The ADHD Accountability Experiment - What I've Learned So Far
Four weeks ago, I made a decision that terrified my ADHD brain:
365 days. Daily training. One YouTube video every single day.
Today marks day 28, and I need to share what's happened—because it's not what I expected.
The Brutal Truth About Week 1-2
My ADHD brain did exactly what I predicted: it panicked and tried to sabotage the whole thing.
  • Day 3: Forgot to record until 11:47 PM (uploaded at midnight)
  • Day 7: Spent 4 hours editing a 5-minute video (classic hyperfocus trap)
  • Day 12: Had zero energy, almost quit, posted anyway with terrible audio
  • Day 14: Batch-recorded 3 videos in one hyperfocus session (saved my ass later)
Week 3-4: The System Started Working
Here's where it got interesting. My engineering brain finally kicked in and started optimizing:
What's Actually Working:
  • Pre-recording during hyperfocus sessions (I now have a 6-video buffer)
  • "Minimum viable content" rule for low-energy days
  • Phone alarms every 2 hours asking: "Video done?"
  • Celebrating tiny wins instead of perfect content
The Unexpected Discovery: The daily accountability isn't just changing my content creation—it's rewiring how my ADHD brain approaches ALL commitments.
The Data After 28 Days
Like any good engineer, I've been tracking:
  • ✅ 28/28 days completed (100% so far)
  • Average time per video: 45 minutes (down from 2+ hours)
  • Missed recording time: 6 days (but never missed upload)
  • Energy crashes handled: 4 (backup content saved me)
  • Hyperfocus sessions leveraged: 8
What This Taught Me About ADHD & Accountability
Lesson 1: External accountability beats internal motivation every time. Knowing you're watching keeps me going when my brain wants to quit.
Lesson 2: Systems beat willpower. I'm not more disciplined than 28 days ago—I just built better failure-prevention systems.
Lesson 3: ADHD consistency looks different. Some days I record for 20 minutes, some days for 3 hours. Both count as "done."
Lesson 4: Progress isn't linear. I had 3 terrible days this week, but the system carried me through.
The Real Test Ahead
The honeymoon phase is over. Week 5-8 is where most challenges die. My ADHD brain is already whispering: "You've proven the point, you can stop now."
But that's exactly why I can't stop. The most valuable data comes from pushing through the resistance.
Do you want to see me struggling: https://www.youtube.com/@DadDoesCalisthenics
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Thomas Pfeiffer
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The ADHD Accountability Experiment - What I've Learned So Far
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