How To Actually Use That Thing You Paid For

Three Steps to Change Your Entire Life (LMAO...that's so dramatic, sorry)

If you’re an adult with ADHD, you know this cycle: the excitement of a new tool, a new course, a new community, “the thing that will change everything” followed by... not using it, forgetting about it, not knowing how to get started with it, being overwhelmed by it… you know, you get all ADHDed.

Maybe you’ve joined a gym you can’t motivate to visit, bought an online program whose login is now buried 1,000 emails deep, or subscribed to an app you’ll only remember when you notice a $250 renewal charge next year. You bought the year-long thing, remember, because you knew this was gonna be the thing, so you actually did the smart thing by saving money on the year-long discount. Now you have to spend hours emailing and calling to try and get your money back on that unintended renewal.

ADHD trick: every time you sign up for a membership, before you charge your credit card, put a reminder on your phone/calendar to revisit and decide if you are continuing or canceling. Give yourself ‘permission to forget’.

This isn’t a unique struggle; it's a remarkably common experience, especially when you're navigating the world with an ADHD brain. The initial motivation fades, and then, without a system in place, that valuable resource just slips out of mind.

I have an answer! Do you want to use the thing…go to the thing…get your money’s worth out of the thing? This won’t be about willpower. It’s about understanding how your brain works and setting up a simple, repeatable process to engage with these tools that can help you.

I’ll use our online community as an example. ADHD Big Brother isn’t just another shiny object. It’s a tool. It’s a badass, amazing tool. And like any tool, it’s useless if it’s sitting in the toolbox. You gotta use it.

So, how do you actually use this thing you’ve invested in? It’s about externalizing the reminder, making it so simple you can't not do it. And I know the pushback of “watch me, I’ll prove you wrong. I can not do anything.” I get it. I’ve heard it. I’ve even felt it. So, how about we take a stand and make today the day we start believing in ourselves. Screw our historical data.

The ‘Don't Forget About It’ Protocol

This doesn’t have to be complicated. It's three super simple steps designed to trick your brain into remembering. I’m using our community in these examples, pretending you are a someone that wants to engage with the community and start getting shit done (perhaps posting in our daily accountability space). Let’s say you purchased the membership and have yet to show up. If you aren’t community-minded, think about how this might apply to your life and the thing(s) you want to do.

Step 1: The Visual Nudge.

Your brain needs a reminder it can't ignore.

• Action: Grab a Post-it note. On it, write: “ADHD BB: 15 mins. What's my ONE thing?”

• Placement: Stick it on your computer monitor, your bathroom mirror, or on your cell phone. Somewhere you will see it at least once a day. This is your "oh right, that thing" cue.

ADHD Trick: I am going to wager that 99.999% of us wake up and eventually grab our phone…to look at our email, check our feeds, see who texted. This is what most earthlings do now. When I need to see something in the morning, I put a post it on my phone. 100% guaranteed to see it.

Step 2: The Scheduled Appointment.

"I'll get to it later" is the enemy of consistency. Your calendar is your new best friend here. Every ADHDer needs some kind of calendar (physical or digital), or we can end the process right here…the odds of success went from doable to dead in the water. A calendar is non-negotiable for ADHDers. Hear MEEEEEE!!!

• Action: Open your calendar (digital or paper, whatever you actually use). Find 15 minutes in your day. Just 15. That's less time than you spend scrolling aimlessly when you're supposed to be doing something else. It’s there.

• Entry: Create a recurring appointment: "ADHD BB Check-In." Make it non-negotiable. Treat it like an actual meeting with someone important (because you are).

Step 3: The Daily Accountability Club Intention.

This is where the magic happens, but only if you show up with a purpose, even a tiny one.

• Action: When you log into the ADHD Big Brother community (prompted by your Post-it and your calendar reminder, obviously), go straight to the Daily Accountability Club space.

• Intention: Don't just read. Don't just browse. Set ONE single, tiny intention for that day. Day 1 (insert your name here) My one thing: I will do the dishes, or I will post in Daily Accountability (insta-win).

• Why? This gives your brain a specific mission. And the momentum you get from actually doing that one small thing? It's amazing. It builds confidence. It proves to your brain that this isn't just another thing you paid for and then abandoned.

This Is Our Normal. This Is How We Work.

If you've got ADHD, your brain craves interest and often struggles with follow-through on things that aren't immediately stimulating. It's not a character flaw. But understanding that means you need to build systems around that reality. It’s not about becoming a normie who doesn’t need scaffolding, or support, or who can easily remember shit because it’s important.

The ADHD Big Brother community is here to support you. But we can't do the remembering for you. We can't log you in. We can't make you interact. That's on you. And the good news is, you now have a super simple, ADHD-friendly method to make sure this, or any, valuable resource doesn't become just another “thing that doesn’t work.”

My question to you: now that you’ve read this, what are you going to do to remember, and give time toward, your thing?

My question to current ADHDBB members: how are you going to remember to show up and take advantage of our next-level support?

Please share this article with your ADHD friends!