For those of us with ADHD, change doesn’t begin with grand plans. It begins in the moment—often in the pause between impulse and action. But habits don’t form by accident. They’re shaped by choices we return to, again and again. The HABIT framework is designed to help you build habits that reflect who you are, what you care about, and how you want to show up in life. Each letter offers a new lens through which to understand and shape your habits—so they don’t just stick, they mean something.

Let’s walk through the framework.

H – Helps or Harms

What daily behaviours support or sabotage this habit?

This step is about surfacing the micro-habits—those small, often invisible routines—that either help your target habit take root or keep pulling you away from it. It also asks you to reflect on the systems, contexts, and triggers that shape your choices.

Questions to consider:

• What actions, environments, or routines make this habit easier for me?
• What gets in the way—distractions, emotional states, temptations?
• What is the smallest thing I can tweak today to give this habit a better chance of sticking?

Example: If your goal is to go to bed by 10 p.m., staying on your phone after nine might harm this habit. A warm shower and dimmed lights after dinner might help.

A – Appraise Motivation

Why do I want this habit? And how will it ripple across my life?

Here, you appraise the ‘why’ behind the habit—not just logically, but meaningfully. How does this habit support your well-being across the four life domains: work or study, relationships, leisure, and health/growth?

This is not about obligation. It’s about connecting your habit to your values, goals, and needs—so it feels worth returning to even when motivation dips.

Questions to consider:

• What values or goals does this habit support?
• How would this habit impact each life domain?
• What deeper need does it meet—freedom, calm, connection, mastery?

B – Basics and Beyond

What strategies give this habit the best chance to grow?

This is where the science of habit formation lives. Drawing from behavioural science, this step helps you explore how to create reliable cues, shrink resistance, and design sustainable changes—whether quick wins or long-haul efforts.

Core techniques include:

• Habit stacking (linking a new habit to an existing one)
• Visual cues (notes, objects, colour-coded prompts)
• Environment design (putting supports in easy reach)
• Friction management (removing temptations, reducing complexity)

Questions to consider:

• Can I shrink the first step?
• What tools or reminders could help?
• Is there a time of day this naturally fits?

I – Identity and Values

What kind of person do I want to be—and how does this habit reflect that?

This step grounds the habit in your evolving self-concept. You’re not just trying to meditate—you’re becoming a calmer person. Not just exercising—you’re becoming someone who honours energy and health.

And beneath identity lie values. What qualities do you want to bring to your actions? Who do you want to be in your family, your work, your community?

Questions to explore:

• What value does this habit express? (e.g. patience, care, courage, consistency)
• What kind of person am I trying to become?
• What do I want to stand for, especially when it’s hard?
• How does this habit help me show up for the people I care about?

T – Track Progress

How will I know if the habit is taking root—and how will I course-correct?

Change needs feedback. This step invites you to notice what’s working, celebrate small wins, and adjust your plan with self-compassion when things slip. It’s not about perfection—it’s about reflection and resilience.

Ideas for tracking:

• A simple daily check mark
• Journaling: “Did I follow through? What helped/hurt?”
• Weekly reflections: “Where was I consistent? Where did I drift?”
• Visual charts, stickers, or reward systems

Key point: Tracking is not just accountability—it’s awareness. It shows you where your river flows smooth, and where rocks still catch the current.

“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” – Socrates

Wonder is the wide-eyed yes to life. It’s the gasp at the stars, the pause at a leaf’s design, the goosebumps from a story that stirs your soul. For ADHDers—who often feel pulled in a thousand directions—wonder brings us back to presence, beauty, and aliveness.

In the ADHD terrain, wonder may arrive unexpectedly: in a moment of hyperfocus, a sudden insight, a burst of joy. It can be hard to access when stress or shame takes over, but it’s never far away. Wonder asks only that you look again—without judgment, without rush.

Living this value means choosing curiosity over cynicism. It’s seeing life as something to engage with, not just endure. It’s making space for mystery, for questions without answers, for delight that doesn’t need explanation. And for ADHDers, it’s a reminder that the world is not just tasks and time—it’s texture, story, sensation.

Wonder also makes room for hope. It opens us to what might be possible, even if we can’t yet see the path. It’s a kind of faith—not in control, but in connection. To the world. To others. To yourself.

“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” – Albert Einstein

Wisdom is the quiet knowing that comes from experience, reflection, and heart. It’s more than knowledge—it’s how you apply what life teaches you, especially when the lessons were hard. For ADHDers, who often learn through trial, error, and lived intensity, wisdom is earned through resilience.

In the ADHD terrain, wisdom might mean recognising your limits without shame, learning from past patterns, or choosing a better response today than yesterday. It’s what emerges when you pause before acting, when you step back to see the whole picture, or when you realise that some shortcuts cost more than they save.

Wisdom also shows up in self-forgiveness. Many ADHDers carry guilt from forgotten tasks, impulsive decisions, or failed attempts. But wisdom says: “You are still growing. And you are learning things others may never have to.”

Living this value means using your lived experience not as evidence of failure—but as fuel for compassion, insight, and better choices. It’s what turns stumbling blocks into stepping stones. And it's a gift you can pass on to others who are still finding their way.