Frequently Asked Questions

Adaptable Discipline is a principle-aligned framework for self-governance built specifically for neurodivergent minds, ADHD, and executive dysfunction. Unlike traditional discipline systems that chase goals through willpower, Adaptable Discipline trains your capacity to realign with your principles after you drift.

At its core, Adaptable Discipline measures comeback speed—how quickly you return to alignment after falling off track—not perfect consistency or streak maintenance. It recognizes that drift is inevitable (especially with executive dysfunction) and focuses on training the skill of noticing and returning.

The framework is built on five core principles (Principle-Aligned, Comeback Speed, Self-Governance, Neurodivergent-First Design, Proactive Capacity Building) and structured through four pillars (Purpose, Mindset, Tools, Metrics) that form the heart of how you build self-governance.

You apply these principles and pillars by designing your own systems, practices, and routines based on how your brain actually works—not neurotypical assumptions.

Outputs become byproducts of alignment, not proof of worth. Goals emerge naturally from sustained practice rather than being pursued through force.

Learn more about the framework → | Take the quiz →

Discipline in Adaptable Discipline means the ability to return—again and again—to what matters most. It's about realignment after setbacks, not punishment for slipping.

The word discipline originally came from the Latin "disciplina," meaning instruction, learning, or practice—being a student who returns to a path. Over time, society warped this into punishment, willpower, and performance. We're reclaiming its original meaning.

Discipline isn't about rigid control or forcing yourself through sheer willpower. It's continuous realignment through learning and practice. Every return is an act of self-governance. Every reset is a reminder that discipline is about awareness, not force—about understanding, not output—about alignment, not performance.

This shift transforms discipline from a model of control to a model of agency. You're not trying to be perfect. You're training the art of returning.

Read the manifesto →

Most discipline methods focus on goal achievement, habit stacking, consistency metrics (streaks), reactive approaches (trigger → action), and neurotypical assumptions (you can "just be consistent").

Adaptable Discipline focuses on:

• Principle alignment (What guides you?)
• Comeback speed (How fast you return after drift)
• Self-governance (Who are you when no one's watching?)
• Proactive practice (Train before life tests you)
• Neurodivergent-first design (Built for executive dysfunction)

Traditional systems assume consistent executive function and treat drift as personal failure. Adaptable Discipline assumes drift is inevitable and trains the capacity to return. It measures the skill of realignment, not the absence of mistakes.

Goals still happen—but they emerge as byproducts of sustained alignment rather than being forced through willpower.

See the comparison table →

Principle-aligned discipline means training alignment to your core principles rather than chasing external goals.

Most systems ask: "What do you want to achieve?" Then use discipline as a tool to get there. When you achieve the goal, the discipline often stops—or you feel lost without a new target.

Principle-aligned discipline asks: "What principles guide you?" Then trains the capacity to return to those principles when life pulls you away. Goals emerge as byproducts.

Example: Goal-oriented: "I want to lose 20 pounds" → Build gym habit → Achieve goal → Often regain weight. Principle-aligned: "I value health and vitality" → Practice returning to that principle → Weight loss happens as natural expression of alignment.

Principles remain stable even when circumstances change. Goals come and go. This makes principle-aligned discipline more sustainable and intrinsically motivated.

Learn about the five principles →

Because rigid systems break when life changes—and life always changes.

Traditional discipline systems are monolithic: "Follow these exact steps in this exact order." They work well when conditions are stable but collapse during life transitions, health changes, energy shifts, motivation fluctuations, or executive dysfunction flare-ups.

Adaptable means the framework bends without breaking. You design modular practices that can be scaled up or down based on energy, composed differently for different situations, adjusted to your current context, and maintained even during low-functioning periods.

The principles remain stable. The practices adapt to your reality. That's why it's called Adaptable Discipline—it meets you where you are instead of demanding you meet it where it wants you.

You practice by building self-governance through continuous realignment—training the ability to return to your principles after you drift.

Remember: discipline comes from Latin disciplina (instruction, learning, practice). This framework reclaims discipline's original meaning—it's about learning and returning, not control and punishment. Every return is an act of self-governance.

