or two along the way. Or at the very least, be entertained by the chaos.
Follow along at RewiredWithDrew.com and get inspired, get motivated, or just grab some popcorn and enjoy the ride.