This One Habit Was Quietly Destroying My Progress

START NOW? THAT WAS NEVER MY ISSUE.

My mind is all over the place—or at least, it used to be. Sometimes it still is, if I let it.

I would start so many things at once (ADHD + Projector life). I’d be full of energy, full of vision, ready to go right now.

So when I started diving into self-development content, and I saw all the "START NOW, DON’T WAIT!" advice all over the place… I laughed. I felt inspired, sure—but not because I needed to start. Starting was never my problem.

Finishing? Now that was the problem.

What nobody seems to talk about online is that, for some of us, we have zero issue starting. We’ve got ideas on top of ideas, sparks flying everywhere. Our minds naturally zoom to the end result. I see the big picture right away—I live in that vision. But the steps in between? The little, unsexy, tedious steps?

Those can feel like death.

And yet, everyone’s telling us: "Just manifest it." "Visualize it." "It’ll come to you."
But when you’re wired like me—and maybe like you—those messages can do more harm than good.

Why? Because I already saw the vision. I was already in the dream. So I assumed the steps would just... show up. Flow in. Fall into place.

They didn’t.

Because here’s the truth: you need to have your head in the vision, but your feet planted on the ground.

That’s where I kept messing up. I would get inspired, start something, and then—bam—a challenge would come up. Something would get hard. Discomfort would rise. And rather than sit with that discomfort or work through it, my brain would shift to a new thing. Something shinier. Easier. Less painful.

The result? A million open loops. So many unfinished projects.
So much wasted energy.

And the irony? Every loop you leave open? It stays with you. You may not be consciously thinking about it, but it's taking up space in the back of your mind. And eventually, those small fires become big fires. They become heavy.

CLOSING LOOPS, BUILDING FLOW

The secret to momentum isn’t “visualizing the end.” It’s in the boring small steps. The gritty, dopamine-lacking steps. The ones that don’t feel satisfying in the moment. The ones that don’t give you a hit of validation or a flood of good vibes.

But those are the ones that move you forward.

And ironically, those steps are kind of an illusion too. The actions themselves are not the truth—they’re just the sail you direct to catch the wind. The wind is the energy, the challenge, the resistance. When used properly, it moves you forward. But if you don’t know how to steer—you’ll just drift. Or worse, capsize.

So what do you do?

You lose yourself in the process. You learn to love the process.

Not in a fake way. Not by pretending it’s all amazing.
But by finding the little sparks of joy, satisfaction, even humor in it.
By tricking your brain to stay with it, instead of running away.

IF YOU’VE GOT ADHD, HERE ARE 6 THINGS THAT HELPED ME FOCUS (AND ACTUALLY FINISH):

1. Remove distractions. Create a space where no one can bother you. Seriously—protect your bubble.

2. Get rid of your phone. Not “set it aside”—put it in another room. Lock it in a drawer. Shut that portal.

3. Get clear on the one task. Write it down. Use paper. Be specific. What are you doing? What does “done” look like?

4. Use the Pomodoro technique. Apps like Toggl can break your time into 25-minute sprints with 5-minute breaks. Short chunks help.

5. Build routines. Especially in the morning. If you already have a habit (coffee, stretching, journaling), chain your next task to that.

6. Work in silence. For me, early morning is key. Silence equals clarity. (That’s how this ADHD mofo wrote a whole book.)

THE HABIT OF SHIFTING FOCUS = THE HABIT OF SABOTAGE

I used to constantly shift what I was doing just to avoid discomfort. The moment something felt off or boring or too hard, I’d change it. Switch tasks. Start something new.

What I didn’t realize is that I was training myself to bail.
Training myself to run from resistance.

But now I know better. Now I’ve learned that every time you close a loop, you free up space. You gain energy. You stop the burnout cycle. You start to build trust with yourself.

And as I started focusing on the small steps—those unglamorous bricks that build the big dreams—things began to move.

Once you truly commit to a journey, the path opens up. Things show up to support you. But only when you’ve got your feet rooted to the ground.

FINAL THOUGHT: OBSESSION WITH THE END VS. LOVE OF THE PROCESS

98% of people stay stuck. They stay lost in the dopamine high of the vision—pretending they’re making progress just because they’re learning or “planning” or “visualizing.”

But the 2%? The ones who actually get there?

They learn to fall in love with the mundane. They create flow. They finish what they start.

I’m still working on it. Every day. But my mission now is to fall in love with the process.

Because ultimately? The process is the goal.

And if what you’re doing doesn’t align with your values or your vision, it’s going to be hard.
But even if it doesn’t—can you still bring flow into it? Can you still make it fun? Can you still play the game?

If you can… you’ll stop working against yourself.

And you’ll finally start moving.