The framework provides the intellectual foundation:

• The reframe of discipline (from control to learning)
• The five core principles (what to align with)
• The concept of comeback speed (what to measure)
• Understanding that drift is inevitable (not personal failure)

You design your practice using the four pillars:

1. Purpose: Identify your values and principles—what guides you? What's your why?
2. Mindset: Cultivate the psychological posture for comeback—Awareness (noticing drift early), Responsibility (owning your response), Adaptability (adjusting without losing purpose), Self-Compassion (removing shame from the process)
3. Tools: Choose what supports your practice—system design, journaling, habit tracking, mental models, accountability groups, environment design—whatever works for your brain at any scale
4. Metrics: Measure comeback speed—how quickly you notice drift and return to alignment (not streaks or perfect consistency)

The practice is the continuous cycle: learn → design → test → observe → refine → return. Through this feedback loop, you build self-governance—the capacity to act according to your principles, especially when it's hard.

Start with the framework principles →

Yes. Adaptable Discipline was specifically built for ADHD brains and executive dysfunction from the ground up—not adapted from neurotypical systems as an afterthought.

Traditional discipline methods assume consistent executive function, stable motivation, ability to "just be consistent," and that drift is personal failure. These assumptions don't match how ADHD brains work.

Adaptable Discipline starts with different assumptions:

• Drift is inevitable (not a character flaw)
• Comeback speed matters more than streaks
• Variable attention is normal (the system works with it)
• External structure helps (we design for that reality)
• Micro-practices are accessible (60-120 seconds, not 30-minute routines)

Many ADHD practitioners report this is the first system that acknowledges their reality instead of asking them to "just try harder."

Read about executive dysfunction →

Yes—that's who this was built for.

Executive dysfunction means inconsistent access to motivation, variable ability to initiate tasks, difficulty maintaining routines, struggles with task switching, and planning challenges.

Most discipline systems assume you have consistent executive function. Adaptable Discipline assumes you don't—and designs around that reality.

How it addresses executive dysfunction:

• Proactive practice: Train when function is high, deploy when it's low
• Modular design: 60-second micro-practices don't require sustained attention
• External structure: Guided practice sessions, accountability
• Comeback-focused: Returning is the skill, not never drifting
• Environmental design: Reduce friction systematically

You're not trying to overcome executive dysfunction through force. You're working with your actual wiring.

Learn about mapping your real day →

Yes. Burnout often happens when you've been forcing performance through willpower instead of practicing alignment.

Traditional productivity systems push for more output, more consistency, more achievement—which accelerates burnout.

Adaptable Discipline addresses burnout by:

• Prioritizing recovery as a discipline skill (not "giving up")
• Measuring alignment over output (outputs are byproducts, not goals)
• Training self-governance (internal alignment vs. external performance)
• Normalizing rest (energy rhythms are real, not weaknesses)
• Practicing self-compassion (shame cycles worsen burnout)

The framework asks: "Are you aligned with your principles?" not "How much did you produce today?"

Read about recovery as a discipline skill →

Because they're built for brains that can "just be consistent"—and ADHD brains can't.

The mismatch creates shame spirals: You fail at the system → blame yourself → try harder → fail again → shame intensifies → executive function drops further → cycle repeats.

Adaptable Discipline breaks this by expecting drift and training return. No shame for falling off. Just practice coming back. That's the skill.

Understand why advice failed you →

No. It's an intellectual framework for self-governance—fundamentally different from both.

Productivity systems optimize output. Habit systems optimize consistency. Both are built for brains that can sustain routines through repetition and environmental design.

Adaptable Discipline addresses a different problem: How do you build sustainable discipline when your brain drifts—when executive function varies, when motivation fluctuates, when consistency isn't reliably available?

The key differences:

• Productivity measures output. Adaptable Discipline measures alignment with principles.
• Habit-building optimizes for streaks. Adaptable Discipline trains comeback speed—how quickly you return after drift.
• Most systems require motivation. This framework designs for when motivation is zero.
• Most systems rely on willpower. This framework builds self-governance through continuous learning.

You can use productivity tools and habit-building techniques within this framework. But the framework itself is solving for sustainable discipline in the face of drift—something most existing approaches don't account for.

If you've tried productivity systems and habit methods and they didn't stick, it's likely because they weren't designed for how your brain actually works.

See the full comparison →

That's not a failure—that's data.

If you've tried multiple systems and they all failed, the problem isn't you. The problem is the systems were designed for different brains.

Adaptable Discipline starts with a different assumption: You're not broken. The system wasn't built for you.

This framework was designed by someone with ADHD, diagnosed at 32, after decades of "trying everything." It works differently because it starts with different premises about how your brain actually functions.

See the framework principles →

No. This is a self-governance framework, not a productivity optimization system.

Productivity systems focus on outputs: more tasks completed, more efficiency, more achievement. They treat you like a machine that needs optimization.

