# 344: Why "Try Harder" Doesn't Work for an ADHD Brain (And What Does) with Brooke Schnittman Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/maximized-minimalist-podcast-997364/344-why-try-harder-doesn-t-work-for-an-adhd-brain-and-what-does-with-brooke-schnittman Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/maximized-minimalist-podcast-997364/344-why-try-harder-doesn-t-work-for-an-adhd-brain-and-what-does-with-brooke-schnittman.md Podcast: [Maximized Minimalist Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/maximized-minimalist-podcast-997364) Published: 2026-01-21T06:30:00+00:00 Episode link: https://minimalist-movement.libsyn.com/344-why-try-harder-doesnt-work-for-an-adhd-brain-and-what-does-with-brooke-schnittman Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/minimalist-movement/344__Why__Try_Harder__Doesnt_Work_for_an_ADHD_Brain_And_What_Does_with_Brooke_Schnittman.mp3?dest-id=1064381 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/maximized-minimalist-podcast-997364/episodes/344-why-try-harder-doesn-t-work-for-an-adhd-brain-and-what-does-with-brooke-schnittman Duration seconds: 2718 ## Resource 📚 PRE-ORDER MY NEW BOOK Making Home Your Happy Place: The Real-Life Guide to Decluttering Without the Overwhelm releases February 17th. Pre-order now to receive exclusive bonus goodies — simple, supportive tools you can start using right away. 👉 Pre-Order wherever books are sold 🎯 TAKE THE FREE DECLUTTERING STYLE QUIZ Discover your personal Decluttering Style and get a clear, realistic starting plan that actually fits your life. 👉 Take the free quiz If you've ever felt like you're working twice as hard as everyone else just to keep your head above water… this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. Because when you're trying harder and harder—making more lists, getting more "disciplined," pushing yourself into new-year productivity mode—and it's still not working? That's not a character flaw. It's not laziness. And it's definitely not that you're "bad at adulthood." In today's conversation, I'm joined by Brooke Schnitman , executive function coach and former special education teacher with 20+ years of experience helping adults with ADHD stop fighting their brains and start working with them. Brooke was diagnosed with ADHD at 35, so she understands this from the inside out—and she explains why willpower isn't the problem… regulation is. We talk about the overwhelm/underwhelm cycle that keeps so many women stuck, how "all-or-nothing" thinking hijacks decluttering (and basically everything else), and the small, realistic shifts that help you build momentum—without burning out or spiraling into shame. If decluttering (or even just managing life) feels harder than it "should," this episode will help you finally understand why … and what to do instead. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: 1) "Try harder" backfires because ADHD isn't an effort problem—it's a regulation probl… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/maximized-minimalist-podcast-997364/episodes/344-why-try-harder-doesn-t-work-for-an-adhd-brain-and-what-does-with-brooke-schnittman/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/maximized-minimalist-podcast-997364/344-why-try-harder-doesn-t-work-for-an-adhd-brain-and-what-does-with-brooke-schnittman.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.