Build a System for Your ADHD Brain: TRACK
A simple framework for building ADHD accommodations that actually stick (even on your worst days).
If you have an ADHD brain, you already know this:
You can be smart, capable, motivated… and still lose your keys, forget the groceries, miss a deadline, and accidentally let three “small” tasks turn into a full meltdown.
For a long time, I treated that like a personal flaw.
Now I treat it like a systems problem.
I’m not trying to “fix” my brain.
I’m trying to accommodate it.
And the easiest way I’ve found to do that is with one framework I can remember (even on my worst days):
A few things before I start
If you’re a paid subscriber on this substack, you also get Notion Office Hours (monthly) — bring your systems and I’ll help you simplify + implement.
And if you’re a health nerd, I’m just launched a separate Substack called The Optimization Lab for wellness + genetics-informed experiments. Hope you check out my first two articles.
TRACK
A simple system for building accommodations that reduce the ADHD tax.
T — Trigger it
R — Recover it
A — Arrange it
C — Clear it
K — Keep it simple
You don’t need to do all of these at once.
You just need to pick one letter and make one change today.
T — Trigger it (reminders that don’t rely on memory)
If I have to “remember to remember,” it’s not going to happen.
So I trigger the behavior externally.
Examples from my life:
Alexa reminders for trash out / trash in.
Calendar reminders that actually notify me (sometimes more than once).
Timers I can hear or see.
Quick win you can do today (10 minutes):
Set up 3 recurring reminders:
Trash out
Trash in
One weekly “reset” reminder (pick a time you’re usually home)
If you want this to work, here’s the real question:
What reminders do you actually obey… and why?
Start there.
R — Recover it (track + retrieve the things you lose)
ADHD tax is real.
Sometimes it’s money.
Often it’s time.
Always it’s stress.
So instead of trying to become “a person who never loses things,” I build recovery systems.
Examples:
AirTag on my keys.
AirTag for my car.
Find My / Tile for the thing that disappears most.
Quick win:
Put one tracker on the one item that causes the most chaos.
Ask yourself:
What’s the real cost when I lose this?
That’s your best clue for where to start.
Link to Airtag
Link to my AirTag holder
A — Arrange it (make your environment do the remembering)
This is the secret sauce.
If something needs to happen consistently, I try to make it so I bump into it.
Examples:
I put my hairspray right by my oatmeal, so I see it in the morning and do it before I shower.
I give things “homes” so they don’t turn into piles: hooks, landing pads, folders, bins.
I keep extras where the failure happens: deodorant in the car, makeup in the car, backups in my purse.
Quick win:
Make one landing pad today:
keys
wallet
sunglasses
Or do this:
Pick ONE thing you forget constantly and move the trigger object into your line of sight.
C — Clear it (visibility + less clutter)
If I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.
Clear storage is not aesthetic.
It’s functional.
Examples:
Clear containers so I can see what I have.
Open-front bins for high-use categories.
Keeping daily-use items visible instead of hidden.
Quick win:
Swap ONE opaque bin or drawer to clear storage or open-front bins.
A helpful question:
What categories must be visible for me?
Snacks? Skincare? Cleaning? Tech?
That’s what gets the “clear” treatment.
K — Keep it simple (reduce moving parts)
A lot of my best accommodations are basically: fewer steps, fewer decisions, fewer open loops.
Examples:
Groceries: I buy fewer things and focus on fresh so I don’t forget food exists and throw it away later.
Digital life: I use Notion as my home base so I’m not bouncing between ten apps.
Business: I automate sign-ups and follow-ups so I don’t forget to do them.
Offers: I design my work around my brain (I love “one day” intensives, I hate long homework-based projects).
Quick win:
Choose ONE area to simplify this week:
groceries
apps
follow-ups
offers
Then remove one point of friction.
What I want you to do (one tiny step)
Pick one letter:
T if you miss deadlines or forget basics
R if you lose stuff constantly
A if your house/car feels like a chaos trap
C if clutter makes you shut down
K if you’re overwhelmed by too many tools and steps
Then do one accommodation today.
Not a total overhaul.
Just one change.
Because the goal isn’t perfection.
It’s fewer failures.
P.S. If you want a place to house these systems (especially the “Keep it simple” part), this is exactly why I build Notion setups for ADHD brains. A home base reduces so much friction.