Adaptable Discipline focuses on alignment: Are your actions consistent with your principles? Are you governing yourself according to your values?

Key distinction: Productivity asks "How much did you do today?" Discipline asks "Were you aligned with who you want to be?"

Outputs often follow from alignment—but they're byproducts, not goals. The goal is self-governance.

Explore the five principles →

Yes—anyone can benefit from this framework.

Adaptable Discipline was designed for neurodivergent minds because traditional systems failed them most egregiously. But the principles apply universally: everyone drifts, everyone benefits from comeback speed, everyone needs self-governance, everyone experiences variable motivation.

Think of it like this: Curb cuts were designed for wheelchairs, but they help everyone (strollers, bikes, delivery carts). Adaptable Discipline was designed for ADHD, but the principles help anyone who wants sustainable self-governance.

Take the comeback assessment →

Comeback speed is how quickly you notice drift and return to alignment with your principles—the core measurable metric in Adaptable Discipline.

Traditional systems measure consistency: "How many days in a row did you not fail?" This creates shame spirals because drift is inevitable. Comeback speed measures resilience: "How fast do you return after drifting?"

Why it matters: You can't prevent all drift (life happens, energy fluctuates, executive function varies). But you can train faster return. A 3-day drift with 30-minute comeback is better than a perfect 90-day streak that collapses into a 6-month disappearance.

Comeback speed compounds: the faster you return, the less momentum you lose, the less shame accumulates, the easier the next return becomes.

Learn about the five principles →

Micro-practices are small, modular actions (60-120 seconds) you design and train proactively so they're available when you need them.

The idea: practice when executive function is high, deploy when it's low. Build trained responses during stable periods, then use them reflexively during drift or dysfunction.

Examples you might design:

• Breathing practice: Two inhales through nose, long exhale (calms nervous system)
• Environmental scan: Quick assessment to reduce friction in your space
• Tiny focus block: Single 15-minute block (accessible during low function)
• Compassion reset: Self-compassion practice after noticing drift

Design micro-practices that are accessible even during executive dysfunction. The smaller and simpler, the more likely you'll actually do them when function drops.

Read about building anchors →

Principle-aligned means your actions are guided by stable values, not shifting feelings or external expectations.

Most people operate from motivation (feels good), obligation (should do), or habit (autopilot). These are unstable: motivation fluctuates, obligations change, habits break.

Principles are different: They're stable reference points you choose consciously and return to deliberately. They don't depend on how you feel. They guide action even when motivation is zero.

The five core principles of Adaptable Discipline: Principle-Aligned (not goal-oriented), Comeback Speed (not streaks), Self-Governance (not performance), Neurodivergent-First Design (built for executive dysfunction), and Proactive Capacity Building (train before you need it).

Alignment means: "Is this action consistent with my principles?" If yes, it's disciplined—regardless of outcome. If no, it's drift—regardless of productivity.

Explore the principles →

Self-governance is the capacity to act according to your principles even when it's hard—the ultimate goal of discipline.

It's not about controlling yourself through force. It's about governing yourself through practiced alignment. The difference: control is external pressure ("I must do this"). Governance is internal coherence ("This aligns with who I am").

Self-governance is built through:

• Learning: Understanding your principles and why they matter
• Practice: Training your systems and micro-practices proactively
• Return: Noticing drift and realigning quickly
• Refinement: Adjusting practices based on feedback

This is why discipline means "learning" (from Latin disciplina)—you're learning to govern yourself, not forcing compliance.

Read the manifesto →

Drift is an expected, observable event. Failure is a judgment layered on top.

Drift: You lose alignment with your principles. Your actions diverge from your values. You stop practicing. Energy drops. Executive function varies. Life happens.

Failure: "I'm not disciplined enough. I'm broken. I'll never change. Why do I keep doing this?"

Drift is neutral data. It tells you: "Realignment needed." Failure is a shame narrative. It tells you: "You're not good enough."

Adaptable Discipline treats drift as: Expected (not exceptional), observable (not moral), trainable (not fixed), informative (not shameful).

The skill isn't preventing drift. The skill is noticing it quickly and returning without shame. That's comeback speed.

Learn the principles →

Proactive training means practicing discipline skills when you don't need them yet, so they're available when you do.

Most systems are reactive: wait until you're struggling, then try to implement a solution. This fails during executive dysfunction because learning new skills requires the very function you're missing.

Proactive training inverts this: Design and practice your micro-practices when executive function is high. Build routines during stable periods. Train responses when motivation is present. Then deploy them when function drops.

