The Two-Gallon Habit: Why Starting Small Actually Works
We all love the idea of big change. The clean slate. The full reset.
New routines. Perfect consistency. That future version of ourselves who somehow just does the thing without overthinking it.
But if you’ve ever tried to build new habits, especially with ADHD or executive functioning challenges, you’ve probably run into this wall:
If I can’t do it “right,” I don’t want to do it at all.
This is where so many high-achievers get stuck.
Not because they’re unmotivated. But because the mental picture of success is too big to start.
The Gas Tank Story…
There’s a story I often tell my clients that always gets a knowing laugh.
Imagine you're sitting in your car on the side of the road. You've run out of gas.
Someone pulls over and says, “Hey, I’ve got a gas can with two gallons. Enough to get you to the next gas station.”
And you say,
“No thank you. I’m going to wait for someone to bring a full tank.”
Sounds ridiculous, right?
But when it comes to building habits or making life changes, that’s exactly how so many of us operate.
We wait for the perfect energy, the perfect time, the perfectly structured plan.
We think if we can’t go from zero to a full routine - three workouts a week, or daily meditation, or inbox zero - then it’s not even worth trying.
And so we stay stuck on the side of the road.
Why This Happens (It’s Not Laziness)
If you have ADHD or struggle with executive functioning, the challenge isn't just motivation, it’s activation and regulation:
Knowing what to do isn’t the same as being able to start doing it
Internal resistance builds when the task feels too big
All-or-nothing thinking kicks in: “If I can’t do it right, what’s the point”
And a big one, the lack of self trust- “I don’t believe I’ll stick with it so there’s no use.”
Combine that with the dopamine-driven need for novelty or urgency, and you get a recipe for habit collapse.
What Actually Works: The Two-Gallon Habit
Instead of waiting for the perfect plan, I invite my clients to ask:
“What’s my two-gallon version of this habit?”
Not the idealized, full-capacity version.
Not the future-you fantasy.
Just the thing that will get you moving.
The version that gets you to the next gas station.
That might look like:
Putting on your workout clothes but not working out
Opening the doc but not writing
Brushing your teeth in the kitchen because the bathroom felt too overwhelming
Checking off one box instead of three
Starting Small Is Not Settling
Starting small is what builds momentum.
And momentum is what builds consistency.
And consistency, not perfection, is what builds trust in yourself.
The Finch self-care app is a great example of this philosophy in action. It rewards tiny steps. It doesn’t ask you to overhaul your life. It just asks you to start. AND it rewards the tiny action. No, this isn’t an ad, it’s just something I’ve been loving.
And in coaching, that’s what we do, too.
We normalize the two-gallon version.
We build habits that meet your brain where it is.
We stop waiting for the full tank.
Because once you're moving again?
You can get anywhere.
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