Welcome to January 9th.
In the marketing world, today is known as "National Quitting Day." Statistically, this is the day most people abandon their New Year's resolutions. The gym is suddenly quieter; the Duolingo streak is broken; the "Dry January" pledge has been quietly renegotiated to "Damp January."
For most people, this is a minor annoyance. They shrug, joke about it, and move on.
But if you have ADHD, today may not feel like a joke. It may just feel like evidence.
It can feel like proof of that nagging voice in your head that says: "See? You did it again. You can’t stick to anything. You have no willpower. You are lazy."
If you have spent your life cycling through intense obsession followed by abrupt disinterest, you aren't necessarily "bad at habits." You may be navigating a brain that runs on a completely different fuel source.
The Science: Why "Willpower" Is the Wrong Word
We tend to think of willpower as a muscle: if you just flex it hard enough, you can do the thing.
But for many neurodivergent brains, the issue isn't muscle; it's fuel. ADHD is largely a regulation disorder involving dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for reward, motivation, and habit formation.
Neurotypical brains tend to get a small "dopamine hit" from completing a mundane task or working toward goals over time. ADHD brains often don’t.
Many experts describe ADHD as having an Interest Based Nervous System (a framework many clinicians use). We don't get moved by "importance" (e.g., I should do this for my health). We get moved by interest, novelty, challenge, and urgency.
When a resolution is new (Jan 1st), it is novel and exciting. You have dopamine. When the novelty wears off (Jan 9th), the dopamine evaporates. Continuing can start to feel physically painful, like trying to drive a car with no petrol. What looks like a lack of willpower may actually be an empty tank.
Reframe: What If Quitting Is Just Feedback?
Before we beat ourselves up, it's worth saying: quitting isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes stopping is self-protection: your brain saying, “This isn’t working for me.” What if quitting isn’t failure… but feedback?
If a resolution makes you miserable, stopping it is a rational choice. But if you are quitting things you want to do, that’s where understanding your brain becomes vital.
The "Hobby Graveyard"
Nothing illustrates this better than the ADHD "Hobby Graveyard."
You likely know the place. It might be the cupboard under the stairs or the box under the bed. It is filled with the ghosts of dopamine seeking past:
- The £200 worth of oil paints from your "I’m going to be an artist" week.
- The sourdough starter you named, fed for six days, and then forgot existed.
- The coding bootcamp login you haven't touched since the introductory video.
- The knitting needles, the ukulele, the roller skates.
The Normal Change vs. The Neurodivergent Pattern
- The "Normal" Experience: "I tried knitting, but I just didn't really enjoy it, so I stopped. I might give the wool to a charity shop."
- The Neurodivergent Pattern: "I researched knitting for 48 hours straight. I bought the best needles and expensive merino wool. For two weeks, I knitted for six hours a day and felt euphoric. Then, one Tuesday, I woke up and the very thought of knitting felt like chewing glass. I haven't touched it since, but I keep the bag because getting rid of it feels like admitting another failure."
- Reframing the Graveyard: What if those weren't failures? What if they were successful investigations? You likely needed dopamine, and your brain went out and hunted it down. You learned something new. The hobby served its purpose. The main problem is often the shame you attach to stopping.
How to Make ADHD Habits Stick
So, how can we work with your system? How do we maintain a habit when the novelty inevitably wears off?
It helps to stop relying on "willpower" and start engineering "interest."
- The "Jar of Treats" (Breaking Decision Paralysis) We’ve all been there. You have a whole Saturday off. You wake up excited by the potential—painting! gaming! walking!—but there are too many options. The overwhelm hits, paralysis sets in, and you end up scrolling on your phone for six hours.
- The Strategy: Brainstorm everything on your "neverending might be fun" list. Write one item per slip of paper and put them in a jar.
- The Hack: When paralysis hits, pull a slip. If it sparks a "yes," do it. If not, pull another. You are simply using the jar to feel your way to the first thing that inspires you, bypassing the wall of choice.
- Lower the Barrier to Entry ADHD brains often struggle with "transition costs." If going for a run involves finding socks, finding headphones, and charging your watch, the hurdles can feel too high.
- The Strategy: Make the "start" embarrassingly easy. Don't resolve to "run 5k." Resolve to "put on running shoes." If you put them on and don't run? Fine. You still achieved the goal. (But usually, once the shoes are on, the run happens).
- Body Doubling We often struggle to generate internal motivation, so borrowing it from outside can be a game-changer.
- The Strategy: You don't need a gym buddy to spot you; you just need someone to be there. Knowing someone else is in the room (or even on a video call) working on their own task can provide enough "external anchor" to keep you focused.
- Challenge the "All or Nothing" Mindset ADHD brains often think in binary: we are either doing it perfectly (100%) or we aren't doing it at all (0%).
- The Trap: You missed the gym yesterday. The streak is broken. Your brain says, "Well, I ruined it, might as well stop."
- The Reframe: Aim for "B minus" effort. A messy workout is infinitely better than a perfect workout that never happened. Giving yourself permission to do things "badly" keeps the momentum alive when perfectionism tries to kill it.
So, Where Does That Leave You?
If you are reading this and recognising the "Hobby Graveyard" in your own home, take a breath. You are not broken. You may just be a high performance brain trying to run on the wrong fuel.
If you relate to the patterns above, the intense obsession followed by a painful crash, the constant starting and stopping, this can be a sign of ADHD.
And if this pattern is costing you money, peace of mind, or relationships, clarity might be the most valuable thing you invest in this year.
Clarity is the Best Habit for ADHD
Understanding why you quit is the only way to eventually stop quitting.
At Diverse Diagnostics, we help adults understand the mechanics of their own motivation. We don't judge the Hobby Graveyard; many of us have our own.
If you want to understand your brain better this year, book a free, 15 minute consultation with our team.
- It’s not a test.
- It’s not a sales pitch.
- It’s just a conversation to help you figure out your next step.
You deserve better than a year powered by guilt.
Resources
- New Year, New Clarity: Rethinking Resolutions: Our guide on why 2026 is the year to prioritise your needs over impossible resolutions. [ link to 28th december blog]
- ADDitude Magazine - Secrets of the ADHD Brain: A great deep-dive into the concept of the Interest Based Nervous System.
- Focusmate: A helpful tool for virtual body doubling if you work from home.
- ADHD UK: General support, advocacy, and resources for adults with ADHD.