The principle: Don't wait for crisis to build capacity. Build capacity during calm so it's available during storm.

This is why group practice works: structured time with guidance, accountability for showing up, peer modeling, external scaffolding when internal structure is low.

Start with quick practice exercises →

Environmental awareness means designing your context to support alignment instead of fighting friction constantly.

Your environment includes: physical space (desk, room, tools), digital space (apps, notifications, tabs), social space (who you're around, what they expect), temporal space (time of day, energy rhythms).

Traditional productivity: "Optimize your environment and solve the problem." But perfect environments aren't enough for ADHD—you also need trained practices.

Adaptable Discipline: Environmental design reduces friction. Proactive training builds capacity. Both together create sustainable practice.

Micro-practices you might design: Quick space scan, environmental reset routine, transition breathing, friction-reduction checklist.

Map your real day →

Modular design means practices are small, independent units you can scale and compose based on current capacity.

Traditional systems use monolithic routines: "Do these 12 steps in this exact order for 45 minutes every morning." When one step breaks, the whole routine collapses.

Modular systems use composable pieces: Each micro-practice stands alone (60-120 seconds). They can be practiced individually or chained together. You can scale up (full routine) or down (single practice) based on executive function. No routine is "all or nothing."

Example: Morning routine might include breathing practice → space scan → tiny focus block. High function day: do all three. Low function day: just breathing. You still practiced. No shame.

Modular design makes practice accessible even during dysfunction—which is exactly when you need it most.

Build your foundation →

Start with understanding, not action. Most people jump straight to "What do I do?" and skip "Why does this work differently?"

Recommended path:

• Read the Manifesto: Understand the philosophy (5-minute read)
• Explore the Framework: Learn the five principles (10-minute read)
• Take the Quiz: Discover your comeback type (5 minutes)
• Browse the Guides: Pick one topic that resonates (practical resources)
• Design one micro-practice: Start with a breathing exercise (60 seconds daily for 7 days)

Don't try to implement everything at once. Adaptable Discipline is a practice, not a prescription. Start small. Build slowly.

No—the framework is free and open. All the principles, concepts, and guides are publicly available. You can practice Adaptable Discipline using your own methods and tools.

Structured practice helps if: You need external accountability (ADHD/executive dysfunction), you learn better in groups with peer modeling, you want guided exercises to get started, you benefit from community support.

Think of it like: The framework (Buddhism) is free. Structured practice (Zen monastery) helps many people. You can practice alone—but community and structure help build consistency for some brains.

Framework is open. How you practice is yours to design. Use what works for your needs.

Start with the free guides → | Join the community →

Start with 60 seconds daily. Seriously. One micro-practice. One minute. Every day for 7 days.

Traditional systems demand 30-60 minute morning routines before you've built any capacity. Adaptable Discipline starts accessible: 60-120 second practices you design for executive dysfunction.

As you build capacity: Week 1: One practice (60 sec/day). Week 2-4: Two practices (2-3 min/day). Month 2: Full routine (5-10 min/day). Month 3+: Daily practice rhythm (10-15 min/day).

But you scale based on YOUR capacity, not arbitrary targets. Low function day? Just one practice. That's still practice. That's still alignment.

The goal isn't more time. The goal is sustainable practice that works with your reality.

See the getting started guide →

That's the first practice—discovering them.

Most people haven't consciously chosen their principles. They operate from inherited values ("my parents said"), social expectations ("everyone does this"), or reactive preferences ("this feels good right now").

To discover your principles: Notice what bothers you when violated (that's a principle trying to emerge). Ask "Why does this matter?" five times (gets beneath surface reasons). Observe what you return to when everything else fails (that's foundational). Look at your behaviors, not your intentions (revealed vs. stated values).

The five framework principles (Sustainable Practice, Continuous Realignment, Modular Design, Proactive Training, Environmental Awareness) are starting points—but you'll develop personal principles through practice.

Take the quiz. It helps surface your current patterns. That's data for discovering principles.

Take the comeback assessment →

Yes—Adaptable Discipline is a framework, not a prescriptive system. It works alongside other tools and methods.

Complements well with: GTD (for task capture and organization), Atomic Habits (for environmental design), CBT (for thought pattern awareness), Bullet Journaling (for tracking), Pomodoro (for time structure).

What Adaptable Discipline adds: The WHY behind practices (principle alignment), comeback speed training (resilience), neurodivergent-friendly design (works with ADHD), self-governance focus (not just productivity).

Use what works. Discard what doesn't. The framework is meant to support your practice—not replace everything you've learned.

