Jumping In Sloppy: Why Starting Imperfectly Is an ADHD Superpower

Getting started can feel harder than the work itself—especially when your brain insists on finding the perfect system before you begin. In this episode of Adulting with ADHD, Sarah sits down with Russ Jones, host of the ADHD Big Brother Podcast, to explore what happens when we stop waiting for certainty and start jumping in sloppy instead.

Russ shares his late-in-life ADHD diagnosis and how burnout, depression, and the isolation of the pandemic led him to rethink productivity from the inside out. Together, Sarah and Russ unpack why ADHD brains get stuck in planning mode, how perfectionism disguises itself as “research,” and why starting imperfectly is often the most compassionate move we can make.

This conversation is a grounding reminder that progress doesn’t come from flawless systems—it comes from momentum, connection, and designing effort that your nervous system can actually tolerate.

In this episode, we explore:

Why ADHDers often over-plan instead of starting—and how to interrupt that cycle

What “jumping in sloppy” really means (and what it doesn’t)

How finite effort and timers can reduce anxiety around overwhelming tasks

Why quitting is sometimes part of getting started

The concept of felt accountability and why other humans make follow-through more likely

How community, body doubling, and shared effort reduce shame and isolation

Reframing productivity as something we do together, not alone

Russ also shares the heart behind his ADHD Big Brother approach—why guidance works better when it feels like support instead of authority, and how small, human-scale systems can help us finally tackle the tasks we’ve been avoiding.

If you’ve ever told yourself, “I know me—this won’t work,” this episode gently challenges that belief and offers a more hopeful alternative: start where you are, start imperfectly, and don’t do it alone.

🔗 Connect with Russ Jones

Website: www.adhdbigbrother.com