Perfect—you just got data on your current comeback speed.

Drifting after starting isn't failure. It's baseline measurement. Now you know: "I can commit to practice, but drift happens within [timeframe]. What's my return pattern?"

Next steps after drift: Notice how long before you realized you'd drifted (awareness speed). Notice what triggered the drift (context data). Return without shame—practice self-compassion. Track: How long did drift last? How did you return? What made return easier/harder?

You're not trying to prevent drift on Day 1. You're training the RETURN muscle. That's the whole point. Drift teaches you about your patterns. Return builds your capacity.

This is why it's called practice—you're learning, not performing.

Learn the principles →

Yes—the Substack community is free and growing.

The Self Disciplined community includes weekly essays on practicing the framework, guided reflection prompts, reader discussions and shared experiences, Q&A with practitioners, and updates on new guides and resources.

It's a space for people practicing Adaptable Discipline to share what's working, support each other through drift, and explore the framework together.

Everyone is welcome, whether you're just discovering the framework or have been practicing for months.

Join the community (free) →

Because traditional systems ask you to "just be consistent"—and ADHD brains can't reliably do that.

It's not a character flaw. It's how your brain regulates attention, motivation, and executive function. ADHD brains need novelty, struggle with habit formation through repetition alone, have variable executive function day-to-day, experience motivation that fluctuates wildly.

Adaptable Discipline addresses this by: Expecting drift instead of demanding consistency. Measuring comeback speed instead of streaks. Using modular micro-practices (novel combinations) instead of fixed routines. Training proactively when function is high, deploying when it's low.

You CAN stick to things—but not through neurotypical methods. You need a system built for your brain.

Understand executive dysfunction →

Shame comes from the story you tell about drift—not drift itself.

Old story: "I drifted again. I'm not disciplined. I'll never change. Why am I like this?" This story creates shame spirals that worsen executive dysfunction.

New story: "I drifted. That's expected. How quickly can I return? What does this drift tell me about my current context?" This story treats drift as neutral data—observable, trainable, informative.

Practice self-compassion: Notice drift without judgment. Name the drift pattern ("I stopped practicing when energy dropped"). Practice one micro-return (single practice, 60 seconds). Track comeback speed, not streak length.

Shame keeps you stuck. Curiosity moves you forward. Drift is the practice field. Return is the skill.

Learn about recovery →

You don't need perfect environments—you need trained responses for imperfect ones.

Traditional productivity assumes you can "optimize your environment and solve the problem." But many people live with: roommates, small kids, chronic health issues, demanding jobs, financial constraints, caregiving responsibilities. You can't always control your environment.

Adaptable Discipline inverts this: Environmental design helps when possible (we still do it). Proactive training builds capacity to practice IN chaos. Modular micro-practices work in 60-120 seconds (accessible even in chaotic contexts). Comeback practice assumes disruption (not perfect conditions).

You're not waiting for the perfect environment to start practicing. You're training to practice in YOUR real environment—chaos and all.

Map your real day →

That's exactly when proactive training matters most.

Motivation is unreliable—especially for ADHD brains. You can't depend on it. Traditional systems say "find your why" or "get motivated"—but what if motivation just... isn't there?

Adaptable Discipline doesn't require motivation: You designed practices when motivation was present (proactive). Now you deploy trained responses even when motivation is zero. Micro-practices are 60-120 seconds (don't require sustained motivation). Practice is aligned with principles, not feelings.

When motivation is zero: Don't try to "get motivated." Just practice one. Breathing exercise (60 seconds). That's it. You practiced. You aligned with your principles. No motivation required.

Motivation follows practice more often than practice follows motivation. But even when it doesn't—you still practiced. That's self-governance.

Learn the principles →

Depends on what you're measuring.

Immediate (Week 1): You'll notice if a practice works for you (breathing exercises calm your nervous system in 60 seconds—you feel that immediately).

Short-term (Weeks 2-4): You'll start noticing drift faster (awareness speed increases). You'll return quicker after drifting (comeback speed improves). You'll have less shame around drift (narrative shifts).

Medium-term (Months 2-3): Practices become reflexive (you deploy them automatically). Comeback speed compounds noticeably (3-day drift → 3-hour drift). Self-governance feels more stable (less willpower needed).

Long-term (Months 6-12): Practice feels sustainable (not forced). Principles are internalized (guide decisions automatically). You're teaching others (sign of mastery).

But here's the key: You're not measuring productivity outputs. You're measuring alignment capacity. That's a different kind of result—more sustainable, less fragile.

Assess your current baseline →